Redhook and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Walls. I voluntarily chose to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Kristy Tucker works with some of the worst criminals in the prison: namely, those on death row. A single mom with a teenage son and an ailing father to take care of, Kristy is lucky enough to find a man to love. That being said, what happens after the wedding shocks this strong, capable woman to her core. Will Kristy find the strength to do what she must for herself and her family?

There were some holes in the plot, but the overall novel was a thrilling read. The author clearly did her research on the prison system and on criminal investigation. The only part of the story that I did not like revolved around Kristy herself. Being that she worked with criminals who may lie to save themselves, I found it implausible that Kristy would not vet everyone that she came into contact with on a regular basis. The novel read like a television show or movie, with a strong plot and good characters. I enjoyed The Walls and would recommend it to other readers. I also look forward to reading more by author Hollie Overton in the future.

WARNING: Domestic violence.

Interesting to read about what it's like to be a prison public liaison officer. Why aren't more of them in crime fiction?

It's sad watching Kristy Tucker's journey from a strong single mother to a defeated spouse. But as she finds her feet again, we cheer her on. Her friendship with an inmate may seem strange, but he ultimately is her biggest supporter. She can handle abuse happening to her, but when her father and her son are threatened she knows life needs to change for the better. Her action plan may not be ideal, but realistically it's the only way to prevent Lance from harming Kristy's loved ones.

Hollie Overton's debut novel, BABY DOLL, had a great concept with uneven execution. But this sophomore novel gets things right, and it's so rewarding to watch an author improve.

2.5 stars. Wow, I am definitely in the minority here. This book was about 100 pages too long. There were times when things seemed so repetitive, while other times it felt as if important things were being quickly glossed over. I did really like the relationship between Kristy and her son and Dad.

In her second novel Hollie Overton takes the reader inside a destructive relationship:

Kristy Tucker is the press agent for the Texas Department of Corrftiown. This means that she gets face to face with some of the worst criminals in the state as most of the men she deals with are on death row and she feels she can tell who the worst people are. When Kristy meets Lance, her sons’s martial arts instructor she is leery at first but soon Lance wears her down and Kristy believes she has found the one. She could not be more wrong; Lance is a monster, full of physical and verbal abuse. Lance is also a master manipulator and has everyone convinced even Kristy’s family that he is a saint. Kristy does not know how much more she can take, but she has to be willing to take things in to her own hands; Can she get away with murder?

This is the second book that I have read by Overton and I appreciated that it was a completely different story than the first. This book did not go in the direction that I thought it would, especially based on the title and cover of th book but I think the title has more to do with the walls that one creates around the self in order to survive and not the walls of the prison where Kristy works. Overtone does not spend that much time having Kristy at work especially in the latter half of the novel. So if you are expecting a prison type novel this is not what you are going to get here. It also takes a bit for the overall story line to get going and I had to go back an read the premise of the book to see what was supposed to happen in this book. As you r was farther in to the book you understand why Overton took the time to develop the relationship between Kristy and Lance as well as how Lance is going to fit in with Kristy’s family.

I personally do not think that I could do Kristy’s job, not only dealing with inmates on death row but also the families that those men have affected. This would take a toll on any person and that Kristy does this job very professionally speaks to her strength as a character. She is also a fantastic mom and daughter as she puts their needs way above her own and her want/need to portray that everything is perfect. It is these two strengths that start he to take action and start to make plans to make sure she never gets hurt again.

This book is not going to be for everyone and it definitely will have some trigger moments for individuals as Overton does not shy away from the domestic abuse that Kristy suffers, both verbally and physically. It also highlights what an individual is willing to go through in order for those that she loves can retain a normal life and so she chose to suffer in silence. This book really shines a light on domestic violence and the secretive nature that it can take on as even those close to you do not know what is going on.

This was a good read that was a bit slow to start. You will like Kristy as a character and her struggle to find love and then stuck with a man that is abusive towards her.

Enjoy!!!

