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.

There are times where I read a book and I can see everything so wonderfully, I can only think to myself “I wish they made a movie out of this”. This book perfectly encompasses this feeling. This book has it all — realistic and dynamic characters with visceral emotions and motivations, a story that continues to intrigue and draw the reader in to see what happens next, twists and turns at perfectly timed scenes. I literally gasped at several plot twists, this story had me surprised until the very end.

A man trying to find the answers to the scariest question a parent could ask: what happened to my missing child? Unsurprisingly, this emotionally catching plot intrigued me from the start. As an avid fan of all things true crime, this felt like a sad, scary story out of a crime docuseries and I was not disappointed. All of the characters felt genuine and deep, no one was what they seemed on the surface, and it truly felt like a planned out novel. Sometimes I read mystery books and I can see all the “plot twists” before they happen, and while some of the ones in this story were generic in nature, none of them felt obvious until after the shock wore off.

Personally, I think anyone with an interest in true crime or mystery should definitely check this book out. I was surprised when I realized that this is actually a translated story and that it’s originally written in German, because unlike some other translations I’ve read in the past, this story flowed, the language used felt fluid and nuanced, and I really was drawn into the world, despite never been in either Berlin or a psychiatric hospital. I was unable to put this down, and read the whole book in a handful of days because it truly was one of the best pieces of shorter fiction I’ve read in a long time.

Thank you for the to preview The Inmate. This is a foreign novel transcribed in English.
A notorious serial killer is imprisoned for the killing of children. There is a case of a missing child and the police are sure this child killer is guilty. But that’s got to be proven.
So a plan is hatched to put the missing child’s father in disguise as an inmate. And he will be very close to this killer and he wants to be close enough to find out what happened to his son. But not as easy as it seems because this killer is crafty and also did he do it?
Maybe. Or maybe not. But a father will do anything to find his son. Anything.
For me I don’t go for foreign books so for me I got lost in translation at times. Good book though. 3 stars

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