First time Thomas Perry reader here. Guess I should have started with another by him. This story was about as implausible as they get. The main character Leah was unlikable as were all the other characters. The writing I felt was dry as was the dialogue. The whole story just seemed rushed as though the writer was just trying to pound one out. I may try reading another by this author as he is very prolific. Hopefully the next pick will hold my interest.

An escape takes place at a Federal Prison. The prison was initially built for medium felons but due to overcrowding in the system the worst of the worst were housed there, and escaped. The twelve primary escapees also allowed more than a thousand others to break out with them. They all subsequently headed for the small town nearby where they went to the homes of the guards they had murdered in the escape had lived, raped, brutalized and ultimately killed their families. The other thousand came walking up later. In the melee many were killed however the twelve were all successful. Two years later, Leah, a Lieutenant in the local Police force goes off on her own to seek closure for what had happened. Because of spoilers, I won’t go any further into the plot. I found the novel to be well written and easily readable. Thanks toNet Galley and The Mysterious Press for an ARC for an honest review.

Twisty and fast-paced, A SMALL TOWN springs from a fiercely original premise and from the opening pages delivers one surprise after another. There are moments where the plotting strains credulity a smidgeon and the brutality is occasionally over the top, but it's a white-hot read from a master of the genre.

A crime thriller with a unique premise and a quick, easy read. Ultra violent, with very bad bad guys and clever heroes. Leah Hawkins is quite a badass, and if Jack Reacher can get two movies, she should get at least one. A minor quibble that quickly became grating was the author's tendency to use full names for people ("Leah Hawkins" instead of just Leah). In at least one case, a character was mentioned by his first and last name twice in one sentence.

An advanced copy was provided through Netgalley in exchange for this review.

Review by 2shay...............

4 Stars makes this a good read, right? Yes, it does. But I want to emphasize that it’s because of the great writing and progression, not that I believed, in the beginning, that the majority of residents knew, supported and sanctioned the cold-blooded murder of 12 men.

Being from a small town myself, I know that getting more than a couple of folks to agree on anything is tough. By about halfway through, after learning more details of the events of July 19, I believed.

I had to be convinced that Leah Hawkins would and could track down and carry out these murders on her own. After learning of Leah’s qualifications, her motivation and her determination, I was convinced.

The majority of this book is told from Leah’s point of view, the 12 convicts who planned and executed this brilliant escape plan presented their view periodically throughout the story. They did not become more sympathetic. Although smart and capable in may ways, all 12 were hard core killers.

The sub-title of this book, “A Novel Of Crime”, begs the question: when is vengeance and retribution true justice? When is it just another crime? You’ll have to judge for yourself. Pick up a copy and...

Enjoy! ARC graciously provided by Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for an honest and voluntary review.

What a ride! I haven’t read anything by this author, but after reading A Small Town I will surely look for more. The plot of this book was most intriguing and each time I thought I just KNEW what was going to follow—I was wrong. While I’m not sure the “hero” of the book would have been able to single handedly track down all the bad guys, I was rooting for her success while at the same time being afraid for her.

In a nutshell, a small town is selected for the site of a medium secure federal penitentiary and, due to overcrowding elsewhere, eventually houses really bad guys. One of them puts together a grand escape scheme, which is successful, and on their way out of town a large number of the prison population, including the jail breakers, commit murder and heinous crimes against the townspeople. The rest of the story deals with local law enforcement’s hunt for the ringleaders.

If thrillers and mysteries are a genre you enjoy, this book should be right up your alley.

If you are looking for a fast-paced action-packed airport thriller with lots of violence, this is the thriller for you. The book is a mix of the show Prison Break and a female Jack Reacher type character. Recommended if you are looking for this kind of book.
Thanks to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic Mysterious Press, and the author Thomas Perry for an advanced digital review copy. This book will be published January 17, 2020.

This was the first book I have read by this author and I did enjoy it after saying that it was a bit unbelievable that I officer was able to do what she did and be in the right place at the right time with no one catching her and she was then able to return to her life. It was a strange one with a happy ending for some!

This was my first read by this author., and I highly enjoyed it. It was intense and full of mystery. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. Thomas Perry is one of my very favorite authors and he can write a mystery that can transport me. In A Small Town, which is set in Colorado (always a thumbs up), begins with a horrific prison escape and it just flows from there. Prison break, catching criminals, a bit of romance, and good character development. The main character is one I would enjoy reading about again, she is very likable. And Perry doesn’t pull any punches, when someone dies, it’s done. No fooling around and dragging it out. I enjoyed this book right up to the end. The last chapter/epilogue left me shaking my head and wondering if I missed something. It just didn’t fit and was very unsatisfying.

