📚 ARC BOOK TOUR BOOK REVIEW 📚

Hard Town By Adam Plantinga
Publication Date: April 8, 2025
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse, Grand Central Publishing, and Adam Plantinga for sending me a #gifted copy of this book and inviting me to be a part of this book tour, in exchange for my honest review!

📚MY REVIEW:

After finishing The Ascent, book #1 in this series, I was stunned by how incredible that book was. And after finishing book #2, Hard Town: I. Am. Absolutely. Shook.

Adam Plantinga has cemented himself as an auto-buy and auto-read author for me! Hard Town was just as unputdownable as The Ascent, and the last 100 pages of this read included the most tension-filled, heart-pounding scenes that I can recall reading in recent times.

My mind was blown...again.

There aren't really words to perfectly capture just how much I love the main character of this series, Kurt Argento, who is a badass ex-Detroit cop who gives zero effs about doing what's right, no matter the outcome or potential harm or might bring to him. In this book, Argento finds himself almost unwillingly pulled into doing the right thing -- and yet he gets involved because he knows it's the right thing to do. And again, mayhem and chaos ensue.

The storyline in this read is different from the first book in the series, and with its setting in the small-towns of Arizona's desert, there is an atmospheric and palpably heated vibe to the entire book. What starts out as a plea from a wife for her missing husband, turns into a run-in with a covert governmental operation... And Argento finds himself embroiled in a wild adventure, once again.

For a moment, I debated docking this book in my rating because of one VERY unexpected and jarring scene within its pages. I'm not gonna spoil it, but trust me -- you'll know what I'm referencing when you read it. (And if you know, please don't spoil it in the comments!) However, after reading the Author's Note and Acknowledgements at the end, Plantinga explained it with the only words that could potentially justify its inclusion. And I felt validated in bringing my rating back up to the 5⭐ I wanted so badly to give it. Because this book is phenomenal.

If you're looking for your next series to get into, don't overlook the Kurt Argento series -- you'll regret it. If you're looking for your next read them get your heart racing, you've found it. If you need to get out a reading slump, say hello to Adam Plantinga's thrillers. And if you're just looking for a damn good book, The Ascent and Hard Town are waiting for you. The Ascent is out now -- Hard Town publishes on April 8th.

And again I say, standing ovation to you, Plantinga. I'm a massive fan.

#HardTown #AdamPlantinga #GrandCentralPublishing #gifted #thrillerbookloversthepulse #bookreviews #bookrecs #MUSTREADS #fivestarreads #actionthrillers #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #booklover #bookaddict

🚨 Attention, crime fiction enthusiasts! 🚨 Are you ready to dive into a world of intense and brutal crime fiction? "Hard Town" promises a reading experience like no other. The reviews are rolling in, and they're on fire! Grab your copy and see what all the buzz is about! 🔥

"Hard Town" by Adam Plantinga is a thriller that grabs you from the very first page—and it’s not for the squeamish! As a first-time reader of Plantinga's work, I was blown away by his bold approach to storytelling. Beware, the book is filled with intense and graphic scenes, but the worst part is when Hudson (Kurt's beloved dog) is killed. For fellow animal lovers, you might want to skip that part when you see it coming.

Kurt's backstory makes this book extra compelling - he's actually a retired Detroit cop who's still processing the loss of his wife when he gets pulled into this mess in Fenton. Plantinga does a great job of balancing the brutal action scenes with human moments letting us see deeper into Kurt's character.

The author, a seasoned police sergeant in San Francisco, dives deep into the nitty-gritty of police work, lending an authenticity that feels real.

This book is the second installment in the Kurt Argento series, following "The Ascent." It's a standalone, but it makes me eager to dive into the first book!

And Fenton? It's not just any small Arizona town - it becomes almost like a character itself, with this creepy, suffocating atmosphere that gets under your skin. It's a place that will pique your curiosity, but not one I'll be adding to my bucket list!!

Thanks to the author, The Pulse, and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC provided via NetGalley. All opinions are my own and left voluntarily.

I was excited to read this book - it easily grabbed my attention and never let go! This story is full of action and mystery and I loved the sense of suspense. While you can definitely read this as a standalone, The Ascent (Book 1) is now available in paperback.

