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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
In Chris Young’s The Debt, Michael Kramer has just graduated from high school and hopes to study electrical engineering when a shooting accident kills James, his childhood best friend. James’s mother, Sally, disputes Michael’s account, prompting a plea bargain that sends him to Hanenkan Bay Prison for five years. Territorial inmates run the world inside the island penitentiary. Every move can invite retaliation. Michael makes an unlikely friend in Ijal, a fellow prisoner whose knowledge of the criminal world becomes increasingly important. When Michael finally returns to his hometown of Fresburg, he hopes to find work and reclaim some semblance of the future he imagined. However, Ijal’s history with a violent gang soon pulls Michael into a dangerous feud that could threaten his freedom and his life.
I love a great crime thriller, and Chris Young’s The Debt ticks all the right boxes. Michael is an excellent protagonist, and his conscience makes prison’s demands unsettling. When Watson, an inmate leader, orders him to restrain another prisoner during a beating, Michael knows exactly what his obedience will cost. Ijal is another favorite for his streetwise approach to danger. Who knew a bowling outing could become a discreet attempt to make peace with a gang? I'm a huge martial arts fan, and Michael's work with Sensei Lamborn, who actually has to slow Michael down when his defensive movements begin resembling attacks, was awesome. In a testament to the author's skill as a writer, the book does some circling back to karmic conversations and questions how much Michael has sacrificed to survive. This is a great read, and those who enjoy gritty crime fiction are in for a treat. Very highly recommended.
