The story goes like this. Clare Randell, while relaxing in a park accidently makes contact with a "hitman" who has just killed his victim. She doesn't realize this and goes on her way. The "hitman" though realizes that she is too much of a risk and decides to kill her. After Clare is shot she meets Detective Mike Malchek, who is assigned to her case. Mike and Clare go on the run to escape the killer ... The rest of the story is about what they have to do to survive.

Now why I gave this story five stars. This book was published in the 1970's under the name of "A Running Duck" but was re-issued in America in 1978 as "Fair Game." I purchased the book when I was only 13 years old and absolutely loved the story. I'm even embarressed to say but this story was one of the reasons I went into Law Enforcement. Clare is a tough heroine but you can see that the stress of being hunted slowly breaks her down. Mike has his own demons to battle and the authors ability to write about his pain and obsession in not only protecting Clare but finding and killing the "Hitman" is amazing. The ending is awsome.

Try and find the book if you can. It has not been reprinted since 1978 so it's very hard to find. I had lost my original copy but was recently able to purchase another at a fair price....

It it the best book that you will ever read!

I picked this book up on a whim, thought that a book about a clumsy detective might be interesting. I had a heck of a time putting the book down once I finished. It had lots of twists and turns, and the occasional humor made it all the more real. A great book that would be a perfect read for that vacation you are always wanting to take.

Amazingly enough, Gosling uses the word Howlers in the book, which promptly reminded me of the Harry Potter series. Unlike the Howlers (exploding mail that shouts at you) in Potter, the Howlers in Gosling's book refers to the "pranks" that people commit during Halloween. Pranks is surrounded by quotation marks because the pranks are dangerous & sometimes result in broken bones and far worse events.

In this book, Gosling covers the dynamics of a long ago relationship between a group of boys. What happened to them on that long ago day & what happens during this frentic Halloween is something only Sheriff Matt Gabriel can discover. The usual cast of characters shows up here.

A highly enjoyable book and highly recommended.

A very good mystery story

Set in Michigan, in a fictional town, Gosling's book conveys well the way a resort town in the north fluctuates with the seasons. At this time the ice fishermen are out on the lake, when one of them sees a very odd sight under the ice. To say more would give too much of the plot away. Suffice it to say this is a very exciting mystery, well written, with just the right touch of romance. Recommended for those who like the gentler side of mysteries.

This book was a enjoyable read about how murder affects the English Department of a Midwestern University. Many possible suspects. Interesting relationship between the detective in charge of the case and one of the faculty members

This is the first book I have read by this author, and it seemed kind of discombobulated. While trying to maintain some sort of steady storyline, it seemed the author wasn't content unless there was at least one stress point going at all times. Whether it was Tess trying to cope with her husband's death; dealing with strange phone calls about some supposedly missing money; trying to protect her son; or trying to cope with her job, new boarder, her housekeeper's brother, or a variety of other stressors, there was no resting point at all during this book and no neat coming together of facts with which to finish the story. Throughout the whole book, Tess Leland was constantly on the edge, nerves frazzled, ready for the tiniest little push to put her over the edge. It was almost as if somebody took a jigsaw puzzle, threw it into the air (where it hovered for a while) and then at the end dropped to the floor with every piece in place. That was the way this story read.