| Title | : | Running on Emptiness (Time, Blood and Karma, #4) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0957325681 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780957325685 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
| Publication | : | Published October 1, 2019 |
Against this backdrop of political turmoil, destinies are shaped as events ensnare a corrupt Police Chief and his dying wife, two warring drug lords, an embittered widow, and a vengeful gangster.
While dreams and obsessions play out on the streets of Bangkok, private detective David Braddock finds himself mired in guilt. The ghosts of his past misdeeds are coming home, and they are bringing devastation in their wake.
‘Running on Emptiness’ is the fourth volume in the ‘Time, Blood and Karma’ series.
Running on Emptiness (Time, Blood and Karma, #4) Reviews
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Whenever I see a new John Dolan novel is out, I know I’m going to spend several hours in Reading Heaven. Yet nothing prepared me for this. Dolan’s mastery of images painted by carefully chosen words is present throughout, as always. His complex, character-driven storylines, intermingling often in unexpected ways, inhabit every chapter. His philosophical underpinnings that add depth to his protagonist’s choices and actions aid the evolution of his tale. The little gems of incisive humour he sprinkles like diamonds on a beach, eliciting smiles of complicity, are there for the reader to discover. Yet this, his latest in his David Braddock novels, is so much more.
Imagine, if you will, finding yourself in a foreign town with hours of boredom ahead. You spot an incongruent art museum and its solution as entertainment attracts you within. Imagine entering a room whose walls are crowded with paintings by unknown artists, all reasonably competent, but just not good enough. Then there, amidst the clamour, you see it. It could be a lost Monet whose pastel perfection caresses you troubled mind, or perhaps a Van Meer portrait, a willowy waif smiling knowingly as her eyes touch your most intimate thoughts. That’s John Dolan’s ‘Running on Emptiness’.
Dolan has a habit of creating characters you would like to meet in person, wish to hold long involved conversations with over a good meal, even crave their friendship in real life. His villains are just as convincing and all the more frightening for that. His stories will never be the black and white sketches of a simplistic world; rather their layers of ambiguity are almost interminable. What all this means for the humble reader is that their emotions will empathize with the tribulations each and every tale relates, raw feelings will be exposed and exploited as only Dolan’s dominance of his writing craft can.
This novel is not to be missed. A modern masterpiece by an exceptional author. -
Dark and murky, Running on Emptiness by John Dolan is the book I have been waiting to get my hands on. This brilliant gripping series is unstoppable. In fact, just describing the turn of events in this story had someone who was listening to my conversation walk up to me and ask the title of the book. I said, “Just look up John Dolan. You won’t be disappointed.”
Running on Emptiness does not disappoint. In fact, it left me wanting more.
This novel is smart, slick and oftentimes extremely cynical. There is an offbeat alluring writing style that picks it all up. The author’s sarcasm and offbeat humor had me on the edge of my seat. Pure entertainment and anticipation. The turns are unexpected and amazingly sharp. I ate this book up in a flash and loved every suspenseful moment of it. Now to wait for another John Dolan book.
Quote ~
“As my car performs a wheel-spin out of the parking lot at Samui Airport, I am ridiculously light-hearted. The island is fluorescent in the sunlight, and there are smiling Thai maidens everywhere, their bodies showcased in scanty clothing, their mouths holding promises of rentable bliss. There are also short, dumpy females with faces like old, creased undergarments; but even they look beautiful to me today. I am free to sink back into my routine of playing detective, smoking as much as I like, and cracking insightful jokes that nobody understands. Unfettered dissolution: my favourite state of being. I would whoop with joy, but for the fact that I might be mistaken for an American. Good to know I still retain a soupçon of self-respect.” -
Personally, I have waited for the released of this book, ‘Running on Emptiness’ (Time, Blood and Karma Book 4), for a while. However, with the experience of reading Mr. Dolan’s previous three books, I guarded my urge of devouring the entire story ravenously, in a rush. Instead, I took my time to absorb every detail of his writing, in hopes that the last line would never come. Well, the end of the book eventually came, and my satisfaction and awe remained.