There were many times throughout reading this that I got nervous for Leah, the descriptions were fantastic and I was really able to picture everything as it was happening. I especially loved how there was a surprise around every corner. Literally. And I kept thinking I knew how it was going to end. And it turns out, I didn't. Definitely worth the read!

“A Small Town” is a mystery by Thomas Perry in which a gang of violent criminals break out of prison and take over the town of Weldonville.

I was extremely disappointed in this book because I usually love and devour anything written by Thomas Perry.

The plot was improbable and the violence gratuitous. I had a hard time finishing this book.

A jailbreak occurs at a Prison never meant to hold such vile criminals an entire town is almost wiped out by the renegade escapees. One lone woman - a cop - hunts them down. This is a good story. Thomas Perry has built up a good set of characters again - both good and bad. Although I don't think this new book is as good as his others, it is still a good read. Some surprises in store for the reader too. I can still recommend it as a good read.

Another great Thomas Perry novel! A Small Town creates the sense of milleau and characters that Perry is known for!

A Small Town is the latest story by Thomas Perry. From the very beginning of this book the reader is lost in the pages, finding it difficult to put down. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author. I want to thank Grove Atlantic and Net Galley for an early copy of this book to review.

I was disappointed by the 5 chapters I read of this book. Four of them were dedicated to intricate details of the prison break, many of which felt very unbelievable to me, only to end abruptly immediately after the escape. The premise is that this prison break resulted in the destruction of this small town, and we skip instantly from prison break to two years after the town has been ruined with no details of what happened in between. The heroine, Leah Hawkins, is introduced in chapter 5, and I didn't feel any connection with her at all. There was also no mention that we had just jumped forward in time two years, so it took a couple of paragraphs to realize that. When I began chapter 6 and we jumped backward in time and it took me a moment to realize that, I had had enough.

I was really hoping to enjoy this book, because I believe I've read this author before and enjoyed his writing. But this book was a disappointment for me.

Thomas Perry’s books always draw me in keep me turning the pages as fast as I can.A prison break of the most dangerous inmates a desperate hunt to recapture them a book I read late into the night.Highly recommend.#netgalley #groveatlantic

I think it was my friend Ann Allen who christened Thomas Perry's Jane Whitefield series “literary crack.” Perry has plenty of standalones with super-capable men defeating bad guys armed with only duct tape and a sharp twig, but if it's his books featuring fierce women that really speak to you, well, my crackheads, line up for your fix!

Perry starts us off with a horrific (but in Perry style, meticulously planned and executed) prison break. The small town of Weldonville. Colo., has relied on the federal prison for years as a major employer, but on the night of a mass escape, the prison becomes the town's worst nightmare. Under cover of the chaos created by letting everyone else loose, the twelve ringleaders get away. Enter our heroine, Weldonville policewoman Leah Hawkins, who on the second anniversary of that terrible night, sets out on a mission to find those twelve men and deal out justice.

This is classic Perry. Jane Whitefield was all about helping people disappear, so we learned all sorts of fascinating details about how to change your life and avoid attention (of course her charges blew it pretty often, or there would be no story, right?). In A SMALL TOWN, our heroine is coming from the other direction, hunting people who have new identities. Still fascinating! Leah is a typical Perry protagonist, sharp and well-armed and able to outthink the villains. Like Jane Whitefield, she also has a supportive crew – in this case, a whole town full of people who know how to keep a secret.

The criminals are expecting anything but a lone woman. They don't see Leah coming, and she makes sure no one sees her going. It's Thomas Perry at his best. Enjoy!

This is why I read Thomas Perry! Leah Hawkins, a small town officer, is tracking down twelve escaped conflicts who in one night managed to ravage her home town. She has put her badge aside and is looking for vigilante justice, and it's not long before the twelve figure it out and take steps to put an end to her chase.
Is it realistic to think she can find clues the FBI missed? No.
Could a government reparation grant to the town be spent this way? Probably not.
Does this reader care? No way! It's a fast paced page turner that I couldn't put down. Leah Hawkins is an excellent hero for this book, she's flawed, she's determined and she's smart. The author gets right to it, there are few if any distracting subplots and the plot comes together well at the end.
Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I liked it. Excellent attention to detail, and great character development. I can always depend upon Thomas Perry for a book that I’m going to enjoy reading.The only problem I had with this book Is that I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.