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Nick Of Time
Nick of Time
John Gilstrap's pulse-pounding serial together in one book for the first time!
“A page-turning thriller with strong characters, exciting action, and a big heart.” —Heather Graham
A pulse-pounding novel of two young lovers on the ultimate joyride—racing against the clock and against the law . . .
SHE’S RUNNING OUT OF TIME
Nicki Janssen’s days are numbered, but she refuses to accept her fate lying down. Defying her father and doctors, she hits the road with a pocketful of cash, a bus ticket—and a romantic fantasy of riding off with her childhood crush . . .
HE’S RUNNING FROM THE LAW
Handsome, dangerous Brad Ward is facing a different kind of sentence. Sent to prison for felony murder, he has escaped and rekindled his relationship with Nicki. But when Nicki’s father joins forces with a deputy sheriff, the search for the runaways ignites a manhunt—a blistering chase that accelerates with every stolen car, every act of violence . . .
“When you pick up a Gilstrap novel, you are going to be entertained at a high rate of speed.”— Suspense Magazine
“Gilstrap will leave you breathless.” —Harlan Coben
“One of the finest thriller writers on the planet.”—Tess Gerritsen
“A page-turning thriller with strong characters, exciting action, and a big heart.” —Heather Graham
A pulse-pounding novel of two young lovers on the ultimate joyride—racing against the clock and against the law . . .
SHE’S RUNNING OUT OF TIME
Nicki Janssen’s days are numbered, but she refuses to accept her fate lying down. Defying her father and doctors, she hits the road with a pocketful of cash, a bus ticket—and a romantic fantasy of riding off with her childhood crush . . .
HE’S RUNNING FROM THE LAW
Handsome, dangerous Brad Ward is facing a different kind of sentence. Sent to prison for felony murder, he has escaped and rekindled his relationship with Nicki. But when Nicki’s father joins forces with a deputy sheriff, the search for the runaways ignites a manhunt—a blistering chase that accelerates with every stolen car, every act of violence . . .
“When you pick up a Gilstrap novel, you are going to be entertained at a high rate of speed.”— Suspense Magazine
“Gilstrap will leave you breathless.” —Harlan Coben
“One of the finest thriller writers on the planet.”—Tess Gerritsen
496 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 2016
164 people are currently reading
722 people want to read
About the author
John Gilstrap
82 books1,243 followersA little bit about my background... I've always been a closet-writer. As a kid, I lived for the opportunity to write short stories. I was the editor of my high school newspaper for a while (the Valor Dictus, Robinson High School, class of 1975), until I quit ("You can't fire me! I quit!") over a lofty First Amendment issue that seemed very important at the time. My goal, in fact, was to become a journalist in the vein of Woodward or Bernstein. Okay, I confess, I wanted to be Woodward; Robert Redford played him in the movie, and chicks really dug Robert Redford.
I graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1979, and armed with a degree in American history, I couldn't find a job. I ended up settling for a position with a little-noticed trade journal serving the construction industry. They called me the managing editor and they paid me food stamp wages. I hated it. About this time, I joined the Burke Volunteer Fire Department in Fairfax County, Virginia, if only to find relief from the boredom of my job. Running about a thousand calls my first year with the department, I was hooked, and the volunteer fire service became an important part of my life for the next 15 years. In the early eighties, hating my job, I went the way of all frustrated liberal arts undergrads—back to graduate school. Earning a Master of Science degree in safety engineering from the University of Southern California, I started down a whole new road. For the next decade and a half, I became an expert (don't you hate that word?) on explosives safety and hazardous waste. Meanwhile, I kept writing. I didn't tell anyone, of course, because, well, you just don't share artistic dreams with fellow engineers. They look at you funny.
