“One of the best clean mysteries I’ve read in a long time. This author is just as good as John Grisham if not better.”–Amazon Reviewer.“Suspenseful, chilling, and important.”–Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times bestselling author, Gilbert King.A novel for our times . . .PRISON COULDN’T BREAK HIM. BUT FREEDOM JUST MIGHTAfter 30 yrs of lockdown in a cell the size of a small bathroom, Phillip … MIGHT
After 30 yrs of lockdown in a cell the size of a small bathroom, Phillip Dawkins is a survivor. Finally cleared of his wrongful conviction for murdering a cop, he’s determined to live as a free man. He turns to his only friends–his lawyer, David Thompson, and Thompson’s wife and son–for help with the transition.
Modern life for a man in solitary since the 1980s is stressful enough. But when Phillip perceives that the government is after him, he’s pushed to his breaking point. He fears “they’re” out to put him back in his cell or 6 feet under. He begins to doubt his sanity and innocence. And it’s getting harder to resist his inner voice urging him to kill David and maybe his family too.
David finds himself in a race to solve the mystery that is Phillip Dawkins. The courts, prison officials, the FBI, the CIA, are all fair game in his frantic search for answers.
Can David discover the truth in time to save himself and his family or will shadowy forces unleash a killer first?
Caged to Kill is the second standalone book in the Lawyer David Thompson Thriller Series. If you like psychological suspense, engaging characters, and twists and turns, then you’ll love Tom Swyers’ gripping novel.
Buy your copy of Caged to Kill today!
Tom Swyers is a multi-award winning and Amazon bestselling author enjoyed by readers of great writers like John Grisham, James Patterson, David Baldacci, Robert Dugoni, Scott Pratt, Scott Turow, Victor Methos, Sheldon Siegel, and Thomas Benigno.
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This is quite a book. I wasn’t expecting the source of this book. I enjoyed how the author wrote to describe the horrible injustice done to the criminal. I hate to think the government could be involved in such a plot. I couldn’t believe what this inmate went through and how the CIA was involved too. It sounded at first like he was a mental patient with hallucinations. The truth can be awful to hear for sure! It is an interesting book that I will remember. It is very emotional!
The author does an outstanding job in enlightening us on the evils and shameful prison system in New York (as this was most recently evidenced by the death of Jeffrey Epstein in the hands of the prison system). This legal thriller is enthralling and captivating as it visits the punishment of solitary confinement. This book will elicit strong feelings as it examines and reveals the horrors endured by prisoners within the system. Although this is a work of fiction, it highlights the inhumanity that the prisoners must endure, as if prison was not enough, and this comes from a certain believer of you do the crime you do the time and a proponent of the death penalty. Thrilling, captivating, with intriguing characters that will keep you riveted to the book until the very last word. This book is not for the faint of heart and is from the point of view of a prisoner who might have benefitted more from being put to death, than the “death” sentence of 30 years in solitary. This book is certainly worth reading and leaves you questioning human morality and behavior. I received a complimentary copy of this book and am providing my honest, unsolicited review.
Earlier this year I read Saving Babe Ruth by Tom Swyers. It was the first of the Lawyer David Thompson Thriller Legal Series. The writing and storytelling were first-rate but the theme lost a little on me … baseball hardly ranks in Australia and wouldn’t be in our top ten sports. Accordingly, it was hard for me to relate to the passion and persistence expressed.
That said, when one of my readers recommended Caged to Kill, the second book in the David Thompson Thriller Legal Series, I was quick to buy a copy. It is a superb edge of your seat story about the mistreatment of a prisoner confined to solitary for 30 years. The inspiration is the real-life confinement of a prisoner for 32 years, but readers are not informed of this until the Afterword. The Afterword was initially the Preface and should have remained so, but some readers complained that it negatively impacted their reading experience. I don’t get it? Surely, knowing that a novel was founded on truth adds to the enjoyment and reading experience?
If you’re looking for a gripping read that will also educate you about the U.S. penal system, Caged to Kill is the book for you. Great read.
You will LOVE this book. What makes it scary is that the initial premise is true. Make sure you read the foreword and follow-up. I can not believe that this stuff goes on! Don’t miss this one.
This is a really great thriller with an awesome point of view on a very difficult topic. Personally, my heart is more toward supporting the victims but I do believe we should be humane in treating those in the criminal justice system. A great read.
I received this book from booksprout and am voluntarily providing a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was very good I loved it, I love the Thompson family and well no matter what Phillip did or didn’t do you gotta feel for him atleast a little. I can’t wait to continue this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review….
** spoiler alert ** I was granted a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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This book is about solitary confinement and tries to arouse awareness of the impact that this terrible practice takes on prisoners. That would have been a great premise for the book. However, this book moves into areas that were beyond belief for me. Electroshock therapy sanctioned by the CIA on prisoners, memories erased, continued drug poisoning without consent, change of personalities, etc.
The notion that Phillip could gain entry into the head of the prison’s office is far-fetched. The idea that Phillip could suddenly remember everything that happened to him, AND piece it all together in an instant, is extremely ridiculous to believe. The idea that Phillip could somehow get to all the places he needed to get on a bus, and gain access without detection, is unlikely. I also find it hard to believe that a family would welcome an accused murderer into their home.
The son, Christy, seemed unlike most teenage boys. He was very helpful, trained as an EMT, and taking neuroscience classes??? Really?
Finding Phillip at the end, and getting his body out of a public park without being seen, seemed unlikely as well.
David has very convenient and helpful connections to allow him to figure out the case, but that also seems too pat.
At times, I felt the writing was inconsistent. Sometimes, it flowed, and at other times, it seemed choppy. Also, the book was over 400 pages, I believe it could have been edited down to around 320, which would have made for a better book.
I am giving this 3 stars because I believe that solitary confinement is a terrible punishment for anyone, and does have lasting consequences, but the rest of the story seemed way too far-fetched for me. I do recognize that there have been many unsavory things done by the government in terms of torture, but this conspiracy stretched the limits of my belief.
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