I received this ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly really enjoyed this… until the twist. I really appreciated that I truthfully didn’t know who to trust while reading, but the twist was a stretch for me. It didn’t seem very plausible, and I didn’t like how it ended personally. Until that point, this was my favorite of the authors that I’ve read, but she lost me in the last quarter of the book.

I’ll give it points for creativity though, I have not seen that twist elsewhere! All in all, I’ll give it 3.5⭐️ because I did really enjoy the first 3/4 of the book. A more honest review would be 4.5⭐️ beginning, 2⭐️ ending.

Possibly the best final chapter of any thriller I have read in a long time. This is a fantastic story, although it did seem a bit rushed in places, but the ending is absolutely the cherry on top. The plot is a twisty one and I changed my theory several times as I read it. I loved the two different time lines unwinding in tandem throughout the book, too,

3.5 - This book definitely kept me on my toes and I did not want to put it down. I did not see the plot twist coming at the end; however, it was kind of odd in my opinion (10-year-olds usually disclose everything to their parents). Definitely enjoyed this one :)

Freida McFadden… she did it again!! I was hooked from the very beginning. I always think I have it figured then she throws a twist. This is my ninth book I have read by her and I haven’t been disappointed once.

Reasons while I will continue to read Freida McFadden.

1. Her books are always entertaining. To me they are the perfect vacation books. I don't have to think too hard while reading while being guaranteed to be taken on a wild ride.

2. Her writing is simplistic. I mean that in a good way. There's no flowy prose. She just sets up the story and tells it.

3. Her characters are kind of like the characters in those slasher movies of the past, you know the ones who always went looking for the source of the noise? They are a little naive, a little too trusting, not always making sound decisions, but they still reel me in every time.

This is my 4th book by this writer and it checked all my aforementioned points above. Brooke escaped with her life 10 years ago in a night gone wrong when her then boyfriend seemingly went on a killing rampage, killing 3 of their friends at his home while his mom was out of town. Brooke has had a hard go of it since then, raising her son on her own and trying to stay above water financially. When the only job that gives her a callback of the many she applied to is the male penitentiary she leaps at the chance, even though it's the last place she wants to work. The last place because the boyfriend she helped convict is in inmate there.

I enjoyed it! The author does a great job with misdirection and keeping the reader on their toes. I read through this one quickly because I was intrigued with finding out exactly what happened that night and who exactly Brooke can trust. Freida always keeps me guessing and I will continue to read her work.

Brooke Sullivan starts a new job as a nurse in a high security prison. What the other staff don't know is that she actually knows one of the inmates there, her ex and father of her son, Shane. He's spending the rest of his life in jail for some gruesome murders in high school, and it was Brooke's testimony that put him there. But is everything as she remembers it?

I love a good thriller that makes me want to question everything again and again. This book was like that as well. I enjoy being proven wrong and then having to think everything through again.
So if you're looking for a tense book full of twists, this is it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for making a digital advance copy of the book available for reviewing.

This was my second book by this author and it most definitely won't be the last. I loved this story, it completely hooked me. You will never know who to trust in this dark psychological thriller xx

The Inmate by Freida McFadden is a captivating thriller. It had so many twist and turns I did not see coming. Even when I thought I had everything figured out, she had me backtracking and questioning who the real murderer was. enjoyed how we saw present day, as well as 11 years ago.
There were only three survivors that night, one of whom had to be the murderer. The question was which one?
Brooke became pregnant the night of the murders and had a son named Josh, fathered by Shane. Was her high school boyfriend Shane the murderer or was it her longtime childhood best friend Tim? McFadden keeps us guessing the entire time. Brooke goes and works at the prison reconnecting with Shane after 11 years. She also begins to date Tim. One man is behind bars and she is letting the other one into her life, but is the right man behind bars??
The entire book kept me guessing and I did not see the ending coming at all. This was truly a well written book.

The Inmate reads like a Frieda McFadden book, which is good because it is a Frieda McFadden book. By that I mean that you will read it and think you have it all figured out, but then she comes back around with her plot twists and smacks you in the face to simply tell you that you're wrong about everything. This is exactly that. and it is in my humble opinion that anyone who did figure out the twist correctly read the book backwards because I never get it right!

So we have our main character Brooke who has made some poor job decisions. She should have quit and looked for another job right when she realized there was a conflict of interest, but decided not to because this is a Freida McFadden book where some suspension of reality is to be expected and I welcome it because I don't read fiction for 100% reality.

Brooke continues to make some pretty poor decisions throughout the book, getting gaslighted right and left because Shane is a smooth talker and in his opinion he is just the best ever. I thought I had him figured out, but I was wrong (typical me) which is why the snark is strong here.

I don't like leaving spoilers in reviews, so I'll leave it up to you - the reader - to pick this one up. It also wouldn't be a Freida book if you couldn't put it down once you pick it up. The Inmate delivers on this promise.

So enjoy being strapped to your seat for the next several hours while you read this book!

