An American Cage starts out with 3 inmates escaping a maximum-security prison. It would seem that the guards have seen all types of escape attempts that it would be impossible to sneak out. Creativity plus an unlimited amount of time and a plan could make it happen. Phil, Danny, and Monty have just done the impossible and we are in for a ride to get to Mexico before the authorities catch up.

Phil is the mastermind and has manipulated Danny and Monty by enticing them with freedom and new identities in Mexico. The novel moves along at nice clip as the plan starts to unfold, but not everyone is who you thought they were when the men broke out. Along the way there are accomplices strategically set up and hold your breath moments as law enforcement is right on their tail. Danny is a passive, “soft” person and easily swayed to go along with this plan. The growth in Danny’s character and the decisions that he ultimately makes brings An American Cage to an unexpected conclusion. Excellent.

Thank you Ted Galdi, Precipice Books, and NetGalley.

This story is about a prison break and the aftermath that ensues. Three jailed men, Danny, Phil and Monty, break out of Texas prison. They are chased by the Texas Marshalls while trying to escape over the Mexican border. I was really impressed with the plot twists and turns that made this story a nail-biter until the very end. Danny, the main character, encounters many things that do not go as planned after the escape and he learns who thought he could trust but actually can't as the story progresses. There is adventure from page one on, which kept me reading and I also really enjoyed the writing style of the author. Interesting well-developed characters, lots of action and unpredictability have all made for a great read! Reminded me of the TV show Prison Break.

Fast paced, and full of action from the first page, this kept me entertained and guessing until the very end. It has well developed characters that some of them you can't help but liking and some you just can't wait for them to get there just due. I enjoyed the story and and the surprises along the way! Good job!

I really enjoyed this book, I wasn't sure what to expect as it is a little different to my usual reads not quite sure what genre to slot it into.I thought the main character Danny was very likable, he made a terrible mistake and is paying the price for it, and as you read you fear that it will not end well for him, and that everything is not as it seems.The book was well written , I don't want to give anything away I don't want to spoil it for other readers but as I was reading I had a movie image of the story playing in my head I think it would translate perfectly to the screen either the small screen or the bigger one.I thought it was great, fast paced and entertaining and I couldn't guess how it was going to end I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would like to thank the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

AN AMERICAN CAGE written by author Ted Galdi is a high paced prison-break novel that involves Danny Marsh, a middle class son of a well-to-do farmer who is incarcerated after an accident resulting in injury and permanent disability to the man in the other vehicle, and after which Danny flees; and is found to have been found over the legal limit when his father turns him in when he returns home.

Prison life wears hard on Danny, and he is befriended and protected by Phil “The Professor” who devises the well planned escape involving himself, Danny, and Danny’s other trusted friend Monty.

Carefully timed plans of the escape hit a snag immediately after escaping the walls of the prison that force improvised plans to be made for an alternate pick-up location from an ex-con friend of Phil’s.

Several things go wrong after that making successful escape seem like an illusion, but all are committed to success or death, with a return to prison not being an option.

Ted Galdi has produced a very exiting book that keeps the action flowing and focuses on the thoughts of Danny and others involved in the story in a way that helps it to succeed in spite of a few major flaws that can’t be revealed here without spoiling it for those who haven’t read the book yet, but I still found it to be an enjoyable read nonetheless.

3 stars.

Breaking out of prison seems like it would be almost impossible with today's technology but when Danny and 2 others make it happen, I really expected extreme suspense throughout the story. While it did keep my attention and there were definitely plenty of obstacles, I felt like it was quite a bit slower than I anticipated. The writing style and character development were spot on, however. The ending was not at all what I expected from the start and this was a fairly quick read.

**The rating is based on the 52% of the book**

I tried hard to finish this book. With family in law enforcement (corrections and the police force), the escape was not logical. After reading 52%, my interest waned.

The writing is eloquent and the premise is excellent. However, the tale was too far-fetched for me. That being said, I will purchase a copies for family members and get their opinion.

While I know this is fiction, I prefer fiction that could actually take place. Otherwise, it is sheer fantasy.

Outstanding for a first time novel and the cover is just perfect for this story.

