Thanks to #Netgalley and #GrandCentralPublishing and #ThrillerBookLoversthePulse for the book #HardTown by #AdamPlantinga. This book has me on the edge of my seat and I could not put it down. Ex cop Kurt Argento is back in this second book of the Argento series. This time he is helping to find a husband and son that have gone missing. What he finds out is this town in Arizona is not what he thought it was. Can he figure out what’s going on before going mad himself?

If you are looking for an action packed thriller, look no further! This book plays out like an action movie from the very beginning. I loved The Ascent (first in the series) and was ready to break into Hard Town! This book did make me emotional, so be prepared for that. This was also a really great way to break up psychological thrillers. This one reminded me a bit of Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby. So if you enjoyed that one, I think you’d like this too!

Thank you so much Grand Central Publishing and Adam Plantinga for the gifted copy of Hard Town and The Ascent!

I enjoyed this just as much as I expected to. I absolutely love Argento as a character. In this installment, he’s facing a new challenge and while he is still an honorable man, he’s forced to make some questionable decisions to help others. The action is intense, the violence hits hard and I was hooked from start to finish. The pacing was spot on keeping me engaged the whole way through. The only thing keeping this from being a full five star read for me was the reveal about what was happening in the shady town, it felt a bit underwhelming, I was hoping for something a bit more dramatic or unexpected. This was still an enjoyable read and I can’t wait to see what the author does next!

Hard hitting. No holds barred gritty action. Full of heart. Kurt, a former Detroit police officer, turns down a case, then the woman and her child go mussing. Kurt jumps in head first. This one is not to be missed.

RATING: 4.5 Stars

This novel was unlike anything I’ve read recently & hooked me about two or three chapters in! This is technically book two, but can be read as a standalone. Although, I plan to read The Ascent because Hard Town was so captivating! It is told through the POV of an ex-cop, Kurt, whom I was rooting for the whole time. The mysterious element weaved into this novel was exceptional! I will be recommending Hard Town & looking forward to reading the first book in the series.

When you're not sure what to do, start trouble.

Former Detroit cop Kurt Argento is just looking to live a quiet life. He's still grieving the death of his wife Emily to cancer and is trying to duck the notoriety he recently attracted when a Missouri prison's security system failed while he was there. He escaped and helped others to do so as well, including the governor of Missouri's daughter. He has now travelled to a small town in Arizona to help a retired friend from his days at Detroit SWAT, and when that friend gets called to active military service for a six month spell he agrees to remain and housesit. He's angling about for some small home handyman type jobs, grabbing the occasional meal in the local diner, and taking his dog Hudson (his last connection to Emily) for daily walks. That lowkey life is disrupted when a woman with a toddler in her arms approaches him at the diner one day. Kristin Reed has recognized him from the publicity about the Missouri situation and is convinced that Argento can help her find out what has happened to her estranged husband Warren. Warren had gone to the nearby town of Fenton one weekend, reasons unknown, and after sending Kristin a text that something strange was going on there dropped off the radar. The Fenton cops did little more than file a report, and hiring a PI hadn't worked out for her either. Angelo is no kind of an investigator and, while he feels for the woman, doesn't think he'd be of any use to her and tells her as much. She gives him a final opportunity to meet up with her that night and in the end he decides he should go...but Kristin and her little boy are nowhere to be found. Now he's looking for the mother and boy more than the husband, but finds nothing but strangeness in Fenton. A brand new police force whose officers look more like soldiers, an odd looking man who seems to get preferential treatment from the locals, a DHS agent telling Argento that all is fine and he should leave well enough alone, and hints that the government has been handing out a lot of grants to certain groups in town seems like a lot of weird. What is going on in Fenton? What happened to the Reed family? Who is the silver-haired man who lives in an elaborately secured estate nearby? Plenty of questions without good answers, but when Argento is targeted for violence and experiences a personal loss at the hands of the town's forces all bets are off. He will see this through to the end, and will be profoundly changed both by what is done to him and what he finds himself capable of doing in return.
Hard Town is a raw and riveting thriller, the second in a series featuring protagonist Kurt Argento (after The Ascent). Argento is a retired cop whose beat was Detroit, so he has seen a whole lot of darkness in his career. His wife Emily and their dog Hudson were the two things that kept him from succumbing to the dark side of the job, and losing Emily has devastated him. He's no superhero, just a cop who did his job and tried to do it with honor. When he finds himself sucked into a scenario that seems like something cooked up by conspiracy theorists (shady government forces, a brilliant but eccentric man working on something known as The Project, and a town that has been either bought out or convinced to look the other way) he feels compelled to investigate and ends up not only facing the threats posed by those intent on keeping The Project on track and free of prying eyes but also testing his own moral compass. The pace of the story is steady, the characters are well-developed and complex in makeup, and the storytelling shows a gritty authenticity. Fans of authors like Bruce Borgos, Michael Connelly and Lee Child should give this novel a try...Kurt Argento may be your favorite new character. Hard Town can be read as a standalone for those who haven't read The Ascent, though I expect most who read this second in the series will head straight back to the bookshelves to grab a copy of that as well. My thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me access to this addictive thriller in exchange for my honest review.

