Review of Beyond the Higher Ground

[Ordan Brouwn]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Beyond the Higher Ground" by Thomas A. Brigger.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Beyond the Higher Ground by Thomas A. Brigger tells the story of a man who had to move to the southeast of Virginia to manage a significant project of building a new prison. Tucker Mason is the man's name. This project found him still grieving the death of his wife, Katherine. He knew from the beginning that this would be a highly challenging project since he'd never built a prison in his entire life before, but he wasn't prepared for how challenging the job would be. There were forces beyond what he was accustomed to that didn't want this project going ahead. Will he succeed in building this monumental structure? Or will the forces that hide in the shadows stop him from succeeding in his venture?

The story begins with a very intense incident that involves the protagonist. And that is followed by other strange events that instantly hook the reader to turn the pages so they could find out what's going on. I enjoy a story that gives me little hints of mystery here and there because it's engaging, and such things make the anticipation for the next chapter high. It's the result of effective storytelling, and the author uses this method well throughout the novel.

In American politics, the topics of prison reform and the war on drugs get covered generously throughout the media, and I was intrigued by how the author used these talking points to tell an informative and highly entertaining story. I don't think that it's easy to bring reality into fiction in that manner and still deliver a balanced narration that doesn't trivialise the subject matter.

Most of my favourite crime novels had an intense love story somewhere in the plot, which is something I sorely missed in this book. It's not a negative thing as such, but I would have loved to see some sort of intense romance to balance the darker tones of the novel. Aside from that, I loved every part of this book. It's so well-written.

Apart from a few errors, the book was edited solidly. I rate it 5 out of 5 stars because I enjoyed it thoroughly. It isn't the most original or groundbreaking story I've ever read, but it is definitely one of the better crime novels I've read in a while. It delivered on almost every front.

Beyond the Higher Ground would certainly satisfy anyone who enjoys a good crime thriller. It's also very suitable for teenage readers because of the mild nature of its contents.

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Beyond the Higher Ground
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