I found myself very interested in this story and these characters. Kurt was looking for some needed downtime and still dealing with the loss of his wife. When a woman approaches him to help find her missing husband he declines…but his guy says something isn’t right…

Kurt struggled with some different decisions he had to make - he finds himself in morally grey areas. He felt really authentic to me and I found myself rooting for him early on. He was smart (with a sense of humor) and resilient and searching for the truth.

He finds himself in the middle of a dangerous conspiracy…no spoilers - you’ll have to read it to find out what happens!!

This book brings us back into the world of Kurt Argento and it is as good as the first one. It is another crazy ride! Intense, terrifying, and I could not stop reading it! The writing is so readable and drew me right in. Kurt Argento is the person I want with me when things start to go wrong, smart, resourceful, and not afraid to do what needs to be done to survive. Krisitn Reed, a mother looking for answers about what happened to her husband when he visited the isolated town of Fenton, Arizona. Kurt is not inclined to get involved but his vow to help those in need has him nosing around and puts him in the path of dangerous and desperate people. As Kurt tries to figure out what is going on it becomes dangerous but Kurt is not a man to be messed with. The closer he gets to the truth the more dangerous it becomes for everyone. Will he make it out alive? While this is the second book with Kurt Argento as the main character it can be read as a standalone. I highly recommend this book to readers that enjoy action books or shows like Reacher.

Kurt Argento, a former Detroit cop, is house-sitting in a small Arizona town. Recently widowed, his only real companion is his dog, Hudson. He is often recognized for his role in a prison break where he rescued the governor of Missouri's daughter. With that incident behind him, Kurt prefers a quiet life doing odd jobs and eating at diners. When Kristen Reed, a young mother, approaches him with her son asking for help, he initially declines. However, he feels compelled to assist when she suggests something bad may have happened to her husband in nearby Fenton. As Kurt begins investigating, he notices that Fenton's police force is too large and skilled for a town with almost no crime. A mysterious gray-haired man seems to exert an unusual influence over everyone. Kurt has uncovered a more complex situation and is determined to figure out what happened to the Reed family, as Kristen and her son have also vanished.

Adam Plantinga introduced Kurt Argento in his debut novel The Ascent. By the end, it was clear that this appealing, down-on-his-luck character would be back for more adventures and happily we didn't have to wait long for his return. Hard Town is a gritty book filled with lots of action and even some humor. Violent and tense, the story kept me glued as the lines between the good guys and the bad guys became blurred. You can read this page-turner as a standalone, but it is worth reading the first book as well. 

4.5 stars.

I really enjoyed this thriller, expectantly turning page after page.

Kurt Argento is a retired Detroit cop, recently widowed after his beloved wife Emily succumbed to cancer, and currently house- and dog-sitting for his friend in Arizona. Argento likes routines, and one of his favorites is getting breakfast at the local diner. One day, as he's eating, a woman with a young child approaches him and asks for his help finding her husband. Argento no longer wants to do police work. He's content getting by as a now and again handyman. The woman's husband has disappeared and she'd like Argento to find him. The last she knew, he was in Fenton Arizona, a small desert town. She went looking for him there but no one there appears to have seen him.

Argento turns her down but, not with his better judgment, gets talked into meeting her in Fenton to try and pick up the trail of her spouse. Argento knows that people go missing for all sorts of reasons and, while the woman fears something sinister has occurred, Argento finds it difficult to buy into this idea.

Once in Fenton, Argento finds all sorts of strange things occurring. The police don't seem to care about finding this man and they appear more like paramilitary than police. Most importantly, the woman doesn't meet him at their designated place. This worries him as she seemed very sincere. Additionally, when he gives the police missing persons fliers to hang up, not only do they refuse to post them, but they tear them up.

This is only the beginning of a very compelling thriller that is well-written with detailed and complex characterizations.

While it is the second in a series, it can be read as a standalone. The first in the series is called The Ascent and I immediately ordered it after finishing Hard Town.

I thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity of reading an advanced review copy. The opinions in ths review are solely my own.

