When I saw Freida McFadden’s name I knew I had to request this book. I actually have had it on my TBR list for a couple years so the re-release of the book under the Poison Pen Press gave me the push to move this up on my reading list.
Told in two alternating timelines (present and 11 years ago), this story is the gripping thriller I’ve come to expect from the author.
The characters are flawed but easy to love. Always a plus in my book. Of course it wouldn’t be a mystery/thriller if the FMC didn’t settle on at least 3 people being the murderer and then making awful decisions. I thought I had this book figured out but was suprised again by McFadden’s plot twist.
Grab this book and enjoy a nice spring read.
I received a ARC of this title.

That was a ride! Thank you to NetGalley, PoisonPen Press, and Freida McFadden for this ARC.

This is my second FM book, and I was definitely not disappointed. Brooke has been through a lot. Now she's a nurse practitioner working at a men's prison. There are rules to follow though- 1. Treat the prisoners humanely 2. Don't give out personal information 3. Don't get too friendly with the prisoners. Too bad for Brooke, she's already broken these rules on her first day. Her boss doesn't know that one of the inmates is the father of her ten year old son, or that he tried to murder her and Brooks testimony put him in jail

Ok the twists and red herrings in these books! Good grief. I was so sure I had called the twist! Of course my twist was a red herrings and the real twist was insane. No spoilers, but I will be thinking about that twist for a long time.

Omg! I have no words. Frieda McFadden You really got me this time. I didn’t see that ending coming. Josh killed his own father to protect his mom. I’m so speechless. I always thought Tim was the one who killed the three friends. This was a fast-paced thriller that had so many twists and turns.

I honestly can't wait for her next book!! Eek

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy of this book.

I literally just finished the book and rannnnn to come write this! Initially, I was going to give 3 stars, but admittedly, the ending really got me, so here I am with my 4.5 star review! ★★★★☆

First, here are my negative thoughts to get them out of the way..

1) In the nicest way, Brooke is an idiot lmao. I read reviews before reading and I have to agree with most readers when they say she is naive, which that might even be an understatement. At points, it was dreadful reading what she was thinking. I cannot say how many times I rolled my eyes at her or wanted to throw my kindle because she kept switching up who she thought she could trust, and I believe that was the point, but it got annoying after a while because it happened too often. She was also really cringey at times.

2) Some parts were really unbelievable. I won't give any spoilers, but really, how many people can be cycled through to take the blame???

3) The book was pretty slow for me up until literally the last hour of reading.

My positive thoughts for this book though? Holy shit. and I cannot stress enough, holy...SHIT.

The way Freida wrote Josh's character made me love him and want him as my own kid, and the relationship between Josh and Tim is literally the sweetest! Although, after a while, I was grossed out at Tim and Brooke because of...certain things and thoughts Brooke was having, but now I'm laughing about what I was thinking about Tim because I ended up being wrong in my opinion about him.

That last hour of the book...I couldn't read it fast enough. Mrs McFadden really let me think I had everything figured out, and then, plot twist after plot twist after plot twist. My god. and the epilogue????????? That's what got me the most. The very last sentence gave me full. body. chills.

This was my second Freida McFadden book and it certainly will not be my last. From the now two books I've read of hers, I can see why everybody loves her books!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this advanced readers copy! I can't wait to go catch up on all the Freida McFadden books I haven't read yet!

This is quite a story. It alternates between the present and ten years ago. Brooke is a high school student, madly in “lope” with Shane, her high school boyfriend. One fateful night, tragedy befalls them along with four of their friends. Forward to the present, Brooke has relocated to her hometown with her son and she starts her new job as a nurse practitioner at the maximum security prison. There she comes face to face with the person who tried to kill her on that fateful night. As Brooke is dealing with seeing this person, she is also starting to question whether or not she testified against the right person. To complicate matters, she starts dating Tim, her friend from her youth who was with her on that fateful night. She also starts to question his sincerity. As the story unfolds, there are many twists and turns and the ending is wow!! This is one not to miss!! Enjoy!
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc., for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Freida McFadden is one of my favorite authors and again she did not disappoint! I was hooked from page one and obsessively turned the pages until the very end! This story ramps up the suspense and the twists!! The Ending!! Highly recommend! I thank Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and review this book!

⭐️rating: 3.5/5

Happy paperback pub day for The Inmate!