My first novel, Nathan's Run, was in fact my fourth novel, and when it sold, it sold big. At a time in my life when things were going well—I was president of my own consulting firm—things were suddenly going very well. Warner Bros. bought the movie rights to Nathan's Run two days after the first book rights were sold, and as of this date, the novel has been translated and published in one form or another in over 20 countries. With Nathan's Run in the can, as it were, I thought I might finally be on to something, but I didn't quit my "day job" until after I sold the book and movie rights to my second novel, At All Costs. I figured that while one-in-a-row might be luck, two-in-a-row was a trend. So, I started writing full-time.
More novels followed, and then a few screenplays. I was living the dream.
But I really didn't like it much. I learned pretty quickly that when you're born a Type-A personality, those extrovert tendencies don't go away just because you're practicing a craft you love. In fact, after just a couple of years of dream fulfillment, I was pretty friggin' bored with the company of my imaginary friends, so I did something that I've never heard a full-time artist do before: I went back to a day job. At first, it was just a matter of reactivating my consulting business, but then, in 2004, I was handed my ideal Big-Boy Job (that's what my wife calls it) working as the director of safety for a trade association in Washington, DC.
And I continue to write. In 2006, Six Minutes to Freedom was published to considerable acclaim. My first (and probably last) foray into book-length non-fiction, SixMin tells the story of Kurt Muse, the only civilian of record ever rescued by the super-secret Delta Force. Thanks to Kurt's cooperation (he is co-author), I gained access to people and places that lifelong civilians like me should never see. The heroic warriors I met during that research turned out to be nothing like their movie stereotypes. These were not only gentlemen, but gentle men, who remained free of the kind of boasting and self-aggrandizement that I was expecting. They were supreme professionals, and very nice guys.
And through them I got the idea for my new series character, Jonathan Grave. He's fo
I graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1979, and armed with a degree in American history, I couldn't find a job. I ended up settling for a position with a little-noticed trade journal serving the construction industry. They called me the managing editor and they paid me food stamp wages. I hated it. About this time, I joined the Burke Volunteer Fire Department in Fairfax County, Virginia, if only to find relief from the boredom of my job. Running about a thousand calls my first year with the department, I was hooked, and the volunteer fire service became an important part of my life for the next 15 years. In the early eighties, hating my job, I went the way of all frustrated liberal arts undergrads—back to graduate school. Earning a Master of Science degree in safety engineering from the University of Southern California, I started down a whole new road. For the next decade and a half, I became an expert (don't you hate that word?) on explosives safety and hazardous waste. Meanwhile, I kept writing. I didn't tell anyone, of course, because, well, you just don't share artistic dreams with fellow engineers. They look at you funny.
My first novel, Nathan's Run, was in fact my fourth novel, and when it sold, it sold big. At a time in my life when things were going well—I was president of my own consulting firm—things were suddenly going very well. Warner Bros. bought the movie rights to Nathan's Run two days after the first book rights were sold, and as of this date, the novel has been translated and published in one form or another in over 20 countries. With Nathan's Run in the can, as it were, I thought I might finally be on to something, but I didn't quit my "day job" until after I sold the book and movie rights to my second novel, At All Costs. I figured that while one-in-a-row might be luck, two-in-a-row was a trend. So, I started writing full-time.
More novels followed, and then a few screenplays. I was living the dream.
But I really didn't like it much. I learned pretty quickly that when you're born a Type-A personality, those extrovert tendencies don't go away just because you're practicing a craft you love. In fact, after just a couple of years of dream fulfillment, I was pretty friggin' bored with the company of my imaginary friends, so I did something that I've never heard a full-time artist do before: I went back to a day job. At first, it was just a matter of reactivating my consulting business, but then, in 2004, I was handed my ideal Big-Boy Job (that's what my wife calls it) working as the director of safety for a trade association in Washington, DC.
And I continue to write. In 2006, Six Minutes to Freedom was published to considerable acclaim. My first (and probably last) foray into book-length non-fiction, SixMin tells the story of Kurt Muse, the only civilian of record ever rescued by the super-secret Delta Force. Thanks to Kurt's cooperation (he is co-author), I gained access to people and places that lifelong civilians like me should never see. The heroic warriors I met during that research turned out to be nothing like their movie stereotypes. These were not only gentlemen, but gentle men, who remained free of the kind of boasting and self-aggrandizement that I was expecting. They were supreme professionals, and very nice guys.
