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The Inmate
There are three rules Brooke Sullivan must follow as a new nurse practitioner at a men's maximum-security:
1) Treat all prisoners with respect.
2) Never reveal any personal information.
3) Never EVER become too friendly with the inmates.
But none of the staff at the prison knows Brooke has already broken the rules. Nobody knows about her intimate connection to Shane Nelson, one of the penitentiary's most notorious and dangerous inmates. And they certainly don't know that Shane was Brooke's high school sweetheart―the star quarterback who is now spending the rest of his life in prison for a series of grisly murders. Or that Brooke's testimony was what put him there.
But Shane knows. And he will never forget.
1) Treat all prisoners with respect.
2) Never reveal any personal information.
3) Never EVER become too friendly with the inmates.
But none of the staff at the prison knows Brooke has already broken the rules. Nobody knows about her intimate connection to Shane Nelson, one of the penitentiary's most notorious and dangerous inmates. And they certainly don't know that Shane was Brooke's high school sweetheart―the star quarterback who is now spending the rest of his life in prison for a series of grisly murders. Or that Brooke's testimony was what put him there.
But Shane knows. And he will never forget.
388 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 13, 2022
About the author
Freida McFadden
47 books101k followers#1 New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publisher's Weekly, and Amazon Charts bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42,447 reviews
August 30, 2022
★ 1 star
The plot? Weak.
The protagonist? Dumb.
The writing? Reads like a YA.
Oh Lord, I wanted to like this so bad.
It started out okay. I had high hopes. It was good until Brooke started using her brain all the time. This book would 100% be better if she doesn't think too much so she doesn't confuse everyone. Even she manages to confuse herself, if you can believe it.
All the maybe he isn’t—, maybe I should be—, maybe I should just—, I can't. Brooke why are you doing this to yourself.
I honestly feel for Brooke. Being treated the way that she did in the aftermath of the murders, it was really hard for her. Standing up to her parents after being shunned by them and raising a child on her own, that takes courage. Being woken up by the same strangled-by-your-own-necklace nightmare, that takes a toll on your mental health. Losing your friends and witnessing their deaths, that kind of trauma carries through. The triggers, they linger. Even more so, the memories, they stay with you.
However ...
Explain it to me, if Brooke was still so traumatized by the events from 10 years ago, how was she not repulsed by the sight of Shane in her patient room? She believed Shane strangled her yet she was practically restless and swooning upon seeing him. Oh my shirt was hanging a little low and my cleavage was showing! Nah, it's fine, he prolly don't see much boobs in here. — Are you kidding me?!
Explain to me, how, if Shane was murdering upstairs, you smelled sandalwood on your strangler? Or that the strangler felt heavy and bulky on you? Is this a case of an 'unreliable memory' after a traumatic event? Or is this a case of dumb teenager in the wild?
Explain to me how Tim never recognized the baby sitter as the one who sold him the necklace? Or how, given Tim's love for Brooke, would he gift her a broken necklace on her birthday no less?! A broken necklace?! On her birthday?! Are you kidding me?!
There has been far too many issues to dismiss. The reason for the murder is so bad. Are we really going to buy that a life-sentence can be overturned that easily? Or that a correctional facility would hire someone associated with a prisoner even if they were that desperate?
Brooke was written too dumb for this to be remotely enjoyable. Another idiot-driven plot. Actually, I'm beginning to think McFadden writes the dumbest protagonists — women who are helpless and can hardly think for themselves.
I had picked this up because my feed is just swamped with McFadden recommendations. Every McFadden read of mine is not good so far, so I'm now on a hunt for a McFadden thriller that's actually thrilling to disabuse me of this notion that she writes thrillers for bored teens.
Plot: ★
Writing: ★
The plot? Weak.
The protagonist? Dumb.
The writing? Reads like a YA.
Oh Lord, I wanted to like this so bad.
It started out okay. I had high hopes. It was good until Brooke started using her brain all the time. This book would 100% be better if she doesn't think too much so she doesn't confuse everyone. Even she manages to confuse herself, if you can believe it.
All the maybe he isn’t—, maybe I should be—, maybe I should just—, I can't. Brooke why are you doing this to yourself.
I honestly feel for Brooke. Being treated the way that she did in the aftermath of the murders, it was really hard for her. Standing up to her parents after being shunned by them and raising a child on her own, that takes courage. Being woken up by the same strangled-by-your-own-necklace nightmare, that takes a toll on your mental health. Losing your friends and witnessing their deaths, that kind of trauma carries through. The triggers, they linger. Even more so, the memories, they stay with you.
However ...
Explain it to me, if Brooke was still so traumatized by the events from 10 years ago, how was she not repulsed by the sight of Shane in her patient room? She believed Shane strangled her yet she was practically restless and swooning upon seeing him. Oh my shirt was hanging a little low and my cleavage was showing! Nah, it's fine, he prolly don't see much boobs in here. — Are you kidding me?!
Explain to me, how, if Shane was murdering upstairs, you smelled sandalwood on your strangler? Or that the strangler felt heavy and bulky on you? Is this a case of an 'unreliable memory' after a traumatic event? Or is this a case of dumb teenager in the wild?
Explain to me how Tim never recognized the baby sitter as the one who sold him the necklace? Or how, given Tim's love for Brooke, would he gift her a broken necklace on her birthday no less?! A broken necklace?! On her birthday?! Are you kidding me?!
There has been far too many issues to dismiss. The reason for the murder is so bad. Are we really going to buy that a life-sentence can be overturned that easily? Or that a correctional facility would hire someone associated with a prisoner even if they were that desperate?
Brooke was written too dumb for this to be remotely enjoyable. Another idiot-driven plot. Actually, I'm beginning to think McFadden writes the dumbest protagonists — women who are helpless and can hardly think for themselves.