As with other Freida McFadden books I’ve read, The Inmate was a quick and entertaining read that I enjoyed. It was definitely an interesting story, and one that kept me guessing and wanting to find out the truth.

I enjoyed the dual timeline, jumping back and forth as we learn a little more each time. I had so many different guesses as I read and some were accurate, but I definitely didn’t expect the main twist. Unfortunately, the final twist and the ending wasn’t as shocking or satisfying as I hoped it’d be, so it bumped my rating just a little lower. And the FMC was starting to get on my nerves a little near the end.

But the epilogue…I knew it!!!

All in all, I enjoyed it! It was a fun and quick read, I just wish the ending was more satisfying. I loved the final line of the epilogue though!

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love Freida McFadden's books, she never disappoints! This story was fantastic & so twisty I didn't see the end coming at all!!!

Thank you Poison Pen Press and NetGalley for approving this book. Does the apple fall far from the tree? Is this a case of like father like son?? I loved the twisted story of Brooke who is a nurse practitioner at a maximum-security prison and the two men that have dominated her life you many years. She is too trusting and finds out the hard way that what you believe to be true often isn't. She's raised her son as a single mom and is responsible for her former boyfriend Shane being in that prison for trying to kill her. But he claims his innocence and she begins to believe him. As she begins a romance with Tim, someone she's known forever she believes him when he tells her she shouldn't trust the inmate as he's dangerous. When treating him in the prison infirmary he proclaims his innocence and causes her to rethink her testimony that sent him to prison in the first place. With many twists she finds out the hard way not to be so trusting. It was a good story with a great conclusion. I would recommend this book.

This is one of my top favourite Freida McFADDEN books, Compared to her other books the ending is a little more predictable, this doesn't take way from the story, as there are moments that you'll still not see coming. I loved the overall story and need more.

I swear, anything McFadden writes is gold. This was no different. It was a super easy read and I could not put it down for the life of me. And the last chapter has me SHOOK.

On a personal level I also really liked (though perhaps not the right word) of Brooke slowly forgiving Shane, and all the other feelings that came with it. I have never read anything with that happening, and it made me feel understood. And I really appreciate that.

This was my first Freida book and let me me say I was worried! I had it all figured out just a few chapters in. Until I didn't. I am so glad I did not DNF this book.

I was obsessed with figuring it out. I made a few mistakes along the way. I wanted to yell at Brooke and wanted to hug her! Ugh Men! They had her so discombobulated, I don't know how she knew which way was up.

But wait for that last chapter!!!!

Thank you Freida McFadden- I'm a fan and I can't wait to read more.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

. I had so much fun reading to this one.

I feel like the MC, Brooke was so trusting of everybody (ok yall she was dumb, like real dumb 😂🤣😂) that I wanted to scream at her through the book and shake her, but I also really loved her character at the same time.

I highly recommend checking it out, although I’m exhausted after reading it. I had no idea who to fully trust, I mean I knew who I liked but you can’t ever trust that with a thriller. It was just a whirlwind of misplaced trust and ulterior motives. I did guess the ending but I didn’t guess how we would get from point A to point B so it was really fun to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

The fact that it has such a high Goodreads, ranking, after being out for several years, is a very telling sign for me. So I was very happy to add my five star review to the mix.

I can totally see this book putting people into a book hangover. I’m drained from reading it in the best possible way.

This is probably one of my favorite Frieda books, and I would absolutely listen to it or read it again. Was this book over the top? Yes. I loved every minute of it.

“As the prison doors slam shut behind me, I question every decision I’ve ever made in my life.”

The Inmate by Freida McFadden is an enthralling psychological thriller focusing on the life of Brooke Sullivan, who is starting her first day as a nurse practitioner at the local men's maximum security prison. It was not her first choice in a job, but as a single mom of a 10-year-old who needed an income, that was the only position available. However, Brooke has a secret. This prison is holding her first boyfriend, Shane, who killed her friends and attempted to kill her too. Shane has always claimed he was innocent, but it was Brooke's testimony that sent him to prison.

Brooke consistently made the wrong decisions. Whether that was because she was actually dumb or seriously manipulated, the story only happened because of the choices that she made. If you let a book lead you where it wants you to go, you will end up thoroughly enjoying the ride. The Inmate is a popcorn thriller—an entertaining getaway that pulls you in and checks you out of reality for a while.