On the surface, as in the first three books, ‘Running on Emptiness’ is entertaining and has the perfect blend of history, action, suspense, thrill, humor, sexual desire, and a touch of tender love. However, there is that deep sense of humanity/philosophy embedded in it.
The author brilliantly described the intricacy of intrapersonal dynamics, the magical landscape of mind and soul, and the multifacetedness of human psychology. Encapsulated in a complicated and colorful life, living in the shadow of his past (good-intentional) crime, the reader can undoubtedly grasp and related to the profound longing of the protagonist, David Braddock, for some sorts of meaningfulness and stability in this book.
Another aspect that set this book/series apart is that Mr. Dolan uses one of the elements of this series, karma, to draw all the plots and characters meticulously and seamlessly together.
This is a splendid novel, and along with it, I appreciate his previous three books in an even deeper way. -
Excellent! The best book in the series. A modern day, British Philip Marlowe living in Thailand. Beautiful writing. Dolan is one of my favorite.
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Revenge, death, family and an endings of sorts I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve read all the novels in the Time, Blood and Karma series by John Dolan and have enjoyed them enormously. I read many genres, but I am quite partial to mystery/thrillers. And these ones have a very special protagonist, David Braddock, and amateur detective (or rather a not professionally recognised and trained detective, but he is pretty good and gets paid for his efforts) and again a non-professional therapist, a British man but who lives in Thailand, an amateur philosopher who regularly visits an old Buddhist monk (his best friend), who has interesting an complex relationships with many women and a past full of ghosts.
Whilst the third book in the series, A Poison Tree explored and explained David’s back history and his life in the UK, Running on Emptiness continues with the adventures of Hungry Ghosts where we, the readers, were privy to some information that left us hanging and waiting for disaster to strike. We have a gangster determined to avenge his brother’s death (the only meaningful thing he has left to do in life), a dying woman who before ending her life in her own terms (remaining in charge of her meaning) reveals a dangerous secret, another woman who after losing her job realises she’s been living a lie and tries and find meaning by coming clean, an old man who, disappointed by his children, decides to revisit a shady past he thought he’d left behind to do the right thing. Each chapter is told from a different point of view, and that includes the characters whom we might think of as the good guys (but nobody is blameless, honest and truthful in this novel, at least none of the characters whose points of view we follow), but also the gangsters, corrupt policemen and killers. The action takes place in England (we start with a wedding and we end with a funeral) and Thailand, we have political unrest, and there is also a murder case to solve with magic trickery thrown in, where Braddock (and Dolan) follow on Agatha Christie’s footsteps and pull off a brilliant piece of sleight-of-hand engineering.
The story is told at a good pace, the writing is impeccable and lyrical at times (particularly on the parts from David Braddock’s point of view. He is witty and forever quotable), I must confess I cheered at a point towards the end (but I’ll keep my lips sealed as I don’t want to spoil it for anybody), and in the end, although there are some questions and unresolved issues, I felt we’d reached the end of an era. The complex and alternative life Braddock had built for himself, in an attempt at escaping reality, comes crushing down around him, taking no prisoners. By the end, although Braddock might not know everything, he’s lost a lot and learned a fair deal about himself, about the people he cares about, about his friends, and about life itself.
I recommend this book to lovers of thrillers and mystery stories with great main characters, those who have a penchant for philosophy and reflections on the nature of life, particularly if you’re intrigued by Thailand, and in general those who love good and memorable writing. But, do read the whole series in the right order, because the sum of its parts is much greater than the individual novels. Congratulations to John Dolan on his epic series. I won’t forget Time, Blood and Karma any time soon. And I’ll be waiting eagerly for more of novels, in the same or other series. -
Running on Emptiness, fourth in the Time, Blood and Karma series, delivers, once again, a suspenseful, rich, and unpredictable experience. John Dolan skillfully and masterfully portrays his main character, Braddock, as a believable mix of strength, humor, vulnerabliities, and uncertainties, making him a character that we come to care about and want to follow. Running on Emptiness is the resolution of the various threads woven throughout his previous three novels, Everyone Burns, Hungry Ghosts, and A Poison Tree. All things must change, and so does life as he previously knew it on the Island of Sumui.
