Running out of Road

'Staincliffe excels herself here with the story of a teenage girl abducted by her real father... [a]

harrowing but human drama.' Irish Daily Mail

A missing schoolgirl, a middle-aged recluse, an exploited teenager. Lives thrown into chaos and set on collision course. With the police in hot pursuit.

Scarlett is dancing in the school talent show tomorrow. Nana, who Scarlett lives with since Mum died, reckons Scarlett will be on Strictly at this rate. Except Scarlett doesn't make it home from school. She's abducted by a man she never imagined she'd see again. A man on the police's most wanted list. Her dad.

Ron has made a living as a house and pet sitter since quitting his career on the front line in the fire service. He's currently looking after a place deep in the Derbyshire Peaks. The solitude suits him. And managing animals is so much simpler than coping with other people.

Dylan's a 'cuckoo', dealing drugs on the county line, moving from nest to nest, picking out people who daren't say no. Keeping his head down, one step ahead of the law. So far. But now everything's falling apart.

DS Laura O'Neil is running on empty after nights dealing with her teething toddler. But Laura is driving the hunt for Scarlett and knows that every minute counts.

A race against time, played out in the brooding wilderness, the limestone gorges and gritstone edges of the Peak District. Themes of escape and entrapment, of shifting loyalties and new alliances, of violence, fear and love, resilience, kindness and hope.

Praise for Cath Staincliffe:

'This powerful, often harrowing story will move you to tears' My Weekly

'Harrowing and humane. A real knockout' Ian Rankin

'It's always exciting to see a writer get better and better and Cath Staincliffe is doing just that' Val McDermid

'Powerful, complex and utterly gripping' Sunday Mirror

'An intelligent and emotionally engaging moral workout' Daily Telegraph

'Complex and satisfying' Sunday Times