To begin with, I would like to thank Grand Central Publishing and author Adam Plantinga for allowing me to read this novel, Hard Town, via #netgalley. All opinions following are my own.

This book is a sequel to Plantinga's first successful thriller, Ascent, about an ex-Detroit police officer who finds himself in a dangerous prison when a bloody riot breaks out. He must use his wit and skills to escape, not only with his own body intact, but the visiting daughter of the governor.

That same ex-police officer, Kurt Argento, is the main character in this novel. To be honest, I have a hard time calling him either an antagonist or protagonist, so I'm going to call him an anti-hero.

Argento is looking for a place to settle with his beloved dog, Hudson, somewhere out west. On his way, he stops in Arizona for some respite. While there, a young mother approaches him and asks him to help find her missing husband. Guessing correctly that his reputation has preceded him, Argento declines to help, but the woman is persistent, and he has trouble turning down her toddler. When he shows up at their agreed upon meeting place, though, neither the mother nor her son ever show up. Becomingly increasingly concerned, Argento turns to the town and police for help, but no one seems to care. More than that, though, Argento senses something is going on in the sleepy town of Fenton, AZ. Should he keep going on his journey, or try to figure out this desert town's mysteries?

While I enjoyed both of Argento's tales, I found the violent scenes a little hard to swallow. They're very graphic at points. That being said, I gave this novel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. It is hard not to like Argento , despite his flaws, and the book kept me on the edge of my seat! Today is #publicationday, so act fast to get your hands on this one!

#brenbreathesbooks #BrenReviewsBooks #kurtargento #adamplantinga #thriller #thrilleraddict #4starreads #aprilreads #outtoday #freshoffthepress #Hardtown #sequel #graphic #violent #netgalleyreviewer #ARC #arcreader #kindlereads #grandcentralpublishing #BookCommunity #reader #readerlife #bookworm #booknerd #booksofinstagram #bookstagramcommunity #bookstagram #readingislife

This fast-paced action thriller is a sequel to the first Kurt Argento book, but can be read as a stand alone. I haven’t read book 1 but didn’t feel like I missed anything!
It’s really cool reading a book written by a police officer. Adam Plantinga is able to bring elements to his book that are unique and thrilling. Hard Town is a gripping and exciting read!
*I deducted one star due to a character dying that was difficult for me to read.*
Thank you, Adam Plantinga, Grand Central Publishing, Netgalley, & Thriller Book Lovers for my gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Adam Plantinga's exciting follow-up to his debut, The Ascent, puts him in the big leagues with Badacci, Child, and Hurwitz for pure action and a hero to root for. I can't wait to see what Plantinga has in store for forner cop Kurt Argento.

This is the second book in the Kurt Argento series. The first book the Ascent had a killer premise, an ex-Detroit cop gets thrown in prison and needs to protect innocents during a prison break, it read like a book version of The Raid, with all of the hyper violence that implies. This spread the world out a bit, Argento gets drawn into a conflict with a town which seems to be protecting a secret, it is a very Reacher premise, but this was even darker and more violent than those books. Plantinga was a cop, and wrote a book “400 Things Cops Know” which is almost a primer for thriller writers. He has a way with making wild scenarios plausible, and this book builds to a big action movie climax.

We pick up with ex-Detroit cop Kurt Argento who is living the quiet life house sitting for a friend, following the events at Whitehall Correctional, when he’s tasked with an ever-escalating missing persons investigation. I’m still torn on whether or not I like Argento, but I love the matter of fact writing style while dealing with heavy topics such as grief, corruption, and family encapsulated by this series.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and Adam Plantinga for the ARC!

We have been chatting at The Pulse lately about this newest installment in the Kurt Argento series! Even though this is book #2, most of us haven't read the first book, The Ascent, but we all plan to! This book easily works as a stand alone though, and I didn’t feel lost at all after not having read the previous one.

Full of action and with a fast pace, “Hard Town” had me turning pages quickly to find out what was going to happen next. Our MMC, Kurt, is a retired cop who is living a simple life of odd jobs with his dog, Hudson, when he becomes caught up in a missing children’s case. He can’t ignore his gut that something isn’t adding up. I loved Kurt’s character; he was complex and not afraid to follow his gut even if it meant using some questionable tactics. I would really like to know what made him this way, so I look forward to reading book one ASAP!

If you enjoy fast-paced action stories, you will enjoy this one!

”Hard Town” releases April 8, 2025. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

Wow! Hard Town is fast-paced, action-packed, and absolutely impossible to put down! While it's the second book in the Kurt Argento series, it works perfectly as a standalone. I haven’t read The Ascent, yet I never felt lost.

I really enjoyed Argento as a character. He is complex and driven by his instincts. His questionable methods make him morally ambiguous, but this gray area feels justifiable.

The pacing is excellen! The short chapters, a steady flow of action, and the gradual unfolding of secrets kept me hooked. But for me, Argento's imperfections and gritty nature truly enhance the story.