I had picked this up because my feed is just swamped with McFadden recommendations. Every McFadden read of mine is not good so far, so I'm now on a hunt for a McFadden thriller that's actually thrilling to disabuse me of this notion that she writes thrillers for bored teens.
Plot: ★
Writing: ★
July 6, 2022
**3.5 Stars**
Interesting read. The twists at the end just didn't have that impact it needed.
Interesting read. The twists at the end just didn't have that impact it needed.
June 22, 2022
4.0 stars— Everytime I research top thrillers on Kindle Unlimited there are numerous books with thousands of great ratings for Freida McFadden. So, I decided to read her newest book, “The Inmate”, and I have to admit it wasn’t half bad. The book begins with Brooke Sullivan starting her new job as a nurse practitioner in a maximum security prison. It happens to be the same prison where the person who was convicted of attempting to kill her and who is also the father of her 10 year old son resides. The author does a great job of interweaving the new interactions with baby daddy, Shane, with the events that led to his conviction and incarceration. As the author introduces new characters, it becomes obvious very quickly the path the book is taking for final resolution. In fact, about 1/4 of the way in I felt confident I could guess the ending. However, to the author’s credit, I was wrong and enjoyed the unexpected twists and turns the author used to finish the story. Were there numerous obvious red herrings? Yes. Did the author use many of the obvious cliches in thriller books such as storms, no cell service, impassable roads etc? Yes again. However, much like some of the summer blockbuster movies I enjoyed over the years, if you don’t over analyze and just go where the author leads you, the book was entertaining. I know many of you might disagree and call this book fluff, but I believe some books (and movies) are fast paced and entertaining enough to be worth reading. I definitely will be back for more of Ms. McFadden’s intriguing books.
May 15, 2024
2.5/5 ★’s
⁀➷ sometimes people do exactly what you think they’re going to do, and they still manage to disappoint you.
damn freida, fucking me up with the truth😭
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･･:*.ೃ࿔⋆❀°
i’m so sad😞i felt myself getting into a reading slump so usually when that happens…i trust freida to pull me out of it, but i fear this one did the exact opposite. i LOVE freida, but this one just didn’t hit for me. stick around for my spoiler free rant underneath the characters section. for those who have read this book or just want to know why i didn’t enjoy this and don’t care about reading spoilers, go ahead and skip to the spoiler portion of this review a good laugh<3
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･･:*.ೃ࿔⋆❀°
❥ 𝓂𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈:
i really had to sit and think about my rating and i don’t remember the last time i had to do that. i’m just honestly conflicted because i sat and read this in one sitting. there was never a time where i wanted to put down the book. like every freida book i’ve read, it kept me intrigued and wanting to keep turning the pages until i reached the end. i do still recommend reading this one because the plot was good, it’s a fast paced book, has some good twists and turns…my only problem i had with this book was the fmc which i will rant about later. so if you’re a big freida fan like me, please don’t let me discourage you from reading this one.
❥ 𝓅𝓁𝑜𝓉:
it was so good😩we have the fmc, brooke sullivan, who starts a new job as a nurse practitioner…at a prison. this prison is located in her hometown that she left behind for 10 years after her ex boyfriend, shane nelson, tried to murder her. he’s an inmate at the prison she works at…what could possibly go wrong?lmao, A LOT. see!!!! the plot was plotting. i knew it would eat, but sadly the fmc just ended up ruining it for me.
❥ 𝓌𝓇𝒾𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔:
there’s always a bone chilling vibe when it comes to freida’s writing. i swear i always get goosebumps. it’s absolutely fascinating. imagine being so good with words to the point where it brings literal chills to your body. i wish i had that kind of talent. THE PLOT TWIST AT THE VERY END GAVE ME GOOSEBUMPS ON TOP OF MY GOOSEBUMPS. i was like🫨crazy. but freida girl can we PLEASE talk about the shitty ass fmc you created😭
❥ 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓈:
i’d be an inmate right alongside her ex bf for running over this girl with my car. in all seriousness, if the fmc hadn’t been dumber than my pet rock…this book would’ve easily been a five star read for me. yeah, that’s how bad she ruined it for me. when i tell you that this girl had 0 brain cells. not a single one. embarrassing. on top of that…she’s a MOTHER. i’m getting second hand embarrassment thinking about her and her decisions right now. she drove me to literal insanity. UGH. just wanna jump into this book and take one good swing at her and then i’ll be good🫡 anyways yeah, she’s the sole reason for my 2.5 star rating…*eye twitch*
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･･:*.ೃ࿔⋆❀°
i’m really just here to go off about the fmc. how stupid is this girl? let me make a list!
1.) first of all…why take a job as a nurse practitioner at the prison where your ex bf is located at? the ex bf who tried to kill you. the ex bf you helped put away in prison. the ex bf you KNOW is located at the prison you’re CHOOSING to work at. i- girl- fuck, nvm.
2.) she was a busy girl in that prison…helping inmates when they were sick, when they were injured, letting her ex bf manipulate her into thinking he wasn’t really the one who tried to kill her and making her believe it was her childhood best friend who did it. yeah, busy girl. oh and guess what? SHE BELIEVED HIM. so what does she do? she gets her childhood bestie…who’s in love with her btw (why? idk.)…sent to prison which then leads to her ex bf getting released.
3.) think she couldn’t get any dumber? WRONG. before i continue, let me remind you that this girl is a literal mother and yes…her criminal of an ex bf is the father. so after she gets her ex bf released from prison, SHE LET’S HIM STAY WITH HER IN HER HOME WHERE HER AND HER CHILD SLEEP. that doorknob that girl was fucking in that book “unhinged” was smarter than her fr.
