My Horror literary diet began w/'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episodes written by Roald Dahl and Robert Bloch. A L Wright is neither of these writers. She infuses the genre with a modern air but still maintains the suspense and shock using classic trophes. While not my standard fare of reading I gave it a go and was pleasantly suprised. 
This is a fast paced character driven story that begins w/a take to prisoner action scene and dives right into the plot line w/o the expected backstory development usually employed in contempory lit of this nature. 
Wright's characters speak and develope themselves and build the suspense necessary to move the story along w/o long descriptive passages and cumbersome detail. 
The story moves nicely, the characters have a genuine feel and the overall tone is believeable and fresh. If anything it is a bit brief. Not to be confused w/rushed. When finished I was left w/the impression that this was an initial offering of a much larger work. If so I look expectantly ahead to reading more of A L Wright's work, seeing where she goes w/the story and where she takes these characters next!