Today is pub day for this book and I just finished it last night—talk about perfect timing! I really enjoyed this book. Brooke, the main character, is likable and although there were times I wanted to shake her, I really enjoyed her as a character. The author does a great job of writing in a very easy to follow way and I liked the twists and turns and the dual timeline between 11 years ago and now. I felt myself pushing to finish the book, wanting to know what happens at the end and I was not disappointed.

I've reads a few books by Freida now and while the other books have been 4 and 5 star reads for me.. The Inmate just wasn't. I still enjoyed reading the story but honestly, I am not sure how the main character was a NP and just totally "unaware" I guess is the best (nicest) way to describe her. There was one twist that made me go "Oh damn!" but then it just really didn't make a whole lot of sense.
Overall this one was okay but it's not the first book by this author I would recommend to folks.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Freida McFadden's “The Inmate” is a psychological thriller told in alternating past and present narratives. Brooke Sullivan, Nurse Practitioner and single mom, returns to her hometown in Raker, New York after her parents’ tragic deaths. Brooke accepts a job at the men’s maximum-security prison where her ex-boyfriend Shane—also known as the man who tried to kill her—is an inmate. While her testimony helped to put Shane behind bars for life, Brooke never saw the killer’s face. She felt his heaviness as he tried to strangle her and smelt sandalwood aftershave, the same smell Shane wore.
When Brooke returns to her hometown to live in her family home, she begins dating her childhood best friend and neighbor, Tim Reese. But when a local waitress who Tim used to date goes missing, Brooke begins to have doubts about her memory.
Meanwhile, Shane is adamant that he is innocent and that Brooke made a mistake. Brooke questions the possibility of Shane’s innocence and the possibility that she is sleeping with the enemy.

McFadden’s novel expertly weaves together suspense and thrilling twists, along with the past and the present, and creates tension and confusion. I was looking for twists at every turn, and I found myself guessing that Marcus Hunt, the prison guard, was the real serial killer. While I knew the epilogue’s revelations, the mass murderer reveal threw me for a loop and was one I didn’t see coming.

Where McFadden succeeds in engagement and suspense, she struggles with believable plots. Brooke’s character is irrational and unintelligent. When her parents die, she has the option to sell their house and use the proceeds to move into a more comfortable house in her current city, yet she moves back home to the town where her four classmates were murdered. She accepts a job at the same prison where the alleged and convicted murderer is an inmate. She cannot smell the scent of sandalwood because it reminds her of that night, yet she can work in the same prison and treat the man responsible for her PTSD. It is not plausible that Brooke would move back home and take a job where she is constantly reminded of the brutal murders of her classmates

The other conflicting issue is Brooke’s thought process. When she finds a body wrapped up in a rug, her first thought is “Has ___ rolled up a mannequin?” This isn’t even the most farfetched thought she has. Brooke decides to have sex because they (not revealing the character’s name) had been without it for some time.

“I didn’t quite mean for it to go all the way but I could tell it was what he wanted very badly, and I couldn’t bring myself to say no. After all, he had been deprived of this... You can’t say no to giving a glass of water to a guy who has been lost in the desert…”
I will continue to support Freida McFadden’s work, but this novel was a miss for me.
Rating 2.5/5
Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press (Mandy Chahal) for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and the author for the ARC - The Inmate by Freida McFadden

Wow! There is a lot going on in this book!! I've read several books by this author, but this one is probably one of my favorites by her so far. The setting grabbed my interest .as I work in the legal system, and I could relate to many of the scenes depicted. There are several characters to keep track of, but they flow quite well with the plot. I can often predict, or at least get close to the "who done it", but I was surprised at the twists and turns this one took. Definitely a fast paced ride. Enjoyed it!

Thank you so much to for the ARC of this book and allowing me to review it! 🫶🏼


Freida McFadden is back with another amazing thriller about Brooke Sullivan who takes a job working as a nurse in a men’s maximum security prison where her ex boyfriend is currently serving multiple murder sentences.

I cannot stress enough just how good McFadden’s books are, if you haven’t read any then i definitely recommend. This is the second book I’ve read by her and both books I’ve rated 5 stars.

At some point many different points in the book I thought I had guessed the plot twist and knew what was going go to happen but I was 100% wrong. So unpredictable to me and even then when something is revealed, another plot twist happens and you’re shocked all over again.

I thought this book sort of gave off the same vibes as the film ‘Scream’ at different parts of the book too, which is definitely a good thing as I’m a big fan of these movies.

I love the authors writing and pacing, the endings of her books will always leave my jaw hung open. I cannot recommend it enough.

Frieda McFadden does it again!!! Twists and turns and wow! Get this book!!! You won’t be disappointed!

The Inmate follows Brooke, a single mom and a nurse working at a maximum-security prison where her ex-boyfriend – Shane - is incarcerated for life. We know that she and her best friend Tim, testified against him when they were seventeen. However, Shane insisted to this day that he’s innocent and Tim needed to be watched. Brooke is dating Tim but, can she trust him? Or did she help put her son’s father in prison for life?

This was an interesting plot with a mix of mystery, suspense and dark and twisted secrets that will make your heart beat faster. It’s a fast-paced thriller but I found it a bit predictable even if the ending got me by surprise. Brooke was not my favorite character and I felt like something was missing with her. The story is being told in the past and in the present.

Overall, it was an interesting read with an end that was genuinely surprising. I think my rating is based in the fact that I couldn’t connect with the main character, that was unnerving at some points.

Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley, for approving me to read this arc and write this review.

Freida McFadden always delivers a fast paced, edge of your seat, twisty book. And The Inmate is no exception. There were so many chapters where I was holding by breath waiting to find out what happens next. I love that some of the twists you never see happening. Throughout the book I kept changing my mind constantly about who the real killer was and what happened that night 11 years ago. And I LOVED the epilogue!
Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!

Freida always hits the mark. Well-paced, intriguing through every word and incredibly captivating, The Inmate is another great Freida book. Highly recommend whether you’re a seasoned thriller reader or new to the genre.

4.5 - There is something about Freida's books that just make me fly through them. For some reason, I can't seem to ever put them down and this book is exactly the type of easy mystery I was looking for. There were parts of this book I thought were kinda far-fetched and I was taken out of the text (like who did it at the end) but the last chapter, wow. She always finds a way to mix it up and I am never bored by her books. I would recommend to anyone looking for their next mystery read and something they can easily finish within 24 hours! Can't wait to read her next book.

This was not my favorite McFadden book. Based on other McFadden books I've read, I went into The Inmate knowing there would be a plot twist that is usually way off base from what you would expect. Except, I saw this twist coming a mile away! I think that took away from my enjoyment of this story.

I don't want to spoil the story for those who may enjoy it, it just was not for me. I will gladly pick up other Freida McFadden books but this one wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Inmate is a stand alone book by Freida McFadden.

This book alternates between the present and the past and is told from the perspective of Brooke. Present day Brooke has a 10 year old son, is 28 years old, and works at the local prison where her ex boyfriend Shane is for life for trying to kill her. 11 years ago Brooke is head over heels in love for the first time with her boyfriend Shane. 5 of them go to Shane's place because his mom is out of town and they want to have some fun but there is a storm and then their friends start being murdered one by one. Shane goes to prison for life for the murders as well as attempted murder of Brooke.

This book was absolutely crazy, twisty, fast paced, and I didn't know what was going to happen next. highly recommended!

This book is by far my favorite of Freida McFadden's books. It is thrilling, there is some romance, suspense, and so much more. I always read her books like drinking fresh water after a hot day! I could not get enough of this book and recommend it to everyone who let's me tell them about it!

What can we really say about Freida's mysteries? She does it again and again. You get sucked into the character build up and assume your understanding of the story will end in one particular fashion but the next thing you know she throws in the slippery towel and you glide right into a whole other ending you never expected. If you're looking for an excellent thriller, this is your bet. Honestly though any of Freida's books will do the same for you. So juicy, so good! I want more!

After the death of her parents, Brooke moves back to the small town of Raker, where she grew up to start fresh with her 10 year old son. The dual timeline switches between the horrific night 11 years ago and the present as she starts her new job as a nurse practitioner at the maximum security prison just 45 minutes away.

This was my 2nd book that I've read by Freida McFadden. The Coworker being the first. The Inmate is easily a contender of being one of my fave thrillers of 2024. It is soo bingeable, fast-paced, and full of unexpected twists and turns I could not put it down.

Thank you netgalley and poisoned pen press for an arc.

“As the prison doors slam shut behind me, I question”

Wow!! I’m impressed to be honest. I don’t think I was expecting for this book to be this good. In this thriller I think you can find everything you need to keep a reader engaged and entertained. It was getting a bit predictable at a certain point but the. The author turned the story upside down. At the end, the finale could have been predicted but, at least for me, it wasn’t the case. I’m pleasantly surprised by the outcome of my reading of this book. Especially considering this is my first one from this author. But I think that after finishing this one, I can easily see myself reading another!!

“But he can't be telling the truth. Because if he is, the man who tried to strangle me all those years ago is still out there.”

After listening to One by One for free on Audible, I decided I needed to try more by Freida McFadden and I am absolutely pleased with that decision. This book was quite the adventure. Filled with twist after twist and unlimited drama, The Inmate takes the reader on a wild ride through two separate timeliness. The initial timeline following Brooke getting a job as a nurse practitioner at a prison that houses Shane, the man who attempted to murder her 10 years prior and is the father to her 11 year old son. And the later introduced timeline that explores exactly what happened that fateful night where all of her friend's lives changed. Nothing could have prepared me for the mind boggling ride Freida would take me on, watching all the action unfold and enduring an ending that would leave me speechless.

Special thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest rate and review.

Maybe I’m just so used to giving McFadden’s books 1 or 2 stars, but I’m going to give this one 3 stars?? I just had such a blast reading it. It's absolutely wild and you must suspend your disbelief. It's so far fetched, but I just let myself lean into that. I tore through this book in a day. The main character is a Dumb WomanTM, but that seems to be McFadden's speciality. I'm sorry, but these women never see anything coming!!! Or think critically! I also thought the line writing was a lot better than in her other books?

The inmate was one of my first Frieda McFadden books and reading again is why I love her writing. Freida's books are always fast pace. I did not expect the plot twist the first time I read the book. I did get annoyed with the Brooke but over all I did understand her. This book was a five star for me as I didn't see the plot twist coming. Freida McFadden never disappoints.

Freida is the Queen of Twists! I could not stop reading this book!! I think this might now be my favorite Freida book! At least for now….

The narrator is an unreliable source, which was frustrating but allowed for the twists to be very twisty!!

If you are a fan of who-dunnits and twisty books… this one is for you!!