Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

I DNF at 55%. I tried really hard to make it through but the writing was hard to read. I have read two Frieda McFaden books previously, it felt this one wasn’t written by the same person. Brooke as a character was very unlikeable. Her back and forth thoughts were very annoying as a reader. The ending seemed evident, despite not finishing.

This was such a good book!! I was throwing my kindle at the main character for being “stupid” when in the end I did not expect the plot twist. I throughly enjoyed reading this! It’s a 4/5 stars for me!!! I just felt like the end was a bit rushed.

Frieda McFadden just does not disappoint! Rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors, no one seems to do a twist as well as McFadden does! Without giving away spoilers - just when I thought things were at the conclusion I was floored once again!
The Inmate is a must read for McFadden fans! Thank you for the advance copy! Just downloaded The Teacher as well and can't put it down!

Thank you NetGalley for this title. I think I had higher expectations due to being a fan of Freida McFadden but this fell a little short. For me, it felt predictable and slightly underdeveloped but it could just not have been for me. Still recommend Freida McFadden as I’ve mostly had success with other books.

Freida McFadden is amazing. This is the second book I have read, and I can't wait to start another. I love the twists on top of twists in this story. Just when you think you figured it out, there is another twist. I highly recommend this read. It will not disappoint.

3.75 rounded up! This is my second book by Frida McFadden- and I felt pretty much the same way both times: She has the recipe for thrillers down to a science, keeping a steady plot with enough intrigue to keep you turning pages, and perfectly crafts that “can’t put this down” feeling, but her plot twists are a little toooooo out there to be believable for me. Whilst they’ve always technically made sense, they’re so wild and unpredictable that it leaves me feeling a little like ??????. I ate the epilogue of this one up though- amazing final ending.
Would I recommend? Yes. Will I read more by Frida? Yes. Are they exactly what I hope they’ll be? Not quite.

The Inmate is another entertaining novel by Freida McFadden. It's told in two timelines: eleven years ago, when three teenagers at a house party were brutally murdered, and today, when one of the teenagers who was at the party is in prison for the killings. But did he really commit them? Or was it another boy who seemed like a sweet kid? The main character is kind of in love with both young men today, and she's torn between them. It's a fun, twisty story, with about three different huge twists in the last sixty pages. All of the twists are well set up and believable in terms of character, which was a cool trick for the author to pull off.

Freida McFadden is a master of her craft. So well written and a fast read. She makes you think you have it all figured it! But guess what, you don’t. That epilogue had me shook. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

ARC Review: The Inmate by Freida McFadden
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My rating: 3.5🌟
Read if you like: Psycho thriller, small town, whodunnit
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Expected Publication: March 5, 2024
Note: The Inmate was initially a self-published novel last 2022.
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Mini Synopsis: Brooke is a new nurse practitioner at a penitentiary. As much as she needs this job, she also dreads it as she has an intimate connection with one of the prisoners. Will her past continue to haunt her?
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Freida McFadden is an instant read author for me. Her novels are creepy, mind boggling at the same time, reader friendly. If you want to get into the thriller genre, I always suggest picking up any of her books.

The Inmate was no different from her novels. It was an easy page turner. This February, it took me a week to get through at least 1 novel but this? I've gone through it in less than a day. If I were in Brooke's place, I wouldn't know who or what to believe in too. It's easy to become so blindsided about everything. Where does your trust take you? It's easier to put the risk when it's you alone who faces the consequences, but what if it's your son that's on the line?

My only wish is that there was more information on the character's motivation and history that would make his / her actions more compelling. I find myself saying, "wait, that's it? That's why?". It felt a little too stretched, per se.

However, I really did enjoy this book. I will definitely pick up any new releases from Freida McFadden.

Thank you, Poised Pen, NetGalley and Freida McFadden for the ARC. I leave my review voluntarily.

4.25 stars out of 5.

Another great read by Freida McFadden! I was immediately drawn into this book and didn't want to set it down. There were so many twists and turns in the book and just when I thought I knew how it was going to end, bam, something else was thrown in. Everything was tied up nicely by the ending and I am still shocked at what I read, especially the last chapter relating to Josh. I am amazed at the twists Freida McFadden can come up with! Highly recommend this book!

In The Inmate, we meet Brooke, who is a single mother that just moved back to her childhood home after her parents pass away. She ends up getting a job at a local prison as a nurse practitioner. It just so happens, someone tried to kill Brooke 10 years ago, and that someone is at the same prison she will be working at. His name is Shane Nelson. Years ago tragedy stuck at a house party at Shanes house. He was arrested and sent to prison. Now she comes face to face with her would be killer, or was it even really Shane that tried to kill her?