This is a very popular book. I was worried the hype might be too by h but I enjoyed it. It contains many thriller cliches and red herrings but the twists and turns are fantastic.

Ten years ago, Brooke Sullivan left with her son as a young mother and never looked back. One job is about to change that all.

As a newly-licensed Nurse Practitioner, Brooke reluctantly takes the only job that was offered to her- a job at Rakers Maximum State Prison. She is about to come face to face with her ex-boyfriend, Shane, for the first time since she had him sentenced to life there.

Recovering from the tragic events 10 years ago and the loss of her parents, Brooke's parents insist she sells the house and stay away from Rakers. Instead, her and her son, Josh, move into her childhood home and a town full of secrets she is trying to protect him from.

Brooke and Tim were childhood best friends, and they quickly reconnect after she moves in down the street. Brooke has only had one boyfriend, but suddenly her and Tim feel like kids again and fall in love.

Brooke is forced to see Shane at work, and she starts reliving the memories of that awful night all those years ago. Details that seem so clear when she testified are now starting to feel fuzzy, and Brooke doesn't know who to trust until it's too late. A woman will go to lengths to protect her child, no matter who it's from. Has Shane really changed or is he trying to manipulate her?

Another book of Freida's to add to my favorites! Seamlessly transitioning between present and past, Brooke tells her story of motherhood, working in the medical field, and medically treating the person who ruined her life. Even though the plot seemed unrealistic at first, Freida ties it all together to bring us a page turning psychological thriller about the lessons of motherhood, while still learning the lessons of being a daughter.

Yes she does it again ! She has yet to disappoint me with her books .Just when I think I knew the ending then bam nope I did not .This was my fifth one of hers to read and I’m trying not to read them all yet but I am on a roll with them .Her characters in this one I relate to as I am a nurse as well .Run And Do Not Pass go for this book.

Freida McFadden has done it again. She certainly knows how to write a breathtaking psychological thriller. The author certainly takes you on a rollercoaster journey with this story, always packing a punch with the content. So many twists and turns, it’s mind blowing!! Devoured in just 24 hours, thats how addictive it was. Oh and if you are looking for an astounding and dramatic ending, then look no further. Wish I could give it 6 stars.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy to read in exchange for my open and honest review. As always, my reviews will also be posted on Amazon, Goodreads and Waterstones and interaction on Facebook and instagram where possible.

Oh Freida another good one.

I like the twist at the end. The mentor turned serial killer great twist.

The caveot is the killing of the daughter of the main character is a bit too much. Everything else was great. Take out that part and I believe this book would’ve been stronger.

The key to loving all of Freida’s books is to just not try and figure everything out and go along for the ride. I love to just sit in the backseat and watch all the crazy unfold. I want the characters to be a shit show! Brooke was no exception… instead of letting her poor decisions irritate me I found myself cheering her nonsense on. This one was definitely a wild ride from start to finish!

Another classic Freida McFadden that has your attention from start to finish. I find the prison system fascinating (a la Orange is the New Black) so I found this book very appealing.

Brooke, a single mom and nurse, is stationed at a men's maximum-security prison where her high school sweetheart, Shane, is an inmate. As is McFadden's style, this book will leave you hooked all the way through the twist at the end.

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

I really loved this book. The twist and turns were incredible and even when I thought they were something it turned out to be something else completely. Even with the ones I could predict the book gaslight me into thinking they were not. I 100% recommended this book!

POV: Single/Duel Timelines
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Format: eARC

" I can’t reveal to her that the man who was my very first boyfriend is an inmate at Raker Maximum Security Penitentiary, currently serving life without the possibility of parole. And I’m the one who put him here."

Nurse Practitioner Brooke is a single mother who just landed a job at the men's maximum security prison. There are a few rules here, be respectful, never tell anyone any personal information and don't become too friendly with the inmates. Unbeknownst to everyone, Brooke already knows someone on the inside all too well. She knows him because she is the reason he is there.

Wow. I finished this off in two sittings. I haven't read many thrillers that keep me guessing through the whole book. Every time I thought I knew what was going on, the next chapter reminded me that I didn't. If you love a good mind bender that keeps you hanging on the edge of your seat, this one is a must for your TBR list.

Freida McFadden does it again! The twists the turns. The “oh I know who did it,” to the “oh no I don’t know who did it” was so much fun to read! The mysteries always keep you guessing who did it! This one was no different. A page-turner for sure! I didn’t want to put it down.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have not yet read a Freida McFadden book that I didn't really enjoy. Each story is unique and if there is one thing you can always expect is to expect the unexpected. I have read enough of Freida's books to know that things are never what they seem. This is the story of Brooke who encountered her friends being murdered at a party she was at, at a friend's house. Brooke herself was almost murdered and we recount the story of what happened that night through flashbacks as she has blacked some of it. My only complaint with this was just how naïve Brooke was throughout the whole story. It was a little far fetched to me, but sometimes you have to suspend disbelief when reading thrillers. All that being said, it didn't take away from the story, I still enjoyed it very much. I read it in two sittings.