The demons of war and drink are destroying Clarrie Asker's health and marriage. He is one of New Zealand's most experienced pilots, but as the war ends, he struggles to survive in the new world of peace and regular employment.
There is a post-war surplus of pilots, and he no longer has the stamina for manual labor. Eventually, an opportunity arises with the national airline, but his demons take control on a flight to the capital.
Clarrie's son Bob is the next to try to break the generations-long curse of the Askers, but first, he must confront the rivalry and bitterness between the Askers and the Glengyles.
Run for Your Life is a family saga, crime thriller, and courtroom drama with more lethal hazards and twists and turns than a tropical jungle trail.