A thriller about a prison in East Texas whose prison population is ready to blow up with racial tension. The warden is bipolar and has stopped taking his medication, and in his mania, decides to help the tension along a little bit, causing the prison to explode into a riot. ( )

Green River Rising - Tim Willocks *****

What is it about?
Fairly straight forward plot. We meet Ray Klein a renowned medical professional, now disgraced and imprisoned who is hopeful of receiving parole after spending the last 3 years in the Green River penitentiary, after a meeting with the warden (a borderline psychopath) he is pleased to be told that it has been awarded and he will be a free man within a few days. While trying to stay out of trouble for his final hours a full scale riot breaks out with different races siding with each other. Throw into the mix his potential love interest, Juliette Devlin a psychologist who visits the prison as the riot escalates and he soon becomes torn between staying out of trouble and risking his freedom to save others.

What did I like?

Firstly Willocks isn’t an author that is willing to pussyfoot around, if a prisoner is getting raped or a man killed then you can expect to be told every grisly detail. There is little left to the imagination. There are very few books that are both well written and have ability to shock, but this is one of them. Although I have never been inside a prison (yet anyway) there is plenty of brilliant descriptions that really allow the reader to feel what it must be like.

What didn’t I like?

There was just a part in the story that failed to make any sense, it involved Devlin and one of the infirmary inmates. I can’t see that it added anything at all to the book and really spoilt the flow. It was so unrealistic that it took away my attention from the otherwise tight storyline. It will become apparent to people who read the book the chapters I mean.

Would I recommend?

There haven’t been any other reviews that seem to have picked up on this, but the story more than a few times reminded me of Stephen Kings the Stand. Two opposing forces battling it out for Good or Evil, a sort of evil genius in the back ground instigating events and the slightly slow and yet very perceptive gentle giant with almost paranormal insight. Anyhow, yes I would recommend. This has to be one of most hard hitting books I have ever read, however, if you are easily offended then it may be worth you picking up something a little less violent. ( )

This prison life in it's fullest sense, no sissy's should even try and read this. Willocks characters are alive, and some will endear themselves to you and some will scare you to death. If you ever wondered what it was like to be in prison, this is your book, if you dare.