Girl on the Run by Carolyn Arnold is the eleventh book in the Madison Knight series. I started this series at book number seven and have yet to read the previous books. The fact I could follow the series at book seven shows how well each book works as a stand-alone. The prologue set the tone for the story and had me looking forward to a suspenseful and thrilling tale. This be a treat for fans of police procedurals.
Shivers tear through her, but she must be brave—for herself, for her future. She grips her coat tighter and steps into the night and the cold, pouring rain. Never to be seen again. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
Title: Girl on the Run
Author(s): Carolyn Arnold
Series: Madison Knight #11
Also in this series: In the Line of Duty (Madison Knight, #7), Power Struggle , Shades of Justice (Madison Knight, #9), What We Bury
Published by Hibbert & Stiles Publishing Inc on April 6, 2022
Pages: 320
Genre(s): Crime Fiction, Mystery
Source: Publisher
Format: eBook 
Purchase: Amazon
Rating: 
Series Rating:
An ordinary Monday morning commute turns deadly when a gunman opens fire in the local train station. Detective Madison Knight rushes to the scene, but she’s too late for the victims. Two women were fatally wounded, including an expectant mother, and one is fighting for her life. But it’s the face of one of the dead that has Madison seeing a ghost from her past. She looks just like Madison’s college friend Courtney Middleton, who vanished over fifteen years ago. If it is her, where has she been all these years, and does her resurfacing have anything to do with the shooting?
Eyewitnesses say that a young woman triggered the incident, but both the shooter and the girl seem to have evaporated into thin air. Mounting evidence suggests they may be part of a drug-trafficking operation, the girl being one of their runners. But Madison’s not so sure the girl is the hardened criminal she appears to be.
As Madison races to track down the young woman, more people turn up murdered, and there’s still no sign of the girl. Is her body out there to find or is she on the run? If the latter, is it due to fear or guilt? Could it simply be that the shooting victims were caught in the crosshairs of organized crime? Madison’s not sure, but she can’t shake her niggling suspicion: what if it was something more than that?
An absolutely gripping and addictive crime thriller. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Lisa Regan, and Rachel Caine.
In Girl on the Run, Arnold delivered a story which held the me captive from the first page. My desire to learn how it would all unfold had me completely immersed in the story. The story had lots of stuff going on. A shooting in a coffee shop, with three women shot and one surviving. This incident opened the door to a 15-year-old missing persons case, a girl on the run, a drug trafficking ring and Madison’s biggest challenge to date, the Russian mafia. Following Madison along on the investigation as she tries to determine the connection between these events had me on the edge of my seat.
Throughout the course of the story, several questions arose, which kept me guessing with the revelation of each clue. The story ended on an explosive note; however, it was not the ending I hoped for, which left me sad and a bit disappointed.
I liked Madison from the moment I was introduced to her in book 7, In the Line of Duty. However, this time around, her attitude irritated me She carries a massive chip on her shoulder, created by personal issues, which affects her attitude and no-one around her is immune from her acerbic tongue. Despite this she maintained traits for which I admired her most, her tenacity, which served her well in solving cases, her independence, strength and intelligence.
The story was intense and quite entertaining, with its twists, turns, suspects, and many theories. Arnold is one of the many authors whose work I will never tire of reading. Her writing pulls you in and before you know it, the story is complete. Police procedural fans will want to put this on their reading list.
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About Carolyn Arnold
CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international best-selling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures—and has written nearly thirty books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures. Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™. Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower. She currently lives just west of Toronto with her husband and beagle and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
I have wanted to read this author. I have a couple freebies including the first in this series.
I hope you get the chance to read them.
Nice review, Nadene. The main character seems both annoying and admirable. I like that!
Madison is not a cookie cutter character. There is so many layers to her.
Oh this does sound like it would be a good read.
Yes! It is.