Wow what a book! It’s been a while since I’ve been engrossed by a thriller and Sebastian Fitzek strikes again. Even the ended I was like is this actually real or not. Still so many questions left unanswered. I felt so absorbed by the storyline and I liked how the chapters sometimes was split by characters so you had a few different side pieces tied into the overall story.

Well, off I trot to buy all of the author’s previous, this is up there with my top reads of the year so far.

A gruesome start (which I love) completely pulled me in and this became a one sitting book, thank god for half terms, as there was no way I could interpret my reading.

I loved the setting of Till being in the psychiatric hospital, definitely shows the depths that some go to, to gain the answers to the questions they need.

I don’t want to risk spoilers, but this is a must read for those who like twists and turns, with plenty of violence.

The Inmate is a fast-paced thriller, written by the German author Sebastian Fitzek, and which has been translated into English by the hand of Aries Fiction. A missing child, a desperate father, and a psychopath who is refusing to talk about what happened to the child are some of the elements that shape this gripping story, which manages to become unnerving due to the excellent character build job made by Fitzek.

Guido T., a confessed murderer of two, is also suspected of being guilty of the disappearance of Max. But while he confessed the other two, he's keeping radio silence about this last one, getting recluded into a high-security institution. For Max's parents, this was a big hit, as they can't part ways with their past without a statement from the assassin; Till, the father, decides to infiltrate as a patient in the institution, with the help of the lead investigator, in order to see if he can force the confession of Guido, risking his personal security just to put peace into his mind.

Fitzek takes those elements to create a thriller full of surprises and twists, most of which you won't see coming. He certainly excels at writing characters, making you uncomfortable each time you are following the psychopath's mind, while suffering reading those parents struggling to uncover the truth behind their child's disappearance. Till will experiment with an authentic hell during his stance in the mental institution, but nothing is worse than the uncertainty.

The pacing is frenetic, not giving a single moment where you could say it is less intense. I admit that I devoured this book in merely an afternoon, because I wanted to know what happened next, something partially motivated by the chapter length (I love short chapters).

The Inmate is proof of Fitzek's skill as a thriller writer. If you love the genre, you should totally give a try to this book, because it will be one of the best reads you can do.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this fascinating and frightening book

a young boy goes missing
the perp has never admitted to killing this boy

guido t. is a very bad man..he abducts children and keeps them alive in some sort of coffin where he can experiment on them and abuse them

but he is caught one day and placed in a secure unit

max father havent given up hope on his son...even if its a year but to really know what happened they need to get to guido t. and he has a plan

and so the fun begins...

what a storyline gripping and horrific in equal measures and the twist at the end didnt see coming...

never disappointed with a book by this author

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.

Dear me, what a book!! Read in one session, this story had me glued to my e-reader.

I have been reading Fitzek for years, mostly in German or in the Dutch translation.
I have read most Fitzek novels, this one was still on my list and oddly enough I never got around to reading it, so when this English translation was available on Netgalley, I decided to read it after all.

This is another typical Fitzek, gruesome and beautiful and nail-biting thrilling. As a reader, you will be horrified by all the misery and violence in this book. At times, you want to put it away, to catch your breath. Sometimes it gets so very dark and gruesome, it terrifies, but that's his hallmark. Fitzek writes to shock and keeps you on your toes.

The story is almost too implausible, because what sane person would allow himself to be locked up in a mental institution just to find out where his missing possibly murdered infant son Max is buried?

Till Berghoff is a firefighter. His infant son Max disappears one night; Max's body is never found, and Tramnitz never confessed to killing him.
Till asks his brother-in-law, a police officer, if he can be admitted undercover to the same clinic as suspected child killer Guido Tramnitz. A phone hidden in a book is a lifeline to the outside world. As soon as Till has the answer where his little son is buried, one phone call is enough to get him out.

I found the middle part of the thriller very violent, Till is regularly beaten up, details about the violence are explicitly told.
You wonder how Till can remain ‘sane’ in this harsh world inside. It's every man for himself, his life is worth little, and there are patients and even doctors who are after him.
As a reader, you constantly wonder what is going on here and how the game is being played: an enthralling cat-and-mouse game is being played inside, but Fitzek similarly has his methods of playing with your head…

While Till more or less descends into hell, it remains to be seen whether you as a reader will also stay sane while reading all this, because believe me, you think you really know?! Well, think again.

I am not going to tell too much further, because as a reader, you have to undergo and experience this madness and wonder for yourself. Who is crazy now? And afterwards, have some chamomile tea to get your heart rate down!

4.5 stars Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this arc. I leave my review voluntarily.

This mind blowing thriller is available everywhere from 8 June

📍 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 + 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣. 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 @𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 (𝙄𝙂), 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝.