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good vaguely implausible murder mystery/whodunit as much as I love my coffee in the morning, but this one is not it. The main character reads like a people pleasing drip (even though she is supposedly fiercely protective of her 10 year old son), and the did he/didn't he dynamic gets silly and unbelievable. How many times can one person's testimony get someone else put in jail? Well, you're about to find out. This book is not good,

What started out very slow, and what I thought as the story began to intensify, was a predictable plot. This was the first book. I read from this author, and boy does she know how to write the twists. Brook Sullivan, a single independent mom, raising her ten year old son, Josh. She moved back home and must begin to adjust to the town and those she left behind. The only work she can get as a nurse practitioner in the area, is at the nearby prison. A prison where her childhood sweetheart, Shane Nelson, is incarcerated for life. As soon as you think Brook has got it all figured out, you get thrown another twist. Great story, very intense, a twisted plot, and an ending you will not see coming!!!

I love everything Freida writes to be honest!! As usual, we have an insane plot twist, and no character is safe! Loved it!

While Freida McFadden's books almost inevitably require a suspension of disbelief, they are nevertheless usually quite easy and entertaining reads. That is true of her latest book, The Inmate, as well.

Brooke Sullivan becomes a nurse practitioner at a prison for reasons that she keeps a secret from the prison authorities. Because there are certain rules about potential conflicts of interest and fraternizing with the prisoners, and Brooke has already broken those rules by not disclosing that she knows Shane Nelson, one of the inmates, quite intimately.

Indeed, in addition to dating him in high school, Brooke is the one who put him behind bars. So what does she want from him now? Needless to say, things are not quite as they seem...

The story moves quickly and easily to its conclusion and although it is not as unpredictable as some of her storylines, fans of McFadden will likely be quite satisfied with this book.

I was asked to read this and write a review for the upcoming paperback release on March 5th. There are spoilers in this review.

Like the other Freida McFadden books I've read, this one was a quick and easy read. There are some authors who use five dollar words throughout their story, but Freida sticks with fifty cent words. There is nothing wrong with this. Great stories can be told with fifty cent words. It makes her books quick reads and actually opens her books up to a larger reading audience.

Now on to my thoughts on the story. I was rather bothered by Brooke's inability to actually see what was going on around her, never questioning things people said. Officer Hunt had mentioned driving past her house. While she needed her job, she was okay with being blackmailed by Hunt in order to keep that job.

There's also Tim dodging questions about Kelli. She knew what he had told her the first time they went out. She didn't necessarily need to confront him about it, but just make it clear to him she didn't want any secrets between them.

And the ending... We know Pamela survived her gunshot wound and confessed to everything that had happened over the past 11 years. But what about Brooke? Yes, she accidentally shot Pamela in self-defense, but there's no mention of that afterwards. There was also no confirmation that Shane killed Officer Hunt. He was killed. We assume it was Shane, but we don't know for sure. It's never mentioned again. While Hunt did mistreat Shane in prison, it just seemed like an extra (and unnecessary) death.

While I liked that Tim had given Josh a little warning about Shane potentially coming into his life, I didn't particularly like Josh's role in the end. That's a lot of an eleven year old kid to have to deal with in the future.

Ultimately, I give this book 3.5 stars. It kept me engaged but it was just okay.

The Inmate is currently available on Kindle Unlimited and in audiobook. Get a paperback copy from your local bookstore on March 5th. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Another fast paced thriller from Freida. This one, like her others, was a page turner. I did find this one to be a bit more predictable than her others. It was quick read that definitely kept your interest page after page.

The twists Freida comes up with boggles my mind. So I will say I figured out pretty early on Shane was the dad.. but I think that was obvious. I went back and forth between him and Tim as the murder, could never make up my mind, this is what I love about her writing style, she makes you second guess all your life choices. Finally I was convinced it was the prison guard Hunt.. welp… And Margie!! Wow never saw that one coming. And the WHY! I’m sorry what?? Why didn’t I think of it, not like I couldn’t have, there were clues!! This was another well written book that kept me so intrigued I couldn’t put it down.

I thought I knew who it was...then I didn't...then I did! But I didn't. I love Freida's twists and turns that she has become known for! While this book was not as unpredictable as others, it was still an awesome read. Brooke is a new nurse practitioner at a prison, after moving back to her hometown. She has not told anyone that she happens to know one of the inmates, and immediately she has to help them. Not only does she know Shane, a notorious inmate who has a life sentence, but she dated him in high school AND put him in prison. This book was definately a fun read!

3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

I enjoyed the easy read, though the plot skipped a bit too quickly towards the end. The twists and motivation were a little far-fetched and unbelievable.

I love this author, for me there is nothing she can do wrong,
a fantastic edge of your seat thriller