4.) this girl was honestly just a terrible decision maker the ENTIRE book. she would believe anything that was told to her like girl be so fucking for real. if i walked up to her and told her i was santa clause…she would be like “omg really?” no you stupid idiot😐
that’s enough about her. she gives me the biggest headache.
her son’s pov at the end took me the fuck out. the parallels between him and his father😭i was NOT expecting that. CRAZYY. like father like son😍
tim reese, you were all hot and perfect until you said a man’s famous line.
⤷ ❝believe what you want to believe.❞
i mean…you were telling the truth but damn dude, just shut your mouth and let her make herself look like the dumbass🤡
okay i’m done now, i have a headache😣
❥05/09/24
𝓅𝓇𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌:
the fmc completely ruined this. i enjoyed it, but her and i have beef. like if i could jump into this book and slap her, i would. anyways, rtc!😃
❥04/26/24
finally flying home from my vacation tonight! this is my read for the plane😌i will catch up on all my bestie’s updates soon, ilyy! in the meantime, i’ll just be over here letting freida fuck with my mind😗
⁀➷ sometimes people do exactly what you think they’re going to do, and they still manage to disappoint you.
damn freida, fucking me up with the truth😭
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･･:*.ೃ࿔⋆❀°
𝓼𝓹𝓸𝓲𝓵𝓮𝓻 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓮 𝓹𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷
i’m so sad😞i felt myself getting into a reading slump so usually when that happens…i trust freida to pull me out of it, but i fear this one did the exact opposite. i LOVE freida, but this one just didn’t hit for me. stick around for my spoiler free rant underneath the characters section. for those who have read this book or just want to know why i didn’t enjoy this and don’t care about reading spoilers, go ahead and skip to the spoiler portion of this review a good laugh<3
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･･:*.ೃ࿔⋆❀°
❥ 𝓂𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈:
i really had to sit and think about my rating and i don’t remember the last time i had to do that. i’m just honestly conflicted because i sat and read this in one sitting. there was never a time where i wanted to put down the book. like every freida book i’ve read, it kept me intrigued and wanting to keep turning the pages until i reached the end. i do still recommend reading this one because the plot was good, it’s a fast paced book, has some good twists and turns…my only problem i had with this book was the fmc which i will rant about later. so if you’re a big freida fan like me, please don’t let me discourage you from reading this one.
❥ 𝓅𝓁𝑜𝓉:
it was so good😩we have the fmc, brooke sullivan, who starts a new job as a nurse practitioner…at a prison. this prison is located in her hometown that she left behind for 10 years after her ex boyfriend, shane nelson, tried to murder her. he’s an inmate at the prison she works at…what could possibly go wrong?
❥ 𝓌𝓇𝒾𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔:
there’s always a bone chilling vibe when it comes to freida’s writing. i swear i always get goosebumps. it’s absolutely fascinating. imagine being so good with words to the point where it brings literal chills to your body. i wish i had that kind of talent. THE PLOT TWIST AT THE VERY END GAVE ME GOOSEBUMPS ON TOP OF MY GOOSEBUMPS. i was like🫨crazy. but freida girl can we PLEASE talk about the shitty ass fmc you created😭
❥ 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓈:
i’d be an inmate right alongside her ex bf for running over this girl with my car. in all seriousness, if the fmc hadn’t been dumber than my pet rock…this book would’ve easily been a five star read for me. yeah, that’s how bad she ruined it for me. when i tell you that this girl had 0 brain cells. not a single one. embarrassing. on top of that…she’s a MOTHER. i’m getting second hand embarrassment thinking about her and her decisions right now. she drove me to literal insanity. UGH. just wanna jump into this book and take one good swing at her and then i’ll be good🫡 anyways yeah, she’s the sole reason for my 2.5 star rating…*eye twitch*
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･･:*.ೃ࿔⋆❀°
𝓼𝓹𝓸𝓲𝓵𝓮𝓻 𝓹𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷
i’m really just here to go off about the fmc. how stupid is this girl? let me make a list!
1.) first of all…why take a job as a nurse practitioner at the prison where your ex bf is located at? the ex bf who tried to kill you. the ex bf you helped put away in prison. the ex bf you KNOW is located at the prison you’re CHOOSING to work at. i- girl- fuck, nvm.
2.) she was a busy girl in that prison…helping inmates when they were sick, when they were injured, letting her ex bf manipulate her into thinking he wasn’t really the one who tried to kill her and making her believe it was her childhood best friend who did it. yeah, busy girl. oh and guess what? SHE BELIEVED HIM. so what does she do? she gets her childhood bestie…who’s in love with her btw (
3.) think she couldn’t get any dumber? WRONG. before i continue, let me remind you that this girl is a literal mother and yes…her criminal of an ex bf is the father. so after she gets her ex bf released from prison, SHE LET’S HIM STAY WITH HER IN HER HOME WHERE HER AND HER CHILD SLEEP. that doorknob that girl was fucking in that book “unhinged” was smarter than her fr.
4.) this girl was honestly just a terrible decision maker the ENTIRE book. she would believe anything that was told to her like girl be so fucking for real. if i walked up to her and told her i was santa clause…she would be like “omg really?” no you stupid idiot😐
that’s enough about her. she gives me the biggest headache.
her son’s pov at the end took me the fuck out. the parallels between him and his father😭i was NOT expecting that. CRAZYY. like father like son😍
tim reese, you were all hot and perfect until you said a man’s famous line.
⤷ ❝believe what you want to believe.❞
i mean…you were telling the truth but damn dude, just shut your mouth and let her make herself look like the dumbass🤡
okay i’m done now, i have a headache😣
❥05/09/24
𝓅𝓇𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌:
the fmc completely ruined this. i enjoyed it, but her and i have beef. like if i could jump into this book and slap her, i would. anyways, rtc!😃
❥04/26/24
finally flying home from my vacation tonight! this is my read for the plane😌i will catch up on all my bestie’s updates soon, ilyy! in the meantime, i’ll just be over here letting freida fuck with my mind😗
March 23, 2023
Was the plot totally far fetched? Yes.
