As soon as I had read the blurb for Hollie Overton’s second novel The Walls I knew I had to read it. I am obsessed with all things to do with Death Row and found this an intriguing premise for a book.

Kristy is a single parent and has a son to bring up, whilst also living with her terminally ill father. Working as a press officer for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and having to liaise between the media and inmates, such as those on Death Row at the state penitentiary in Huntsville isn’t exactly an easy job. When her son Ryan gets into trouble at school Kristy finds out he has been taking martial arts lessons from Lance, and after sparks fly when they initially meet Kristy and Lance both soon form an attachment.

As the story progresses through the years the reader gets to see what Lance is really like. As soon as the marriage certificate is signed his domineering ways come to light and it’s not long before he becomes violent and controlling. Kristy has married a monster. After years of putting up with Lance’s abuse, Kristy makes a decision to end the relationship once and for all, but will her plan work? And will she get away with it? Kristy is prepared to do anything to keep her and her family safe.

There are multiple themes running through the book, domestic violence, motherhood and the morality of murder. Is it ever ok to kill someone, whether it be carried out by the state as punishment or as a last resort to protect your family?

This slow burner is more about the complex character development than thrilling events. Part of Kristy’s job is to mediate between the inmates and the press. As a result, she has encountered some of the most notorious criminals. Her world is rocked when she actually begins to believe Clifton Harris, a man convicted of murdering his children and sentenced to death, may be innocent and it shakes her own belief system to the very core. As Lance’s mind games, manipulation and violence escalates Kristy’s opinion of the Death Row inmates changes as the injustices that exist within The Walls are brought to light.

Bursting with tension and suspense Overton cleverly creates a taut emotional dilemma set to ignite firey conflictions in the reader. Cleverly plotted and set in the perfect location (Texas) be prepared to be totally immersed in Kristy’s life.

The Walls is a thought-provoking domestic noir that shows not everything in life is black and white. Thanks to Hollie Overton, Penguin Random House UK and NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

Kristy Tucker is Public Information Officer at the Texas Department of Corrections. Liaising with the press and inmates on Texas' death row, Kristy's job is emotionally draining. Her teenage son, Ryan wants her to quit, he worries for his mom's health, and if he's honest, her life.

Living with her Father 'Pops' after her own Mothers untimely death, the three of them enjoy their lives. Kristy believes that she's doing a good job of bringing up Ryan as a single Mom, until the day that Kristy is called into the principals office and Ryan is suspended for fighting.

When Kristy learns that Ryan has been seeing a martial arts tutor without her knowledge she is furious. Her son has always been against violence, so what has changed?

Ryan's martial arts instructor Lance Dobson goes out of his way to help Kristy understand that Judo isn't about violence, it's about self defence and its true meaning from the Japanese is 'Gentle Way'. Something that both Kristy and Ryan are more familiar with.

Having won her over in respect of Ryan, Lance Dobson's next task is to steal Kristy's heart. And although wary at first, she realises that she is ready for love, ready to be loved, by a man who promises her the world. The only thing is, once they are married that world is very different to the one that they inhabited before.

Kristy quickly realises that Lance is a monstrous, manipulative domestic abuser of the very worst kind, the kind that women murder when they see no other escape. When their families have been threatened and they have nowhere to turn. But Kristy isn't a murderer. Is she?

I must admit that I found it hard to believe that Kristy would even contemplate hurting, let alone murdering her husband. However, I do applaud this novel for highlighting that that is exactly what can happen when people are pushed to their limits. Particularly in domestic violence cases.

The Walls is a fascinating insight into the world of death row inmates and domestic violence, family loyalty and how work can consume our lives until something forces that to change. Whether that be good or bad... I look forward to Hollie Overton's next!

This is a scary book on so many levels - the rights and wrongs of the death penalty, the chances of slipping through the net, the fact that things don’t always appear black and white, the fact the prison can become a refuge for a woman with an abusive husband and the way someone on the inside can still pull strings on the outside.

What really made me think was not just the death penalty story but the way a man who should have been on the inside was allowed to live on the outside, marry a sensible strong and independent woman and get her so dependent and afraid of him. this book messes with your perceptions of everything. Strong, highflying women get abused - it’s not just those down on their luck etc. Men who appear to be one thing turn out to be another. Not everyone in prison is guilty.....Then things can turn on a flash....

I did expect this book to be more about Texas and the death penalty prison rather than domestic violence but it still looms large in the background although most of the book is set outside. Hollie writes well and with confidence and I will definitely be looking up her next book.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
I absolutely loved Hollie Overton's debut novel Baby Doll so was excited to read this. This was a brilliant but chilling story.
The cast of characters were excellent and so well described. Kristy was particularly interesting - a victim working as a press agent at a prison whose inmates are on death row, a loving single mother, vulnerable who changes because of the man she becomes involved with. She strikes up an unusual "friendship" with an inmate on death row.
What particularly fascinated me was the extremes a person is willing to go to preserve their life and sanity.
A book, which was so well written, that is highly recommended. I just could not put it down!!
I cannot wait for the next book from this author.