David Braddock's life in Thailand is becoming increasingly complicated on every level. The political scene in Thailand is heating up, one of the crime families has a new and rather inept leader, and old enemies lurk in the shadows. Braddock's love life is also becoming more complicated, as his relationships with three women undergo inevitable changes."Women die around me," he often says, and true or not, it affects his ability to become involved in a deeper way. John Dolan manages to shake everything up, launching us on a roller coaster of stomach-lurching, even shocking surprises where there's no going back. As in real life, nothing stays the same, and so it is with David Braddock.
Dolan’s wry sense of humor, skillful use of language and imagery, and ability to delight with his unusual metaphors and descriptions, all greatly enhance the reader’s experience. An excellent writer with a unique way of delivering a story, his books are well worth reading; I had to read Running on Emptiness twice, it was so compelling. Dolan also skillfully uses words not commonly seen but which greatly enrich his writing; I enjoyed looking them up and appreciating how well they were placed in the story.
Dolan has completed this series, should he choose to, yet he has also positioned his story to launch, once more, in a new and entirely different direction that promises to be just as intriguing and compelling as the four books in this series. I am hoping that he does that. (Please, please do that!)
I highly recommend this book, as well as the other three in this series. With so many average writers flooding the market these days, it is a delight to encounter an author who can spin an excellent tale that appeals to our hunger for great stories and provide so much quality entertainment. -
*** Masterful and insightful - Highly recommend ***
It’s taken me two weeks to finish reading RUNNING ON EMPTINESS. It’s not because the story did not capture me, on the contrary, it stayed with me each time I put the book down until I picked it up again.
The reality was I did not want the story to end. I prefer to prolong my gratification.
And gratifying it was, along with heartbreaking, exhilarating, shocking, and any other number of praiseworthy adjectives I can bestow upon the book.
I will not rehash the plot, but suffice it to say it is a complex web, best appreciated if you read books 1-3 in the series first. If you choose not to, there is enough back story to catch you up to the plot, but you will miss something vitally important—the progression of the characters. Their development across the four novels does not merely serve as plot points. Instead, Mr. Dolan mines the emotional depths of the characters to drive the story forward.
That is to say, we may not know what it feels like to be David Braddock, a PI living in Thailand amongst gangsters and crooked officials, but we know what it is to suffer loss and lies, to want love and not have it returned, to have parents we don’t talk to and children who have died.
We see ourselves — just a little bit — in Mr. Dolan’s characters, and it’s this recognition that enables us to hate his villains with a passion and weep at the demise of characters we’ve grown to love. We are invested in the book because we care deeply about what happens to the people in it.
It takes mastery over a subject to tell a good story, and on the topics of Thailand, Buddhism, and history, Mr. Dolan has done his research. More than this, however, I give him kudos for his insight into the human condition. He may lure you into his web with an engaging plot, but it’s his characters, written with mindfulness and authenticity, that will keep you reading. -
Running on Emptiness is Book 4 of John Dolan’s ‘Time, Blood and Karma’ series, and, for me, it is the quintessential example of this Englishman’s wordsmith mastery.
Running on Emptiness has government coups, an exciting ‘Capulets and Montagues’ – Romeo and Juliet element – with two Thai drug gangs fighting for supremacy, and David Braddock fighting a dichotomy of emotions… There is something else that makes this novel so exquisite…
That something else is the absolute mastery of the English language. John Dolan is ‘word wizardry’ personified. He a metaphorical genius, and he will keep the reader glued to the pages with his pen strokes – between some smiles and tears. Perhaps my favorite sections of the book are the ‘David Braddock Journal’ chapters.
