Runner (A Chicago Mystery)

Runner takes place in Illinois, where a young girl named Ramona is missing. Private investigator Cassandra Raines is hired by Ramona’s mother to find her. The catch? Ramona has been placed in foster homes due to her own mother’s drug problem and is presumed to have run away from her current home. As Cassandra digs deeper, she finds that things may not be what they seem and she must find Ramona to unravel the mystery behind it all.

Runner had many interesting themes throughout the story. One was that of the foster care system in the United States and how we really don’t know what goes on behind closed doors. What is the intention behind becoming a foster parent? Do some do it solely for the love of the children while others do it just for the money? Another theme is how private investigators and ex-police officers work with current law enforcement to solve cases. How much corruption is there behind the scenes? Runner was a fascinating look into the intricacies of private investigation work. It had vivid characters and a fast-moving plot.