Fans of Jack Reacher will love this story, a worthy successor to the first book in this series, “Ascent.”
I gave it the following SCORE:
Setting: Present day, small town in Arizona
Characters: Kurt Argento, ex-Detroit cop, fresh from his harrowing prison adventures, members of an elite former military security force, Sinaloa cartel mobsters, and the supreme villain, August Barrows
Overview: Argento is trying to get some downtime, recovering in a remote Arizona town when he runs across an injustice that must be corrected. He discovers the highly unusual town is guarded and funded way beyond normal and sets out to avenge despicable wrongs and find out what nasty secret lies with the evil genius in the fortress on the mountain.
Recommendation: I rate this book 4 stars
Extras: Lots of action here and many reasons to keep reading the next chapter. TW – this book has considerable violence and is particularly a “hard town” for dog lovers like myself – although the incidents are probably needed to justify the motivation for the rest of the story, they are difficult to read.
Thanx to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to provide this candid review.

"𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓'𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅."

I didn't realize this was book two, so I definitely plan to read the book that started it all, THE ASCENT. I love layered, complicated characters, and Kurt Argento definitely fits that profile. One can ascertain that he has good intentions, but how he gets results is definitely on the morally ambiguous side.

After having survived a deadly prison break in book one, ex-Detroit cop Kurt Argento is ready for some quiet. Still working through some personal grief, he is house sitting for a friend, enjoying the company of a dog, and picking up odd jobs. When a plea for help to locate a missing person comes in from a young mother and her son, Argento reluctantly travels to the small desert town of Fenton, Arizona, to locate the woman's missing husband. Immediately, he senses something is off. And when the woman and her son go missing as well, Argento knows he's stepped into something sinister.

Even for someone with the sharpest, purest moral compass, the author has a way of making you want to see Kurt succeed, despite some of his more questionable tactics. If you see all the shades of gray and not just the black and white, Kurt will be your new literary hero. Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse for this dark, gritty early copy. This title is expected to publish April 8, 2025.

Hard Town is a gritty tale of an ex Detroit swat officer staying in Fenton., Arizona while trying to unravel situations that just don’t sit well with him. It’s real, thoughtful and kept me wondering through the entire book. The main character is not the typical charismatic charmer but more of the jaded ex cop that has a good heart.

A Gritty and Authentic Police Novel

With sharp dialogue and a compelling lead, Hard Town offers a fast-paced, realistic look at policing. Plantinga’s firsthand experience shines through, making the story feel authentic without glorifying or oversimplifying the job. The mix of action, humor, and moral dilemmas keeps it engaging, though some parts felt a bit repetitive. Still, it’s a solid, well-written read for crime fiction fans.

Former cop Kurt Argento, who helped others survive a disastrous prison break in The Ascent, is back in Adam Plantinga's Hard Town. His reputation precedes him, and his desire to help others in dire straits runs parallel with his almost super-human skills. So when a woman with a toddler disappears after asking Argento to help find her missing husband, he can't help but look into to what has happened to this family. But his quest again leads to his involvement with the most dangerous of criminals, not to mention a mysterious psychopath with a huge intellect who is working on a secret project for the government.

Argento's skills and determination will be tested over and over, as will his moral compass. There are some hard, violent things to read in this book, as in the previous one, but it is the fascinating portrait police sergeant Plantinga paints of Kurt that is the star of the show. With his beloved wife dead of cancer and little to live for, he flies by the seat of his pants and never looks back. But he never stops being human, and that's his saving grace.

Kudos to Adam Plantinga on his second action thriller, which is sure to be another hit. It isn't necessary to read The Ascent to appreciate this book, but why not start with that one for a wild ride that makes you want to find out more about Argento and his exploits.

My thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Wow, what a bada$$ of a book. Hard Town follows retired Detroit cop Kurt Argento as he unwittingly gets involved in a situation that unravels a conspiracy that is going to push him to his limits.

This novel is wild rollercoaster, it's a hard-hitting action flick, a thriller, a mystery, crime drama, and even a teensy bit of a character study of our MMC.