David is still the consummate detective, part Sherlock Holmes and part Sam Spade, solving cases, and people he cares about are being killed…he is on someone’s hit list, and that part of the story is most engrossing and tense.
England, you have an author in John David Dolan who is the best part of poetry and the best part of fiction... -
I really love this series. Great writing, great suspense, great characters. The dialogue is crisp and witty.
David Braddock, former family guy and British business man, lives on the island of Samui in Thailand, where he moved after after the death of his wife. Since fleeing his family in England, and the rest of his bad memories, his life has basically gone to pot in the most glorious noir adventure-story sort of way.
He opens a detective agency, he gets involved with unsavory characters, he cheats death, he has numerous doomed love affairs, he cheats death again, he gets rid of a few really bad gangsters. And along the way, he falls in unrequited love with a woman who just might turn it all around for him - if he'll let her.
In Running On Emptiness, the third in the series, David seems to be at the end of his rope.
An old enemy, back from the dead, is out for blood - David's and anyone else's who gets in the way; A sometime mistress has a very big secret to tell him; And people he cares about seem to be dying left and right. The big question is, can David make it out of this one alive? -
...the depth of positive reviews from other readers on here does not surprise me... John Dolan offers this fourth in the Time, Blood and Karma series without warning as to how gripping the telling of the next sequence is in the life and affairs of sometime private detective, sometime counsellor, sometime latter day philanderer, David Braddock... it’s one thing for an author to unfold a great narrative, but Dolan introduces a compelling cocktail of inner personal conflict and genuine sorrow at life’s unfairness for his hero... the surface compound matches ruthless criminal elements in Thailand with corrupt police, the marvellous Old Monk and a posse of collateral players, masterfully crafted... but underneath that surface, there’s sex, love, tenderness, brutality and reflective psychology... the essence of Zen is sprinkled liberally throughout, and is almost a player in and of itself... a remarkable read... more, much more than a crime novel, a must read for lovers of great fiction...
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This book was very enjoyable to read and was also very well-written. It was great to catch up with David Braddock's mishaps in the land of smiles once again. I pretty much read the book from cover to cover. The theme & writing style is consistent with the previous books in the series with plenty of witty humor, violence, corruption, suspense and salaciousness.
I only gave it a 4-star rating because I felt that there were some minor inconsistencies in the story and the ending was quite anti-climatic. It has lead me to believe that this will be the last book in the series. I sincerely hope that this won't be the case. -
The depth and quality of John Dolan’s writing ensure that, once you have discovered him, you will become addicted and join his multitude of dedicated followers.
Running on Emptiness is the final book in the Time, Blood and Karma series and a fitting conclusion to a well-crafted story that is riveting in its intensity. For optimum enjoyment the novels are best read in sequence, however, they are written in such a way that makes them easy to follow as a standalone.
In this final book we see the conclusion of PI David Braddock’s trials and tribulations in Thailand, his desperate fight for survival as the danger closes in leaving the reader breathless in anticipation. As with the previous books, the pages come alive with mystical beauty, pathos, humour and philosophical thought. Dolan is masterful at plumbing the emotional depths of his characters and in Running on Emptiness we gain a deeper understanding of David Braddock’s existential anxieties. This can be clearly seen in the chapters entitled Braddock’s Journal...
The dam of rationality shows signs of leakage. I worry that the levee will suffer an instantaneous and catastrophic failure...
A door has closed, my progression – or regression – continues on its ineffable course, while bridges burn in my wake...
Night gallops in noisily on threatening hooves and I wind up the drawbridge...
On a lighter note, I liked his nod to Jane Austen:
It is a truth universally acknowledged that an unattached man in possession of a full wallet must be in want of a Thai wife...
Another plus for me was the reappearance of the enigmatic Old Monk, though I was unprepared for the surprises that followed.
There was sadness, too, at the closing of the final curtain and loss of some familiar characters that we’ve come to know. For all his flaws, David Braddock gets under our skin and, as with all good books, his character will stay with me. So it was a delight to learn that we haven’t heard the last of him. John Dolan’s latest novel, Land of Red Mist, features the life of Edward Braddock in 1950s strife-torn Malaya – no doubt another great read and one to look forward to in October.