The ability of The Inmate to draw you in and leave you constantly wondering what happens next makes up for its flaws in pure entertainment. I simply could not put this book down and blew through it in just one sitting. I have adored the way Freida writes in each and every one of her books, and the twists strike me with surprise every time. 

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Freida McFadden for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a wonderful classic read by this amazing author. It sucked me in from the very beginning and even until the last page it has me guessing. These are the best kind of thrillers. Loved the characters too!!

I absolutely loved everything about this book. Freida McFadden never fails to shock me! I really thought I had at least some of it figured out, but then I'd turn the page and BAM I was wrong. I am so thankful I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing this incredible thriller!

Today is pub day for this book and I just finished it last night—talk about perfect timing! I really enjoyed this book. Brooke, the main character, is likable and although there were times I wanted to shake her, I really enjoyed her as a character. The author does a great job of writing in a very easy to follow way and I liked the twists and turns and the dual timeline between 11 years ago and now. I felt myself pushing to finish the book, wanting to know what happens at the end and I was not disappointed.

I've reads a few books by Freida now and while the other books have been 4 and 5 star reads for me.. The Inmate just wasn't. I still enjoyed reading the story but honestly, I am not sure how the main character was a NP and just totally "unaware" I guess is the best (nicest) way to describe her. There was one twist that made me go "Oh damn!" but then it just really didn't make a whole lot of sense.
Overall this one was okay but it's not the first book by this author I would recommend to folks.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Freida McFadden's “The Inmate” is a psychological thriller told in alternating past and present narratives. Brooke Sullivan, Nurse Practitioner and single mom, returns to her hometown in Raker, New York after her parents’ tragic deaths. Brooke accepts a job at the men’s maximum-security prison where her ex-boyfriend Shane—also known as the man who tried to kill her—is an inmate. While her testimony helped to put Shane behind bars for life, Brooke never saw the killer’s face. She felt his heaviness as he tried to strangle her and smelt sandalwood aftershave, the same smell Shane wore.
When Brooke returns to her hometown to live in her family home, she begins dating her childhood best friend and neighbor, Tim Reese. But when a local waitress who Tim used to date goes missing, Brooke begins to have doubts about her memory.
Meanwhile, Shane is adamant that he is innocent and that Brooke made a mistake. Brooke questions the possibility of Shane’s innocence and the possibility that she is sleeping with the enemy.

McFadden’s novel expertly weaves together suspense and thrilling twists, along with the past and the present, and creates tension and confusion. I was looking for twists at every turn, and I found myself guessing that Marcus Hunt, the prison guard, was the real serial killer. While I knew the epilogue’s revelations, the mass murderer reveal threw me for a loop and was one I didn’t see coming.

Where McFadden succeeds in engagement and suspense, she struggles with believable plots. Brooke’s character is irrational and unintelligent. When her parents die, she has the option to sell their house and use the proceeds to move into a more comfortable house in her current city, yet she moves back home to the town where her four classmates were murdered. She accepts a job at the same prison where the alleged and convicted murderer is an inmate. She cannot smell the scent of sandalwood because it reminds her of that night, yet she can work in the same prison and treat the man responsible for her PTSD. It is not plausible that Brooke would move back home and take a job where she is constantly reminded of the brutal murders of her classmates

The other conflicting issue is Brooke’s thought process. When she finds a body wrapped up in a rug, her first thought is “Has ___ rolled up a mannequin?” This isn’t even the most farfetched thought she has. Brooke decides to have sex because they (not revealing the character’s name) had been without it for some time.

“I didn’t quite mean for it to go all the way but I could tell it was what he wanted very badly, and I couldn’t bring myself to say no. After all, he had been deprived of this... You can’t say no to giving a glass of water to a guy who has been lost in the desert…”
I will continue to support Freida McFadden’s work, but this novel was a miss for me.
Rating 2.5/5
Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press (Mandy Chahal) for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and the author for the ARC - The Inmate by Freida McFadden

Wow! There is a lot going on in this book!! I've read several books by this author, but this one is probably one of my favorites by her so far. The setting grabbed my interest .as I work in the legal system, and I could relate to many of the scenes depicted. There are several characters to keep track of, but they flow quite well with the plot. I can often predict, or at least get close to the "who done it", but I was surprised at the twists and turns this one took. Definitely a fast paced ride. Enjoyed it!