Was the FMC a complete idiot? Yes.
Was I thoroughly entertained? Yes.
3.5 stars
Was the FMC a complete idiot? Yes.
Was I thoroughly entertained? Yes.
3.5 stars
September 30, 2022
Ughh! It was entertaining but...
Brooke Sullivan is a nurse practitioner at a maximum security prison where Shane Nelson, her ex-boyfriend and the baby daddy to her ten-year-old son, Josh is incarcerated for life. Eleven years ago at seventeen, she and her best friend Tim Reese testified that Shane killed their three friends and attempted to strangle her although she never saw who it was. To this day, Shane insisted that he is innocent and to watch out for Tim.
Brooke is now dating Tim! Can she trust Tim? She knew him since they were kids but did he lie? Maybe Shane is telling the truth. Did she help put her son's father in prison? Ughh!!🙄
I admit I switch back and forth a few times about the killer, but I figured out who the killer was before Brooke did. I got pretty frustrated with Brooke to put it mildly. The last chapter was unexpected and kinda cool, I liked it so it's a solid 3 stars.
Brooke Sullivan is a nurse practitioner at a maximum security prison where Shane Nelson, her ex-boyfriend and the baby daddy to her ten-year-old son, Josh is incarcerated for life. Eleven years ago at seventeen, she and her best friend Tim Reese testified that Shane killed their three friends and attempted to strangle her although she never saw who it was. To this day, Shane insisted that he is innocent and to watch out for Tim.
Brooke is now dating Tim! Can she trust Tim? She knew him since they were kids but did he lie? Maybe Shane is telling the truth. Did she help put her son's father in prison? Ughh!!🙄
I admit I switch back and forth a few times about the killer, but I figured out who the killer was before Brooke did. I got pretty frustrated with Brooke to put it mildly. The last chapter was unexpected and kinda cool, I liked it so it's a solid 3 stars.
April 14, 2023
I read some reviews before I started on the book, so I was prepared for not being impressed by the main character. Like some wrote, she just didn’t seem very intelligent, an observation I found apt. The naïve actions were sometimes cringeworthy, I just wish she would have reflected a bit more about who she trusted and how fast she changed direction. The twist was interesting although not totally convincing. The book didn’t need the last twist, in my opinion.
March 11, 2024
Every time I thought I had it figured out, I was wrong. Some parts were a little far fetched but it was a page turner, nonetheless. I always get through Freida books quickly! Didn’t expect the ending whatsoever.
August 1, 2022
Oh good grief. This was just silly. It started off pretty good but quickly became outlandish. The MC was TSTL, even while being a NP. The twist was just ridiculous and too farfetched. I would have to believe way too many coincidences happened to put this foolery into motion. I'll admit, I did not see it coming.
April 13, 2023
4.25 ⭐️ i’m… wow 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀
that epilogue has me fucked up!
might not sleep.
stay tuned.
that epilogue has me fucked up!
might not sleep.
stay tuned.
June 30, 2022
I wanted to like this book - and it had me, in the first half. That's the only reason it gets a star instead of me just deleting it from my memory entirely.
But damn, did it get unreasonable quick. First of all, the idea that so many people can be accused of this one crime before someone starts questioning Brooke's sanity is laughable. Not to mention, this author clearly was not taking into account the length of time it takes for quite literally anything to move in the criminal justice system. There's no WAY Brooke simply recanting her testimony gets this man out of prison TEN YEARS after conviction??
Also, some of the plot points were just insane. Margie/Pamela helps her kid murder all of these people over the span of ELEVEN years and then just casually gives it all up just because her son died? When the grandson is still alive???
And why even bother murdering Hunt? Just to open the door to make Brooke realize Shane is an issue? With the way this book went, it almost would've been better for her not to suspect anything at all and get ambused.
The POV change in the epilogue made it even worse for me - first of all, the kid sounded much younger than 10 by the way it was written, in my opinion. But then he casually confesses to killing someone? HUH???
I wanted to like this. The premise of it was promising. But it went downhill so fast I got whiplash.
But damn, did it get unreasonable quick. First of all, the idea that so many people can be accused of this one crime before someone starts questioning Brooke's sanity is laughable. Not to mention, this author clearly was not taking into account the length of time it takes for quite literally anything to move in the criminal justice system. There's no WAY Brooke simply recanting her testimony gets this man out of prison TEN YEARS after conviction??
Also, some of the plot points were just insane. Margie/Pamela helps her kid murder all of these people over the span of ELEVEN years and then just casually gives it all up just because her son died? When the grandson is still alive???
And why even bother murdering Hunt? Just to open the door to make Brooke realize Shane is an issue? With the way this book went, it almost would've been better for her not to suspect anything at all and get ambused.
The POV change in the epilogue made it even worse for me - first of all, the kid sounded much younger than 10 by the way it was written, in my opinion. But then he casually confesses to killing someone? HUH???
I wanted to like this. The premise of it was promising. But it went downhill so fast I got whiplash.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2024
I want to name my review 'Irresistible Urge to Scream at the Heroine's Face' or 'How to Tolerate a Naive Heroine with No Gut Feelings' and 'Charm of Very Bad Boys'!
Brooke Sullivan made me rattled, but she’s still good at heart. At least she’s not a dislikable heroine; she’s just way too naive. Reading some of her comments about Shane and Tim created a nails-on-chalkboard effect on me!
I'm still eager to read anything from shopping lists to post-it scribbles by Freida McFadden to show my devotion (though I'll exclude the diary for now—it seems a bit creepy). And after seeing a few mixed reviews about the low level of the heroine’s IQ, I still try to stay objective and dive into this book, which is still on the New York Times Bestsellers list.