"Three inmates break out of a maximum-security prison in Texas, one of them Danny Marsh, a suburban kid in his twenties who landed in jail because of a crime he never intended to commit.

An American Cage follows Danny and his two escape partners over a twenty-four-hour period as they struggle to cross Texas to freedom in Mexico. On this dangerous journey, Danny has to evade the rabid Texas authorities, and even worse, the schemes of one of his closest allies, who isn't who he seems."

That's just the overview, it gets a lot more complicated. Things do not go as planned. One of them gets hurt and their escape car is gone. It just goes downhill from there.

This story has so many twists and turns it's like spagette. I really liked Danny and felt sorry for him. He let emotions get the best of him. He let Phil's soft voice and "compassion" talk him into escaping.

All in all I found the characters well written and the plot engaging. There was enough action and unexpected events to keep the tension on a high level.

I had the kindle version and listened straight through. I just had to know what happeded next.


I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So glad I did.

SHORT TAKES

An American Cage by Ted Galdi (October 16, 2017)

In 2014 Ted Galdi published a well-received first novel about a teenage genius out to save his girlfriend from an incurable disease. Sound familiar? That type of plot doesn’t require significant attention to backstory and characterization. The plot of Galdi’s sophomore effort – An American Cage - does. And Galdi pulls it off with considerable aplomb. Prison escapes have formed the backbone of many a thriller but most often the focus is on law enforcement's desperate attempts to find the one dimensional, monstrous criminals. Galdi turns this trope on its head, choosing instead to spend his significant talent focusing on the escapees and what makes them human (and thus flawed) rather than caricatures. The shift from YA to adult fiction is difficult and there are a few vestiges scattered here and there, but there is a growing talent here.

Why are three inmates from Thurgood L. Crick prison hiding in the library? Danny Marsh, Monty Montgomery, and Phil Zorn wait in the library until the Librarian closes the steel door and locks it up. Phil Zorn was definitely the brains of the the three, and did research to find the best way to break out of the prison. He found a way out through the library. The three inmates had taken time during each visit to the library to dig a hole through the wall and through a tunnel. It had taken quite a bit of time, but eventually they managed to break through. The three had made plans to escape and make a their new home in Mexico. It doesn't take long before the Prison Warden realizes that they are missing. The Warden institutes an all out search in the next town. The three inmates find a family in their home and they inmates hold them hostage. They steal the family's vehicle and make a run for it. Danny asks Phil to make sure that he calls and lets someone know that the family has been tied up. Phil grins and says of course. This is a hint for what is to come. Danny is harboring a secret as to how he was arrested. But when he became cellmates with Phil, he began to talk to Phil in confidence. Little did he know that Phil is a sociopath and would use everything Danny told him as a bargaining chip. Danny and Monty were drugged and end up in a huge steel cage!! It's kind of ironic that they escaped prison to go to Mexico, and now they are being held captive again!! Who drugged them and why? Will they all live? Would they ever be free? What's Phil's take on all this? It seems as if things did not go as planned!! Will they all get to Mexico? This plot was very intriguing. I kept reading, because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. The character development was well thought out. I think that both Danny and Monty discovered a courage that neither thought they had!! The ending will definitely surprise you. Definitely a good psychological thriller.

I received a copy to read from Netgalley in return for an honest opinion. I was interested in this story by Ted Galdi because I loved the tv show Prison Break. This wasn't the typical prison break story for me which is a good thing. It was a very vivid and exciting story that takes place in Texas and follows the convicts as they try to make their way to Mexico. Danny Marsh and two other inmates escape a maximum security prison in Texas. I felt like I was watching an episode of Prison Break as I anxiously turned the pages. Since I live in Texas, I loved this story and felt I really knew the places and the people. This story gives a new meaning to the term Texas heat...and I look forward to reading more from this author.

I like a good "Texas" story. I like gritty novels where I can almost feel the dirt rather than punch out half stories ready for serials. This is a novel of good tension with a strong Texas flair to it. Here are a few examples of what I mean; Thurgood L. Crick Maximum Security Prison, Splash Paradise, and finally the Texas icon of a lawman Lt. John Ramos.

You will find action here (that I love) but surprisingly you will find proper pacing that makes for a great story. Buy the book and enjoy the "break-out".

