The Runner is the first book in a seven-part series that follows the life of Michael Knight, a young man who is conflicted about his future and who embarks on a long journey of self-discovery. In that sense, Michael is like many of us. I don’t think anyone ever just “arrives.” We all have to go through things in life in order to learn and grow.
When he isn’t crafting legal dramas, Wayne Gill serves as CEO and Managing Partner of Gill Law Firm, a law firm with offices in Florida and Georgia that serves some of the top companies in the world, including AT&T, Hilton Hotels Corporation, SunTrust Bank, and JM Family Enterprises.
A husband and father, Wayne is the recipient of numerous civil, professional and humanitarian awards, including Northwood University’s Arthur E. Turner Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Betterment of Mankind. He is also the co-founder of the Oasis Compassion Agency, a ministry to the disadvantaged in the community. The Runner is the first book in the Michael Knight series.
Wayne has been recognized among the 50 Most Powerful Black Professionals in South Florida and the Who’s Who in Black South Florida. He’s received Macy’s Crystal Award for Outstanding Minority Business Advocacy, and he’s received several honors from NMSDC affiliates and the local Bar Associations. In 2002, he received Northwood University’s Arthur E. Turner Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Betterment of Mankind. He is a board member of the Black Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County and Secretary of the Board for The Southern Florida Minority Supplier Development Council.
My Impressions:
Sometimes I like a book; sometimes I don’t. Book reviewing can be a very subjective pursuit. What appeals to some readers is a turn off for others. Because of this,when faced with writing a negative review, I am uncomfortable. And as I state in every review I write, these are my opinions alone.
The Runner introduces us to Michael Knight and his family. A young man with a lot going for him, Michael has some very powerful gifts from God — gifts he chooses to ignore to pursue his dream of being a lawyer. Soon his dreams turn into a nightmare.
The Runner is reminiscent of many of John Grisham’s novels. A young man with ideals is corrupted by powerful men with a lot of cash to offer. However, I didn’t connect with any of the characters. I found them to be not very well-developed. I also did not like the heavy-handed spiritual message. Was any of it untrue? Not at all. I just found it to be too preachy and thought it was not handled as deftly as other novelists in the Christian suspense genre (Robert Whitlow or Randy Singer, for example). The plot dragged for me as well. I would have preferred more action from a book marketed as suspense.
Gill’s novel got some very glowing reviews on Amazon, so my problems with the book, may not be yours. Be sure to check out those reviews to get a balanced view.
(Thank you to Glass Roads Public Relations for a copy of The Runner. All opinions are mine alone.)
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