I have to admit, the criticism is right about the main character, Brooke Sullivan, who creates an irresistible urge for you to slap her every time she overthinks who the real culprit of the brutal crimes committed ten years ago might be. It’s hard to believe she wouldn't know who tried to kill her, especially when she suspects it might be the same man she made love to just hours before.
Yes, Brooke is more than a damsel in distress, and you can't help but question how a woman could live in oblivion for so long, raising a son at a young age without her parents’ guidance. It's a miracle that she stayed alive all those years with her level of naivety that makes you scream each time she overthinks and makes assumptions about the killer’s identity.
I can honestly say that until I reached the last third, I was considering giving this book five stars because it started so strong.
Let’s not even mention her actions, which I'll sugarcoat as naive moves—those were still tolerable. But when we reached the last third, she did things that would make a normal, patient person—or even a robot—curse! I was flabbergasted and found myself dreaming of jumping into this book to shake some sense into it or praying to God that Freida may create smarter heroines in the near future.
But thankfully, the twists and the author’s epilogue, much like her previous books, are perfectly executed and will make your jaw hit the ground. You'll save your laughter for the very end.
The plot revolves around our twenty-seven-year-old heroine, a nurse practitioner who recently buried her estranged parents due to her life choices, including keeping the baby of a serial killer. She inherits her family's house and moves there with her ten-year-old son, Josh.
Unfortunately, she only lands one job offer, which happens to be in a men’s maximum-security prison where her ex-lover and the murderer of her friends, Shane Nelson, is an inmate. Their encounters bring out dark memories from the past and unresolved issues between them.
Brooke hides the truth that they have a son, and Shane still insists he’s incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit, which makes Brooke question the memories of that haunted night when it was too dark to see who tried to kill her. But it was Shane, wasn't it? Even though Shane thinks Brooke’s next-door neighbor—also her first kiss—Tim, who is now the principal of her son’s school, is someone she's meeting on friendly terms, might be the real killer. He put the blame on Shane by stabbing himself and acted as if Shane had done it.
When Brooke starts taking this to another level with Tim, who might be the one and who has a great relationship with her son Josh, she starts seeing him in a different perspective, rethinking the events of the past. Another tragedy strikes, and she questions her decision to send Shane to prison. What if he’s telling the truth? What if she put an innocent man behind bars? What if she’s sleeping with an enemy and put not only her life but also her son’s life in danger?
Despite Brooke's incredibly irritating actions, the book is a well-executed psychological thriller. Most plot holes are adequately explained, and the final twists are deliciously irresistible.
Overall, I'm rounding up from 3.5 stars to 4 for this action-packed, mind-bending psychological thriller. It's a must-read for fans of twists and anyone who enjoys a fast-paced, popcorn-worthy page-turner!
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Brooke Sullivan made me rattled, but she’s still good at heart. At least she’s not a dislikable heroine; she’s just way too naive. Reading some of her comments about Shane and Tim created a nails-on-chalkboard effect on me!
I'm still eager to read anything from shopping lists to post-it scribbles by Freida McFadden to show my devotion (though I'll exclude the diary for now—it seems a bit creepy). And after seeing a few mixed reviews about the low level of the heroine’s IQ, I still try to stay objective and dive into this book, which is still on the New York Times Bestsellers list.
I have to admit, the criticism is right about the main character, Brooke Sullivan, who creates an irresistible urge for you to slap her every time she overthinks who the real culprit of the brutal crimes committed ten years ago might be. It’s hard to believe she wouldn't know who tried to kill her, especially when she suspects it might be the same man she made love to just hours before.
Yes, Brooke is more than a damsel in distress, and you can't help but question how a woman could live in oblivion for so long, raising a son at a young age without her parents’ guidance. It's a miracle that she stayed alive all those years with her level of naivety that makes you scream each time she overthinks and makes assumptions about the killer’s identity.
I can honestly say that until I reached the last third, I was considering giving this book five stars because it started so strong.
Let’s not even mention her actions, which I'll sugarcoat as naive moves—those were still tolerable. But when we reached the last third, she did things that would make a normal, patient person—or even a robot—curse! I was flabbergasted and found myself dreaming of jumping into this book to shake some sense into it or praying to God that Freida may create smarter heroines in the near future.
But thankfully, the twists and the author’s epilogue, much like her previous books, are perfectly executed and will make your jaw hit the ground. You'll save your laughter for the very end.
The plot revolves around our twenty-seven-year-old heroine, a nurse practitioner who recently buried her estranged parents due to her life choices, including keeping the baby of a serial killer. She inherits her family's house and moves there with her ten-year-old son, Josh.
Unfortunately, she only lands one job offer, which happens to be in a men’s maximum-security prison where her ex-lover and the murderer of her friends, Shane Nelson, is an inmate. Their encounters bring out dark memories from the past and unresolved issues between them.
Brooke hides the truth that they have a son, and Shane still insists he’s incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit, which makes Brooke question the memories of that haunted night when it was too dark to see who tried to kill her. But it was Shane, wasn't it? Even though Shane thinks Brooke’s next-door neighbor—also her first kiss—Tim, who is now the principal of her son’s school, is someone she's meeting on friendly terms, might be the real killer. He put the blame on Shane by stabbing himself and acted as if Shane had done it.
When Brooke starts taking this to another level with Tim, who might be the one and who has a great relationship with her son Josh, she starts seeing him in a different perspective, rethinking the events of the past. Another tragedy strikes, and she questions her decision to send Shane to prison. What if he’s telling the truth? What if she put an innocent man behind bars? What if she’s sleeping with an enemy and put not only her life but also her son’s life in danger?
Despite Brooke's incredibly irritating actions, the book is a well-executed psychological thriller. Most plot holes are adequately explained, and the final twists are deliciously irresistible.