And through them I got the idea for my new series character, Jonathan Grave. He's fo
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
September 26, 2022
Nickie needed a transplant and her time was running out. Off she goes to meet up with her childhood crush but he's running from the law! They share a loving fun trip and he does his best to keep her having fun. Her father and tons of law are looking for them and hope to save her life.
February 6, 2017
Nick of Time, by John Gilstrap, is a collection of 5 serial stories in one novel.
Nicki has a life threatening illness and wants to live her final days doing something. She reconnects with Brad, a former neighbor (and current fugitive) and they run away together. Mayhem ensues.
This book reminded me of Nathan's Run. And it's a little dated, but still a good read. Gilstrap has a way of keeping the tension high. And a little bit of a surprise ending.
And authors, please have some respect for the Brad character. Every movie and novel, something always happens to the Brad character. Just once could he be a hero or win the girl's heart? C'mon!
Nicki has a life threatening illness and wants to live her final days doing something. She reconnects with Brad, a former neighbor (and current fugitive) and they run away together. Mayhem ensues.
This book reminded me of Nathan's Run. And it's a little dated, but still a good read. Gilstrap has a way of keeping the tension high. And a little bit of a surprise ending.
And authors, please have some respect for the Brad character. Every movie and novel, something always happens to the Brad character. Just once could he be a hero or win the girl's heart? C'mon!
April 14, 2017
I won this book through GoodReads First Read program.
What a great book. I really enjoyed it. I had never read anything from John Gilstrap before. This is really a modern day telling of Bonnie and Clyde with some extra twists and turns thrown in. There were times during my reading of the book where I felt that something was going to happen and that it would be a very cool element to the story. I would then find out I was wrong and the turn Gilstrap took the story was even better then what I had thought would happen.
This is the story of two young people on the run from family and the authorities for very different reasons. Nicki and Brad had known each other years ago when they had been neighbors. Nicki had a crush on Brad who was five years older or so. Brad then moved away and they didn't get in contact again till Nicki was 17 and Brad was 22 through the internet. Nicki had a health problem which would result in her death if she wasn't able to get a new heart and lungs in the next year. Brad had escaped from prison in Michigan. They decided to meet and go on a big adventure together. Nicki 's father is chasing them trying to get his daughter back and get an organ transplant to go through. The police are after Brad because he has escaped prison after killing another inmate.
This is the story about two desperate people who find each other and want to enjoy what little time they have left on the earth with each other. You hear about the horrors of prison and the horrors of dying without any control over the results.
Read the book. You won't regret it.
What a great book. I really enjoyed it. I had never read anything from John Gilstrap before. This is really a modern day telling of Bonnie and Clyde with some extra twists and turns thrown in. There were times during my reading of the book where I felt that something was going to happen and that it would be a very cool element to the story. I would then find out I was wrong and the turn Gilstrap took the story was even better then what I had thought would happen.
This is the story of two young people on the run from family and the authorities for very different reasons. Nicki and Brad had known each other years ago when they had been neighbors. Nicki had a crush on Brad who was five years older or so. Brad then moved away and they didn't get in contact again till Nicki was 17 and Brad was 22 through the internet. Nicki had a health problem which would result in her death if she wasn't able to get a new heart and lungs in the next year. Brad had escaped from prison in Michigan. They decided to meet and go on a big adventure together. Nicki 's father is chasing them trying to get his daughter back and get an organ transplant to go through. The police are after Brad because he has escaped prison after killing another inmate.
This is the story about two desperate people who find each other and want to enjoy what little time they have left on the earth with each other. You hear about the horrors of prison and the horrors of dying without any control over the results.
Read the book. You won't regret it.