You know you’re gonna love a thriller when there’s a crazy satisfying twist in the first TWO PAGES that makes you slam the book down open mouthed. And it just got more fun from there 🙌🏽

Our MMC Till gets himself admitted to a criminal psychiatric hospital to get closed to the man he suspects killed his son— sounds intriguing right? Everything is absolutely NOT as it seems. Shocking, unsettling and gripping, this was a claustrophobic + totally TWISTED psychological thriller, guaranteed to mess with your head.

Palpable tension throughout, an unreliable narrator + LOTS of gore and violence, made for a fast-paced, unputdownable read where you truly don’t know who to trust from page to page. A lot of the plot is somewhat implausible but the way Fitzek writes leaves you completely immersed, plus the translation was seamless.

One of the big twists was CRAZY and made me feel intensely claustrophobic. And the final twist was utterly MIND BLOWING. Like.. makes you rewind over the whole book because it changed EVERYTHING. So satisfying 😮‍💨

This super dark + twisted read was my first by Fitzek but it definitely won’t be my last 🙌🏽

𝑬𝒇𝒇𝒚 @ 𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 🥀

Sebastian Fitzek’s novels are borderline horror and psychological thriller, they request some suspension of belief but they keept you turning pages and it’s always hard to to stop.
I wouldn’t advise to read them at night-time as they’re not the most relaxing read and could cause some nightmare.
This one is tightly knitted, fast paced, and a nightmare travel into mental illness and close environment of a clinic for mental illness.
It talks about children abuse, mental illness and there’s a lot of psychological violence.
It brought me to very dark place and sometimes I didn’t want to visualize certain parts. The suspension of belief is requested but you will keep on reading as you want to know.
It’s not a slasher horror, it’s not a classic psychological thriller, there’s some echo of Lovecraft due to the mental heal issues.
I recommend it if you wan to read a fast paced and gripping story.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

The first chapter and our introduction to Guido T is highly unsettling to such a degree that I just had to have a little break before I kept on reading to make sure that all would be well and that life will continue after I turn the last page!

With that first chapter the author sets the level of peril that we will find ourselves in for most of this read. There are brief moments of respite when it seems like things are calmer but by the end of the book you realise the truth of those moments, some of which are highly deceptive!

I feel that most of this book is written in a way to deceive us as readers but it is done so gloriously that reading it becomes almost addictive. I had idea's about where I was being lead but nothing prepared me for the author's truths in this tale. He is a genius at sneaking in complex twists that make total sense once you know about them but you just cant see them coming!

In places this was a difficult read as all works of fiction are that involve missing people, especially when they are children. The times that this is discussed are used to move the story on or for a later plot point rather than to sensationalise or to traumatise readers in any way.
Having read the whole book and knowing and understanding everything that happened, I really enjoyed this story and I'm looking forward to my next one by this author whenever that may be!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Really wasn't expecting the twist at the end. Loved it so much. Could hardly put it down. Can't wait to read more from this author.

This latest novel is a true psychological thriller that is shocking but gripping and will keep you engrossed all the way to the last page.. The story is unsettling and exciting with unexpected twists
Sebastion Fitzek just gets better and better can't wait for the next one.
I highly recommend this book and all previous

This is the first book that I have read from this author and I have found myself wondering how I missed such a brilliant author. All I can say about this is that the story grabs you from the outset and does not stop until the explosive ending. I truly could not put this book down. The story line does involve a sensitive issue in that children are kidnapped and the story revolves around a fathers search for his son, and what is behind the search both family wise and the mental impact of losing a child has on a doting father,
I will be looking for other works by this author.

3.5 Stars. This is the first thriller I have read by the popular German writer Sebastian Fitzek, and it has been translated into English. The Inmate contains extreme violence. The deranged killer, Guido Tramnitz, is locked up in the high-security ward of a psychiatric prison/hospital. He has confessed to the torture and murder of two young children, and the police are certain that he kidnapped and killed seven-year-old Max a year ago. There is circumstantial evidence but no proof, and Guido has not confessed to the crime involving young Max.

This was a twisty and twisted story with a sick and sickening premise with many instances of brutality and gore. Despite the gruesome descriptions, the plot was propulsive and gripping. The author knows how to build tension and suspense within a disturbing and abhorrent tale. I thought it became quite implausible, but it was hard to look away.

Till Berkhoff, the father of Max, has been overwhelmed by sorrow and guilt during the year since his son was taken. His wife has moved out with their young daughter. Till has the scheme to enter the prison as an inmate and has been given a false identity. His goal is to get close to Guido and get him to acknowledge that Max was his victim and to get him to admit where the child's body is hidden so that the family can get some closure.

