Runner in the Dark

Steven Lehman teaches English at John Abbot College in Montreal.

Mills’s latest novel includes a little bit of everything. The hero is
a young man who has lost his wife, his job, and his self-confidence.
About all that remains to him is the habit of running through
Vancouver’s Stanley Park several times a week.

A curious job opportunity unexpectedly propels Robert Foster out of
this static alienation. The narrative follows him through mystery,
romance, betrayal, spiritual growth, and bang-bang-shoot-’em-up to
emerge a few weeks later as a confident, competent, dynamically
integrated member of society.

The story moves through sweeping crescendos of intense action
punctuated by indelible imagery. The characters are round, firm, and
fully packed. The intricately structured plot provides a solid framework
for the whole, and the existential challenges to the protagonist give
rise to theological speculation of more than sophomoric interest.

This thoughtful thriller is not quite perfect, but it is a likely
antidote to boredom on a slow day.