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Ascension Day

Author: John Matthews
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Category: Book

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Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

5 reviews
Sales Rank: 40569

Media: Paperback
Pages: 576
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 4.3 x 1.5

ISBN: 0141004851
EAN: 9780141004853
ASIN: 0141004851

Publication Date: August 2, 2007
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: In Stock Immediate Dispatch from UK Seller

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Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars

Edgy and exciting. Loved it! October 24, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

First of all, I loved this book. I would disagree with the Grisham comparisons though. For my two-pence this was far more edgy and humorous than the average Grisham. Reminded me more of Harlan Coben or Lehane, particularly the scenes with Rodriguez the pimp. Best death-row thriller I've read since the Green Mile.

4 out of 5 stars

Rises To The Occasion! October 18, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful

Rookie lawyer Jac McElroy is determined to save his client from execution on death row; but with only 47 days to go, and all pointers suggest it's a lost cause, and then with his own life under threat as well, it's not looking good.
And there's a few nasty people out there determined to keep it that way, whatever it takes!

With a touch of the "Shawshank Redemption" feel about it, this is 570 pages of will he - won't he, and the ducking and diving keeps the reader on tenterhooks all the way through this fine book.

5 out of 5 stars

Got mugged! September 10, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Halfway through I was ready to give this 3 or 4 stars as simply a good thriller with solid characterization and plotting, but then a couple of sub-plots rose up unexpectedly and mugged me and turned this from just good to exceptional. So if you think this is just about saving Larry Durrant, think again! From then on it was a breathless nail-biter. The read has a nice feel to it because 70% takes place with a cat and mouse game outside the prison walls. There was enough inside the prison to give the dour atmosphere, but not so that you got bogged down there. It also avoided being weighed down with endless death penalty statutes, which I felt both The Chamber and Conviction suffered from. What on top made this read different was that the prisoner himself doesn't even know whether he comitted the murder or not - so you as the reader go all the way through thinking did he, didn't he? And the piecing together of Larry's fractured psyche around his life at the time of the murder 11 years ago, with all the time the clock ticking rapidly towards his death - is pure genius! For an emotional and exciting thrill-ride, an absolute must read.

5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Plot, Believable Characters August 17, 2007
4 out of 5 found this review helpful

I started reading Ascension Day on the flight back home and could not put the book down. The plot is superbly crafted, well paced, with some unexpected twists and turns that cast what might have been considered inconsequential events into an entirely new light.
This is a great legal thriller that keeps the suspense going through to the last pages, but what I found special is the depth of John Matthews' characters. The plot is played out by a cast who are totally believable and driven by a fascinating mix of reason, emotions and impulse. I have not read anything as enjoyable and stylish in a long time, thoroughly recommended.

5 out of 5 stars

Top form, one of the best thrillers I've read in years August 7, 2007
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

I notice that a couple of the pre-reviewers have compared this to Grisham. Well, yes, if you take Grisham on his absolute top form in the mid-nineties. For me, this book worked on every level: it was thoughtful and Turrow-esque where it needed to be - particularly in the developing relationship between Jac and the prisoner, Larry Durrant - and pacy and nail-bitingly exciting where needed. In fact, the final 250 pages were probably the most electrifying and tense I can remember in any book. Overall, a fantastic read - one not to be missed!