The Ghost Runner

October 15, 2012
Vegan vampires, Shakespearean actors, food-co-op aficionados and serious runners face off against old-school bloodsuckers and rapacious, forest-devouring builders in this follow-up to Out of Breath (2011) set in--where else?--Lithia (Ashland in disguise), Ore. When not serving road warriors at Lithia Runners, Kat's dating fellow vegan environmentalist Alex and only occasionally obsessing over actor Roman. He loves her but refuses to abandon his carnivorous ways--a deal breaker, since, like Alex, he's a vampire. Sending Roman away, Kat enrolls in college, where she's talked into auditioning for a role in the Bard's Measure for Measure. Aware someone's tracking her, Kat's on edge. Running keeps her sane, though the woods are full of spirits--not just vampires, but ghosts. One appears to have something to tell her. Her post-alcoholic, ne'er-do-well father's arrival and gainful employment cheers her. Good luck piles on: landing the role of Isabella then a staggering inheritance. Before she can enjoy any of it, Kat's in big trouble, targeted by enemies--supernatural and all too human--and in danger of losing everything. Spunky Kat is good company; Alex and Roman are better defined this time around, but "most vivid character" honors go to the setting, whose tall evergreens and babbling brooks, shadowed by brooding mountains, enhance the sturdy plot. Thoroughly entertaining. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)

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