23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must-Have For The Horror Fan!!!, Dec 28 2004
By Deidra Cox - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Prison (Paperback)
I have been an avid reader as long as I can remember. Books have always been a large part of my life and I've always loved horror fiction. R. Patrick Gates' book THE PRISON is a terrifyingly great work. Precious few books have ever frightened me. THE PRISON gave me several unnerving moments in the middle of the night while reading these pages. The plot is a deceptively simple one--Tim Saget is a screw-up whose lifetime of evading responsibility is about to catch up with him. In a last ditch effort to gain control of his life, he accepts a job as a guard at The New Rome Correctional Institute, also known as "The Hill". But "The Hill" wasn't always a prison. In the years gone by, it was an insane asylum with a horrible secret that destroyed all who lived there.
R. Patrick Gates' book bursts out of the gate with intense and unsettling imagery and rockets to an amazing climax that left me breathless. And the last paragraph is a haunting, satisfying conclusion, not to be missed.
THE PRISON is one of the most frightening books I've ever read, my first read by R. Patrick Gates, but definitely not my last. Run, don't walk, to buy this book! Then, curl up in an easy chair and savor the read. But be prepared to sleep with the light ON!
28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Curl up all night chiller!, Nov 19 2004
By Eric L. Hoheisel - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Prison (Paperback)
"The Hill" is a correctional facility that twenty years ago was a mental hospital for the criminally insane. New prison guard Tim Sagett becomes increasingly aware of the supernatural forces at work, but no one will believe him.
This is horror in the school of Bentley Little and Andrew Neiderman, anchored by strong characters but still able to go for graphic shocks and supernatural set-pieces. I won't spoil any of the many creepy suprises in the book, but will say that if you like early Robert McCammon or Bentley Little you will definately enjoy THE PRISON.
Also Recommended: THE DEVIL IN GRAY by Graham Masterton, THUNDER ROAD by Tamara Thorne, and SHE WAKES by Jack Ketchum
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely Chilling!, Feb 26 2005
By Once Upon A Time "Professional DayDreamer" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Prison (Paperback)
This is the first book I've read by R. Patrick Gates but it won't be the last. "The Prison" is a MUST READ for horror fans! Not your average ghost stories, these spirits do more than just "go bump in the night"! The author provides plenty of visual descriptions that wreak havoc on the imagination. Several scenes had me cringing as I read them and once or twice I had to put down the book and take a mental break after a particular scene left me thinking, "Oh no he didn't!" But he does and he does it well!
I would definitely recommend "The Prison" to anyone looking for a sleepless night or two. The characters are great, the plot is amazing and "Good Old Doc"....absolutely depraved!
Definitely not for the weak stomached or faint of heart...