When a high security prison fails, a down-on-his luck cop and the governor’s daughter are going to have to team up if they’re going to escape in this "jaw-dropping, authentic, and absolutely gripping" (Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author) debut thriller from Adam Plantinga, whose first nonfiction book Lee Child praised as “truly excellent.”
Kurt Argento, an ex-Detroit street cop who can’t let injustice go—and 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, he’s 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 dangerous convicts in Missouri.
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"Not since Joseph Wambaugh released The Choirboys has a cop thriller delivered this level of authenticity, and The Ascent wears it like a badge. In his debut novel, Adam Plantinga weaves a jailhouse tale that serves up thrills from the first chapter through the final page. The book’s protagonist, a world-weary Detroit cop, is a revelation. Watch out, Jack Reacher—Kurt Argento has arrived, and he’s putting his rivals in the shade."
— Nancy Allen, #1 New York Times bestselling author
The Ascent is jaw-dropping, authentic, and absolutely gripping.
— Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of I Will Find YouAdam Plantinga’s debut thriller, THE ASCENT, is a nail-biting ride out of Hell itself. It’s Dante’s Inferno—but with gangs, corruption, bone-breaking brawls, and a kick-ass, determined police officer struggling through it all to save another. It reads with raw authenticity and brutal honesty. Don’t miss this debut of a new crime-thriller star!
— James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Kingdom of BonesDamn! I had to hold onto this one for dear life. THE ASCENT is a ferociously propulsive thriller. Plantinga creates a haunted house of horrors that’s utterly convincing, while at the same time keeping the focus on complex, layered, and engaging characters. An outstanding debut crime novel.
— Lou Berney, Edgar award-winning author of November RoadIf JD Salinger had been a street cop, he’d have written books like Adam Plantinga’s. This book is the real deal - flesh and blood characters, charming wit, and an insider’s pass to a one-of-a-kind white knuckle ride. Plantinga will soon join the ranks of Child and Connelly.
— Douglas Brunt, New York Times bestselling author and host of Dedicated with Doug Brunt on SiriusXMThe Ascent is a fantastic thriller that stands apart from the crowd—a high-test, high-stakes action spectacular with true thrills, true grit, and genuine heart. You’ll find the full spectrum from darkness to light between these covers, with a refreshing breeze as the pages fan by. Adam Plantinga is here to stay.
— Sean Doolittle, Thriller award-winning author of Device Free WeekendAdam Plantinga's debut novel, THE ASCENT, is a red hot blast of crime and punishment, and crackles with sly wit and a jaded authenticity that has been hard-earned by Plantinga's many years as a street cop. THE ASCENT is so damn good that I will read anything else Plantinga cares to write, including his grocery list.
— Nick Petrie, author of The Price You PayTHE ASCENT is terrific—a brutal portrait of a tough cop in an unforgiving world. I loved it.
— Robert Crais, bestselling authorPulse-pounding, cleverly plotted, fast-paced—expertly made entertainment.
— Kirkus Reviews, starredThe knockout first novel... Once readers catch their breath, they’ll be clamoring for more from this rising star.
— Publishers Weekly, starredIf you’re itching for a bloody action-packed jailbreak thriller with a protagonist best thought of as an even angrier Jason Statham, The Ascent is a book that needs to be on your watchlist for 2024.
— Kashif Hussain, The Best Thriller BooksBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Adam Plantinga holds a BA in English with a second major in Criminology/Law Studies from Marquette University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude in 1995. He has been a police officer for seventeen years, and is currently a sergeant with the San Francisco Police Department. Plantinga’s first book, 400 Things Cops Know, received rave reviews from star crime writers such as Lee Child, Edward Conlon, and Joseph Wambaugh and was hailed as "the new bible for crime writers" in the Wall Street Journal. Plantinga lives in the Bay Area with his wife and daughters.
Christine Lakin is an Earphones Award–winning narrator and acclaimed television actress, best known for her roles as Alicia “Al” Lambert on the hit family comedy Step by Step and as Joan of Arc on Showtime’s Reefer Madness.