James A. Moores Dear Diary: Run like hell is one of those books that really makes you thankful you’re not the main character.
On a failed mission, half-time hit man and half-time dance instructor Buddy Fisk kills a man in self-defense after nearly missing his intended target. It turns out that while his target was nobody, the other man he killed was related to one Anton Naheel, a man who is as violently insane as he is indestructible. Now Fisk must find a way to kill the unkillable if he wants to live much longer.
By the way, when I use words like “indestructible” and “unkillable,” they are not exaggerations. The first thing you should know before starting this book is that it is not your standard crime thriller. In fact, there’s not much standard about it at all.
Run like hell is like a stew of genres where they’re all mixed just right. Crime, action, thriller, horror and even comedy are to some extent the lifeblood of the book’s DNA, making the whole thing feel fresh and luscious with personality.
Speaking of personality, let’s talk a little bit about the protagonist. Buddy Fisk is a character heavily steeped in contradictions and duality. We don’t even know his real name, since Buddy Fisk is more like the Batman than his Bruce Wayne (or vice versa, depending on your character), a character created apart from his original identity so he can get a job done. His real love is teaching children how to dance; killing is just a way to pay the bills.
What’s so interesting about Fisk as a character is that he’s fully aware that he’s a bad guy. Killing people for a living is not noble in any definition of the word, something Fisk is well aware of. He is not bad at all, but also cannot be described as a good person in any way. This self-awareness, combined with his seasoned killer attitude, makes for storytelling that never feels dull or trite.
My only complaint about Fisk really has nothing to do with his characterization. Rather, my problem stems from the fact that we never see him outside of his Buddy Fisk role. We hear so much from him about having to separate both lives, but never really see either. While I’m aware that’s not really what the book is about, it still feels like an area that needs to be expanded upon, if only for a few paragraphs.
Speaking of complaints, the first fifth of the book is a prologue of sorts that could be removed outright, and it really wouldn’t change much. Most of the exposition set up there is referenced in places throughout the rest of the story in ways that feel much more natural from a narrative perspective. Sometimes less is more, and I feel like this is one of those situations where there was more than necessary.
As much as I’ve praised the characterization and genre mixing, the true power of Run like hell is found in its violence. There is a lot of violence in this book, ranging from brutal fistfights and torture to intense gunfights and chases. It all feels equally visceral, with moments that hit so hard you could find yourself gritting your teeth at their sheer ferocity.
It all feels equally visceral, with moments that hit so hard you could find yourself gritting your teeth at their sheer ferocity.
Taking things to the next level is what makes all the action feel so cinematic. The descriptions are made in such a way that you can easily see it all play out in your head like a movie. There are times when action sequences go on for pages, but even then they somehow never manage to wear out their welcome.
I’ve mentioned before that this isn’t your standard man-on-the-run deal, and that’s because of the abundance of supernatural elements. Without going into too much detail or giving too much away, there’s a ton of world-building going on. Concepts such as demons, hell, familiars and magic are alive and well in the world of Run like hell.
While we see a lot of these elements popping up in the story, they really work through how they create the sense that there’s so much more going on that we can’t see. It’s as if dark and sinister forces are bubbling beneath the surface of the story, hiding in the shadows of its world, waiting for their chance to bite.
I really dug Dear Diary: Run like hell. It is one of those stories that combines harsh realism with fantastical elements that cause a very particular itch. Strange as it may sound, if you’re a fan of the long-running series Supernatural (2005) or movies such as Overlord (2018)you may find a lot to love here.
I love horror movies almost as much as my cats. Part-time writer, full-time John Carpenter enthusiast
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