A note for the publisher - for accessibility purposes I strongly encourage you to provide readers with epub files rather than PDFs. On Kobos, you can change the text size and font of an epub but not a PDF. The text on PDFs on computers and on the NetGalley app cannot be modified either, and instead the reader must zoom in on every page. then zoom out before turning the page. By preventing readers from modifying the text size to their needs you are not accommodating all abilities and readers.

I have read and enjoyed other books by this author but was disappointed in this one - I correctly predicted the plot twist 10% in so the rest of the book really dragged for me.

If you love Frienda McFadden like I do then you already know this is a good book!! As always this was a fast paced book that will have you hooked from start to finish. I didn't see the twists coming at the end which is always refreshing. This wasn't my favorite book of hers but it was still entertaining and I can't wait to read more of her books. I would HIGHLY recommend this book.


Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

This is my 4th Freida McFadden book and I loved it!

I did think this was kind of a romance at first but its more of a side plot psychological romance. Needless to say, don't read just for the "romance", you need to be reading for the thrill/ mystery aspect.

I loved each and every twist and turn. I thought I knew what the big twist was going to be, but I got it wrong. (again lol) I consider this and every other Freida book I read to be page turning and something you can read in one sitting. You can't put this book down or you'll be thinking about the mystery until you return to reading. I also fell in love with the unique setting. I feel like I don't read a lot of thriller books set in a prison type situation so this was definitely refreshing!

Thank you so much Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC copy! I can't wait to read more of Freida's books!

I thought I had this book all figured out, but I didn’t. 75% of the way in I was questioning if there was going to be a twist or turn, but the last few chapters were where everything went down and got real. There were a few things I could have suspected but just didn’t think about because I was so wrapped up in the plot. I didn’t really like Brooke, FMC, that much just because she seemed very naive and also she’s a nurse practitioner, like you should have a good judge of character at this point in my opinion. Brooke also was so quick to let her son, Josh, be around these men, Shane and Tim (MMCs), in her life which was so surprising to me after what she went through as a teenager. I will say that the epilogue had me all types of way and I really wasn’t expecting it to be in Josh’s POV, that I really enjoyed.

4 things you should know about Brooke:

- She has a son
- She just moved back to her home town to take a job as a nurse inside a prison
- her ex boyfriend is an inmate at said prison, for murdering her friends when they were 16.
- Brooke was the one to send him to prison.

This book has the classic Freida feel. Lots of misdirection, twists and clues dropped that will make you second guess yourself.

The pacing is nice and fast, the chapters are short, you can definitely speed through this book and finish it in one sitting.

I’m a huge Freida fan and personally obsessed with all of her work. I highly recommend all of her books, ESPECIALLY her new book The Teacher that released on Feb 6, it’s available along with all of her other books on KU.

Thank you to Freida, poisoned pen press and NetGalley for a copy of the Inmate.

I didn't even know what to think about the events of this book. I didn't know who to trust and Brooke was just trusting everybody. Brooke should've listened to Hunt and Tim, but who really shocked me was Shane's mother and the epilogue with Josh.

Tim is better than me because ain’t no way somebody gon send me to jail after I have warned them about this other person since we were damn kids, and I forgive them. And the fact that Shane and his damn mommy went after Brooke all because her father cheated on her mom with Shane’s mom but decided to stay with Brooke’s mom. No wonder they kept warning her against him.

And Josh??? He’s going to end up like his daddy especially after killing him the way he did.

This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Freida’s books are all so thrilling and make you want to keep on reading. I finished this in one sitting.
We follow Brooke as she does her first shift at a men’s prison. Brooke got hired and no one knows, she has a past with one of the inmates. The book follows Brooke in the present as well as she recounts what happened in the past.

Frieda McFadden's books all seem to follow the same recipe. Distract, mislead, and then TWIST! This was no different. I kept waiting for the twist, but this was one I definitely did not see coming. McFadden has been my go-to leisure read author lately, and this was enjoyable. Nothing spectacular, and not as good as The Housemaid, but enjoyable nonetheless. Perfect for fans of thrillers who can enjoy a quick read without taking the literature too seriously.

I get excited everytime I find a new one by Freida McFadden! I love her thrillers. Brooke is a nurse who moves back to her hometown with her son. She finds a job at a maximum security prison. This happens to be the same prison where her former boyfriend, Shane, is serving time for attempting to kill her. Of course she can't tell anyone this though or let it affect her ability to remain professional. If I say much more, I'll give away all the twists and turns that I've come to expect from Freida! There were certainly some elements that were not realistic, but made for a great story. I kept thinking that I knew the ending and then I would be hit with a new twist. I will definitely keep reading anything by her!

