Runaway by Peter May

1965. Jeff, Jack, Maurie, Dave and Luke were teenage boys from Glasgow. They formed a band called The Shuffle during the period when British music was taking the world stage by storm. When Jack was expelled from school, he decided to keep it a secret from his parents and head to London, where the bright lights are. His 4 other friends impulsively followed Jack in search of adventure.

Jeff, the only one out of school, stole a car from his employee , packed everyone in and set off south. While trying to shake off Jack and Maurie’s parents, they made a bad judgment call and gave a lift to someone who turned out to be a mugger and a gangster.

Along the way, they picked up Rachel, Maurie’s cousin/step sister in Leeds but landed in big trouble. Trying to shake of Rachel’s druggie boyfriend, they made mortal enemies of him (Andy).

Jack struck a friendship with Rachel on the way to London, putting strain to the boys’ friendship. In London, they took shelter under the auspices of a certain Dr Robert who dabbled with music in the London music scene but was secretly a relentless pedophile and a druggie.

Jack and Rachel’s relationship turned sexual and the relationship ended when the pregnant Rachel was forced to abort her baby because Jack could not handle the situation.

By now, the boys have become disunited and forgotten the original reason for coming to London. Jeff, high on LSD, killed himself. Andy relentless pursuit led them to their ‘safe house’ and was supposedly murdered by an actor living there. Their one month of adventure left the boys damaged and they decided to make their way back to Glasgow while Luke decided to stay to seek his fortune in London.

50 years on, Maurie, now dying and with a secret to reveal, regrouped the band of friends, now old men and made another getaway to London. Like their trip south 50 years ago, they ended up in Leeds and accidentally joined a soup kitchen project and outing to London. It was another train ride to London, this time without Jeff or Rachel. Ricky (Jack’s grandson) ,their driver, now bereft of their getaway car was forced to take care of the dying Maurie.

In London, they regrouped with Luke who was now a big shot in London. They revisited the place where they were raped as boys by Dr Robert. Maurie revealed his real relationship with Rachel (half siblings) and said that Rachel actually kept the baby. Before Dr Robert, Maurie told everyone that he was the one who killed Andy in the confusion of that night in that room 50 years ago. The actor who took the blame for his lover, Dr Robert, had died thinking that Dr Robert did the deed when in fact it was Maurie. Maurie shot Dr Robert before his friends and ended his life there.

Jack finally met his daughter, now a middle aged woman, before Rachel’s grave. Luke offered Ricky, Jack’s genius and obese grandson, a job.

The story was a stretch and looked like a poorly directed show going backward in black and white and forward in 2015 colour. Maurie, dying from cancer and wheelchair bound went to London with a concealed gun which nobody was aware of. Dave was like an extra without background or context in the story. There was comic relief much like a scene from the 3 stooges. Crimes committed in 1965 was conveniently forgotten by the authorities and the boys went on the live normal lives, except Jeff who died in London.

The   story telling went back and forth in time was fine but it being told in the first person and third person made it confusing. Events were incredulous with plenty of loopholes. Entertaining yes, but not expertly constructed work. I would rate it a 3/5. Not worth re-reading.