Design to Escape

The Design Series, Book 3

By: Joshua Holmes

Narrated by: Michael Berry

Length: 4 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

After years behind bars, Thor resolves to get out. But as the latest inmate to attempt the most recent high profile prison break from PA’s York County Prison, he, once again, has to face his curse. Just feet from freedom, he has an epileptic seizure and is caught by the guards. Even so, in the ensuing days, he refuses to give up information regarding the design to escape.

That same week, graphic designer Remi Painter visits the prison to look into a teaching opportunity. However, even before he completes the classroom tour, the warden tells him there has been a change in plan.

Remi, also afflicted by epilepsy, will do what interrogators cannot: relate to Thor and obtain clues he has yet to release. Remi succeeds, but is confused when the warden brings the talks to a halt. Emotionally invested, Remi seeks answers, but soon finds out he’s learned too much. With the help of his friends, he will attempt to escape those who want him silenced and uncover the secrets that may or may not save him from peril.

©2015 Joshua Holmes (P)2019 Joshua Holmes

Book summary is more interesting than the story

Unlike nearly all of the reviews here, I didn't enjoy the story and am not quite sure what was so compelling about this story that it garnered a perfect 5-star rating from almost all of the other reviewers. I realize that book reviews are completely subjective, though, so it's possible that this story actually is excellent and I'm just not feeling the vibe.

The main reason why I didn't give this audiobook a perfect 5-star rating like most of the other reviewers: the character dialogue wasn't at all authentic to me. The main characters were using vocabulary that high school dropouts/criminals simply do not use -- "dwelling" (as in a house), "apparel" (as in clothing), "exhaust their search funds" (as in, the police department will run out of money). I'm currently working on my fourth university degree and even I don't use that vocabulary when I'm talking to my multi-university degree-holding friends. So, I simply didn't find the criminal characters to be believable. And when that happens, I'm not engaging with the story. Also, I didn't find the story itself to be interesting or suspenseful. There were multiple plot lines (one of the main plot lines consumed way too much space in the story and ended up going nowhere), and another plot line was an interwoven but confusing timeline of events that occurred before the main story took place. Finally, I couldn't suspend disbelief enough to accept that a lifelong criminal would open up to the main character and have the kinds of conversations with him that were described in this story. The main character, Thor, may be innocent of a particular crime but he's (and his friends) committed so many other crimes that - to my mind - it's okay if he stays in prison and you kind of hope that his fellow escapees get caught. And so, I'm not quite sure who I'm supposed to 'cheer for' in this story.

If this were another story, I'd suggest that it would be better if it were shorter (made into a short story) or longer (expanded, to add more suspenseful events), but for either to happen the plot would have to be reworked significantly.

I'm sorry if this review sounds overly critical, but I didn't find this story nearly as rewarding as the other folks here who gave it a 5-star review. I guess, give it a chance and read it - you might enjoy it as much as the other reviewers here. Book reviews are subjective, after all.

The narrator was okay, Perhaps I would have enjoyed his narration more if I had enjoyed the story more. It's kind of like negative synergy, maybe. A very good story plus a very good narrator equals a great audiobook. An average story and an okay narrator equals... an okay audiobook. I think that if I hear this narrator do a non-fiction audiobook, where the reader isn't supposed to engage emotionally with characters, then I'd give the narrator a higher rating for that other kind of project. I didn't get into his voices for character dialogue (especially female characters, one of whom sounds just like Janice from the old Muppets show). Again, other reviewers gave the narrator a perfect 5-star rating, so perhaps my personal preferences are different from 90% of other listeners of this audiobook. I dance to a different drumbeat, I guess...

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

Best yet

This was my favorite Joshua Holmes book that I have read to date. I liked the concept a lot. I did have trouble following the story line from historical to current however. And I felt like it died off quite a bit at the end. The narration was the best yet too. I felt like I could picture the characters even though they weren’t described by the author.