Hats off to the author for a wonderful series! -
“The dead and their secrets can wait. Only the living lack patience.”
Book 4 in the Time, Blood and Karma series challenges the concept of how much personal tragedy can anyone endure before they become completely drained of life. David Braddock, PI has had more than most and knows that the dead do not necessarily stay dead. Just Breathe.
Book 4 continues the drama of families, drugs, crime and corruption in high places whilst it shows that most of them play out at a personal level with a lot of collateral damage. Fearing to read on because this would complete this wonderful series, I am left still contemplative but hopeful that ‘there is no beginning, there is no end’ – only secrets not yet told. Be sure to start at the beginning with ‘Everyone Burns’ Book 1, ‘Hungry Ghosts’ Book 2 and ‘A Poison Tree’ Book 3, you won’t be disappointed. Another fine book from John Dolan, a writer’s writer if there ever was one – respect! (Pat McDonald British Crime author) -
"There are these four unconjecturables that are not to be conjectured about, that would bring madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured about them. Which four?
"The Buddha-range of the Buddhas is an unconjecturable that is not to be conjectured about, that would bring madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured about it.
"The jhana-range of a person in jhana...[
"The [precise working out of the] results of kamma...
"Conjecture about [the origin, etc., of] the world is an unconjecturable that is not to be conjectured about, that would bring madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured about it.
"These are the four unconjecturables that are not to be conjectured about, that would bring madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured about them."
"Acintita Sutta: Unconjecturable" (AN 4.77), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight, 3 July 2010,
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipita...
Before I begin my "review" I must make an observation only tangentially related to the book:
In the world of chronic illness there is usually a line drawn in the sand where one declares "here and no farther" - and when that line is ultimately crossed one erases that line with their toe and draws a new one further back - actually it is only more obvious in the context of illness; it is just that most people never really think about it until the final reel - samsara
I must note that as far as the narrative in this book goes this is not a "stand alone" book - one really needs to have read the previous three books in the series because one needs to be "up to speed" on the cast, previous happenings, and relationships before you begin or spend a lot of time in a fog. This is no problem inasmuch as the first books are great and well worth your time to read them. However, I have read the other books in this series but due to my MS memory I started in on book four with only the impressions of my reaction to the earlier books - I was adrift for quite awhile until vague memories came drifting back. Just do yourself a favor and make sure you are current with the plot before you begin.
I enjoyed Mr. Dolan's "Time, Blood and Karma" series because besides a good "Hard-Boiled" detective book I read a lot of Buddhist philosophy skillfully hiding below the surface - this time around the Buddhism is a lot less subliminal - there is quite a bit of overt discussion about kamma, suññata and philosophy in general; in spite of this "Running on Emptiness" seems, to me, a tad bit more of a straight noir than the previous books, perhaps because the Buddhist considerations are more stated than implied.
The narrative picks up approximately a year and a half after the events described in "Hungry Ghosts" and the rest of the book is pretty much a continuation of the situations began in book two and moves on to their final resolution - along the way there is a nifty "locked door" murder mystery thrown in to tweak one's detection skills.
If you like detective stories with a lot of twists, bent cops, murderous thugs, political manipulation, a jaded hero who goes down streets meaner than average than you could do no better than this series - and you could pick up some Buddhist insights along the way if you listen carefully. Some have posited that this may be the final book of this series - I don't see why it has to be so. I think there are many more stories to be told by David Braddock and I would like to read them.
I also must note the writing - it is excellent and while I pride myself on a larger than average vocabulary Mr. Dolan sent me to the dictionary many times while reading his book. Mr. Dolan is master wordsmith and reading his work is always a pleasure.
Final note - reading this series' installment I was markedly reminded of the following:
Upajjhatthana Sutta: Subjects for Contemplation
"There are these five facts that one should reflect on often, whether one is a woman or a man, lay or ordained. Which five?
