Matt McAvoy Book Review

A nice easy narrative which doesn’t test, but simply entertains.  A sports story which is light-hearted, character based and gripping; I was engaged right from the outset.  Running in the Dark has all the ingredients which made the light-hearted sports fiction genre staple diet in the ‘80s and ‘90s: an underdog’s challenge; a second chance at a dream; a bold ambition and a little bit of corporate agenda thrown in – and it all makes for a very enjoyable read.  There is no dark drama, no sinister element, antagonist, profanity or cynicism, just a pleasant writing style and a pleasantly unfolding tale of determination and heart.

I like Paul Walmsley’s writing.  He is clearly a highly eloquent and articulate author, and furthermore he seems to know his subject matter – in the case of this book, there are three: competitive running, engineering and a little bit of stock-market finance.  It doesn’t focus particularly heavily on the latter two, but rather each simply enables the next: main character Peter gets the corporate gig for his engineering background, and the running competition dream then comes from the big ambition of successful, wealthy individuals he is now rubbing shoulders with.  Nor is there a fantastical, over-the-top fortuitousness to Peter’s story, but rather just a chain of events and bold decisions which come his way as a result of his achievements.  In this respect, Running in the Dark is inspiring both as sports fiction and regarding the rewards of hard work and focus. 

It is fair to say that I enjoyed it a good deal more than I might have expected.  Indeed, I would even go as far as to say it was nice to read a book with no dramatic highs or lows, which still manages to get you hooked.  I put this primarily down to Paul’s writing style and his ability to craft a simple narrative, as well as to present it in a high-quality package.  It could have perhaps done with a tiny bit more descriptive detail at times, but then I would also advise that Paul has the cosy pacing of this book pretty spot on, so I wouldn’t blame him for not wanting to rock that particular boat.  This is one of those projects I wish the very best for, and do hope to get the chance to read more from this author in the near future – a read I’ll very much look forward to.