A Book A Week

January brings many thrilling releases this year, unveiling new works from esteemed authors such as Rachel Hawkins, Stacy Willingham, and Adam Michaelides. The thriller I started with this year hails from a new voice in the genre, one who has lived a captivating life of his own—a life that undoubtedly infuses his fiction with riveting excitement. Adam Plantinga, a seasoned law enforcement veteran with twenty-two years of experience, has previously authored two non-fiction works about the profession. In The Ascent, Plantinga leverages his insider knowledge to craft an unconventional prison break story that signals the emergence of a promising career in fiction.

The narrative begins with two distinct storylines. The first follows Kurt Argento, an ex-cop still grappling with the profound loss of his wife to cancer. Consumed by the injustice of her senseless death, Kurt becomes obsessed with seeking retribution and addressing the grievances he perceives in the world. His deep-seated need for justice prompts him to intervene when he witnesses a young girl being dragged into an alley. This act results in Kurt being brutally beaten and confined to a maximum-security prison.

Simultaneously, the story introduces Julie, a graduate student and the governor's daughter. Despite her father's pleas to avoid visiting the prison, Julie is determined to tour the facilities and gain firsthand knowledge of the treatment and rehabilitation of inmates for her studies. Acutely aware of the facility's notorious reputation, Julie commences her tour just as Kurt is being processed as the prison's newest inmate. Things take an unexpected twist when a security system malfunction occurs, unleashing a horde of violent criminals and initiating a countdown for a full system reset that will unlock every door on the premises. Now, Kurt must join forces with a small group of staff and civilians, including Julie and her two state trooper handlers, to navigate six perilous floors filled with the state's most dangerous convicts and reach the rooftop for safety.

Adam Plantinga makes an impressive fiction debut in The Ascent, seamlessly blending a sense of familiarity with refreshing innovation. Drawing from his real-world encounters, Plantinga meticulously constructs a prison setting infused with dark, intricate details that only someone with firsthand experience could envision. The storyline is irresistibly suspenseful, revolving around a simple yet intense objective: ascend to the prison's summit before a timelock unleashes a horde of malevolent beings, sealing the fate of every innocent soul left behind. The prison transforms into a nightmarish battleground, with each floor presenting new and terrifying challenges. The main character, Kurt, channels the spirit of Bruce Willis in Die Hard—a cop caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, compelled by a sense of duty to navigate an extraordinary and perilous situation. Paired with the innocent Julie, the characters provide readers with an emotional anchor as they navigate the story's thrilling climb. The Ascent proved impossible to set aside, leaving me eagerly anticipating Plantinga's next thrilling story. 

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2024, 2)