4.5 stars ⭐️

Wow I devoured this book in a whole day and almost the whole thing in just one sitting. This story was wild and every time I thought I knew where it was going it that I solved something there would be another twist. I love when a thriller can surprise me and keep me guessing. I thought this was a very interesting premise for a book and while it may be a little far fetched it was so entertaining I don’t even care. It has been a while since I read such a captivating and quick moving adult thriller, so I am very impressed with this one. I do have to say the main character in this book is way too trusting and so stupid lol. But it made for some great entertainment. I am so excited to read the rest of Freida McFadden books and I think this book may have just jump started a thriller phase. I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a book with lots of twists where you can’t trust anyone.

NetGalley Review -- my rating 5/5

"The Inmate" by Freida McFadden is a story surrounding single mom and full-time nurse, Brooke, as she navigates moving back to her hometown with her son. She is basically forced into a job at the max security prison because nowhere else will hire her...but mum's the word...she knows one of the inmates....really well.

This book blew my mind! I kept guessing whodunnit and boy, was I wrong! I loved this Freida. She always throws out the most gripping twists that keeps you engaged the entire novel.

A must read!

This one blew my mind. The climax was just!!!!!! Freida, at this point, I will read anything you write!

"I'm stronger than I used to be. This monster won't get the better of me." Brooke Sullivan is arriving at the Rake maximum high-security prison as a nurse practitioner. But there's something she didn't mention in the job interview or told the nurse she will be working with: she knows an inmate there. Who happened to be her first boyfriend. And secondly, she was the one who put him in prison.
First of, I am a little shocked about the last few chapter's: there was so much being revealed in them... Like my mind is still trying to comprehend everything and get back to the real world. My conclusion will be that I'm speechless, you will have to read it to understand what I am talking about. I'm not a big fan of the friends to lovers trope, but if you like that then this is the crime novel for you, but also if you like crime novels with minimal details about murder and blood (there are some but not a lot!), and/or like psychological crimes novels, this is also for you.
This was my first book by Freida McFadden and it certainly won't be the last!
Happy reading!♥️

The Inmate by Freida McFadden

My rating:
5/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Brooke is starting her new job as a nurse practitioner at a men’s maximum security prison. The staff didn’t know at the time of her hire that she has a very personal connection to one of the inmates.

Well… the twist queen officially got me again. I don’t know how she does it but I was so convinced I had this one all figured out but I was wrong!

I really enjoy Freida McFadden’s books because they are always so twisty and easy to follow.

I found myself not wanting to put this one down because I had to figure out how it would all end. This was a perfect read for me as it got me out of my reading slump.

I would definitely recommend this one along with the Housemaid if you want a fast paced thriller!

Thank you netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC! You can read this one now as it is on kindle unlimited! I believe the physical copies will be printed and published on March 5, 2024!

Frieda McFadden is a master of the twisty, un-put-downable thriller that holds you in its talons right until the last page. Compelling and shocking, I stayed up all night to finish it!

Another great novel by Freida McFadden. I can't seem to get enough of her crazy and outlandish plots. This one doesn't disappoint either.
A crime 11 years ago but did she send the wrong guy to prison? Who's the killer, when will she remember? Who can she trust?Thank you #netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Another great book Freida a lot of suspense and when you think you have it figured out she puts a twist in it.

This is my first Freida McFadden book. I've had The Housemaid on my TBR list for a while so was very excited to read the ARC for The Inmate.

The Inmate is the story of Brooke, a single mom with a complicated and tragic past. We learn that Brooke was almost murdered by her ex, Shane ten years ago. The entire event was very choppy in Brooke's memory. Her ex went to prison and everyone thought it was case closed, or was it? Fast forward to then years later and Brooke takes a job at the prison where Shane is imprisoned. Brooke reconnects with old friends and starts second-guessing what happened the night she was almost murdered.

The story has lots of twists and some good characters. I didn't love that it was written in the first person. I felt that the writing style was a bit YA. The "aha" moment/explanation of what happened ten years ago was a little far-fetched for me.

The Inmate is a quick read a an ok story but not my favourite thriller of all time.

Another fast-paced, twisty, addicting, popcorn thriller from McFadden! I really enjoyed the dual timelines, one of my favorite narrative structures in thriller books. I never could predict the direction it was going to take, this story had me believing everyone was guilty at some point. My only issue was with the protagonist being frustrating at times, especially her total disregard for her son in some instances. There’s not too much to say about it as a whole (it’s just not that deep) but if you are looking for an easy, gripping, escapist read, then this one is for you. I love reading her books like a palate cleanser, in between all the dense fantasy worlds and other emotional, thought-provoking, or prose-heavy stories on my tbr. Overall, this was everything I’d expect from this author - a binge-worthy, compulsive read with building suspense and a twisty ending.

This book was absolutely insane. I'm not usually one to read mysteries, but Freida McFadden has me hooked every. single. time. There was never a moment where I was able to guess the ending which is something I LOVE in a mystery. It is completely unpredictable all the way, even through the epilogue. This is a must read for anyone who loves thrillers.