He is on a less restricted ward than Guido, who is in a maximum security ward reserved for the most depraved patients. He can attend group therapy, and there is a bookmobile where he can borrow books with an escort. He must figure out a way to contact Guido and get him to confess to the murder and the location of the boy's body. He seems quite naive and makes reckless decisions, but his character evoked sympathy. Till expected a private cell, but was placed with a prisoner who had been led to believe that Till was a child killer and brutally beats him, causing significant injuries. He will be subjected to medical treatment that may damage his health.

He has no idea of the further dangers awaiting him in this creepy, claustrophobic mental institution. He is surrounded by some patients who lack control due to their mental illnesses, and staff members are not what they seem. There is deception, cruelty, manipulation, and some shady activities.

Be prepared for shocking surprises and twists. The plot becomes increasingly implausible when everything is revealed and explained, but I thought the story was quite compelling if the reader suspended disbelief and overlook the violence.
I wish to thank NetGalley and Aries-Head of Zeus, for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review. I would be interested in reading another book by the author. Publication date is set for June 8.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Aria & Aries for an advance copy of The Inmate, a stand-alone thriller set in Berlin.

Eight year old Max Berkhoff disappeared, presumed to be the victim of serial killer Guido Tramnitz, and his father Till wants answers. Tramnitz won’t talk about Max, so Till decides to go undercover as a patient at the psychiatric facility, Steinklinik, where he is being held to get answers. What could possibly go wrong?

I thoroughly enjoyed The Inmate, which is a tense read with so many twists and turns it makes the reader quite dizzy. I should probably point out that the whole scenario is vastly improbable, but who cares when the read is such a roller coaster of churning emotions and motives, so much so that I read it in bite sized chunks to get a regular break from the tension and dread at what would be coming next.

The novel opens with separate introductions to some of the characters then gets down to the business of Till’s adventures in Steinklinik. They are dangerous and violent, but he always has his eye on the prize, getting Tramnitz to tell him what happened to Max. It is fairly obvious from the start that something isn’t right, but because it isn’t clear what that something is it ramps up the tension and keeps the reader on edge. Funnily enough I found the final chapters where things come to a head and explanations given the least stressful part of the novel. It is clever a novel, if not entirely original and I found it well written and translated.

The Inmate is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Thank you Aria & Aries and Netgalley for this eBook to review

I have read many of Sebastian Fitzek books, unfortunately I just found this one far too violent for me.

We follow Max's father who gets himself admitted to a criminal mental hospital to try and meet Max's killer Guido T to find out where his son is so that they can get closure. Que lots of gory violence and manipulation. By the end it is hard to tell what is real, it is definitely very creepy and full of tension. The twist at the end is magnificent. For me though all the gore and violence just ruined the story somewhat.

Myriam sets out to find Laura's daughter. The girl was probably kidnapped by a DHL courier. Police officer Tramnitz together with Myriam unfortunately found the girl's body. It was hidden in the incubator. Together with the girl's mother, I experienced a terrible shock. Who was her killer? You will meet the murderer shortly after finding her corpse. Sebastian Fitzek is a true master who shocks his readers from the very beginning. Till Berkhoff is a firefighter in south-west Berlin. Has a son, Max. They have a password that only the immediate family knows. A very good solution. Every family should have a security password like this. Only, will our little Max be able to use it? Will his life be in danger? I'm scared. Till ends up in a mental hospital. And let me tell you, it won't be colourful there. It will be very dangerous. In this book, you will meet a real monster in human skin called "The Incubator Monster". You wouldn't want to meet him with your own eyes. Author Sebastian Fitzek perfectly builds the tension. I couldn't put this book down until I knew the ending. What a feeling mother. The father, the more dangerous. There is something to be afraid of. Brilliant position. I would love to come back to this book again sometime. Wow, wow and again wow. I didn't expect this turn of events. There was a twist at the end of the book that I still can't get over it. I am in deep shock. Instead of traditional thanks, Sebastian Fitzek has a special surprise for his readers. You will find out about it by reading the book "The Inmate". I recommend.

10/10

Fitzek is a master of suspense. With his characteristic technique of ending every single chapter with a breathtaking cliffhanger, he simply takes readers hostage. The Inmate is no exception. It got me hooked from the opening lines and I simply could not stop reading. As usual, I was so caught up in the story and its characters that by the end of the book, after experiencing their dispair, I was exhausted. So, yes... The Inmate is a great psychological thriller that I definitely recommend.

Ps: the acknowledgement at the end of the book is simply brilliant!

Thank you NetGalley and Aria & Aries for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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.

I’ve read a few Sebastian Fitzek novels and The Inmate doesn’t fail to deliver and as per his usual style Sebastian Fitzek has delivered a good creepy novel full of twists, turns & suspense, and although there is violence and gore it all fits well with his style of writing. He is definitely an author I look out for.

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!