Hell & Gone
By Duane Swierczynski
Paperback | Kindle
Mulholland Books | Hachette Book Group
Release date: October 31, 2011

In Hell & Gone, a former cop named Charlie Hardie is on the brink of death after a brutal shootout. The group known as The Accidental People has taken him against his own free will to a secret underground prison that holds the most dangerous criminals around the world. The worst part about the prison is that Charlie has been appointed the warden. With any attempt to escape the prison, a death mechanism will be triggered and will kill everyone inside the prison. Charlie must find a way out of the prison and save his family from The Accidental People who have their sights set on killing them if Charlie doesn’t comply.

Hell & Gone is the second action thriller book of the Charlie Hardie trilogy. Last summer, I read the first book in the series, Fun & Games, and had a fun time reading it, so much so that I was eagerly anticipating reading the next book as soon as I was finished reading the first novel. The second book, Hell & Gone, definitely does not disappoint and met my expectations fully.

The book continues exactly where the first book left off. The mystery of the criminals in the prison was definitely an exhilarating plot. The story in the prison had so many twists and turns that the reader will never really know who are the good guys or bad guys until everything in the book turns the reader’s mind inside out. The book was one of the most fun stories I’ve had an opportunity to read in awhile. I’m a fan of crime and action stories so the book definitely hits all my favorite aspects of both genres. Writer Duane Swierczynski is becoming one of my favorite writers with each release of this trilogy. He’s made characters and a world that I truly enjoy.

Overall, Hell & Gone was one hell of a fun ride. The characters in this book were awesome. The story continues to ramp up an exciting journey with the character of Charlie Hardie. If you haven’t picked the first book in the trilogy, Fun & Games, then go buy it and then read it. Then jump right into the second book, Hell & Gone. It’s one of the best novels I’ve read this year!