The Inmate

Despite how unnerving and creeped out they make me feel at night, I am always keen to read more of Sebastian Fitzek.

What you are always guaranteed in his books is a premise that hooks you right from the start and takes you through to the end with your nerves frayed from the first sentence to the last.

Here, we have a young boy missing presumed murdered by an infamous serial killer. Although imprisoned with no chance of release, he refuses to admit to Max's murder or let his distressed parents know where the body is buried.

Max's father is, however, given the chance infiltrate the prison where the presumed murdered is being held, and a grieving father with nothing to lose will stop at nothing to bring his boy home.....

This is a really intriguing (if far-fetched) premise but it tells barely any of what actually happens next. This book reminded me of one of my favourite novels, however I can't say which for fear of potentially giving away the game but if you've read it, you'll know which one I mean.

Thanks to Aria & Aries, Head of Zeus -- an Aries Book and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I've been meaning to read Sebastian Fitzek for some time and was pleased to finally have the opportunity. The Inmate is a cleverly-constructed big, brash thriller. Grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go.

This book is a good read I could not put it down with all the twists and turns with so many surprises. The book has sex, pregnancy, a serial killer, many gruesome murders, manipulation, secrets and likes. I guessed the identity of the evil and the good man,though the identity of the serial killer was a mystery that is a great surprise in the ending. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks netgalley for allowing me to read this great book even if it was quite blood thirsty and
Truly horrific.The story is based in Germany in a mental
Asylum for the medically insane.
Till Berkhoff had lost his son by the hands of Guido Tramnitz who was locked up due to him killing at least three children maybe more and Till wanted to know where his son was buried so he could have closure.
The only way of finding the truth was to get into the mental asylum and get the truth out of Tramnitz, but Till did not know what he was getting into.
Another really exciting book by this author he never fails to scare you.

Fitzek does it again! Strong psychological thriller. Dark and creepy that you will want to read in one night!

Sebastian Fitzek has been one of my favourite authors since reading Therapy many years ago. That one book turned into purchasing all his books without bothering to read the descriptions, counting down the days til his new books are released and messaging him on social media to beg him to re-release his older books in English. Sorry, not sorry..!
A huge thank you to Netgalley and Fitzek for allowing me to read and review his latest book, The Inmate. Also, sorry to those in the grocery store who were startled when I squealed loudly after receiving the ARC email... My bad.

The Inmate is yet another five star book by this amazing author. Fitzek is a talented storyteller who manages to confuse you, engage you and send you spinning whenever you think you might have figured something out. His endings always pack a punch and The Inmate was no exception. The characters were strong and compelling and the POV dipped into minor characters and back to the main character with ease. I love the way Fitzek uses gore and crudeness in a way that adds to the story, rather than purely for shock value. His storytelling is masterful in building suspense and creating an obsessed reader who should really put the book down and go to sleep but knows they'll happily trade sleep for just one more chapter... At least.

If you want a compelling, strong thriller - look no further. Fitzek is an amazing author and The Inmate is definitely another fantastic five star book by him. Thank you again for allowing me to read your book and I can't wait for more!!

I am the biggest fan of this author and I watch with baited breath for newly translated books. And pounce on them when I spot them. How I wish he can be published in Germany and UK at the same time. My schoolgirl German from my OLevel sat in 1986 is really not up to reading in the original language!
Anyway... in this book we meet Guido, who has confessed to the brutal murders of two children. He is also suspected of the kidnap and murder of another child - Max - but from his place in a high security psychiatric prison hospital, Guido is saying nothing about that.
The only way to break Guido is for someone to infiltrate the hospital and talk directly to Guido. Till is Max's father and just the man for the job...
If you have read any of Fitzek's books before (and if you haven't I really do suggest you check them out) you will know what you are getting. Something nasty, close to the knuckle, something that you have to suspend belief about until eventually you get what he is hiding, when the twists are delivered, and then you just go "WOW" when you eventually fully understand!
As always the translation is seamless. The story flows well off the page and gets on with itself very well indeed. It is extremely and tightly well plotted. Characterisation is good, and the main players are all easy to connect to in some way - good or bad - warts and all in some cases!
And the ending. I have already said WOW. I really do mean it. This is one author who gets me EVERY time. Without fail. Delivering the most brilliant, jaw dropping, endings time after time. This one being no exception.
In fact the only bad thing about finishing this book is the wait before I get to read the next one. Fingers crossed it's not too long... My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Why do I do this to myself? Every time I see a Fitzek novel, I read it immediately, only to spend time in claustrophobic, creepy, horrific environments, surrounded by horrible people. Why? Well, because I love it. His books are impossible to put down, and full of twists that are surprising, but also make total sense. What’s for sure is that I never see it coming. The Inmate is about Till, a grieving father who lost his son and who gets himself committed into a mental institution to get close to the serial killer that is probably responsible. But that killer is not the only psycho there, so Till has to put up with another inmate who wants to kill the guy whose cover identity he took, as well as a doctor who wants him out of the way for reasons of his own. At first, it’s hard for him to act like a lunatic enough so that people don’t question what he’s doing there but it keeps getting easier, as he may be losing his mind. I don’t want to say more because it’s better not to know what’s going on. The plot is so propulsive that it’s hard to put down. As always, even the afterword is original and wonderful. So, readers who enjoy feel-good books should probably stay away but anyone looking to get sucked into a great story will enjoy the pain.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Aria & Aries, Head of Zeus!