Overall, I'm rounding up from 3.5 stars to 4 for this action-packed, mind-bending psychological thriller. It's a must-read for fans of twists and anyone who enjoys a fast-paced, popcorn-worthy page-turner!
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April 26, 2024
3.5 stars
the intrigue was a iota palpitante in the commencement but at some point the storytelling froze into an eternal loop of who’s the veritable villain. it ricocheted from the nice guy to bad boy again and again, inlassably until the suspense part of the storyline distilled it’s appeal. the author’s prose was to say the least engaged and it kept on my toes, jaw dropped on the floor more than once !
many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange of an honest review!
——
starting my Freida MacFadden’s journey with this one !
the intrigue was a iota palpitante in the commencement but at some point the storytelling froze into an eternal loop of who’s the veritable villain. it ricocheted from the nice guy to bad boy again and again, inlassably until the suspense part of the storyline distilled it’s appeal. the author’s prose was to say the least engaged and it kept on my toes, jaw dropped on the floor more than once !
many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange of an honest review!
——
starting my Freida MacFadden’s journey with this one !
May 29, 2022
Sit To Bum, DOWN! 😳😯🤯😯🤯🤯
Son of a hot biscuit! Fluffin' fluck cakes! For the love of fresh made cinnamon rolls! Oh lord this was salacious, delicious, juicy as ripe fruit! Flip sakes I sped through this like it was the NASCAR Daytona 300! (Whatever that is 😂) Freida is always a top 10 auto author for me and yet again she sets it in stone. This was an incredible plot and premise and supremely unique! I indulged & savoured this novel like my dog with peanut butter!
Mყ 𝐒ყɴ𝐨ρѕιѕ: Brooke is a single mom and a nurse practitioner. She just moved back to her hometown with her ten year old son. The only job she could get was being a nurse at a men's maximum security prison. And now she's about to see & face an inmate she knows - Shane; her high school sweetheart. How did he end up in prison? Because she's the one who put him in there.
This had it all - mystery, suspense, crime, thrill and dark, twisted secrets that give you chills! Spine-tingling, heart-racing, endless suspense. I need a darn cup of calming chamomile tea after this one! Be prepared to put your entire life on hold because you'll be too engaged with the novel to quit. How do I know? Because I blatantly told my dog Tink she was on her own for her own lunch. No shame or regret here!
*side note* my dog did not suffer from hunger or was neglected while both reading this book & writing my review. 😉
A major, deeply heartfelt thank you to Freida herself for asking me & sending me her ARC! 💜
Release Date: June 13, 2022
𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭: 5 / 5 Lilies!! 🪷
Son of a hot biscuit! Fluffin' fluck cakes! For the love of fresh made cinnamon rolls! Oh lord this was salacious, delicious, juicy as ripe fruit! Flip sakes I sped through this like it was the NASCAR Daytona 300! (Whatever that is 😂) Freida is always a top 10 auto author for me and yet again she sets it in stone. This was an incredible plot and premise and supremely unique! I indulged & savoured this novel like my dog with peanut butter!
Mყ 𝐒ყɴ𝐨ρѕιѕ: Brooke is a single mom and a nurse practitioner. She just moved back to her hometown with her ten year old son. The only job she could get was being a nurse at a men's maximum security prison. And now she's about to see & face an inmate she knows - Shane; her high school sweetheart. How did he end up in prison? Because she's the one who put him in there.
This had it all - mystery, suspense, crime, thrill and dark, twisted secrets that give you chills! Spine-tingling, heart-racing, endless suspense. I need a darn cup of calming chamomile tea after this one! Be prepared to put your entire life on hold because you'll be too engaged with the novel to quit. How do I know? Because I blatantly told my dog Tink she was on her own for her own lunch. No shame or regret here!
*side note* my dog did not suffer from hunger or was neglected while both reading this book & writing my review. 😉
A major, deeply heartfelt thank you to Freida herself for asking me & sending me her ARC! 💜
Release Date: June 13, 2022
𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭: 5 / 5 Lilies!! 🪷
November 26, 2022
This was just weak…
A very loose plot, too many coincidences, a dumb protagonist, this whole book would have not existed if Brooke just used two of her brain cells
How come she comes back to the very place she left ten years ago and not expect to meet people she knows, how did she know she’ll be working in the prison facility where her ex was and not prepare herself, and just “ blurt out” stuff the second he looks at her?!
How do the police work in that town, do they just keep relying on whatever Brooke tells them, they haven’t thought of investigationg any of the murders further?!
The motive is also quite weak for such a killing frenzy, and the fact that no one recognised you know who is too far fetched, I can swallow an unrealistic occurrence or two, but not when every plot twist is based on ridiculous omissions and coincidences.
A very loose plot, too many coincidences, a dumb protagonist, this whole book would have not existed if Brooke just used two of her brain cells
How come she comes back to the very place she left ten years ago and not expect to meet people she knows, how did she know she’ll be working in the prison facility where her ex was and not prepare herself, and just “ blurt out” stuff the second he looks at her?!
How do the police work in that town, do they just keep relying on whatever Brooke tells them, they haven’t thought of investigationg any of the murders further?!
The motive is also quite weak for such a killing frenzy, and the fact that no one recognised you know who is too far fetched, I can swallow an unrealistic occurrence or two, but not when every plot twist is based on ridiculous omissions and coincidences.
July 21, 2022
i never thought it was possible for a thriller book to be corny until this. everyone is so fucking dumb and brooke cannot think for herself! first of all, if she really is traumatized and reacts badly from even the small details, why doesnt seeing shane scare tf out of her and even being in the town where it all happened ? shes so stupid and she gives me that pick me girl vibes. also how tf is josh, a 10 year old who showed no comprehension of anything and acts and is being treated like a 5 year old, able to kill a grown man? that’s so farfetched it’s corny. i was going to give this book a higher rating when brooke thought tim was on it and i liked that idea. then she was wrong like brooke u only had one job ! and wtf is i lope you?