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it’s a pretty intense thriller, reminiscent of Sleeping With the Enemy. On the other, it’s an insane revenge fantasy book. It also needs to have a big fat trigger warning for domestic violence because that, and the justice system and death penalty, are the main focus of the plot. I did like it and read it fairly quickly but if you choose to, proceed with caution.

LOVE this story! It deals with several issues--capital punishment, domestic abuse, family, motherhood, protecting what is yours--and makes you care about characters you might have ignored in other situations. And if you're like me, you'll find yourself growing to distrust and dislike Lance right along with Kristy.

I was a little let down by the ending, but not enough to take away a star. This author has written back to back amazing novels.

After reading the first book by this author (Baby Doll) I could not wait to get stuck into this one. It did not disappoint. Both of her books deal with some harrowing storylines but are done well, and very enthralling. Well done!

I'm on the fence about this one.

I feel like it doesn't really know what it wants to be - A domestic thriller? Or a contemporary drama?

It touches on a lot of heavy subjects - domestic abuse, the justice system, the morality of death penalty, wrongful convictions, motherhood and family. But it lacks the depth and analysis to be an emotional drama. And it's missing the suspense and sinister atmosphere to be a thriller. Ultimately, it leaves a lot of these themes exposed, but not examined. And that felt unfinished, to me.

For a story about a single mother who has to plan a murder to save her family from her abusive new husband, this was exceptionally slow and, and at times, straight up boring.

The first 40% is all build up, focusing on the story of Kristy and Lance - how they met, following the progression of their relationship from dating to marriage. I was not expecting this much emphasis on the romantic element. I experienced a cloud of confusion lingering around my reading experience. I kept thinking do I keep reading this? I didn't want to read a romance? Is anything going to fucking happen?!

The romance is, at times, cheesy, but overall, emotionally flat. I didn't feel engaged in the "bliss" stage of their relationship, so when things started to go sideways, I didn't have too much of an emotional reaction to it. Up to that point, I wasn't anchored to the good parts. Nothing about this first chunk of the story was in any way interesting to me. Not even Kristy's job at the prison provided an exciting element.

It took a lot of willpower for me to get over that halfway mark, but once I did and adjusted my expectations for what kind of book this actually was, things got a bit better. As someone who has experience with abuse in a relationship, Lance's behaviour rang true. The things that trigger the abuser, and the perspective of the abuser, felt honest. At times it made me uncomfortable, other times I was angry on Kristy's behalf.

Where it starts to go off the rails is when you get to the question why doesn't Kristy just leave? That's a question we always ask women, and in reality the answers are vast and complicated, and sometimes make no sense to a rational thinking person who is not experiencing the abuse first-hand. But the process of working through those reasons, recognizing they are not good enough to stay, and getting away from the abuse is a gut-wrenching one that is, in my experience, transforming.

It seems to me Overton asked herself this same question when writing the novel. Why wouldn't Kristy just leave? She's been a strong, capable single mother since she was a teenager. She's fought every step of the way to provide her son with a shot at a better life. Why would a person like that not leave a someone who was destroying everything she'd worked so hard for?

But Overton took the reality of the situation and turned it into something campy, something that lacked believability. She underplayed working through Kristy's decision to get herself out of the situations, and overplayed Kristy's guilt after she'd done what she needed to do. I really did not like the direction Kristy's character development took - there was no celebration of freedom, no confidence in her decision, no turnaround to being the fighter that she had been before. This should have been a transformative event in Kristy's life.

Granted, I've never killed anyone, but Kristy was just too much of a blubbering mess. There should have been a sense of satisfaction at witnessing Lance's demise, for the reader as well. If we're already going off the rails of reality with this section of the book, might as well go all the way and leave Sad Sack Kristy behind.

To me, there was a serious misstep made in terms of what to give attention to in this novel. There should have been more suspense created with a deeper understanding of Lance's ex-wives, and his past crimes, and less focus on the sad man writing Kristy letters on death row. There should have been more sinister atmosphere created by discovering things about Lance's current personal ties and financial situation. He's a Judo teacher that can afford a brand new Jeep and SUV in one shot? Where the hell was Kristy's investigative prowess to kick the tension up a notch? She should have been sneaking around, trying not to get caught, as she unravelled Lance's bullshit and found confidence in her decision to end him.