January 21, 2020
This book was AMAZING.. The suspense the stuff that happened without spoiling anything this is one of my favorite thrillers ive read so far. I was not a huge fan of a few characters just because they didnt leave a mark ( mainly the ones on the Police department/Crime stoppers however the women on the police department was such a bad ass and she definitely kept me reading. So many things happened i couldn’t stop reading it towards the middle to end.
December 29, 2025
Another book in a short series. Nikki needs a transplant but she is running out of time n decides to leave the hospital.
March 25, 2025
This novel carries quite a bit of emotion with it. The center of the story is Nikki, a gravely ill teenager whose heart and lungs are slowly giving out and is badly in need of a bilateral transplant. She is dealing with the emotions that arise when facing mortality. At the beginning of the story, she reports to the hospital for a transplant, only to be told that the donors have changed their minds and withdrawn the offer. I can't imagine how devastating such a circumstance could be, but the author explores it quite well, both from Nikki's point of view and her father's.
While an experimental treatment may prolong her life, it will require quite a bit of hospital time-- time Nikki is unwilling to spend. She runs away with a former neighbor boy (now a criminal) who has reconnected with her via the internet- a nightmare in itself, but coupled with facing the death of a child it is magnified.
Brad is the criminal who has escaped from prison. To Nikki, he is sweet and kind, but he's had such a hard-knock life that he doesn't really care much for others. He is determined to go out in a blaze of glory, but is also determined to have a good time first.
Along the way he shows Nikki his survival/criminal skills. Escape is almost his superpower.
This is a powerful story, but Mr. Gilstrap paints childhood as miserable, which makes one wonder about his own teenage years. Even parents who love their child (like Nikki's dad) are painted in a poor light. We meet Jeremy who is suffering under the overbearing hand of his father's dream of a baseball scholarship. We meet Peter who seems, like Brad, to have nobody. Then there is the little boy taken hostage who only thinks badly of the grandmother who is raising him. In short, every young person in this novel has a miserable life.
Facing mortality, Nikki and Brad run into even more trouble when they stumble into a convenience store robbery. As they flee, they discuss their own end-of-life options in very open candor.
The tension really mounts towards the end as Nikki's father interferes with a police investigation in order to protect Nikki. Pages are turning rapidly and then the reader comes to a twist ending that is unexpected.
This one was pretty good. No big action hero. No clever private eye. No spies or government conspiracy, but instead a turmoil that could happen to any family.
While an experimental treatment may prolong her life, it will require quite a bit of hospital time-- time Nikki is unwilling to spend. She runs away with a former neighbor boy (now a criminal) who has reconnected with her via the internet- a nightmare in itself, but coupled with facing the death of a child it is magnified.
Brad is the criminal who has escaped from prison. To Nikki, he is sweet and kind, but he's had such a hard-knock life that he doesn't really care much for others. He is determined to go out in a blaze of glory, but is also determined to have a good time first.
Along the way he shows Nikki his survival/criminal skills. Escape is almost his superpower.
This is a powerful story, but Mr. Gilstrap paints childhood as miserable, which makes one wonder about his own teenage years. Even parents who love their child (like Nikki's dad) are painted in a poor light. We meet Jeremy who is suffering under the overbearing hand of his father's dream of a baseball scholarship. We meet Peter who seems, like Brad, to have nobody. Then there is the little boy taken hostage who only thinks badly of the grandmother who is raising him. In short, every young person in this novel has a miserable life.
Facing mortality, Nikki and Brad run into even more trouble when they stumble into a convenience store robbery. As they flee, they discuss their own end-of-life options in very open candor.
The tension really mounts towards the end as Nikki's father interferes with a police investigation in order to protect Nikki. Pages are turning rapidly and then the reader comes to a twist ending that is unexpected.
This one was pretty good. No big action hero. No clever private eye. No spies or government conspiracy, but instead a turmoil that could happen to any family.
