It’s a little over a year since I stayed in with P N Johnson to hear all about his thriller Killer in the Crowd in a post you’ll find here. Today, as his latest thriller, Run to the Blue is released, Phil has kindly allowed me to share an extract with Linda’s Book Bag readers.

Run to the Blue is published by Burning Chair today, 14th April 2023 and is available for purchase through the links here.

Run to the Blue

Run to the Blue is a fast moving thriller set in London, Suffolk and the beautiful Greek Islands. There are secrets and lies, killers and spies!

….Breaking News!… TV reporter Tess Anderson is on the run – her husband’s affair with a Government Ministerhas been exposed and a London crime boss has ordered her death. She was last seen in the Greek islands with a mysterious American yachtsman….more follows….

An Extract from Run to the Blue

I was dreaming of him and those precious hours we’d spent together in Two Rock Bay. How we swam from the boat in the early summer sun, the glistening water forming droplets on wet, naked skin. The astounding revelation of who he really was…

Then I opened my eyes and came back to reality. As I crawled into consciousness, I could make out the now familiar sound of Greek being spoken outside the room. In amongst the rapid-fire words, I picked out my own name: Tess Anderson. The constant blip from the monitor by the bed became uncomfortably loud as I fought the pain and eased myself up on the pillows. Snatches of what had happened were seeping back. I looked out of the window, the only relief from the stark white walls of the hospital room, to see the beckoning blue sky and sense the rising heat of the Corfu sun.

Slowly, I eased myself up a little further. Every part of me seemed to hurt. I caught a glimpse of a stranger in the mirror above the sink: was that really me? There was dried blood on my cropped, newly blonde hair. When I raked my fingers through it, I saw my nails were broken, my wrists were bruised. I looked down at my legs, scarred by raised, red cuts. I clasped my hands together, wishing I was holding his.

I needed answers. I manoeuvred myself out of bed as carefully as I could and sat down on the side of it, trying to make sense of those last few days… Who were my betrayers and who were my friends? What had really happened last night? Had he died too? Whatever the answers, I knew it wasn’t over yet. I was still in danger.

There was a knock on the door. A doctor walked in, accompanied by a policewoman. Grave-faced, they stared at me as I waited, in silence, for them to tell me the news I was desperate to hear.

****

No! You can’t just leave us dangling like that Phil. I now need to know exactly what happens…

About PN Johnson

As a TV Newsreader, Reporter and Producer for both BBC East and ITV Anglia, Phil Johnson covered everything from tracking down criminals in Spain and going on high-octane police chases, to interviewing pop stars, politicians and celebrities.

Phil was also the face and voice of Crimestoppers in the eastern region for many years and created the successful TV series: “999 Frontline”.

Now living near Norwich, England, Phil loves music, travelling, walking, and sailing, and bringing exciting new characters with amazing stories to the page.

For further information, follow Phil on Twitter @PhilJohnson01. You can also find Phil on Facebook and Instagram.