I got bored withing the first pages. No connection to the characters and flat narration did it for me. I couldn't finish it because I wasn't enjoying the writing and really didn't care if they got caught or not.

I guess this book wants to be a thriller but is missing substance.

Overall this was a pretty good book but it feels weird rooting for the criminal. Danny is very likable and you can't help but feel sorry for his circumstances so you hope the inevitable doesn't happen and me can make it to Mexico despite the actions of his fellow escapee, Professor Zorn.

All the characters are well developed and make the story believable as a whole but some of the actions don't flow well. The author seemed to put the characters in situations that didn't make sense the way they played out.

I recommend this for anyone who likes suspense thrillers and unconventional heroes.

The book did not download properly for me. There were no paragraphs or chapter breaks. It was difficult to read and normally, I would not have even tried. But I stuck with it and soon got sucked in. I usually favor "cop stories" so to read something from the other angle was a new twist. I did enjoy this book. If you can get a copy that is properly formatted for your device, it's worth taking the time to read.

I thought this book was well written and characters were interesting and well
developed, but parts of it seemed odd - why didn't girl just walk away during tire scene? Why is mom hiding something in someone else's house? - among other odd things like that. So most of it was a good read and kept me coming back and turning pages, but the whole book was leading up to this grand finale - literally the entire book is about what will happen at the end. And then the end is over and done with in about a page. I dunno. Just this massive lead up and suddenly it's all done and over and resolved. Just left me feeling like something was missing. Like a couple of chapters! But all in all a good and entertaining read.

Opening sentence: “As inmates of Thurgood L. Crick prison funnel out of the library toward the dining hall for eleven-AM lunch, Danny Marsh stays back, hidden behind a rack of books, aware this could be the last hour of his life.”

Yes, that’s an opening sentence with a lot of intriguing information and it gives a nice indication of the pace set in this book. There are story threads and plot twists steadily revealed throughout, so I found myself completely engrossed and always intrigued about what could happen next. Essential ingredients for a great thriller.

Set over 24-hours, this story starts as Danny Marsh, Monty Montgomery and Phil Zorn escape from Crick prison, Texas and attempt to get to Mexico and start their new lives. Lead character, Danny, is interesting, as he is a criminal with a conscience and provides a moral backbone to the story. It would be hard to root for out-and-out criminals attempting to swerve justice, so he is a clever character in that he gives the book depth and makes you realise that not all prisoners are necessarily intentionally bad.

Danny is in prison for a crime he didn’t intend to commit, so struggles with not only with day-to-day prison life, but also with his guilt about why he is in prison. He is a good, strong contrast to Phil, who is older, insanely clever, a scientist by trade, mastermind of the men’s prison-break, and an all-round shadier character. Straddled between them is petty criminal Monty, who nicely rounds up the trio of prisoners. Galdi even manages to weave a suggestion of romance into his story, despite the unlikely setting, which, for me, added a little something extra to the tale.

We are also given the point-of-view of the police trying to catch the escaped criminals, and this is the only area I felt was a little lacking. They are following the thread and making progress, then their story is left unfinished, which did leave me with a few questions once I’d reached the last page of the book.

Overall though, this was a fast-paced, easy-to-whizz-through little thriller with just the right level of tension and an ending I wasn’t expecting – a very enjoyable read.

I got to read An American Cage this week and it was an intriguing page Turner that kept me interested to the last page. My first experience with author Ted Galdi, and I really enjoyed it.

Three prison inmates led by a professor who plans it all, escapes from Jail. They are pursued relentlessly by the police with their leader intent on achieving the fame and fortune that would result from their capture. There after follows a dramatic story where nothing is what it seems with unexpected events full of twists and turns involving murder and betrayal. A most exciting read with the reader hooked to discover how it will end.

This book launches directly into action, with the characters revealing themselves through actions and interactions. This allows for a number of years surprises along the way. The psychological adjustment of the main character from weak to strong is the crux of the story. The writing provides just enough description to frame the action without anything extraneous. The book is great on character development, with the good and bad slowly sorting out. However, good and bad in the context of this story is relative. The ending was not quite what I had expected, but tied up most of the loose ends.