I’m already planning to read The Ascent, and I can’t wait to see where Plantinga takes Kurt Argento next.

Please be mindful of the trigger warnings due to the level of violence.

This was a great action thriller! I love that the author was able to use his real experiences as a law enforcement officer to write into fiction! I am definitely looking forward to more books by this author!!!

The hero of the highly enjoyable The Ascent, bruised and battered Kurt Argento, is back with another exciting thriller that matches the action and fury of the first book. Hard Town now finds the retired Detroit Cop in a small Arizona town housesitting for his former partner while he is overseas. Kurt’s plan is to relax and recover from his near-death experience while rescuing the Missouri governor’s daughter visiting a prison when a full-scale riot breaks out. His R&R plan goes awry when a determined young mother and child show up on his doorstep asking for help. Her husband has gone missing in a nearby town and she hopes to enlist Kurt to track him down. Kurt declines but the woman’s persistence—and his dead wife’s mental reminder that he vowed to help those in need—reluctantly agrees to meet her in the nearby desert town, Fenton, to review her husband’s disappearance. She is surprisingly a no-show which sets off Kurt’s radar that something has happened to her so he should start asking questions.

Fenton turns out to be a small town with a huge secret. Kurt begins his questioning at the uninterested sheriff’s office and indirectly told to go home. Not one to be told what to do he continues to look for the young woman but finds nothing but dead ends. But Kurt’s twenty years as a beat cop and on Detroit PD’s SWAT team taught him how to deal with near impossible situations. An over aggressive off duty police officer attacks Kurt in a bar which results in a physical confrontation that leaves the cop injured. Kurt’s continued questioning around town finds Kurt approached by a Homeland Security officer and told to leave Fenton. He tells her he will after a few days but another physical altercation with the same revengeful cop does not end well for Kurt. Kurt is tased, handcuffed, and driven miles into the desert by the town’s cops, the Federal Agent, and a mysterious while haired man. Handcuffs are taken off, everyone leaves and Kurt is left miles from any sort of help. With no food or water his chance of survival is very low, but Kurt is fueled by anger and resolve.

Kurt does survive but realizes taking on Fenton’s law enforcement, the federal government, and ex-military protecting the white haired man who is working on a top secret project in a heavily guarded fortress will require additional men. He gives considerable thought of who he could find to join his assault team and how to convince them that it’s to their benefit. Kurt’s ultimate plan is ingenious and after several weeks the team is assembled and ready to move into Fenton to eliminate the murderous fake police force, the secretive laboratory in the fortress, and steal the white haired man’s formula or the man himself. Action scene after action scene follows with Kurt and his crew taking care of business. The book’s conclusion is bittersweet with Kurt left with mixed emotions and an unknown direction. while there will probably be comparisons to Jack Reacher, a loner on the move righting wrongs, Kurt Argento is his own man.

A retired cop, a missing man, and a town with too many secrets.

This is book 2 and I’m definitely going back and reading the first one.
After a brutal prison break, ex-Detroit cop Kurt Argento escapes to Arizona for some much needed peace. But when a desperate woman begs him to find her missing husband, he gets pulled into the eerie little town of Fenton, Arizona. Things are just not adding up. The deeper he digs the more it’s clear the town has secrets and someone will do anything to keep it buried.

Overall, Hard Town is tense, gripping and perfect for fans of crime thrillers.

Hard Town by Adam Plantinga is the 2nd book in his Kurt Argento series.

"After fighting his way out of a prison, Kurt is ready for some peace and quiet. He offers to house sit for a friend in Arizona along with only Hudson, his dog, for company. A woman finds him at his favorite diner and asks him to find her missing husband - last seen in the town of Fenton. Kurt finally relents and finds several odd things in Fenton. The well-equipped Public Safety department - the money propping up small businesses - and one man seemingly in control of the town. Kurt finds a conspiracy that takes a whole town to cover it up. And getting justice is not all black and white."

Lots of Reacher vibes in this one. Argento is more of a regular guy than Reacher. Kurt makes a wild decision to find justice. One of the best things Plantinga does is writing action and there is plenty of it. The ending is wild and explosive. There are some big losses here that will make you angry. Not sure how an author can actually write that.

Great for fans of action/thrillers.

This book had me constantly thinking, what if he did this? What if this is going on? What if, what if, what if. This is the second book featuring this character, but it is a great stand alone. I enjoyed it so much I'm going to go back and read the first one. Can't wait to read more by this author!

Thank you, Adam Plantinga, Grand Central Pub and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book. The opinions are my own and freely given. 

This is the 2nd story in the Kurt Argento series.

Kurt was asked by his friend to come to Arizona to housesit while he is deployed overseas. Everything is going fine for him and Hudson, until one day a woman shows up at a dinner and asks him to help her find her husband. Kurt travels to Fenton, Arizona, where the local "police" department seem more like secret service and try to push him out of town.

There was even more going on in this book then in the first book. From secret government projects, and drug dealing cartels.

Kurt goes for revenge in this story. And although he tries to do the right thing, it doesn't work out that way.

I liked this story.

📚 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