Again, it just felt like this novel didn't know what it wanted to be - a soapy drama or something thrilling.

Also, I do not believe for a second that there wasn't a single person living under the same roof as Kristy, who didn't notice something was wrong. I've lived it - someone always thinks something is different. Someone also notices a bruise you thought you covered up. Someone always notices the weight you've lost and the change in your personality. It doesn't mean they do anything about it, but there's not a chance in hell her father and son - two men who have lived with Kristy her whole life, didn't notice the difference in their favourite person.

There is an interesting contrast created by having a person who works in the prison system becoming a criminal herself, but ultimately that was a theme which wasn't finessed throughout the story, and instead was knocked over the reader's head with Kristy's very blatant questions to her father: "I'm a murderer! Aren't you mad at me!?"

Smooth.

Ultimately, this novel had potential but it lost itself and didn't leave me impressed.

2.5 star rounded up.

This novel starts off quickly, throwing the reader into the novel's world. But slowly it begins to wane, and the fast paced feeling drops out to a slow crawl.

When single mother Kristy Tucker meets Lance Dobson, she thinks he is a great guy and quickly falls for him. Soon, the two get married and start their life together. But it doesn’t take long for Kristy to find out that Lance isn’t the man she thought he was. She begins living in her own personal hell and sees no way out.

Kristy works in a prison, scheduling press interviews and interviewing murderers herself on a daily basis. She begins to wonder just how far she may go to free herself from the evil inside her own home.

I was thoroughly satisfied with this novel. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and I couldn’t put it down. It makes you question what you would do when faced with an impossible situation.

I received and advance copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my review.
Our main character in this has the kind of job that nobody would envy. Public relations...speaking to the press on behalf of Death Row inmates. She is set up credibly at the start and we see her working hard to support her teenage son and ailing father. When her son, Ryan, is in trouble at school for breaking a fellow pupil’s nose we learn he has been taking judo lessons in secret. This is the cue for Lance to enter Kirsty’s life.
From the outset Lance is charismatic and plays his part well. Unfortunately, seeing things through Kirsty’s eyes we see that he is simply playing a part. The abuse Kirsty suffers at his hands is appalling, but nobody sees. She covers up, determined to protect her son and father. But how long can someone endure such a relationship?
As things progress we see Kirsty come to a shocking realisation. This puts us in strange territory as her actions become totally understandable and we start to question whether we want justice served.
Ambiguous, tense and left us on murky ground.

"What if you could get away with murder?"

With a hook line like that in the blurb, how could you not sink your teeth right into it!?

I read Hollie's book Baby Doll and really liked her writing. I felt that it was really similar to another story I had read before so I was a little standoffish to read this one. But I decided to give it a chance and see what her writing is all about.

I didn't love this one all that much more than Baby Doll. I don't think Hollie's writing is my type. Her romance is a little "thick" and it didn't feel like it fit the story. I would have rather enjoyed it without the romance. The plot and bones are there, I just didn't enjoy how it was executed.

When I first read the summary of this book I knew I had to read it, I needed to know how this story would unfold. I thought the story would have more to with Kristy working at 'The Walls' and about death row, however, the story focuses on Kristy's new husband and his abuse, with 'The Walls' just showing an aspect of her life.

This book was hard to put down, the author touched on many controversial topics but kept it so that the reader can form his or her own opinion in the end. I loved the twists and surprises the author threw in to keep the reader engaged.

One of the hardest parts of this story was Kristy's communication with Clifton, a man on death row for supposedly murdering his two young children, although, he claims his innocence it was a unique bond formed between them. I loved how the author ended their relationship but at the same time I think it was the perfect ending and brought closure.

There were many pros and cons throughout this story but I definitely feel like it was one of my top reads for 2017. Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Hollie Overton is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. The raw and gripping stories that she tells are hard to put down. The Walls was nothing short of amazing. I highly recommend this novel.