"'I am subject to aging, have not gone beyond aging.' This is the first fact that one should reflect on often, whether one is a woman or a man, lay or ordained.
"'I am subject to illness, have not gone beyond illness.' ...
"'I am subject to death, have not gone beyond death.' ...
"'I will grow different, separate from all that is dear and appealing to me.' ...
"'I am the owner of my actions, heir to my actions, born of my actions, related through my actions, and have my actions as my arbitrator. Whatever I do, for good or for evil, to that will I fall heir.' ...
"These are the five facts that one should reflect on often, whether one is a woman or a man, lay or ordained. -
Running on Emptiness is the 4th installment in John Dolan’s “Time, Blood, and Karma” series of novels. If you are reading this review, and have not read the first three in the series, stop reading now, and go back to the beginning. Read “Everyone Burns”. If you have a pulse, you will be hooked. If you are fully caught up to Running on Emptiness, keep reading.
Since you’ve read all four novels, you already know how good a writer John Dolan is. This is not the Department of Redundancy Department, so I’ll spare you the gushing (even though it pains me to do so).
David Braddock, the main protagonist, is a detective/philosopher/therapist. He is blessed with a strong moral compass that always points due North, except when it is pointing in another direction, or, when in close proximity to an attractive woman, spinning wildly. As Braddock comments, “the best-laid plans of small mammals and Homo Sapiens go awry”. Kind of like “Excrement happens”. But as the Old Monk said: “Time is short, and a difficult problem is a great gift. It presents us with a rare opportunity: the opportunity to do the right thing.” Braddock, when not pulled in too many directions (a rare occurrence), does in fact manage to try to do the right thing, although he is often misguided by good intentions.
This story is full of shocking surprises, twists of plot, and just general page-turning excitement. We have good guys and bad guys. But the best characters are complex, ambivalent, troubled, and worried, as the most interesting humans always are.
I love how Mr. Dolan playfully sprinkles his work with allusions to Zen (as he has done since the beginning of the series). As with so much else, his take on Zen is uniquely his own. He knows that all of us, including him, are deeply enmeshed in Samsara, but that doesn’t mean we can’t at least try to move toward enlightenment, and while on that path, have some fun with it.
BTW, I would have been disappointed if there had not been at least a few words that drove me to my dictionary. The words “phthisical” “panegyrical” and “riparian” did it for me.
I have deeply mixed feelings about how the book ends. In the next to last chapter, Braddock ties up most of the loose plot threads of all 4 books, and waxes philosophical as he does so. The denouement resolves many of the painful complexities of Braddock’s life, thus leading the reader to suspect that this book may be the last of the Time, Blood, and Karma series, especially because the writing at this point becomes, shall I say it, transcendent. OTOH, there is a last chapter with an unforgettable teaser. There is still a long list of fascinating ongoing characters, and some very interesting unresolved issues, any one of which would be a good jumping off point for anther novel featuring Braddock. Then again, Braddock could start fresh with a brand new case. Afterall, that’s what he did in “Everyone Burns”. From a personal standpoint, I would dearly miss David Braddock, one of the most complex fictional protagonists this reader has encountered. I dearly hope Mr. Dolan loves Braddock as much as I do, and will continue to publish his adventures, the sooner the better. -
Ever since I read “Everyone Burns” while lying in a Chiang Mai hospital, I’ve been hooked on David Braddock’s adventures as a PI based on the exotic Thai Isle of Samui. Well, the author, John Dolan, has finally delivered, and Braddock is back.
In “Running on Emptiness”, the guilt-ridden, ghost haunted, Englishman once again takes on his demons, including an assassin determined to end his days with “extreme prejudice.” Book four in Mr. Dolan’s “Time, Blood and Karma” series is, like the previous three, a thoroughly gripping novel in a thrilling series. And well worth the wait.
What began as a barroom fight in “Everyone Burns” has grown into a world of trouble engulfing Braddock in its vortex. And now the net tightens.