Excellent book. Great main characters and a real page turner. I loved the plot and would recommend this book.

I loved this book. It was a great read and well written. I would definitely recommend it.

Wow, this is one of the best books I've read, ever. Fantastic story, great characters, it has everything I love about a book. If I could give more than 5 stars, I would.

Wow! Just wow! Loved Babydoll, however, loved this more! What a humdinger of a read. Had me completely gripped; there was not enough hours in the day to get me all the way through; the need for sleep got in the way. Well written, fascinating storyline, intriguing characters and a strong female lead, always a good sign. Would highly recommend this one.

I was gripped from the beginning of this book. Kristy's job in the prison which house Death Row prisoners gave an ominous feeling as to how this was going to evolve. Kristy lives with her father, who suffers from ill health and her teenage son. She then meets Lance Dobson her sons'' martial Arts instructor. . Ever so charming Lance is not so charming after they are married. I couldn't put this book down as I had to know what Kristy would do or what would become of her. A real page turner.

Wow! I’ve just finished Hollie Overton’s The Walls and it’s a complete cracker. It kept me totally enthralled the entire way through. Kristy’s grim work environment – as a prison public relations officer she spends long hours dealing with death row matters–contrasts with her happy home life. She’s a single mum who lives with her teenage son whom she adores and her sickly dad who’s always been there for her. Life looks set to become even better when she meets charming, gorgeous Lance. Now she has it all. Or does she? The suspense is relentless as this book hurtles towards the inevitable, and challenges its readers with tough questions about murder and the death sentence. This is not for the faint-hearted - the description of the lead-up to execution by lethal injection in Texas, where the death sentence still applies, was very tough. But despite the grimness, the book is full of wonderful humanity and is by no means depressing. In many ways it’s uplifting. And the ending – which I absolutely didn’t see coming - was just totally, totally satisfying.

The Walls is one of the hardest books this year for me to review because I've had a hard time fully accepting the storyline. But, at the same time was it awfully thrilling to read when everything started to happen. To be honest, did I right from the start feel some hesitancy towards this book. The blurb gives away way too much of the plot, and it was pretty obvious what would happen. And, I just didn't connect at first with the story and its characters. But, I loved Baby Doll, the author's debut novel so, despite not feeling the same intriguing feeling towards this book as I did when I read Baby Doll did I decide to carry on reading to see where the story would take me.

As I wrote previously is the blurb way too revealing. You know pretty much half the book just by reading it. And, that's why it took so long time for me to really get into the book. It got better when Kristy started to investigate Lance background and at the same time starting to plan a way out of her marriage. To be honest, was I amazed that she didn't try to tell anyone (besides the most unlikely person) about her situation or in some way try to gather evidence towards her husband. Instead, did she start to think of a way to get rid of him, permanently. Felt a bit drastic. However, I can't deny that it made the last book nail-biting thrilling to read. Would she, in the end, do it? Could she really do it? I will leave it there and just say that this part of the book was my favorite part, it felt like I breezed through the pages in my pursuit of knowing what would happen at the end.

The Walls prove that Hollie Overton is here to stay. With Doll baby did she spellbind me, and with The Walls did she prove that even though the plot is pretty obvious is the writing so good that I ended the book, not 100% sure if I liked the book or not (it was very, very late and my emotions were all over the place), but at the same time did it hook me completely. I mean, there are things that bothered, besides the issues I've written about, but darn it, I must admit that the thrilling aspects of the last half of the book overrule that. Now, I can't for Overton to write something else to spellbind me.

I had previously read Hollie Overton’s previous novel Baby Doll. So, I was looking forward to this.
Single Mom Kirsty Tucker is a Public Information officer in the prison system. She deals with death row inmates on a daily basis. Her son Ryan doesn’t understand why she does the job that she does, but it pays the bills.
One day she finds out that her son Ryan has had a fight, with one of his fellow students. She doesn’t understand as Ryan is a good boy. She finds out that he has been taking martial arts classes, after forging the parental permission slip. She meets Lance the instructor. He then starts arriving at the family home unannounced. He gets to know the whole family, treats Ryan like a son and they all love him for it. Kirsty then decides to have a relationship with him even though he is not really her type and after a short romance they get married.
After Kirsty and Lance get married, things change, Lance personality changes and he loses his temper with Kirsty and starts abusing her and even rapes her. But she still plays the dutiful wife as Lance has threaten her if she doesn’t he will get to Ryan. So she plays along.
At the same time Kirsty whilst at work, befriends a child killer Clifton Harris. She thinks that he is innocent. Only Clifton knows what Kirsty is going through. After hearing about Lances past and she can’t take anymore of Lance’s abuse Kirsty plans and murders Lance.
This is another excellent novel which I give 4 stars for. I thought it was cleverly written. Nail biting story. The author did an excellent job of describing the life of death row inmates in jail and also of what happens in an abusive relationship. And how far a mother will go to protect her family.

This is the story of Kristy Tucker, who works as a press officer for the Texas Department of Corrections dubbed 'The Walls' handling all the interviews for prisoners on Death Row and issuing press releases when they are finally executed.

