A Small Town

October 21, 2019
At the start of this uneven thriller from bestseller Perry (The Burglar), a thousand inmates break out from a high security federal correctional facility in rural Colorado. They rampage through nearby Weldonville, causing widespread death and destruction. While most of the escapees are quickly recaptured, after a two-year manhunt the 12 inmates who orchestrated the breakout remain at large. Weldonville Det. Leah Hawkins, whose lover was killed in the violence, sets out with the secret backing of city officials to track down and kill the ringleaders. Despite the previous best efforts of hundreds of FBI agents, Leah nonetheless quickly manages to locate and kill six of them, at which point the surviving fugitives, realizing what’s happening, counterattack from their refuge in an Arkansas survivalist camp. The dramatic setup fails to compensate for two-dimensional characters, especially Leah, and often perfunctory action. In addition, the author misses the chance to consider such larger questions as the morality of Leah’s vigilante killings. Edgar-winner Perry has done better. Agent: Mel Berger, WME.

The small town in this audiobook is decimated by the horrific aftereffects of a prison breakout. When, after two years, the 12 masterminds behind the breakout remain at large, police officer Leah Hawkins takes a leave of absence to hunt them down and take revenge. Christina Delaine's accomplished narration holds the listener's attention as Leah crosses the country, seeking out the escapees. Delaine does an excellent job of characterizing the wide cast of characters, in particular Leah, for whom she injects just the right amount of certainty and self-doubt. Delaine's pacing keeps the story moving and helps build the tension as the plot races to a dramatic conclusion. K.J.P. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine