3.5/5 Stars.
Wow, I really didn’t guess the ending at all. I guessed a lot of things, and I was thinking I was right for a bit, and then I realized what was gonna happen.
This book is a very twisty but it held my attention. Once I got to a certain part I couldn’t stop reading it!
I enjoyed it for the most part but had some cons with the actual person who committed the crimes, it just annoyed me that was the person.
The epilogue was just straight crazy!! Freida always throws in these crazy endings and I love it. Overall it was a solid good book!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

McFadden reads are always lively with those many twists and turns.
This one is no exception. Just think--you move back to your old neighborhood after experiencing a tragedy years before. The trauma can only eventually be relived, and the roller coaster of emotions begins.
Get ready for one more exhilarating and hair-raising ride!

Freida takes you for a ride with this one. Imagine going to work as a nurse in a prison and running into an ex. And he is there bc of you. Wild. You’ll think you know what’s up but you have no idea. Just like all of her books, don’t think too hard about the details and you’ll enjoy it.

I couldn't put this book down! I loved how the jumps between present day and past chapters were clear and made sense. The information given in the chapters from the past was always relevant to the upcoming present day chapters.

By about 20% I was confident I knew how the book would end but I was completely wrong. Not only did the story take an unexpected twist but the epologe had me gasping out loud!

There were so many twists, I was on the edge of my seat! Whenever I thought I knew what was going on, I'd be blindsided. Freida McFadden does it again!

Man this is a tough one to rate…. This is my second Freida McFadden book, and I’m realizing vibe is very much Lifetime movie. And don’t get me wrong, I love a Lifetime movie, so I think it helped reading it from that lens. But I don’t know that this story quite resonated with me. The main character was hard to root for, and they ways the plot played out didn’t always feel like it made sense.

Overall, it wasn’t GOOD, but I think I had fun? This would be a great beach read, or an easy, fun, twisty, thriller if you’re looking for a short book that will keep you reading.

Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

Rounding up to 3 stars.

This book was an easy quick read. The plot was engaging but slightly predictable. I figured out the who but the why was a surprise!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book was soooo good! I could not put it down. Read in one sitting and had to pick my mouth up off the floor when I read the ending. So many twists and turns! My favorite by this author hands down! Can't wait to dive into more of her books!

Not the finest story by Freida McFadden. Kinda predictable and the protagonist was so frustrating at times...

There are three rules Brooke Sullivan must follow as a new nurse practitioner at a men’s maximum-security prison:

1) Treat all prisoners with respect.

2) Never reveal any personal information.

3) Never EVER become too friendly with the inmates.

Little do they know, Brooke has already broken the rules. Shane Nelson, one of the most dangerous inmates within the prison, was Brooke's high school sweetheart. He's an inmate for committing a string of gruesome murders- and Brooke's testimony is what put him there.

Things I Loved:
- This was very entertaining and my first Freida McFadden book- I will definitely be reading more
- Some of the twists and turns were very unpredictable and shocking

Things I Didn't Love:
- Brooke was a very frustrating character and came across *very* naïve
- I was able to guess many of the twists, which took away from the suspense of the novel

Overall, I was very entertained by this book and look forward to reading more from McFadden!

This book has some surprising twists and turns that will keep you guessing throughout. I had to keep reading to the end to find out the end of the plot.

This is my second title from Freida McFadden and I really enjoyed it! The story follows Brooke as she returns to her hometown to work in the local penitentiary. Unbeknownst to the prison, Brooke used to date an inmate, Shane Nelson, and testified against him which led to his incarceration. The story is suspenseful and the story ends with a major plot twist. This was a fast and propulsive read for me. I will definitely be reading more from McFadden.

I was thrilled to receive a copy of Freida McFadden's The Inmate, only to realize a few chapters in that I had already read it. But no matter, this author is so good you will not mind enjoying her twisty, clever narratives over and over again.

Brooke has returned with her son to live in her hometown and has taken a job as a nurse practitioner in a maximum security prison for men. It seems an odd choice, until Brooke reveals that she knows one of the inmates quite well. In fact, she might even be the person responsible for his incarceration. The unsettling atmosphere of the prison seeps into your bones from the very start, and serves to create a near palpable, delicious tension.

I love a Freida McFadden novel and this one was no different, even the second time around. If you have not yet read this brilliant author, add all of her books to your TBR immediately.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC.

✨ARC Review (Re-Release through a Publisher)✨

Brooke Sullivan is a new nurse practitioner at a men’s maximum security prison. She has three very simple rules to follow:
1. Treat all prisoners with respect
2. Never reveal any personal information
3. Never EVER become too friendly with the inmates
The only problem is….Brooke is a rule breaker. She has a connection to a very dangerous inmate, Shane Nelson, her high school sweetheart. Brooke’s testimony is the reason he is sitting in prison, and he knows it.

I am a sucker for a Frieda McFadden book, however, this one unfortunately falls into my “not favorites” of hers. I actually stayed hooked throughout, and the chapters moved quickly. McFadden slowly drops in one suspecting person after another making you question the morality of several characters. I constantly needed to know what was happening next. The ending is what dampened things for me. The twists got to be a bit incredulous, and an element to the twists felt very on point with a popular horror movie. The epilogue was twisty enough that it made things slightly more redeemable, but not enough to change my rating.

All in all, if you are a fan of Frieda McFadden’s books, give it a shot, as it seems lots of us have varying opinions on her books, and I love that aspect. I do enjoy reading her work, and some I absolutely love, and others not so much, but that’s ok. Not every book is for everyone.

What’s On The Pages:
-nurse practitioner at a prison
-shifting timelines
-a male best friend since they were kids
-a male high school love interest now incarcerated
-who’s good and who’s bad?
-who’s lying?

✨Rating✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

A special thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this eARC! The Poisoned Pen Press version of The Inmate is out March 5th! (This is a previous title by the author picked up by this publisher)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I did not anticipate that ending! Wow! Freida McFadden really knows how to write a gripping thriller and has become an absolute favorite of mine. This book had me guessing throughout the book, just like all of Freida’s books have thus far. I really look forward to reading more of her books.

The story was really engaging. Absolutely loved it. The FMC Brooke did annoy me at times because her decisions just didn't appear to align with how she got to where she ended up in her life. I absolutely loved the ending and it couldn't have been delivered any better. I will absolutely be reading more of her books!

Freida’s books never cease to amaze me! The details on everything, I can complete image every scene in the book. And omg!! The twist and turns that the inmate had me in were insane. The storyline was amazing, we have all being a Brooke at some point in our lives. Wanting to believe our first true love is the best and we probably misjudge the situation. Even though on some level we always know the truth….but that ending!!! Ahhhhhhhh! Cheers to many more Freida Books!

As a devoted fan of Freida McFadden with a collection of her books, diving into "The Inmate" was an anticipated delight, and it certainly lived up to expectations!

The atmospheric portrayal of the prison setting, uniquely eerie in a captivating way, reflected Freida's signature style of keeping readers on their toes with constant guessing and a cascade of unexpected twists.

The evolution of Shane and Brooke's relationship, from high school sweethearts to the revelation of his imprisonment for a murder committed at the end of their high school journey, added a compelling dynamic to the narrative and something I couldn't wait to unfold

The conclusion, unexpected and jaw-dropping, caught me by surprise, especially in the final chapters. The skillful execution of the ending elevated the overall reading experience.

In the grand scheme of Freida McFadden's impressive body of work, "The Inmate" easily secures a place among my favorites. This book, with its atmospheric tension and intricate plot, reaffirms why I'm a devoted fan of Freida's storytelling prowess.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy of this book.

I rated this 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

This year I've finally started reading Freida McFadden's novels, and I've been enjoying every minute of them. The Inmate was no exception! Brooke and her son, Josh, move back to her hometown after she gets a job as a nurse practitioner at the local penitentiary. The same penitentiary where Shane Nelson is housed...the man she accused of murdering her friends 10 years prior, and he was sentenced to life in prison.

I think one of the best parts of Freida's books are the characters...they are always kind of awful or annoying in some way, but to me that gives them depth. Brooke wasn't a bad person, but she was just very naive and I wanted to scream at her sometimes. The twists were also unexpected - I for sure thought I figured it out...but I was wrong. The story did lose me a bit after the twists were revealed and motives came to light...I just had a lot of feelings and thought they were kind of far-fetched/delusional/unbelievable...but then the Epilogue brought everything together. That last chapter just gave this book the perfect ending and made up for the things that kind of took me out of the story.

This was another very enjoyable addition to Freida's collection of twisty thrillers.

This psychological thriller is a binge-worthy read. Single mom Brooke is a Nurse Practitioner who has moved back to her hometown after the death of her parents, taking a job at the local men's penitentiary. [As a nurse myself, I always appreciate when medical professionals are depicted correctly--kudos all around.] Turns out Brooke has a mysterious past with one of the inmates. Obviously, this creates some turmoil. Without giving anything away, you can see a plot twist coming and then still end up surprised once the big reveal takes place. The premise of the story felt fresh and I enjoyed the back and forth of the present and the past. I'm a sucker for a dual timeline. Fans of this genre will NOT be disappointed.