Paul Herron

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Title: Breakout
Series: ----------
Author: Paul Herron
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Action/Adventure
Pages: 237
Words: 88.5K

Synopsis:

Publisher's Blurb

Hurricane Anna: a superstorm made up of two Category 5 hurricanes coming together to wreak unprecedented havoc along the eastern seaboard.

When the superstorm hits, the correctional officers at Ravenhill flee, opening all the cell doors and leaving the inmates to fend for themselves as the floodwaters rise. But Jack Constantine, an ex-cop serving ten years for killing one of his wife's murderers, isn't going to just lay down and die. Not when his wife's two remaining killers are among the prisoners relocated to the Glasshouse to ride out the storm.

Meanwhile,

Kiera Sawyer, a Correctional Officer on her first day at work is the only officer left behind when the others flee. Sawyer rescues Jack and offers to team up. If they can make it to the Glasshouse they might just survive the hurricane. But that involves making their way through the prison, fighting off eight hundred blood-crazed inmates as the building fills with water and the wall crumble all around them

My Thoughts:

I have to admit, when I was done reading this I was left disappointed. For a slightly more positive review, check out Mogsy's Review from earlier this year.

This was a big action'y story with tons of tension and drama. I didn't find the two main characters quite up to snuff though. Jack is a tortured ex-cop ex-military, who didn't hear a bloody thing when his wife was killed. Wouldn't want him on guard duty! And for an ex-military guy, forgetting that the prison had an armory was just unforgivable. I don't expect all military characters in books to be Special Forces level, but come on, weapons?!? Then we come to Lady Guard Sawyer. She's an attractive female guard in an all male prison, most of whom are in for a VERY long time. And they pretty much leave her alone when all hell breaks loose and everyone is free. Now, if she had been raped, I probably would have dnf'd the book, so I appreciate that. But at the same time, outside of one token badguy doing some vaguely nebulous “a wimminz” thought, there was nothing. It rang as false as a wooden nickle.

A decent read but nothing more. I won't be reading anything else by Herron on purpose.

★★✬☆☆… (mehr)

Breakout is Paul Herron's debut thriller.
Jack Constantine is an ex-cop, currently serving time at Ravenhill Prison for murder. Its Kiera Sawyer's first day on the job as a guard at the prison. And it's also the day a massive hurricane hits the coast - with Ravenhill right in it's path. What to do? Well the warden makes a decision - gather the employees and leave - and hope the National Guard shows up to evacuate the 800 prisoners. He leaves the cells locked, but an underling opens the doors - and now each and every prisoner is free, including Jack. And one lone guard who missed the bus.

What a great premise eh? I immediately thought of Bruce Willis and his Die Hard movies. Breakout reads like a movie - and that's no surprise as Herron has worked on over twenty seven television shows.

Jack is a complicated lead character - part criminal, part cop. The reader isn't ever quite sure which path he'll take. And Sawyer is too darn innocent -she want to save everyone. She did surprise me though. But things are down to save yourself. The prison isn't going to stand up to the hurricane. Their only option is get over to an adjacent old lock up that has tunnels to hide out in 'til the storm passes. But first they're going to have to get past every killer, every gang and the downright crazy on the way there. Oh and a few of the guys that Jack put away.

Herron has come up with some terrifying obstacles for Jack, his cellmate Felix and Kiara. His descriptions of time and place were really good. I could easily picture the prison and where they were and where they were trying to go. The storm's increasing power is mentioned at the beginning of every chapter, ramping up the tension. The action is pretty much non stop, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. Gentle readers, this is definitely not the book for you. Visceral violence abounds. But seriously, this one screams movie.… (mehr)

Jack Constantine is an ex-cop serving 10 years for killing one of his wife's murderers. Kira Sawyer is a correctional officer on her first day at work, left behind when the other guards flee, freeing all the prisoners behind them. Together Constantine and Sawyer are trapped in Florida's Ravenhill Correctional Institution as two category five hurricanes are bearing down on the facility. This is the setting for Paul Herron's Breakout.

With the prisoners set free inside the facility, Sawyer frees Constantine from the infirmary. If they can make it to the older part of the prison, the Glasshouse, they just might survive. All that's in their way is rising floodwaters, crumbling walls, and 800 inmates.

Paul Herron writes with a cinematic flair. The sounds of the storm, the rain lashing the walls, and the rising water create great tension. The specter of needing to cross the entire length of a prison filled with blood-crazed prisoners with an unexpected taste of freedom and the opportunity to settle old scores makes for a great setting.

Herron does a great job with characterization giving the reader characters to root for as well as ones to be terrified of. Jack Constantine is a sympathetic, though not perfect, character. The murder of his wife gives him understandable motivation even if he has to operate outside the law to seek justice. He's made enemies inside of prison, some of whom have very understandable motives for hating him.

Breakout is a ticking time bomb of a story. A hurricane threatening to erase the prison from the map keeps the plot kicking forward. Likable characters navigating a prison crumbling from the outside in and making their way through the prison, each group of prisoners they encounter more terrifying than the last. This book has the feel of Escape From New York with great fight scenes, palpable danger on every page, and characters who have you holding your breath as they try to stay one step ahead of disaster. This book will have action fans clamoring for more. Highly recommended.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.… (mehr)