Blog Tour and Giveaway: Inseparable: An Alcatraz Escape Adventure by David Kruh

Inseparable: An Alcatraz Escape Adventure by David Kruh 

 Publisher: DX Varos Publishing (June 21, 2022) 

Category: Historical Fiction, Action/Adventure 

Tour dates: July 6- 26, 2022 

ISBN: 978-1955065504 

Available in Print and ebook, 

325 pages 

 

Description Inseparable by David Kruh

Tommy knew the right thing to do was turn them in to the cops. But that wasn't the adventurous thing to do! What happened to the three men who escaped from Alcatraz prison in June, 1962? Did they meet the same watery fate as dozens who preceded them into the cold San Francisco Bay? There is credible evidence two of them - brothers John and Clarence Anglin - not only survived but lived for years in South America. Inseparable is a fictional account of how a 13-year-old boy named Tommy helped them to freedom. Tommy O’Conner was an only child whose mother, a widow of the Korean Conflict, had been left to make it on her own. She passed her independent, sometimes lonely spirit, to her son. But Tommy was also, in many ways, no different than other boys his age who dreamed of adventure. Then, one June day in 1962, his daydreams were interrupted by the real thing when he came face to face with John and Clarence Anglin - two of the Alcatraz escapees - and made the decision which would change all their lives.

Excerpt

You can set your watch by prison's ruthless routine. Tonight, Frank Morris, Allen West, Clarence Anglin and John Anglin would bet their lives on it.

It was 9:30 pm. The lights in their cells had been doused after the guards had finished their rounds making sure all the prisoners were in their cots. The bulls would not be back for another 30 minutes. More than enough time...

With the dim light of an incandescent bulb in the walkway casting gloomy shadows of prison bars across the floor, Frank got to work. As he had every night for the past six months he removed the vent in the back of his cell, reached into the corridor and brought in his fake head. Frank crouched and duck-walked to the bars of his cell to make sure a guard wasn't taking an extra lap around the block. Nope, not a guard in sight. Grateful for the prison's reliable routine Frank turned and placed his doppelganger on the pillow, then rolled up a couple of blankets to simulate his body. He lay a third blanket over the cot and stepped back to admire his work.

He wasn't much for sentiment, and there was a schedule to keep, but Frank could help but take one last look around the cell which had been his home for two and half years. He scowled. Home? What a stupid word for a prison cell. Okay, Frank, he said to himself. Enough of this shit. He dropped to his knees and squeezed into the service corridor, then reached back into his cell and pulled the vent towards him. A few pieces of concrete flaked off but it lodged into place nicely.

He stopped first at Clarence's and then John Anglin's cells. As arranged, both had already removed their vents so Frank could hand them their fake heads through the holes. A quick thumbs up from both brothers and Frank loped sideways in the narrow corridor to deliver Allen West's doppelganger. Frank arrived at cell 140 and was annoyed to see the vent still in place. He knelt down to look through the vent and was surprised to see a pair of eyes meet his from the other side of the latticework.

“West, what the hell?” he whispered.

From the other side of the vent he heard West's plaintive voice. “Shit, Frank, the vent is stuck. I can't get it loose.”

“All right. Give me a minute to think.” A minute? They didn't have a minute to spare. The key to the plan was getting off the island quickly to give them as much of a head start as possible. Now this asshole had – no, this wasn't the time. He had to make a decision. “West, I have to get everything set up in the workshop. I'll have the Anglins come by and help you out.”

Silence.

“West? Did you hear me?”

“You're not gonna leave me, are you?”

“For Christ's sake, no. But we have to stick to the plan. I have to go.”

Another moment of silence and then, softly. “Okay.”

Frank shimmied down the corridor, all-to-aware of the crunching of flaked-off bits of rust and concrete under his shoes. He reached the Anglins and motioned for them to move closer. He whispered, “West is having trouble with his vent. I need one of you with me up in the workshop. Which one of you wants to help West to –”

“I will,” Clarence said.

John put his hands on Clarence's shoulders and looked into his eyes. “Are you sure?” In the dim light John saw Clarence nod. John returned with a nod of his own, and a smile. “Okay. See what you can do. But one minute. No more. We got places to be.” He turned and nodded to Frank. “Okay, let's go.” They moved quickly to the pipe. As they shimmied their way up, John could see Clarence kneeling outside Allen West's cell.

“West,” Clarence said, softly. “What's the hold up?”

“God-damned vent won't come loose,” he heard from inside the cell. “Maybe you can kick it from out there?”

Clarence hesitated. Shit. How much noise would that make? He glanced towards the water pipe. Frank and John had disappeared up into the workshop and by now had probably opened the access to the roof. Time was running out. But he knew he couldn't just walk away without trying something. He looked behind him. The corridor was pretty narrow, just small enough for him to lean with his back up against the far wall and push the vent with his feet. Yea... that might work.

“West, step back, I'm gonna try and loosen the vent from out here,” he said through the latticework. He got up, turned around and pushed his feet against the vent.

It didn't budge.

Shit. He pushed harder and, for a second, thought he was making progress but quickly realized it was the center of the vent bending inwards. This thing wasn't budging. He swung around and whispered through the vent.

“West,” he said, somewhat harshly. Then, softer, “Allen... it's no good.” He could hear disappointed breathing from inside the cell. “Look... I gotta get up there with the others. Don't give up... keep trying, maybe chip around the vent some more. There's still time. We gotta get down to the water and... look, you know where to meet us.”

“Yea,” was all he heard from behind the vent.

Clarence Anglin stood up and sighed. Poor bastard. At least he could say he tried. He reluctantly walked to the pipe and shimmied up to the workshop. Laid out on the floor were the results of months of work. The raft... the paddles... the life preservers... and the modified concertina which would inflate the raft.

He was sorry about Allen West, sure, but even sorrier he wouldn't see the dumb looks on the dumb faces of the guards tomorrow morning.

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About David Kruh

David is the published author of several books on Boston history and the co-author, with his father Louis, on a book about presidential homes and landmarks. A frequent contributor to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald and History Magazine, David is also a published and produced playwright, and a popular lecturer on a variety of historical subjects. ‘Inseparable’ is his debut novel. Website: http://https//inseparablealcatraznovel.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.kruh

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Giveaway Inseparable by David Kruh

This giveaway is for 1 print copy and 2 eBook copies open to the U.S. only. This giveaway ends on July 27, 2022, midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only. a Rafflecopter giveaway

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My Review

Inseparable: An Alcatraz Escape Adventure is a great debut for the talented, David Kruh. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and love how the author used his imagination on what happened to the infamous Alcatraz escapees,  Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin from Alcatraz. I have always been captivated with this mystery over the years. This fictional tale took me on quite the adventure and I had to keep reading to find out what could possibly happen next. I loved it!

Inseparable: An Alcatraz Escape Adventure will be getting five stars from me. Readers who enjoy reading fictional accounts of historical events will want to pick this one up. I will most definitely will be curious to see what else David Kruh has in store for his readers next. 

I received a paperback copy of Inseparable: An Alcatraz Escape Adventure from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.