Thailand. The time of the populist Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra’s reign and the looming threat of an imminent military coup, two major organized criminal gangs go to the mat in a winner takes all battle for territorial supremacy. Opening in Chiang Mai, moving to England and then to Bangkok, the plot teems with conflict, sub-plots, murder, mayhem, love, death, humor and fascinating characters.
The characters we’ve come to know are all here: Anna, Cat, Da, Wayan, the Old Monk with his simple, philosophical advice. And the quintessential bent cop himself, Deng (Papa Doc) Charoenkul, as wily as ever.
I love the chapters “David Braddock’s Journal.” Here, the writer bares his protagonist's thoughts. And we get to see that Mr. Dolan is a writer of exceptional ability who crafts his yarns with authority and grace and more than a little of that rare quality that escapes many writers: humor.
Writers don’t write novels much anymore; they write series. The market demands it. If readers like a protagonist, they want more of him (her) and sensible writers respond. It’s not a new thing. Raymond Chandler’s novels featuring his hard-boiled PI, Phillip Marlowe, was a series; but they didn’t call it that in those days. The same applies to Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels and the Sam Spade thrillers of Dashiell Hammett. However, the books were separate, stand-alone works, independent of each other. Today it’s a little different, and many series have an element of serial in them, and subsequently the novels are linked. The books in John Dolan’s “Time, Blood and Karma” Series are thus. Though the texts are related, Mr. Dolan has smartly given each it’s separate place in space and time. “Running on Emptiness” is a complete novel and can be read, and thoroughly enjoyed, in isolation. But a reader fresh to the series would do well to play ‘catch up”, enjoy the others and close the ring.
I recommend "Running on Emptiness" highly. -
In Running on Emptiness, author John Dolan deftly draws together plotlines from the three previous books in the Blood, Time and Karma series. In it, he weaves together the various players and quandaries that populate David Braddock’s world into a masterpiece of fiction. Journal entries from the protagonist are interspersed throughout the novel, giving the reader his POV on the various forces of evil and chance that propel the dynamic cast through a cyclone of mayhem and misadventure.
There are several catalysts at work here: a bombshell manuscript by a renegade journalist; a suspicious death during a magic show; a power shift in a crime dynasty that triggers an all-out war; the reappearance of a murderous thug, hell-bent on vengeance, last seen going up in a ball of flames; a terminally ill lover who uses all her aces-in-the-hole in one last act of defiance; a bent police commander with a shameful secret; a military coup that shuts down the country. The Old Monk rounds out the cast of characters that gives the story its swing and verve.
I couldn’t have enjoyed this novel more. It is thoroughly satisfying on every level. The writing itself is flawless. But I must give you one warning: this book may spoil you for all other offerings in the Mystery, Thriller, Suspense genre. It’s that good! -
I was over-joyed when I stumbled upon the fourth book in the Time, Blood and Karma series. Dolan is one of my favourite mystery / thriller writers and this book lived up to the high standard of the previous ones.
Once again we follow private detective David Braddock through an adventure in Thailand, this time with a lot of political intrigue as a military coup is in the offing.
His latest mission comes to him at the wedding of his daughter, of all places. Personal and professional issues get mixed up quickly, as always in this series, and make for some very rewarding reading pleasure.
The book shines with its engaging narrative: one minute distant and detached from the happening, the next you're drawn in with the characters in the turnmoil and chaos that prevails in their lives.
This book benefits from the work that Dolan put in in previous instalments. The plot can build on previous books but you don't need to have read them to appreciate it. There is a lot going on in this thriller. The narrative is captivating and shines through the humorous and eloquent use of language.
This is hugely enjoyable and a real treat. -
Another gripping book from John Dolan in the Time, Blood and Karma series.
I have to say that I love the style of writing, and the way you get to know and (mostly) like the characters is fantastic.
