Book Review: The Inmate by Freida McFadden

Freida McFadden’s The Inmate is the ultimate murder mystery for fans of Lifetime-style thrills. See why this entertaining read earned a solid three out of five stars!

If you’re craving a murder mystery with all the twists and turns of a suspenseful TV movie, Freida McFadden’s The Inmate is the perfect pick to cozy up with. Imagine the book equivalent of that Lifetime Network movie you can’t help but watch—predictable in all the right ways, yet irresistibly entertaining. Learn more about the book below and why I gave it three out of five stars.

What is the book about?

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. [GoodReads.com]

My thoughts:

Frieda McFadden sets up The Inmate with two clear paths, and you know the book will go one way or the other. But here’s the kicker: just when you start to think, “I’ve got this figured out,” McFadden throws in a curveball. This twist towards the end is what nudged my rating from 2.5 to a solid 3 out of 5 stars.

The Inmate is a fairly standard murder mystery with an unforeseen twist. It’s not groundbreaking, but it does its job of keeping you entertained. For anyone looking for a reliable read with a touch of suspense, this book is a pretty good bet.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this advanced reader copy in exchange for a thoughtful and honest review.

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