When Nick Greene flees the life he’s known in exchange for his quaint town’s rugged forest park, he hopes to achieve a life of peace. But when a curious fisherman foils his tranquillity, Nick’s missing persons case turns into a manhunt. 

Heading to the neighbouring city of Abercrombie, Nick finds refuge in a run-down motel known for taking in hopeless cases. But little does he know that a fatigued detective from his hometown is hunting him down, determined to redeem himself after his first and only missing persons case back in 1997 ended in disaster. 

Inspired by the southern hemisphere’s flora and fauna, The Runaway Man is the first in a series that traverses from rural backwater to beach to vibrant city, telling the stories of those who seek new lives, and the people they leave behind. 

Kelley Tantau spends each day telling the stories of others. As a New Zealand-based journalist and writer, she has enjoyed the last seven years constructing life histories, factual articles, and entertainment reviews, and has now authored her debut novel The Runaway Man.

After spending her formative years writing short stories, plays, and poems, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Waikato, majoring in Writing Studies in 2016.
Five months before graduating, Kelley started her career as a community print journalist, writing articles of local and national significance for one of New Zealand’s leading news agencies. She now resides in Paeroa with her husband, dog, and blind rabbit, and continues to be a community reporter for the award-winning local rag, her work for which has won her the titles of Best Senior News Journalist, at the Community Newspaper Association Awards 2023, and Joint Runner-Up for Community Journalist of the Year, at the NZ Voyager Media Awards 2023.
When she’s not brainstorming story ideas on the computer or in her head, Kelley can be found yelling at the TV while watching sports, spending time with her family, and peeking at crossword clues.