The premise was fine, some of it was a little drawn out and far fetched. The idea of breaking that many people out of jail at once and the chaos that would ensue leads to a lot of possibilities. However, the half baked romantic connection between them took a lot to believe.

"The Chase" by Candice Fox is a riveting crime thriller that follows the story of a notorious criminal and a dedicated cop who form an unlikely partnership to catch a common enemy. Set in the gritty underworld of Sydney, the novel explores themes of redemption, loyalty, and the blurred lines between good and evil. The author's vivid descriptions and fast-paced narrative keep readers on the edge of their seats as they delve into the complexities of the characters and the intense cat-and-mouse game they find themselves in.

Been too long since I read this to really remember what I liked about it, but it was an enjoyable read. 4 stars!

I did not like this at a lot. Way too many characters to try to follow. It might have been easier to follow if there was a full cast narration instead of just 2 narrators.

When the warden at the Nevada penitentiary is faced with a decision, she makes one no one could anticipate. A busload of staff and prisoner visitors has been taken ransom and the demand is to let everyone free. Faced with a calamity, the warden does the unimageable and sets free not only those in for fraud or drugs, but the inmates of death row, rapists and terrorists.

Most are caught right away, either on the road after stealing cars and heading for Vegas or in the desert practically begging for help. But some get away and they are some of the worst. A huge man who is a serial killer. A man who is in prison for killing his whole family. A white supremacist who wants to make a statement that will never be forgotten.

Celine Osbourne who is the death row supervisor is determined to catch the men who had been under her control. She especially wants to catch John Kradle, the man who killed his wife, son and sister in law because of a tragedy in her own past. She pairs up with a man in prison for fraud as her best chance of understanding what Kradle is about and where he might go. As she tracks him, she starts to think that maybe what John has steadfastly maintained for five years is true and he is not the killer of his family. Meanwhile, the white supremist has reunited with his group and they are ready to pull off a massacre.

Candice Fox is known in the mystery/thriller genre as an author who always delivers a fascinating tale that pulls the reader along. Celine is an interesting character due to her background and John Kradle is the man everyone will end up pulling for. The side stories of the other prisoners are interesting and give some insight into what a prison guard faces every day. I listened to this book and the narrator was perfect for all the action. This book is recommended for mystery readers.

The Chase by Candice Fox

When 650 of the world’s most violent human beings pour out of the Pronghorn Correctional Facility into the Nevada Desert, the biggest manhunt in US history begins.

For John Kradle, this is his chance to prove his innocence, 26 years after the murder of his wife and child. He just needs to stay one step ahead of the law enforcement officers he knows will be chasing down the escapees.

Death Row Supervisor-turned-fugitive-hunter Celine Osbourne is single-minded in her mission to catch Kradle. She has very personal reasons for hating him - and she knows exactly where he’s heading....

A fast-paced, likeable thriller, if not a little farfetched at times. I enjoyed the characters and the suspense throughout the story. I do think the story was a bit long.

I like having two narrators, and they both did a fine job.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a free copy of The Chase for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own. #NetGalley

Fast-paced and exciting! A great audio performance to go with it. I look forward to reading more from this author! This is about a 12+ hour listen -- great for a long drive

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
I just love everything this author writes! This was a super fast paced suspense thriller. It’s about hundreds of violent criminals escaping a maximum security prison. The supervisor of the prison will stop at nothing to catch one of the most violent escapees- a man who murdered his own wife and child. But, he is determined to prove his innocence.

This author is a master at creating memorable characters, vivid settings and witty dialogue. Definitely recommend!

I enjoyed this audiobook thoroughly. I would definitely read other items by this author. The suspense kept you engrossed throughout.

So fast-paced, I was immediately hooked from the first page and truly cared for the numerous protagonists in the story. Lots of twists and the cast of characters is wonderfully diverse. Loved it!

This is a face paced, action thriller right from the start. This is a character driven story with likable/unlikable characters. It was very well paced and kept me wanting to flip pages as quick as possible to see what was coming next. It was very well narrated which added to the enjoyment of reading.
Thanks to NetGalley for the audio eARC.

The wrongly convicted criminal seems to be a recurring theme in Fox’s books and ‘The Chase’ is no exception. A mass breakout at a Nevada prison and a frightening terrorist plot are the backdrop for this very good novel that is action packed and wildly entertaining. Featuring kick ass female characters a plenty, Fox hits the accelerator from page one and doesn’t step off until the very end. Packed with everything from far-right extremism, trash TV and Elvis impersonators, Fox is clearly having a ball with her creation and I was more than happy to go along for the ride! Not a straightforward prison escape saga, ‘The Chase’ plays to all of Fox’s strengths, solid characterization, superb plotting and witty dialogue. Fox is clearly one of the best thriller writers working in Australia today and I can highly recommend her work.