October 11, 2022
Brooke is a fairly new Nurse Practitioner. And she finally landed a new position. Not a job she particularly wanted. But hey, it’s the only one she could find. So for now it will have to do.
Did I mention it’s at the local penitentiary? Pretty tough in itself, but there’s more. It’s also where her first boyfriend Shane is currently serving his sentence. And it just keeps getting better…he was convicted of murdering her friends and trying to kill her! Talk about an unpleasant work environment!
Shane has always claimed he was innocent and is now concerned the real killer will come after Brooke once again.
This was an intriguing thriller that I truly thought I had figured out from the beginning! Nope! Not even close!
I listened to the audio version and the narrator did a great job! This was my first 🎧 by Freida McFadden and I am already searching for more of her works!
Thank you to my local library via Hoopla.🎧
Did I mention it’s at the local penitentiary? Pretty tough in itself, but there’s more. It’s also where her first boyfriend Shane is currently serving his sentence. And it just keeps getting better…he was convicted of murdering her friends and trying to kill her! Talk about an unpleasant work environment!
Shane has always claimed he was innocent and is now concerned the real killer will come after Brooke once again.
This was an intriguing thriller that I truly thought I had figured out from the beginning! Nope! Not even close!
I listened to the audio version and the narrator did a great job! This was my first 🎧 by Freida McFadden and I am already searching for more of her works!
Thank you to my local library via Hoopla.🎧
March 3, 2024
★ 3.5 stars
McFadden writes a gripping psychological thriller, focusing on Brooke Sullivan, a nurse at men's maximum-security prison. What Brooke failed to disclose when applying for the job, is that her ex childhood sweetheart, Shane Nelson is serving a lifelong sentence at the prison and she is responsible for his conviction. The story is told in dual timelines, flashing back to the night of the murders and the current tense.
This book is riddled with red flags, but the one thing about Freida's books is, the twist is never the obvious choice. The red herrings made me second guess myself constantly and while I did predict part of the story, the epilogue had my jaw on the floor 🤯 I did not see that coming at all.
The only reason my rating isn't higher is because I didn't care for the FMC. She consistently made terrible decisions and was delusional. Every time she was told not to do something or given a warning, she did the opposite. Especially when something suspicious would happen, her inner monologue justifying it was senseless.
I understand the nature of thrillers, but it's just frustrating when the female lead is portrayed as daft. I found myself yelling at various points based on some of her decisions. Sometimes I found her decisions humorous (like her lack of self awareness when the murders were taking place) but overall, she just got on my nerves.
Despite this, I was invested in the story and it was a fun, fast pace read. I devoured this in two sittings and struggled to put it down. The last 10 chapters especially, made my head spin. I will definitely be continuing with her other books as she writes twists like no other!
Note to self: trust no one.
⎯⎯ ୨ Pre-review: ୧ ⎯⎯
ex childhood sweetheart? star quarterback? turned serial murderer... sounds like it's for the delulu romance girlies 🤷♀️ I'm one of them.
➸ Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is being reprinted on 5/03/24.
McFadden writes a gripping psychological thriller, focusing on Brooke Sullivan, a nurse at men's maximum-security prison. What Brooke failed to disclose when applying for the job, is that her ex childhood sweetheart, Shane Nelson is serving a lifelong sentence at the prison and she is responsible for his conviction. The story is told in dual timelines, flashing back to the night of the murders and the current tense.
This book is riddled with red flags, but the one thing about Freida's books is, the twist is never the obvious choice. The red herrings made me second guess myself constantly and while I did predict part of the story, the epilogue had my jaw on the floor 🤯 I did not see that coming at all.
The only reason my rating isn't higher is because I didn't care for the FMC. She consistently made terrible decisions and was delusional. Every time she was told not to do something or given a warning, she did the opposite. Especially when something suspicious would happen, her inner monologue justifying it was senseless.
I understand the nature of thrillers, but it's just frustrating when the female lead is portrayed as daft. I found myself yelling at various points based on some of her decisions. Sometimes I found her decisions humorous (like her lack of self awareness when the murders were taking place) but overall, she just got on my nerves.
Despite this, I was invested in the story and it was a fun, fast pace read. I devoured this in two sittings and struggled to put it down. The last 10 chapters especially, made my head spin. I will definitely be continuing with her other books as she writes twists like no other!
Note to self: trust no one.
⎯⎯ ୨ Pre-review: ୧ ⎯⎯
ex childhood sweetheart? star quarterback? turned serial murderer... sounds like it's for the delulu romance girlies 🤷♀️ I'm one of them.
➸ Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is being reprinted on 5/03/24.
September 17, 2023
Please Lord, give me the strength to never listen to this type of book again. Just plain embarrassingly AWFUL!
Here’s an example of why I feel this way: as our heroine is down in the basement of the man she has been warned numerous times is dangerous and could be a killer, she finds the two high heeled shoed feet sticking out of a rolled tarp (at this point we know that this man’s ex girlfriend has gone missing). So what does our brilliant heroine say to herself?
“Has Tim rolled up a mannequin?” 🤦♀️
Here’s an example of why I feel this way: as our heroine is down in the basement of the man she has been warned numerous times is dangerous and could be a killer, she finds the two high heeled shoed feet sticking out of a rolled tarp (at this point we know that this man’s ex girlfriend has gone missing). So what does our brilliant heroine say to herself?
“Has Tim rolled up a mannequin?” 🤦♀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2022
The end fizzled again!
Too many unbelievable coincidences and uninvestigated happenings!
I had the ebook from KU and the audio from Hoopla.
