In Freida McFadden's THE INMATE, one woman's tormented dark past returns to wreak havoc in the present.

"Secrets, obsession, and vengeance converge in this complex multi-layered psychological suspense crime thriller turned deadly whodunit game of cat-and-mouse—with a jaw-dropping twist you do not see coming!"

The protagonist, Brooke Sullivan, has moved back to her hometown in Raker, upstate New York, with her young son Josh. She has a nice older lady, Margie, who is her babysitter, and Josh adores her and her cooking.

Brooke has had a problem finding a job and has taken a job at the Raker Penitentiary. She did not want this job as a nurse practitioner, but it was the only thing she could find, and only for a year.

She does not tell her employer that the man who was her first boyfriend is an inmate at Raker Maximum Security Penitentiary, currently serving life without the possibility of parole. She is the one who put him here.

It is not long before she faces him in the medical ward: Shane Nelson—the father of her son.

From the past to the present, we learn about the events that unfolded eleven years ago. A party, friends, drinking, drugs, sex, and parents out of town. Her childhood friend, Tim, Shane, and her other friends. The party turns deadly. MURDER.

In the present, Tim (her childhood friend) and one at the party years ago is the principal at Josh's school. Josh likes him. They start dating. He seems like such a nice guy. Can she trust him?

Then as she gets to know Shane in prison, he does not seem like a killer. She second-guesses herself and the events of eleven years ago.

Could it have been Tim who tried to kill her and the others instead of Shane? Or were they working together? Something is off.

What happened at the Nelson farmhouse eleven years ago, and what is happening now?

She could not see her attacker's face. It was dark. He had a particular smell she would never forget. Did she make a mistake? Who is guilty?

Who murdered her friends and tried to kill her. Is the real murderer still out there? From here on out, it is fast-paced, and you must figure out whom to trust.

McFadden takes readers deep inside the minds of both perpetrator and victim, blurring the lines between right and wrong, crime and justice, and showing that sometimes even good people are drawn to do evil things.

It's a highly entertaining popcorn thriller!

THE INMATE is an easy, fun, wild ride binge-read that will keep you on your toes until the end. The Epilogue raised this one to 5-star status.

Deliciously evil, and as always, you can count on Freida to end her books with a bang. I am constantly guessing at the end game, but she stays one step ahead. It is like that little evil twist bonus that leaves you smiling.

I recommend going into this one for fun and not making it too serious. Brook is naive, and things are a little wacky, but this is fiction, folks. Everyone is a suspect and many red herrings. However, I would never have guessed the killer. So, hats off to the author for the surprise shock.

If you enjoyed the movie Scream, you might enjoy the book. However, the book is not horror and does not have gore (which I do not care for).

If you are looking for a fun, addictive, complex, multi-layered whodunit with dual timelines and devilish cat-and-mouse games, I highly recommend it. Everything I have read by the author so far has been great. Love her writing style!

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

AUDIOBOOK: I am a huge Leslie Howard fan and love her as a narrator. Her captivating voice grabs you from the first page to the last. I highly recommend the audiobook as well for an engaging listening experience. I purchased the audio and e-book as well.

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My Rating: 5 STARS
Pub Date: 03/05/2024 (paperback edition)
July 2022 Must-Read Books