April 17, 2023
So far this is my favorite Gilstrap novel. This is the story of Nikki, a 17/18 year old girl who is in need of a heart and lung transplant. Her mom is dead and she has been living with her lawyer father. Because of her illness, she has shunned all of her friends and activities and on line found her middle school crush, Brad who was in high school at the time. Nikki is tired of hospitals and tired of being tired and Brad, a convicted murderer who escaped from prison talks Nikki into meeting up with him and going on an adventure. Nikki has no idea about Brad's past ... she is just excited to be with her old crush. She has lived a privileged life while Brad grew up in foster homes because his mom was in prison. Meanwhile in a small Va town, is a female deputy in an all male work place with a sheriff with a son who is headed to play baseball in college, Jeremy, who gets caught by the deputy smoking pot with the town's bad boy.... does she let it go, does she report it to her boss, does she arrest the boys? Carter, Nikki's dad is desperate to find his daughter, he knows all about Brad's prison sentence so he is trying to chase them down by following the crime scenes. Somehow they all meet up ... ..
June 23, 2018
her mom died and now she finds out she needs a heart lung transplant. the donors family changed their mind at the last minute. she only has a year to live and she doesn't want to spend it in the hospital. she is 17 and had a crush on a neighbor boy. her father didn't like him and had him moved from the foster family. he ended up in prison for being with someone who shot and killed someone during a robbery. he got beat and raped in prison, escaped and she wanted to go with him to the beach. so hes trying to do everything she wants before she dies and he has no intention to go back to prison. her dad is trying to find her, all law enforcement looking for them. they go in a store to get her a snack. she forgot her meds and isn't feeling well. while they were there the store got robbed, the clerk shot and killed. they are being blamed for it. i think the sheriff took the film from the vcr so it wouldn't show it was really his son who did it, but im not sure yet.
the police are after the girl and her boyfriend and meanwhile a transplant comes ready but the dad cant get her there on time. there is a hostage situation, the boyfriend gets killed, he wanted to give her his heart and lungs but it was a lung shot. turned out the cops son killed himself and she got his.
the police are after the girl and her boyfriend and meanwhile a transplant comes ready but the dad cant get her there on time. there is a hostage situation, the boyfriend gets killed, he wanted to give her his heart and lungs but it was a lung shot. turned out the cops son killed himself and she got his.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2019
Better than average thriller. At just over 460 pages (Paperback) it does wear on the reader needing to get to it's conclusion. This is the tragic story of a 17 year old dying girl who decides to run away from her hospital bed to meet up with her one true love who's a 20 something year old escaped convict. Starting out in New York their crime wave of love travels all the way down to North Carolina. Oh yes, this 21st century Bonnie & Clyde create an incredible amount of havoc. With some well developed characters this yarn does keep a good hold on the reader. However it needed about 100 pages trimmed out. Giving "Nick" four stars out of five stars possible. (3.51 Stars rounded to 4). Check it out.
September 24, 2020
Nicki is 17 and a senior in high school. She should be having the time of her life. But she's on a deadline, and has less than a year to live without a heart and lung transplant.
Brad Ward is 22 and an escaped convict, but 5 years ago he was living as a foster child of Nicki's neighbor. Nicki had a huge crush on him and now he's contacted her and wants to run away together. Nicki's had enough of being poked and prodded in the hospital and wants to live what little life she has left.
Nicki escapes the hospital and the 2 of them finds themselves caught in the middle of a manhunt.
Brad Ward is 22 and an escaped convict, but 5 years ago he was living as a foster child of Nicki's neighbor. Nicki had a huge crush on him and now he's contacted her and wants to run away together. Nicki's had enough of being poked and prodded in the hospital and wants to live what little life she has left.
Nicki escapes the hospital and the 2 of them finds themselves caught in the middle of a manhunt.
August 27, 2025
John Gilstrap is one of my favorite writers. As much as I like the series about Jonathan Graves I do like the series about Victoria Emerson even more!