When her teenage son Ryan brings Lance Dobson, his martial arts teacher, into their lives Kristy is immediately drawn towards this kind hearted, generous man who appears to dote on Ryan, but all this changes after they are married. Kristy becomes the subject of horrific physical and mental abuse at the hands of Dobson and, after talking to Clifton Harris, a Death Row inmate who she has befriended, she realises there is only one way to stop this man and that's to get rid of him....permanently, but is she capable of murder and how far is she really prepared to go to protect her family?

This is the second book I've read by Hollie Overton, and after reading and enjoying Baby Doll I was looking forward to it. This one started off slowly and I wondered if I was going to enjoy it as much as the first, but the author has a way of drawing you in and captivating you and I had to find out what Kristy would do and how it would all end and I wasn't disappointed.

I would like to thank Random House UK Cornerstones me for approving me to read this book and will post my review on Goodreads and Amazon.

I found The Halls a very slow burner ,the most interesting thing for me was the prisoner Clifton Harris ,I did want to know what happened to him but the rest of the story just didn't grip me .I was disappointed as I had read Baby Doll which I loved .

I started this book but it was not for me. The description of the living conditions of the men in death row was horrific and I became anxious. I could read no more. Sorry.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this arc. The story tells of a single Mum, Kirsty who works as a Public Information Officer for the Texas Dept. of Corrections. She struggles to bring up her Son and look after her poorly Dad, who also lives with them. They take a charming stranger into their lives and home and Kirsty’s home life starts to change for the worst. The story unfolds with Kirsty’s plot to put things right. This is the first book that I have read by this author and to me it felt like a ‘slow burner’. It gives a good insight into the mechanics of a corrections facility and people who are housed there. The plot ticked along steadily but sadly didn’t grip me in the way that I expect a psychological thriller to, it didn’t pull me in and have me holding on with unforeseen twists until the end of the ride.

If you are looking for a Can't Put It Down read then look no further! I devoured this book in two days.
It is a well written, tense psychological thriller that had me hooked from the first page to the last.
I loved it, and give it a big fat 5 star rating!

The Walls by hollie overton.
This was a fantastic read with brilliant characters. Kirsty Tucker is a single mum. She works for the Texas Department of Corrections handling everything on death row from inmate interviews, to chronicling the last moments during an execution. Her job exposes Kristy to the worst of humanity and it's one that beginning to take its toll. A moving and chilling read. How one woman will do anything to protect her family. Wow. What a read. Definitely worth more than 5*. Tbc on fb Netgalley and random house UK cornerstone.

Hollie Overton's debut 'Baby Doll' was brought to my attention by the Richard and Judy book club and I absolutely loved it.  Initially drawn by the sensationalised blurb, Overton sustained my engagement throughout the book.  As a result, I was eager to see what her next novel would bring.   

The blurb for 'The Walls' didn't excite me as much as that of 'Baby Doll', but the writing was just as arresting and the characters as vivid. Overton is skilled at creating complex female characters and putting them in situations that force the reader to think about how they would react and what they would do.  The moral question that Kristy faces first in her day job and then in her personal life had echoes of a Jodi Picoult novel (in the best way possible) and added a dimension to the book that wasn't present in her debut. 

This is a quick-read, exploring some serious and gritty issues and I look forward to Overton's next novel.

What can I say about this book? For fans of Baby Doll, Overton’s first novel, this thriller is just as taught, just as developed and just as gripping. The story is very different to her Baby Doll, but it is clear that Overton’s skills lie in suspense building and lulling you into a false sense of security before ripping the rug out from underneath!

The story follows Kristy Tucker, single mother of fourteen year old Ryan and caring for her father who is suffering with COPD and finds it hard to breathe, working in the Texas State Prison (Dubbed the Walls) in the Public Relations department. Apart from the morality of the job, she leads a charmed life, with just one thing missing, Prince Charming. So when the handsome Judo instructor shows an interest in her and her family, she can’t help but fall in love with him, her happy ending complete. But soon after they wed, her new husband shows a side that she didn’t expect, and actually comes to fear. We all have the fight or flight gene embedded within us, but how far does it take for that to become the last resort?

The first part of the book sets the scene for Kristy and her family dynamic, her son doesn’t want her to do her job, but despite this they are still very close, having always been a single mother it has just been the two of them. When Ryan gets into trouble for breaking a fellow students nose, the wheels are set in motion for the plot to move forward with Kristy and Ryan’s self defense tutor, Lance. But Lance isn’t all he appeared to be and it is not long before she finds herself in Prison at home as well as work.

What I feel was missing from the book was the lead up to the second half of the book. The bridge between the two was slightly disjointed, and I would have liked to have seen more of the relationship between Kristy and Lance. However, after you get used to the time jump, the story progresses nicely and the suspense builds fast and then dwindles, and then builds again, it was a delicious whiplash of emotions and I actually couldn’t put it down!

The book is out 10th August, and it is definitely one I would recommend.

4 out of 5 stars!