Thoroughly enjoyed this adventure in both a prison and a courtroom settings. Getting to know Tabitha and feeling her emotions, fears, and panic was an amazing piece of writing. Even tho she probably isn't the most likable character, she feels real and it is easy to root for her. Some of the courtroom scenes would make for the best comedy on film. The novel is very well plotted and the who-done-it portion of the plot is nearly impossible to predict.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC to read and review.

Nicci French does it again! House of Correction is an outstanding psychological thriller, with lots of excellent twists and solid, crisp writing. I loved Tabitha and was rooting for her even when I wasn't exactly sure if I should be! The legal thriller end is really good but I think that House of Correction has one of the more inventive takes on the whole 'room closed to the world" mystery that I've read in ages.

Set aside your entire day because this book is 'un-put-downable'. A woman is in jail for murder. And she's not sure if she did it or not. She uses all of her available resources to try and solve the murder....and really starts to questions herself.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity.

This book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When a body is discovered in Okeham, England, Tabitha is shocked to find herself being placed in handcuffs. It must be a mistake.
At first, I didn't really connect with Tabitha. She was rude, brisk and prone to shouting or being violent. As I read on though, she grew on me and I saw her as the underdog. Everything was stacked against her, everyone was out make her look guilty. She didn't have friends and the acquaintances she did have the village didn't really seem to care about her. I was really invested in the book. I wanted to know why Tabitha was in prison, what evidence was against and how she couldn't remember anything. In the end, I did feel sorry for her because she did suffer from depression and mental illness, and no one seemed to try to help her. I would recommend this book. This is the first one I have read by this author, although I have another on TBR. Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins Publishers, William Morrow Paperbacks and Nicci French.

This was a page turner, for sure., once I got into it. Took a little while to get the character in my head, and it struck me that it wasn't written in first-person. That said, it was a good mystery and kept me guessing until the end, but I also wasn't totally satisfied with the ending. Good read for a cozy weekend, but don't expect to be blown away by it.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this as an #ARC via #Netgalley
Full disclosure-I love the books by the writing duo known as Nicci French. Do you have that pub in town? The one that makes really reliably good food? Maybe it’s not a Michelin starred place, or a Gastrosnob’s delight- but you know it will be good every time. That’s a Nicci French novel. Reliably good- the setting, the mood, the story- this story took it up a notch to stick with my food speak. ;)
Tabitha has been arrested for a crime she doesn’t believe she could or did commit. The catch is that she truly doesn’t remember. She suffers from spells of deep depression that mess with her memory. The body of a middle aged math teacher in town has been found behind her back door, stabbed to death.
The novel opens with Tabitha in prison, clueless as to the fight of her life that is about to unfold. I love that she might be an unreliable narrator, and as we read, we don’t know if we can trust her accounts of what might have happened.
She is the kind of odd misfit character that you come to love and cheer for. The story really picks up as Tabitha makes the decision to be her own defense and act as her own attorney. Total mistake on her part- or is it?
I want this book made into a movie. I kept seeing it as a movie in my mind as I read. I love the character of Michaela too. We need friends like her.
I love reading about a character struggling with mental illness and inner demons. So many of us in real life have demons and issues- and it is welcome to have made part of our literary world too. Yes, read this book. I really liked it! 4.5/5

LOVED THIS. I'm a big Nicci French fan - I loved the Frieda Klein series and have slowly been making my way through their backlist. For HOUSE OF CORRECTION - I particularly loved the depiction of a woman living with depression - it felt very real to me and wasn't romanticized at all. The court drama was intriguing and Tabitha was just bad enough at defending herself that it felt plausible. I rushed through the 25% late last night and couldn't get enough!

I really enjoyed this book. It had great detail and I could feel myself there with her. I enjoyed other books by this author, so expected to like this and I did.

Tabitha thinks going back to Okeham, where she grew up will be like going home. Nothing could be further from the truth. People she thought she had a connection with will deny they even liked her. Ghosts of past misdeeds will come back to haunt her. Things in her past will have long lasting consequences in her life now.
Putting an old house back in repair had seemed rather therapeutic. A body found in the shed of that old house will put her in prison. Now she finds herself in the fight of her life. Proving her innocence.
A compelling story. More twists and turns than a matterhorn!

I'm a big fan of Nicci French. House of Corrections has a wonderful heroine in Tabitha Hardy. Tabitha is imprisoned for the murder of her former teacher, but she swears she didn't do it
Her appointed attorney suggests the accused pleads Guilty to the charges, but Tabitha isn't having it. In fact, she fires her attorney and decides to represent herself in the case.
The first half of the thriller is a bit slow and tedious, as Tabitha prepares for her trial, six months away. But be patient
The book really takes off in the second half. Tabitha becomes an unpredictable attorney, fighting for her life against all odds
As in all Nicci French novels, the ending will surprise you. House Of Corrections isn't my favorite in the French catalog, but still a quick and fun read.

This is my first read by the husband and wife duo Nicci French, but it certainly won't be my last. House of Correction is a suspense/mystery that takes place in Okeham, England Tabitha Hardy is accused of murdering her neighbor Stuart Rees. He is found dead in her shed. Tabitha is quickly arrested and charged with his murder. She has no recollection of this incident. She also has a history of mental illness. Oh yeah, she also has a history with Stuart Rees.

Tabitha quickly learns how to survive life in prison. She decides to defend herself in her murder trial claiming that she is innocent. With the help of one of her former inmates and her freedom on the line, Tabitha will put on an unconventional defense. Will the jury convict her or will she be found innocent? What other secrets will be uncovered as this courtroom drama unfolds? Put this one on your " to be read " list to find out how this all plays out. House of Correction earns 4 starts. It will be released on 10/27/2020.