It started off well and I liked the protag, Brooke and the prison setting. I could almost hear the prison doors slamming at Raker Maximum Penitentiary where Brooke is a new nurse practioner. She has a connection to an inmate that she is hiding, but it won't take long to come out.
The narration made it good enough to finish, but I wouldn't recommend.
Narrated by Leslie Howard/ 8 hours 5 min
Too many unbelievable coincidences and uninvestigated happenings!
I had the ebook from KU and the audio from Hoopla.
It started off well and I liked the protag, Brooke and the prison setting. I could almost hear the prison doors slamming at Raker Maximum Penitentiary where Brooke is a new nurse practioner. She has a connection to an inmate that she is hiding, but it won't take long to come out.
The narration made it good enough to finish, but I wouldn't recommend.
Narrated by Leslie Howard/ 8 hours 5 min
April 17, 2023
WHAT THE FAWK
June 23, 2024
Ale się odleciało Pani Frido. Za mocno
March 4, 2024
EEE I loved this one purely because I genuinely thought I'd cracked the code, thought I was proven to be right then BAM another twist. Yes. Good book.
October 6, 2022
Wow, this book was awful. I honestly didn’t finish it, just skipped to the end because I couldn’t stand listening to Brooke whine. It was the most convoluted nonsense from start to finish. The first red flag was kids in Queens bullying her son because she was an unwed mother except this isn’t set in 1742. Literally no one cares about that and the constant whining about it got very old quickly. Also, red flag two, what kind of moron returns to her home town in her childhood home after a very public trial but thinks no one will recognize her??? Third final red flag, maybe tell your kid the truth about his parentage or at least a better one than “I’m not going to tell you about your father because I’m stupid.” Jeez, this book was awful.
April 13, 2024
•| ⊱✿⊰ |• 4,8 Stars •| ⊱✿⊰ |•
Well, let's start by saying, about some reviews I've read, and what they said about Brooke, the main character and her lack of intelligence and judgement, that I did the same as her.
As I was reading the book, I was always changing my mind if Shane was guilty or not.
Tim was strange.
The thing I guessed without a doubt, the apple doesn't fall far away from the tree.
If I was expecting more?
Yes, I was.
Some things didn't make any sense, but the plot, with its twists and turns, kept me always thinking and guessing.
June 14, 2022
I would have got away with it if it wasn’t for those meddling kids….
November 22, 2022
This was the very definition of a popcorn thriller. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It was a fun distraction and as long as I turned off my brain, I enjoyed going along for the ride on this one. And trust me, turning off your brain is a must. Not just to accept some fairly implausible things, but because our protagonist Brooke also seems to not possess a brain. In order for the book to happen, Brooke needs to make the dumbest decision possible at every turn, and she certainly does not disappoint. I will say that Brooke is *consistently* stupid, which might sound like a complaint but actually I appreciated the fact that it seemed like a true character trait. In so many of these books we have characters who are portrayed as otherwise clever or competent, but who make dumb decisions simply to help the plot along.
There was also quite a bit of telling instead of showing. Readers are not as dumb as poor Brooke, we don’t need to be told many times, by multiple characters, that Shane is manipulative. Trust your reader enough to wonder for themselves if he’s putting on an act or not.
Despite that, I listened to this in a day. I needed to know what happened in that farm house. I’ve seen a lot of reviews for this one that say this is one of the weaker entries in McFadden’s catalogue, so I will likely be picking up another one and hoping for the best the next time I’m in the mood for popcorn.
Major spoilers/discussion on the extreme similarly to another work to follow:
It’s nearly impossible to write anything *truly* original, but any impact the ending should have had for me was ruined by just how nearly identical it was to the movie franchise mentioned in my spoiler portion. The epilogue was also veeeeery reminiscent of a thriller that had a ton of buzz surrounding its epilogue last year. (It involved planes… if you know, you know)
There was also quite a bit of telling instead of showing. Readers are not as dumb as poor Brooke, we don’t need to be told many times, by multiple characters, that Shane is manipulative. Trust your reader enough to wonder for themselves if he’s putting on an act or not.
Despite that, I listened to this in a day. I needed to know what happened in that farm house. I’ve seen a lot of reviews for this one that say this is one of the weaker entries in McFadden’s catalogue, so I will likely be picking up another one and hoping for the best the next time I’m in the mood for popcorn.
Major spoilers/discussion on the extreme similarly to another work to follow:
It’s nearly impossible to write anything *truly* original, but any impact the ending should have had for me was ruined by just how nearly identical it was to the movie franchise mentioned in my spoiler portion. The epilogue was also veeeeery reminiscent of a thriller that had a ton of buzz surrounding its epilogue last year. (It involved planes… if you know, you know)
June 24, 2022
Oh my goodness. The amount of times I wanted to smack Brooke for how dumb she was acting, is way more than I can count. She was “certain” about so many things then changed her mind on the next page! She just wasn’t a very strong character but we were supposed to believe she was… it was hard for me to finish because of her.
However, I didn’t see the ending coming. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not because it kind of came out of left field. I enjoy when the reader has a chance to try and understand who the killer or criminal is with clues, but this was so random and not super well written.
However, I didn’t see the ending coming. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not because it kind of came out of left field. I enjoy when the reader has a chance to try and understand who the killer or criminal is with clues, but this was so random and not super well written.
June 14, 2022
Naaaah this author isn’t for me. I was really looking forward to this story because of the prison aspect, but it was just naive Brooke and her stupidness and almost no prison time. I really struggled to finish this book unfortunatly. 2* because Freida is very talented, but her books don’t appeal to me.
April 18, 2024
Such a Rollercoaster of a ride! I really enjoy Freida McFadden's writing style. It really hooked me into the book. Such a good ending. The epilogue SHOCKED me!! Worthy read, go check this out!
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