The narrator was great and thanks to macmillan audio for the ARC

This book was a wild ride and pretty unique in the thriller genre. At first I was worried because the initial set up was so unrealistic. A baseball game with prisoners vs guards at a prison that houses prisoners including death row inmates and families are invited?? How far fetched can you get? However, while the release of the prisoners was obviously a major plot point, how they got out wasn’t such a huge part of the story and the rest of the story was much easier to swallow. There were multiple story lines following different characters. The only problem I had is that it was a bit difficult to keep all the lines straight at first listening to the book. I think it may have been easier if I had read the book. However the narrators did a great job with this book and I couldn’t wait to get back to it to see how it would all wrap up. While listening to this story I felt a range of emotions: everything from frustration to hope to sorrow and everything in between. Overall it was a great and unique read!

This is a solid crime thriller. My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.25.

A threat to civilians has the warden of the Pronghorn Correctional Facility facing a terrible decision. Before she can take action, the facility staff move on their own to open up the cell blocks and release every prisoner into the Nevada Desert.

John Kradle, released from death row, sees this as his last chance to prove that he did not murder his wife and child 26 years ago. He has had plenty of time to plan what he would do if he had the chance to escape. He sets out in a different direction from most of the prisoners. Unfortunately, another brutish prisoner decides to tag along with John, nearly killing him before the man realizes that he needs John’s plan for a chance to escape recapture.

Celine Osbourne is a Death Row Supervisor who prides herself on knowing the crimes and natures of her row of inmates. She has developed a hate-on-hate relationship with many of them over the years. Her past personal trauma has caused her to have a truly negative attitude towards Kradle. Celine joins the fiercely determined US Marshall, Trinity, in the chase for the worst of the criminals. Trinity is focused on those she believes could have planned the breakout – most likely the terrorists or the mass murderers. But Celine is focused on getting Kradle and she is sure she knows where he is heading.

Celine finds herself teaming up with a former inmate, Keeps, who was released the day of the breakout. Keeps has the ability to think like a criminal and provide a distinct perspective that helps track the inmates that Trinity and Celine are focusing on. He acknowledges his skills come from his past as a conman, but Celine thinks perhaps she can trust him.

I found the primary characters interesting and was intrigued by the different thought processes that come from the law officer versus the criminal mind perspectives. There is action and violence that is ugly but to be expected from violent prisoners. I did like the several twists that make the story move along well. The story set out with action and continued through to the end. I would like to read more by this author, and I recommend this to those who like a good crime thriller.

Audio Notes: David de Vries and Lisa Negron do a good job narrating the male and female voices. They provide fitting accents and inflection for several characters. I really enjoyed the audio performance.

Source: Audiobook through NetGalley.

The initial premise intrigued me. A massive prison break happened and more than 600 of dangerous criminals were released. However, It was very hard to get into the book until 2/3 way through. The book dragged on and it was difficult to stay focused. I really liked the side plot about John Krandle though.

Thank you to NetGallery and to Macmillan Audio for giving me a copy for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for the early listen. Narrator did a great job telling the story and giving each character their own voice. Will recommend.

I received this audiobook from NetGalley. I typically don't listen to novels on audio as it takes so long to complete them. I did listen to this when going for walks. I so enjoyed it that I found myself walking longer and anxious to go on another walk so I could continue to listen. If you liked the old movie, The Fugitive, you'll enjoy this. There is a different angle as you get to know one of the main characters, Celine Osbourne, and her role as a correctional officer. One immediately takes a liking to her and her own story is developed quite well in the book. I would definitely enjoy a sequel!

I really wanted to love this book. It is a fast-paced, quick thrill ride. But, it required me to suspend my disbelief too much... I just kept thinking that it was ridiculous. I liked the two main characters, but I didn't believe her actions and storyline, and I felt he was a bit too naive.

Celine has been forced into a situation she never thought she would be in. All of the dangerous prisoners have been released due to a unique blackmail situation. But, the only one Celine is interested in catching is Kradle. It is very personal for her and she is going to capture him if it is the last thing she ever does.

Talk about a unique story with some very strange happenings. I don’t know how the author thought up this scenario AND pulled it off convincingly through out this novel…but she did! This is my first Candice Fox novel. And I am on the hunt for her others. How I have missed her I do not know. This is about to be remedied and quickly!

The narrators, Lisa Negron and David de Vries did an ok job. I absolutely hated Celine’s voice. It was way too harsh, in my opinion. But, that was just a minor annoyance. The story itself moved along quickly and is pretty intense. So, this is what kept me listening to this one. Not necessarily the narrators.

Need a good thriller for a car ride…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

600 criminals are released after the staff at Pronghorn Correctional Facility are threatened. They are ordered to release all the criminals, or harm will come to the staff's families. The largest manhunt in history begins, and one death row escapee, John Kradle, decides to use the opportunity to prove his innocence and get justice from the person that put him in prison. Celine, who worked as a death row supervisor with a particular obsession with Kradle, goes after him, intent on bringing him back in. We shift POVs from Celine, Kradle, and Trinity - the US Marshall tasked with recovering the criminals back to Pronghorn.

I overall enjoyed this story, but there were times where it would just not hold my attention. I would realize that I had been listening but hadn't really been taking any of the story in. However I did really enjoy the ending.

This was a 3.5 star listen for me.

Thank you Macmillan audio and netgalley for giving me an "advanced" review copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I'm a little late with the review, but hopefully not too late!