Osted 05/12/2023

he Inmate - Sebastian Fitzek

Thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for this "novel" eARC.

Sebastian Fitzek retirns, and once again, he blast formulative psychological thrillers out of the water with his latest amazing offering, h

The basic scenario of this story is captivating enough: A boy named Max was kidnapped, and the police are sure that Guido K., a pedophilic serial torturer and kier of children is responsible for the boy's disappearance. However, Guido, who was previously judged insane (because ""voices " told him to commit his vicious acts. As sometimes happens in these types of situations, one of Max's arents, his father, fees guilt about the abduction, as he let Max go outside when he wasn't being watched by either parent.
Max's parent's relationship raidy and irreparably disinigrated.

About a year after Max's abduction, Max's father tricks his way into the mental hospital where Guido is residing, in an effort to get Guido to confess.

"Oh what a tangled web we weave..."

If you think you have read books similar to this story, remember, Fritzek doesn't "DO" boring; he is the master of creator of original, thrilling, and cativating mysteries!

Trigger warning regarding severe child abuse: This novel contains detailed descriptions of child abuse.

Until next time...

Wow this was a crazy book. What a creative author! This was giving me major Shutter Island vibes with a twist though. I did feel a little confused when I first started this book, the first chapter was a little confusing and really drops you in. From there, I was able to grasp more of what was going on. There was so many twists in turns in this that I did not expect. Also, because this is a translated book, some of the phrases were off or didn't make sense in English but it didn't change my understanding of the book overall. I would highly recommend!

OMG WHAT A READ!!!!
This book will blow your mind. Definitely one of the best books I have read this year. It starts with a missing child and a desperate father add to the mix one of the most evil child killers I have ever met in fiction. I was hooked from the first to the last page. Abhorrent, chilling and heartbraking. I have never read a book like this before. For me this is the best book that I have read by this author. OMG WHAT A book!!! This book deserves more than five stars and is a MUST READ for all readers of this genre. Beware this book will stay with you long after you have turned the last page.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

The Inmate is yet another disturbingly original psychological thriller from a master of the genre. The killer who murdered and severely disfigured two young children in cold blood, Guido Tamnitz, has been caught by the Berlin police. The child murderer, who remains silent at the behest of his lawyer, is serving his sentence in a notorious psychiatric prison hospital. However, the crimes have not ended there: the man is presumed to have also kidnapped six-year-old Max Berkhoff before he was caught as it very much fits his modus operandi, and the police do not have a single clue that would help them track the boy down. The investigators also only have circumstantial evidence so far which would be useless in gaining a conviction without something more concrete.

Without the prisoner's statement and confession, Max's parents will have no certainty and will never be able to say goodbye to their son; it's a matter of hoping the killer will do the right thing. However, three months after Max's disappearance, a homicide detective makes the desperate father, Till, an unbelievable offer: he will smuggle him into the psychiatric prison hospital where Guido is locked up in the high-security wing. As a fake patient, equipped with a fake medical record. So that he can be as close as he possibly can to the child killer and force him into a confession.

Because nothing is worse than uncertainty. Until he, as an inmate, learns the gruesome truth. This is a merciless thriller about a man who infiltrates a maximum-security psychiatric prison to find out the fate of his kidnapped son; a man who has nothing to lose, diving deep into the dark side of the human mind. Fitzek takes the reader behind bars and doesn't let go until the raw story is finished. In the very first pages, the author whips up the tension to such extremes that I could barely put the book down. A plethora of dramatic, often breathtaking twists are interspersed throughout the plot; no other German thriller writers do it better. In short chapters that allow for a change of perspective, this rip-roaring tale takes on an attractive pace that is simply irresistible. Once again, the author has produced a terrifying, shocking and startlingly original thriller of the highest order.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.
This is my first title by this author and will read more in the future.
Will recommend this to anyone looking for a thriller.
I requested this book as i was drawn in by the cover and thought it looked interesting.
This book is dark and creepy and i really enjoyed it.
Very unique and interesting story line
Thanks again for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.