Runaway Heart: A Novel [Mass Market Paperback]

Stephen J. Cannell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 3, 2004

When The Science Exists...
Behind the impenetrable walls of a black-op government laboratory a top-secret weapon is being developed-a genetically engineered animal with superhuman strength and speed. It thinks. It obeys. It kills without conscience.

And The Danger Is Real...
Lost-cause attorney Herman Strockmire and his daughter Susan are passionate advocates against corporate Goliaths. When one of their employees is literally torn limb from limb by one of the government's experimental prototypes, Herman knows he is onto something big.

Survival Is Not An Option.
Hired to dig deeper into the employee's death, jaded PI Jack Wirta is a man with little left to lose. Armed with nothing more than determination, Herman, Susan, and Jack plunge headlong into harm's way, stumbling upon a nightmare beyond all imagining.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Cannell's second novel in six months (after Hollywood Tough) is a cop thriller with a futuristic, sci-fi twist. Hollywood Tough's heroes, LAPD officers Shane Scully and his wife, Alexa Hamilton, take a backseat to a new protagonist, fledgling PI Jack Wirta, a hard-nosed ex-cop (former partner of Scully) who left the force on disability. Irascible and jaded, Wirta has been hooked on Percocet since taking a bullet in the spine during a bank robbery shootout. He is called in to help the eccentric, crusading attorney Herman Strockmeyer, founder of the Institute for Planetary Justice. Strockmeyer has dedicated his professional life to pursuing corrupt corporations and various wings of the government. A houseguest of Barbra Streisand's in L.A., Strockmeyer is suing the USDA, EPA, FDA and others to get an injunction against planting genetically engineered corn, which threatens the Monarch butterfly population. When Strockmeyer's assistant hacks into the computer bank of Gen-A-Tech, a prime contractor in the genetic engineering of agricultural products, he uncovers something much more horrifying than dead butterflies: the Feds are creating a vicious manlike creature to replace human soldiers in combat. And when the assistant is murdered, Strockmeyer and his daughter look to Wirta to save the day. Cannell has a genius for creating memorable characters and quirky, gripping plots. Despite overwriting and jerky pacing, this is a fun read.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Herman J. Strockmire is a lawyer with the heart of Don Quixote. His caseload might be better characterized as a lost-cause load. Here he's battling for the survival of the monarch butterfly, which is on the verge of extinction thanks to a reaction to genetically altered foods. Assisting him in the case are his daughter, Susan, and computer hacker Roland Minton. When Minton is brutally murdered after a surreptitious assault on the data systems of Gen-a-Tec, a firm specializing in genetic research for the government, Herman hires private eye Jack Wirta to dig deeper. Armed with little more than determination to see justice done, Herman, Susan, and Jack find themselves squared off against the worst elements of American industry and the U.S. military. Cannell, one of the most successful television producers of all time as well as the best-selling author of the Shane Scully thrillers, creates memorably endearing characters and places them in harrowing situations with clearly defined moral choices. Strockmire is one of his best. Between battling the military-industrial forces of evil, he copes with an irregular heartbeat, kvetches over Susan and Jack's blossoming relationship, and summons the wherewithal to help Jack with his drug addiction. Too many thriller heroes carry Glocks and boast six-pack abs and dangerously high testosterone levels. Herman has a conscience and a disorganized briefcase. Wes Lukowsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks; 1st ptg. edition (August 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312997183
• ISBN-13: 978-0312997182
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #613,184 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #71 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers > Technothrillers

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars MONKEYIN AROUND, February 1, 2004

By 

Michael Butts (Berkeley Springs, WV USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Runaway Heart: A Novel (Hardcover)

Cannell is best when he sticks to high-octane, energetic pacing and stronger characters. What we get in RUNAWAY HEARTS is a story that takes forever to kick into high octane gear, and we get as secondary characters, both seen and unseen, of Donald Trump, Barbra Streisand, James Brolin, Jim Carrey, Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson. It's like Cannell is showing how he panders with the upper crust celebrities. Cute, but rather unbelievable.
The plot is straightforward, although Cannell doesn't have to let the reader know on every other page, how "ugly and fat" Herman Strockmire is, or how "beautiful" his daughter Susan is. Judge Melissa King is too much of a villain to be believable, and the chimera aren't used enough to generate the suspense. There are some witty scenarios, and some black humor; and the ending picks up the pace considerably, but this is not Cannell at his best, as evidenced in his Shane Scully series.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Thriller!, June 2, 2006

By 

Michelle L. Beck "Always the Devourer of Good... (Atlanta, Georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Runaway Heart: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

If you are a person who wants to believe in conspiracy theories or believe that anything is possible, this is the novel for you. There are government biologically enhanced animals;bad guys; a group of soldiers who do only what they are told; a brief showing of Donald Trump; mention of Barbara Streisand; a pain-ridden ex-cop who is falling for a beautiful attorney, who is the daughter of the main character; a main character who is a zealot for environmental and conspiracy issues. It is a delightful, fast moving story that is extremely enjoyable.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Team Meets X Files, December 28, 2003

By 

H. F. Miglino "bert miglino" (Old Bridge, New jersey United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Runaway Heart: A Novel (Hardcover)

Rather than summarize the book, as other reviewers have so skillfully done I recommend this book as an exciting page turner. Difficult to put down. SJC writes primarily about the LAPD beat and adds a bit of the x files. I really wanted to know more about "Pan" and his training, development and breeding. A better twist might have been if the DNA was alien or such. The Donald Trump addition was priceless. What ever happened to Pan after he wounded and ran away and disappeared, I've looked back several times and can't seem to find out what happened to him. If anyone knows please post. All in all it is a good quick read, possible made for TV movie.