Thank you Net Galley and publishers for letting me read an arc of this in return for my honest review.

I always love reading Freida's books. They're such great psychological thrillers that are easy and quick to read and I can't put them down. I always think I know who did it or how it's gonna end but then there's a plot twist and the most obvious choice is never who I thought it would be. In this one, Brooke gets a job as a nurse at the penitentiary where her boyfriend who tried to murder her 11yrs ago is being detained. She's the one who put him there but now she's having second thoughts if he was really the one who did it. This is probably my favorite so far of her books but there's many more I can't wait to read. Definitely my go to author for thrillers.

Wow...never seen that twist coming. Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor! This book is top-notch full of everything a great thriller is--interesting characters, guilt, murder, twists, and deceit. I loved every minute of this book and it was a super quick read. A book you can quickly enjoy in a weekend.

Brooke takes a job back in her hometown as a nurse practitioner at the men's maximum security penitentiary, the same prison her ex-boyfriend and attempted murderer is housed in. This creates an interesting work dynamic for her and she turns to her best friend from childhood and neighbor Tim. She confides in Tim and lets him into her and her son's lives, however strange things start to happen and she gets to second guessing whether she testified to the correct murderer in the first place.

Great story, great characters, fast read. Loved every second of it!

I’m convinced that freedom McFadden can write anything. I love that her mysterious dark romance tin novels are so easily digested however, our complex enough to keep my interest. The characters are accessible, you know each and everyone of them you’ve met them before. So it’s so easy to relate Love this author and The Inmate is such a chilling thrill you’ll love it!

I received this e-book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for the copy!

Brooke Sullivan just started a new job as a Nurse Practitioner at a high-security men's prison. They are so desperate for somebody to fill the position, they don't realize that she has an intimate connection to one of the inmates there- Shane Nelson. Being high school sweethearts, Brooke starts to feel bad for Shane because he seems so sweet and keeps getting sent to her with injuries he's clearly suffering from by the other inmates. As she continues to work there, she also reconnects with her old best friend, Tim. After secrets are revealed and things start to get suspicious, Brooke starts to question some things.....will the truth of why Shane is in prison come to light?

Okay, I will say Freida is great at putting in some twists that I just didn't see coming- and there were a few in here! Although this all seems a little out there, this is fiction after all. If you're wanting a good thriller to keep you guessing, this is it! I thought I had it figured out several times and was shocked to find I was wrong each and every time, right up until the end.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing this this arc for review. First let me say Frieda McFadden is a new favorite author of mines I had read a few other of her novels and when u saw this new one I knew I had to read it. It's just something about the su she weaves s story.. it's a slow burn and about halfway through you think you know but then boom the twist you didn't see coming hits!

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a digital copy for review. This is my first Freida McFadden book I have read. I really enjoyed the pace of the book with short chapters that made it a fast read. I knew based on reviews of her other books, that there are twists and turns, but I had no idea I was in for a roller coaster ride that didn't come to a stop until the last line of the book.... literally!

Short chapters make for a page turning read which McFadden always seems to deliver! Yet another twist I didn’t see coming, you think you know what’s coming through the majority of the book but the surprise was great! Not quite as gripping as The Housemaid for me, but still a good story worth a read.

HOLY CRAP. Did I just stay up until almost 2am reading a book that I started this afternoon? Why yes… yes I did, because I COULD. NOT. PUT. IT. DOWN. I thought I had it all figured out. It was all too simple really, of course I knew what happened. NOPE. I was so wrong and then wrong again later. This book will make you question what you *know* multiple times. This book gave me chills and made me jump at noises in my own house because I was so afraid of what I was reading. When was the last time a book made me feel that way?? I’m not sure but I absolutely LOVE it. Give me all the goosebumps and raise all the hairs on the back of my neck because that means it was one freaking amazing thriller. Freida McFadden hasn’t disappointed me with any of her books. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Oh boy.

When I requested this ARC, I had not read any of McFadden's other work. However, I had heard rave reviews (mostly on BookTok if I'm being honest) and decided to take the plunge. In the time between requesting the ARC and receiving it, I honestly forgot about it. Also during that time, I tackled two of McFadden's other books. I didn't care for the first, so I gave a second a shot...didn't care for it either. Had I remembered that I had this ARC request pending, to be honest, I would have cancelled it. But, here we are. So, here's my honest thoughts.

The book started out in an ok place. The setting of the prison and the dual timelines made it interesting, so I was hopeful. However, things quickly took a turn.

Brooke, as a character is an idiot. This seems to be a trend with McFadden's books. All of her female MCs, while learned women, are just objectively stupid. She is consistently making absolutely abhorrent choices, and even with suspension of disbelief I found myself rolling my eyes. There are also plot holes GALORE. Some big enough to drive a truck through. Add to that the fact that we're just supposed to go along with the fact that Brooke may have put the wrong man in prison for a literal decade and she has absolutely zero remorse about that? Yeah, no. Also, Brooke recants her story and Shane is immediately released? It...doesn't work like that. Anyone who has legal knowledge based on watching a crime procedural in the last 15 years knows that. THEN she lets her recently released former-beau just take her kid off into the woods? ALONE? Like I said, idiot.