Although the plot is totally over the top, I felt completely engaged the whole time and it felt like some big budget action film but unfolding before me right on the pages. I found the main character, Kurt Argento to be so compelling. He is complex, interesting, morally gray, but also completely full of integrity to do the right thing. Although this was definitely an action book, there was just enough heart on the pages to keep me fully invested and wanting to know what happens next.

I've read quite a few thrillers, but not as many with a male author voice and Hard Town had some serious masculine energy and I am definitely here for it - love the action sequences, and the whole vibe.

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and Net Galley for this eARC.

Kurt Argento is definitely a complicated character. His intentions seem to be based in good but how he accomplishes his "mission" is steeped in moral/ethical grey areas. He's not afraid to blur the lines to restore the order he believes there should be in a given situation. I like how the author is able to make you WANT Kurt to succeed, even if you don't always agree with his methods. Mr. Plantinga is also not afraid to be graphic in his description of things either - this might not be for everyone, but it works for the story.

Hard Town is different from The Ascent but if you liked the Ascent, you HAVE to read Hard Town. And if you haven't read the Ascent, well you should, but you definitely don't NEED to to read Hard Town - enough of the gaps are filled to get any references from the story in The Ascent.

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and Net Galley for this ARC. #HardTown #NetGalley

The first book in a series was a bit of a surprise for me as the storyline was a lot more interesting that the premise. The action was relentless with very fast pacing. This one continues in the same vein and is a very enjoyable read as well. A thriller author to watch out

When I first received this book for review, I didn't realize that it was technically a sequel. It was fine to read this as a stand alone however. It follows Kurt Argento into his retired life where he is trying to move on from the events of the last book, but someone goes missing and he finds himself jumping back in to the action to help solve the mystery.

I found the main character, Kurt Argento to be so much fun to read. He was complex and interesting and I found myself rooting for him. I am so glad that Plantinga pulled him out of retirement to help solve this mystery.

The setting was great. The town was just the right amount of creepy to keep you guessing the whole time. I love each new piece of the puzzle as we all worked to figure out what was going on in the town.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a murder mysteries or fast paced thrillers.

This is a fabulous sequel to The Ascent (Jan 2024) and if you enjoy complicated, multi-faceted good guy, bad guy,
retribution you will drop everything and end up thrilled and exhausted in the best way possible. Sometimes things
just don’t come all planned out, and one thing leads to another and the good ceases to be what it seems. In the
genre I call ‘Law and Disorder’ the Author knows exactly how to set the scene for an explosive book from start to
finish, with heartfelt honesty through out the book. I expect this series to continue to grip readers for many future
books to come. Plantinga is a pro and this is the proof.
My thanks to Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley for the download copy of this book for review purposes.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview Hard Town. Wow. This is really action packed with a intricate plot. This is graphic and hard hitting and some times heartbreaking.
A man who has lost mostly everything. Argento was a cop in Detroit but now he lives the live of a lonely man. His wife has passed but he has his faithful dog Hudson. One day every thing changes. A woman and her son approach him. They need help and Argento is the one she has chosen. Her husband is missing and she knows that she has to find out what happened to him.
She asks him to meet him in a small town in Arizona but she doesn’t show up. So Argento knows something is wrong and he has nothing but time on his hands.
This small town has a very strange culture. And he soon finds out that he is not wanted here.
What ensues is a true battle between the forces of evil and Argento is right in the middle. But can he survive without losing his soul.
Excellent this will be a series and I hope so!!!5 stars

Loved THE ASCENT. Enjoyed this just as much, if not more. Kurt Argento is a great character, and Plantinga's background in law enforcement shows, as the details of policing are top-notch. Highly recommended!

Hard Town packs hard hitting thrills and punches with intriguing moral dilemmas interspersed between suspenseful bits of crime solving and ass-kicking. You’ll be reading this without wanting to take even the smallest of breaks.

Adam Plantinga Is now my go to for action thrillers. I devoured this book. The author’s experiences and knowledge add a level of realism that can be missing in the genre. The Ascent was one of my favorite reads of the year and the sequel did not disappoint. The author did not gloss over how the events of the first book changed the main character. and that feels more genuine. I’m so happy this is a series. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy. Will definitely recommend.