This book will leave you with feelings all over the place. What Kristy endures to protect her family is nothing short of amazing. Her strength and tenacity is something that shines through even the darkest times.

Out of all of the characters in this book I became obsessed with Clifton, one of the inmates. Now I'm still trying to discern if he was being manipulative the entire time, but I honestly don't think he was. His story is sad, but to see that he's still fighting in spite of it is an inspiration.

My other favorite item in this book is the relationship between Kristy and her son. I see some of the same traits in the relationship I share with my own son. It seems that the younger you have a child the stronger the bond as you grow together.

Ms. Overton's writing will draw you in and leave you on the edge of you seat for most of the ride. Her ability to make you like even those who seem vile should be praised.

Make sure you read to the end of the acknowledgements. It will make you love Kristy's story even more.

Our main character Kristy, a single mom, works as a press agent for the Texas Department of Corrections, taking care of everything on Death Row, from interviewing inmates to handling details of an execution. Working in the enviornment that she does, she witnesses some of the worst people one might encounter. When she meets her son's martial arts instructed, Lance, she thinks she has found her happy ending, only to discover that he really is an abusive monster. With her knowledge of the justice system, she decides to take matters into her own hands to get rid of Lance permanently.

This book dealt with some heavy topics, such as domestic abuse and death row. I also thought that having the prision as sort of a backdrop to the story made it more interesting, as sometimes some thrillers tend to start having sort of the same story line. I actually wouldn't categorize this book as a thriller, it was suspensful at times, but not what I associate with a typical thriller. I enjoyed Kristy as a character and the plot line itself was quite intersting and moved along at a steady pace throughout the book.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book.

A new approach to domestic abuse. The story was very detailed and vivid, could be quite tense at times. I really liked the character development.

What would you do for your family? What would you do to keep them safe? Would you kill?


Kristy became a mom in her teens. She was determined not to be a statistic and that’s how she ended up following in her family footsteps and working in The Walls the place where they house Taxas death row inmates. Kristy works in public relations for death row inmates. She thinks she knows what real evil looks like.

Kristy, with the help of her father raising her son, Ryan. Ryan has never been in trouble until he gets in a fight at school. Kristy finds out he’s been taking lessons with a man named Lance. Lance is sweet, charming, helpful, all around prefect. Until after the wedding at least. The abuse and control starts slow then, grows and gets deadly. He threatens her dad and her son. An inmate in the Wall is the only one who sees what’s happening. Tells her there are ways to take care of him. But can Kristy do it, can she cross that line?

This was an amazing and suspenseful book. I couldn’t put it down! Just when you think you know what’s happening there is more. The characters are so developed and everything fits so perfect with so many hot button issues. Can not wait for more from this author.

First, I'd like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read this and Hollie Overton for writing it. It was definitely worth a 5-star rating. When I first came across the book and quickly skimmed the plot, as I do with all books, I was intrigued by the idea of a mystery based in the prison system. But once I began this story, it took a turn from a prison mystery to a domestic thriller! I love domestic thrillers and this one didn't disappoint.

Kristy Tucker is a single mom and the Prison Information Officer (or PIO) based in Texas. She meets Judo teacher by the name of Lance Dobson when lecturing him after a fight between her teen son and another boy at school got him in trouble. Soon after, they begin a relationship. Thus the thriller begins.

If you liked books like The Couple Next Door or Behind Closed Doors, you may enjoy this.

4.2 - I really enjoyed the characters and the twists that evolved throughout this tale; I don't generally become engrossed in an ebook, but this one kept me intrigued until the very end. Some bits were a bit unbelievable, but not totally unrealistic.

I really liked this book. Kristy Tucker works with death row inmates at a correctional facility, a job which she hates. She’s a single mother who soon finds a mate, but he is abusive to her. This begins Kristy’s desire to get out of her relationship any way she can, even if it means doing something illegal. Kristy was written in a way that I felt and rooted for her. This was a truly high paced, roller coaster of a ride that kept me interested all the way to the end.