It is now approximately 4 years on from where the 3rd book in the series ends. The book starts with David Braddock being back in England for the wedding of his daughter (Katie) to the son of what is described as the Russian Maffia (I'm still expecting them to be connected to Vlad in some way!) - which makes for an interesting reception with the relatives (by marriage) of Katie being Thai Drug Lords!
I love how the characters intermingle and although there were some tears as a character or two (some unexpected) dies along the way, John doesn't disappoint at all with the dark humour.
I'm not sure if there will be any more in the series - I am hoping so as the way it ended there is certainly scope for a new story - but I am so pleased that I downloaded for free the first in the series as it introduced me to another great author and story that I might (probably) not have found otherwise. -
Being John Dolan’s fan and having read all three books which follow David Braddock’s story, I must say in this final part Mr. Dolan outdid himself. Wow! It is a darker novel, much more somber and philosophical than the previous books in the series, and yet it’s this very gloomy mood that awakens a whole spectrum of emotions in the reader.
David Braddock has to face his demons again, and this time all at once. The plot is perfectly characterized by David’s single phrase: women die around me. Unfortunately, this time it’s not just a beautiful stranger, who commits suicide under mysterious circumstances, but those who have always been close to David are in grave danger again as the old enemy comes back to exact his revenge.
Drug lords, turf wars between the families, and exotic settings as always create a masterpiece of a thriller, which I certainly won’t forget for a long time. A perfect ending to a series you don’t want to miss! -
David Braddock is back in the fourth installment of the Time Blood and Karma series and he doesn't disappoint. John Dolan has crafted another complex story and he keeps all the balls in the air, tying up story lines and keeping us guessing as to how it all turns out. I love how Mr. Dolan pulls no punches even when it comes to his main character. David Braddock has been through enough tragedy for ten lifetimes and Running on Emptiness puts him through more than most people could bear. I couldn't put it down as plots and subplots interweave with each other and head towards a conclusion that no one could see coming. You think it's going one way and it goes another. If you like your mystery, with a side of torrid affairs, a heaping of gang wars and corruptions, with a good dose of excitement and intrigue then this book is for you. The only downside is waiting for the next one.
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Another brill read. I've read all the books in this series and have enjoyed every single one. This book may be a little darker than the others, but it takes you on an adventure which keeps you gripped until the end. David Braddock's concerns grow as particular people he loves die when they are close to him, or so he perceives (which is really a bit illogical???). The story ends with several questions that are still to unfold for David Braddock (leaving me hoping there'll be another book in the series). Well done, John Dolan!
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John Dolan executed another page turning, heart gripping story. The latest in the Time, Karma, Blood saga gives you everything you’ve come to expect and more. Driven by a cast of past favorites, with an engaging and “magical” mystery to solve, this book his all the right marks. Don’t be fooled though. This has all the components of a detective story, but will pull at the heartstrings up to the very end.
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Book four and all the lose ends are tied up, and now it's over I also feel a little emptiness. I don't like going into detail because I wouldn't like to spoil anything of the plot for anyone who is planning to read the series. What I will say is, that without a doubt this has to be one of the best stories I have read. Take a bow John Dolan
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I've thoroughly enjoyed the entire "Time, Blood and Karma" series, and think this is one of my favorites.
Mr. Dolan's writing is a mixture of near-painful insight and bawdy humor wrapped around an addictive story line, garnished with engaging characters and an abundance of spicy women tossed in. In all, a splendid cocktail. -
A very bitter, helplessly tragic story interspersed with some dark reflections and quite a bit of soul searching (not a very successful one). So, in essence, the typical John Dolan mix, just with everything a little dialled up.
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I cannot accurately describe my crush on David Braddock. So it has been for four books. Running on Emptiness returns to the format of the first two books, and we are treated to Mr. Braddock's signature wit and troubled, mischievous philosophy as he navigates a suspicious suicide, the spectre of a man who once wanted him dead, a Thai gang war, and the emotional maze of his family life. Running on Emptiness is dark, sharp, and tender, and the ending left me breathless and and wondering how David Braddock will go forward.