This book was very different from those two series. Nicki needs a new heart and lungs. She had just been told she was going to get the organs when the donor family changed their minds!
Nicki doesn't want to spend the rest of her life in the hospital! She runs away, gets a bus ticket and goes off to meet Brad, a guy she had a crush on. Brad had escaped from prison...
This book was very different from those two series. Nicki needs a new heart and lungs. She had just been told she was going to get the organs when the donor family changed their minds!
Nicki doesn't want to spend the rest of her life in the hospital! She runs away, gets a bus ticket and goes off to meet Brad, a guy she had a crush on. Brad had escaped from prison...
June 25, 2017
John Gilstrap is one of my favorites. He does not get the attention he so richly deserves! What I particularly liked about Nick of Time was that it was a refreshingly new storyline. So many popular authors, who are indeed good writers, get to be a bit predictable. This is not. It was a page turner and for a 500+ page book, was a pretty fast read for me.
March 28, 2023
A must read
I could not put this one down. This book will make you want to meet the characters and find out more about them. As the plot progresses you will question which are the bad guys until the final scene. The answer will give you a pause and make you smile. I highlight recommend this book.
I could not put this one down. This book will make you want to meet the characters and find out more about them. As the plot progresses you will question which are the bad guys until the final scene. The answer will give you a pause and make you smile. I highlight recommend this book.
June 29, 2017
I believe Gilstrap is an excellent story teller with superior writing abilities. I haven't read any of his Jonathan Graves series yet but am looking forward to it. All of his other novels that I've read, maybe five or six, have been well worth reading.
July 9, 2017
I loved this book. It was the first book I've read by John Gilstrap! I believe I've found a new favorite author. The characters in the story we're strong leads. One of my favorite books that I've read this year.
November 1, 2020
😢
I haven’t cried so much in quite awhile. I don’t know what kind of star rating to give this. Mr Gilstrap certainly made me care about the characters, and I couldn’t stop even when I wanted to, so I suppose this deserves more stars. I just wasn’t in the mood for crying.
I haven’t cried so much in quite awhile. I don’t know what kind of star rating to give this. Mr Gilstrap certainly made me care about the characters, and I couldn’t stop even when I wanted to, so I suppose this deserves more stars. I just wasn’t in the mood for crying.
April 16, 2021
This one was quite a ride. It was a rough ride in places, and smooth in others, all in all a very good ride. I don't write spoilers, but I will say that I liked the ending. It worked; it was "appropriate."
May 11, 2018
Loved it....
July 25, 2018
A strong, good read by one of my fave authors. Gilstrap delivers a fast paced Bonnie & Clyde type story of young people on the run.
September 4, 2018
REally enjoyed this book especially with two, not one but two, twists at the end
June 7, 2019
A good book, but this one seemed to move a bit slower than Gilstrap's usual pace. I rate it 4.7 stars.
October 7, 2019
Good book. A lot of high drama and plot twists. I enjoyed the book and this author.
May 19, 2021
Having Read The Entire Maudlin Book It Verbose & Tedious.
The book began with a fresh premise and a good story, however close to 400 pages rendered the tome verbose & tedious.
The book began with a fresh premise and a good story, however close to 400 pages rendered the tome verbose & tedious.
July 17, 2021
First book by this author, won’t be my last. Love an edge-of-your-seat story!
March 6, 2022
I enjoy Gilstrap’s books. This book was considerably different from my normal book but was intriguing. Characters were interesting.
April 14, 2022
Solid on the run thriller. With the first of two Nathan Bailey cameos to boot!
Read
April 18, 2022This one isn't doing it for me. I might try it later. (Note to self)
May 10, 2022
A captivating and well-written story about a dying girl who runs away from home to experience some outside life while she can. Very readable and holds the reader's interest.
June 19, 2024
Right when you think you know what is around the corner Gilstrap blindsides you. Wonderful plot and endearing characters. I enjoyed the read and did so quickly.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews