The Ascent by Adam Plantinga

When Detroit cop Kurt Argento is forced to resign, he decides to leave town for a while. Driving in Missouri, he stops a crime in progress, but is arrested by a crooked county sheriff and thrown in jail. Being the fourth of July weekend, Kurt is taken to Whitehall, a private prison, until he can go before the judge on Tuesday. Kurt's time there coincides with the governor's daughter, Julie Wakefield, visiting Whitehall for one of her graduate school classes. When the security system at the prison goes haywire and random cell doors open automatically, Whitehall is thrown into chaos and the violence begins. Kurt, Julie, and several others find themselves teaming up to try to make it to the roof of the prison so they hopefully can be rescued. The Ascent marks the arrival of a great new author in the thriller genre. Perfect for fans of Lee Child, Thomas Perry, and Nick Petrie. It will be published in January.