Tabitha is in jail for a murder she is pretty sure she didn't commit. Even though she had a motive and she can't really remember what happened that day. Her lawyer wants her to plead guilty, so she fires the lawyer and decides to represent herself, against everyone's advice, while trying to find out the truth. I wasn't sure I was going to like this one, but it ended up being really good. I don't usually read courtroom books, but I was really into this one and every time Tabitha scored a point in court, I felt excited for her. I wasn't sure how it would end, and while I wasn't really shocked by the ending, I also didn't expect it. Tabitha was very relatable to me in her depression (unfortunately), and Michaela was such an unexpected and amazing ally. Both great characters. 4.5 stars rounded to 4.

Nicci French is a mystery thriller novelist. While I have not read any of her previous works, reviews of them often refer to them as chilling and immersive page turners that keep you guessing. This felt a bit more dire and comedic. I am unsure if her other books have this, but it was an interesting addition to a mystery/thriller dynamic. Humor, when used in books, is often meant for the purpose of actual comedy. To give the reader a good chuckle brings them closer to the story being told, makes them more immersed. The use of humor by French in House of Correction was interesting because it used as a diversion or a distraction. It is through this use of humor that she manages to slip past the reader some details which later become important to the climax of the book and the resolution of the mystery. It was quite clever, and it reminded me of Shakespearean plays in which the humor is often used to draw attention away from something but not so much attention that it loses the reader’s interest in the story as a whole.

French also uses the character personality and her situation to create a sense of tension. For example, Tabitha lives in a small town whose members are all familiar with one another. The town boasts outstanding views of the ocean but lacks much by means of industrial civilization. Much of the town has what I refer to as “the” members, i.e. members who are the only one in their field or the best known (the doctor, the grocer, the vicar, etc.). Small town murders are often less of a mystery. However, if we have learned anything about small towns everywhere it is that its tenants often have more than a few skeletons.

Tabitha, for whatever reason, feels she must exert her dominance over her predicament by taking her trial and defense into her own hands. Though ill advised, she manages to do a pretty bang up job. She advocates to watch the CCTV footage from the day of the murder. This is the only camera in the town and the view is limited at best, however, its central location means people often pass by it throughout the day (some more than once). The author uses this CCTV footage and Tabitha’s obsession with finding the truth, regardless of if it exonerates her or not, in order to create a tension. The thought that the truth is somewhere in the footage has not only our protagonist but ourselves as readers scouring the footage (or the characters thoughts and notes) for the truth. We find ourselves equally obsessed with it, determined to find out the truth the same as Tabitha and formulate our own opinions about other B-List characters.

I enjoyed this book because I found myself feeling both like I was on trial and like I was a member of the audience. I found myself siding with the main character at times while others I sided with those who stood in her way. Altogether, it was this tension that kept the reader engaged. This was indeed an immersive page turner and fans of small-town mysteries and underdog hero protagonists will flock to get their hands on this book.

Really enjoyed this one. Kept things twisting. At one point I was sure I knew what was going to happen but I was way wrong. Will definitely recommend this to my fellow book lovers

Tabitha is in big trouble. The body of Stuart Rees was found in her shed and she has no explanation for this.
She remembers nothing but glimpses. A brief memory of going to the local shop first thing in the morning to purchase milk. Another of swimming in the icy waters near her home and her friend Andy arriving in late afternoon to go over the continued renovation of her home.

Tabitha is adamant that she has had nothing to do with the murder of Stuart Rees. She finds out through her appointed attorney that she has been charged with his murder. The evidence against her is overwhelming. When her attorney suggests she take a plea. Tabitha becomes incensed and fires her for not believing in her innocence..

In prison, waiting for her trial date, Tabitha navigates the prison system. Between her clashes with the warden, a confrontation with other inmates, and trying to figure out how she is going to represent herself., she begins to learn how to survive and even thrive in her environment.

In the world outside the prison walls, her small community is filled with outlandish gossip. People continue to come forward with damning evidence; an anonymous letter to the police about the relationship between Tabitha and Stuart, her history of mental illness and hospitalization by the Prosecution, and the bias of those in her own community that do not care for the way she looks or behaves.

In her investigation, Tabitha finds that Mr. Rees was not a very kind man. Many people in their little community did not like him and had ample reason to do Mr. Rees wrong. Not all is what it seems and how many will profit from his demise.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Tabitha stands as a legitimate anti-hero. She holds her head high, questions authority at every corner, and does not settle. She fights to the very end. Filled with many twists and surprises along the way, House of Correction will keep your attention. So worth the read.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and Nicci French for an ARC in return for an hones review.

Fantastic! Unique in that I really hated the protagonist and loved the book. Couldn't put it down until I knew how it all ended! Very enjoyable read from Ms. French.

Tabitha Hardy is unlikable, yet you want to see her win. As she tries to defend herself in court you feel her anguish of being imprisoned, and examined for a particularly gruesome crime that hits close to home. Is she telling the truth about being innocent? Could she really forget something that awful? Do her neighbors really feel that way about her? Parts of the story get confusing and muddled, but the final revelation is what you've been waiting for the whole time.

House of Correction is a thrilling and intense, mystery that you won't want to put down.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-arc copy of this novel.

A new and interesting book from Nick French. Tabatha is In jail waiting for her trial, accused of killing her neighbor. But she doesn’t remember anything and sets out to find out what happened and prove her innocence. But all is not what it seems, and this is what makes the plot so interesting in this psychological thriller.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC of House of Correction.

I have never read a Nicci French novel, but after this one, I will definitely read more. This is a compelling story with characters you can’t stand, but you need to know what happened to them.

I really enjoyed this novel, and will recommend it to my patrons at the library.