Rating: 
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Reich is better than Ludlum and Higgins, neither of whom draw their characters as well. I have a couple of problems with his German occupation information, but they are minor: I have always heard that Heidelberg wasn't bombed because several high ranking military personnel from both the U.S. and Great Britain had attended college there. I like that story but can't prove it. On the other hand, I know for a fact that a carton of cigarettes went further than he describes during the occupation. I worked with a German woman in San Francisco in the late 60s. In 1945, her brother "bought" passage, food and shelter from Berlin to Madrid, where he was able to find work, with one carton of cigarettes. It was called the cigarette economy, and it literally was true for most of Europe at the time.However, this is a very interesting book, well paced and well written. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre
Review: Reichs' first novel that took place in Switzerland was pretty exciting, but I felt this one was not nearly as exciting. It seemed very jammed with facts and details, lots of research that got in the way of the story. I also didn't believe that the hero who's supposed to prosecute cases at Nuremberg would drop everything to chase an escaped Nazi POW.
Rating: 
Summary: Well written, expertly researched and very improbable
Review: Runner is Reich's second novel. It takes us to post war Germany, and an intrepid lawyer (Devlin Judge) searching for his brother's murderer. The villian happens to be Erich Seyss--SS Officer who oeprated behind the lines. The book could have stood very easily on the tension of Judge's desire for revenge over his brother'surder. At first glance, it looks like this is what the book is about, but Reich reveals a plot involving Patton, the SS, and German industrialists. Yes, Patton found the Germans preferrable to the Russians, and history has proven him right, but the sinister main plot of the book that unfolds is unbelievable. Just as the solutions to remedy the problem are equally unlikely. Of course, there is a love story, but what has become cliche in thrillers and Hollywood adaptations, is idea that two people eyeball each other and they manage to fall madly in love with each other in a few hours or days. Yawn -- I've seen this a thousand times. As to the research, Reich is dazzling in his command of post war Germany. Certainly, he has spent time understanding the character and bent of George Patton. He obviously went to the trouble of figuring what was and was not still standing in Germany during the time period, and he is correct in his description of the Russians as locusts. Runner is well written, well researched, but improbable. That doesn't make it a bad book, but it leaves it in the middle of the pack.
Rating: 
Summary: A fast paced, thrilling read!
Review: Set in the confusion following the end of World War II in Germany,The Runner is an exciting, intricately plotted, and wonderfully complex novel of conspiracy and political intrigue. It's July 1945, and Devlin Judge, a former New York City detective and lawyer has been assigned to prosecute Nazi war criminals. Judge has a more personal agenda though, to capture the former Olympic runner and Hitler S.S. man who killed his brother, Erich Seyss, known as the "White Lion." Judge's pursuit of the "White Lion" brings him up against men determined to foil him at every turn. As the conspiracy deepens, Judge the hunter, becomes the hunted and his pursuit of Seyss becomes a desperate race to save the future of Europe. Reich interweaves real life characters and events skillfully into this gripping plot, making for a thriller that can not be put down until it's exciting conclusion.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific
Review: Since reading Numbered Account, I have been eagerly awaiting another book by Christopher Reich. The Runner is very well written and keeps you turning the pages to see how it turns out. For those who like non stop action, this is highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Just the facts, ma'am!
Review: Sorry, this one doesn't do it for me. In order to enjoy fiction, one must be able to "suspend disbelief" and be caught up in the story along with the characters. Too many factual errors for me to maintain that critical suspension of disbelief in this one. For example, Mr. Reich describes a .45 caliber pistol as having nine bullets in the cartridge, one in the chamber. Huh? A bullet IS a cartridge, and they go in the magazine, or the clip. Little things like this are jarring, like seeing a soldier with long hair curling over his ears in a movie about WWII - just not realistic. Mr. Reich has a fairly good writing style, but he needs - badly - a fact checker.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent historical fiction
Review: The American major informs former SS officer Erich "The White Lion" Siegried Seyss that he would be tried as a war criminal for murdering at least seventy Americans. Though Erich is still recovering from surgery needed after taking a Russian bullet, he will be transferred to a detention cell until his War Crimes trial occurs. However, instead of the obvious justice of the victors, Erich manages to escape from the POW camp. Brooklyn attorney Devlin Judge is assigned to the prosecution team, but becomes irate when he learns the "White Lion" has escaped. Devlin wants to recapture Erich who killed his brother. His reluctant superiors give Devlin a week to hunt the White Lion. Devlin begins his quest through a countryside that is in total ruin with Allies occupation everywhere. Unbeknownst to Devlin is that another agenda plans to use Seyss as a catalyst and if necessary eliminating the obsessed American if he interferes. THE RUNNER is an excellent historical fiction that brings to life Occupied Germany just after WW II. The story line is fats-paced, filled with action, and provides interwoven historical tidbits that make the countryside picturesquely in a gloomy way seem alive. The charcaters are fully developed so that the audience not only understands their motives, but that of the countries they represent. Christopher Reich shows why his previous work NUMBERED ACCOUNT was a New York Times best seller with what is sure to be labeled one of the top five historical fictions of the year.
Rating:
Summary: Stalking The Elusive Nazi War Criminal
Review: The author writes well and the characters in his novel are well drawn and interesting. The problem I had with this book is that, plot-wise, almost all of it has been done before. The time of the novel is just after the second world war and the action takes place in Germany. The bad guy is a dedicated SS officer who escapes from prison. He plans to assasinate one of the big three (Truman, Churchill, Stalin) in order to shape the political/economic future of Germany. The hero of the piece is an American officer (former policeman/lawyer) whose priest/brother was killed in cold blood by the Nazi. He pursues the bad guy. My interest flagged three-quarters of the way through. Maybe you'll do better.
Rating:
Summary: Just Okay
Review: The basic premise of The Runner and the description of the post-WWII period in Germany are very interesting. However, Reich's writing style has made his latest suspense thriller somewhat lacking in "the stuff" I need to keep me, and I think many readers of this genre need to keep them, on "the edge of their seat." For instance, the main character and key supporting characters are not interesting enough, and so I found myself not caring as much as I probably should have about what happens to them. Further, the action sequences were not plentiful enough for my taste and were too spread out when they did occur. As a consequence of these limitations, I found The Runner, overall, to be moderately enjoyable but a book that was easy for me to put down to do other things and not be in a rush to get back to.
Rating:
Summary: OUTSTANDING
Review: The greatest compliment I can give a book is wishing it didn't end. Reich writes 3 dimensional characters, No one all good or all bad. Our hero Devlin Judge is very honorable but not beyond breaking a few rules to catch the fugitive SS baddie Erich Seyss.
By the way, Seyss is one bad dude but, still quite human and at times almost symathetic. ALMOST. Action galore with real life historical figures like Patton, "Wild Bill" Donavon, Klaus Barbie,& IKE just add to the spark this novel is charged with.
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