The twist was a typical McFadden twist. It's supposed to be shocking but really it's just eye-roll inducing. And that epilogue? Of course.

Quite literally the only thing I enjoyed about this was the flip-flopping back and forth for the timeline. It let us learn more about Brooke as we went on, which is a nice strategy/tactic for a thriller, but given she was about as deep as a puddle...we didn't learn much.

I apologize for the negativity in this review, normally I'm far more upbeat even about books I don't enjoy, but this one just was so far from the mark for me that it is what it is.

I love this author.
I love the way this twists and turns and the ending.
The fact she knew an inmate before taking the job and that he manipulated her again.
I loved her son and the way he listened and knew what was right

This was my first Frieda McFadden book and I was not disappointed. I expected a popcorn thriller and that's what I got. I was very intrigued by the story and enjoyed the past and present timelines. The editing (or lack of) pulled me out of the story at times but I was quickly drawn back in. I liked the twist with Margie being Shane's mom and didn't *quite* see it coming. I was also manipulated by Shane and thought Tim was the killer the whole time. Even though at times I thought like Brooke, I was getting frustrated - even though I thought Shane was innocent I still would not have allowed him to stay in my house with my kid!! But I guess that's what makes for a fun popcorn thriller. I'll definitely be picking up another one by this author.

Oh man... I had some high hopes for this one after really hating The Coworker. I was really enjoying the beginning of the book and it was definitely a more relaxed book compared to some of her more fast-paced ones, but the ending of this one killed me. I didn't see one of the twists coming, but finding out who the killer was was extremely obvious from all the context clues. I was literally waiting for one of her insane twists, but I just didn't feel it in this book. I'm pretty sure the very last chapter from the other perspective was supposed to be that crazy twist, but I also saw that coming and it honestly made me roll my eyes. I'm beyond frustrated because I love The Housemaid series so much and all of her other books I've been reading are not living up to that hype. I'm going to keep trying, but I'm starting to lose hope.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Freida keeps churning them out! Another entertaining who dunnit with lots of candidates! A long ago murder by the father of her child, still in prison. Quick read!

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

This was a good read with plenty of twists. This was not my favorite by this author, but still very entertaining.

📚🌟 Book Review: "The Inmate" by Freida McFadden 🚓💔

"The Inmate" by Freida McFadden is a captivating tale set in the confines of a maximum-security prison. The story cerntres around Brooke, a nurse practitioner in the prison, and Shane, an inmate who happened to be her ex, and she is the reason he's behind bars. While the pacing is occasionally uneven, the narrative is emotionally resonant and thought-provoking. Overall, "The Inmate" is a compelling read and that epilogue 😱😱🫣

I give this read 4 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you to @netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest review!

Loved this book. I couldn’t put it down especially towards the end. So many twists and surprises. Kept me guessing until the very end!

When Brooke returns to her hometown the only nursing job she’s able to find is at a men’s maximum-security prison. One of the inmates is her former boyfriend and (unknown to him) the father of her ten-year-old son. Brooke’s testimony was instrumental in Shane’s conviction but is her memory accurate?

There is no doubt that Frieda McFadden is a talented writer. She certainly knows how to capture a reader’s attention. The Inmate is just one example. Even though I shook my head in disbelief several times (is she really that clueless?), I also couldn’t look away. This might not be Ms McFadden’s best novel but it still has its moments. The characters, no matter how naive and illogical they are, are still well-developed and the plot, no matter how some of it seems a bit far-fetched, is still imaginative and interesting.

Ms McFadden has become one of my go-to authors for books that keep me engaged. She writes top-notch thrillers and I always know it will be an enjoyable read. The Inmate is full of twists and surprises and an easy read that I enjoyed. It’s 3.5 stars bumped up to 4. NetGalley provided an advance copy.

This one was good! I enjoyed the plot and wasn’t expecting the plot twist towards the end. I seriously had a feeling I knew who did it, but then when I was only partially right, I wasn’t surprised! Freida has a way of making you think you know what’s going on and then completely whams you with a different outcome. Especially with the epilogue, it was perfection.

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Press and author Freida McFadden for this gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Brooke Sullivan starting her new job as a nurse practitioner in a maximum security prison. It happens to be the same prison where the person who was convicted of attempting to kill her and who is also the father of her 10 year old son resides.

Actually I didn’t see that plot twist coming though I was deeply convinced that what I guessed throughout the book was right but oh Freida! You did it again😂. Isn’t it her specialty?! Well, even though I can’t say this is five star read for me, I enjoyed it nonetheless.