On Flashback Fridays, I will share with you
the books I was not able to review
when they were first released that have been screaming at me
from my To-Be-Read bookshelf.
The Ascent (Kurt Argento Thriller)
Crime Action Thriller
1st in Series
Setting – Missouri
Publisher โ : โ Grand Central Publishing
Publication date โ : โ January 2, 2024
Print length โ : โ 352 pages
Hardcover
ISBN-10 โ : โ 1538739879
ISBN-13 โ : โ 978-1538739877
Paperback
Publication date โ : โ September 10, 2024
ISBN-10 โ : โ 1538739887
ISBN-13 โ : โ 978-1538739884
Kindle
ISBN-13 โ : โ 978-1538739891
ASIN โ : โ B0C4F3D5RL
Kurt Argento is an ex-Detroit street cop who canโt let injustice goโand who has the fighting skills to back up his idealism. If he sees a young girl being dragged into an alley, he’s going to rescue her and cause some damage. When he does just that in a small corrupt Missouri town, heโs brutally beaten and thrown into a maximum-security prison.
Julie Wakefield, a grad student who happens to be the governor’s daughter, is about to take a tour of the prison. But when a malfunction in the security system releases a horde of prisoners, a fierce struggle for survival ensues.
Argento must help a small band of staff and civilians, including Julie and her two state trooper handlers, make their way from the bottom floor to the roof to safety.
All that stands in their way are six floors of the most deadly convicts in Missouri.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Ex-Detroit street cop, Kurt Argento, leaves Detroit behind and hits the road. He winds up in a small Missouri town where he witnesses a young girl being pulled into an alley. He can’t ignore it. He has to save her. Doing so, he puts a big hurt on the predator. The problem is, the guy had connections, and Kurt finds himself battered and bruised in a maximum-security prison.
Grad student and governor’s daughter, Julie Wakefield, arrives at the prison for a tour. Soon after her arrival, the security system has a major malfunction, releasing prisoners on all six floors.
Argento, Julie, and her protection team of two state troopers are joined by staff and others in a fight to save their lives. The only way out is up, so they must traverse up six floors to the roof while fighting off some of the most deadly convicts in the state.
As a fan of Harlan Coben, I noticed he had given this book high praise, so I had to read it. There is also a Wisconsin connection, as the author began his law enforcement career in Milwaukee.
Kurt Argento’s life changed after he lost his wife to cancer. He is consumed by her death and ready to take on the world and every injustice he sees. He lands in a corrupt small town in Missouri where he saves a young girl from being attacked. But in this small town, the attacker goes free, and Kurt is viciously beaten and sent to a maximum-security prison. You can feel his inner pain and appreciate how he is always trying to think 2 -3 steps ahead, leans on his training, and does what he thinks is right.
Julie Wakefield is at the prison as part of her graduate studies. Her father, the governor, had begged her not to go, but she is determined, so he sends two state troopers with her to keep her safe. Julie is a strong, intelligent woman; she will need both for what lies ahead.
Kurt is being processed, Julie’s tour is starting, and then all hell breaks loose. Some of the cell doors open, releasing convicts on every floor. Communication to the outside world is shut down. A countdown is started for a total system reset that will open all the cells. Kurt joins the staff, guards, and Julie and her entourage in a quest to find their way out. What a scary nightmare. Adam Plantinga takes us there for every gritty, tragic moment. Several times, I realized I was holding my breath, and the pages flew by, without much time to even catch my breath in between. Each floor is more dangerous than the last, and the carnage gets more intense. The first floor is general population, the sixth is death row, and in between, you have gangs, sex offenders, and people with severe psychological disorders. The bodies pile up as each floor and stairway is conquered. Will anyone make it out alive?
I can’t believe this is the author’s novel debut. With his law enforcement background, he is clearly writing what he knows. His descriptive detail is top-notch and eerie. I have family who work in the prison system, and this book gave me pause.
The Ascent is not for the faint of heart. The details are graphic. The characters of Kurt and Julie have depth. It was easy to get invested in their lives. All the people they come in contact with are well-crafted and have purpose in the story, good and bad. This book is extremely hard to put down, but I had to read it over 2 nights, and there wasn’t a natural break. So plan accordingly. I am impressed with Mr. Plantinga’s storytelling, so I am interested in reading more of this series.
The book includes graphic language and scenes.
This book is from my private collection. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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*This book is from my private collection. The opinions I have expressed are my own.ย
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