Brooke survived a horrific night at her boyfriend Shane's house where numerous of her friends died. She survived but was left knowing her boyfriend Shane tried to kill her and did succeed with her friends.

Years later, she takes a job at the SAME EXACT PRISON Shane is at. She comes in contact with him and now can't seem to get him off of her mind. But something is not sitting right about that night. Is she wrong about Shane? Or is he just manipulating her.

Brooke needs to remember that night and finally figure out if it WAS Shane that left her for dead or if she made a terrible mistake.

If you are looking for a book with likeable characters, this book is NOT for you! Every character in here is annoying (except little Josh). Brooke herself makes the stupidest of choices throughout life and then questions every single one of them. I found the story thrilling enough that I kept reading and unlike most mystery books, I truly did not figure it out. Though I was "shocked" at the ending, it wasn't jolting to me.

Freida McFadden has done it again.
I loved this book.

It's based on a girl called Brooke who is dating a Shane. One night something terrible happens and she has to be the main witness for court case. But years later the question is did she put away the correct person.

This book had many plot twists that I enjoyed. I loved the writing style and the fact it had nice short chapters. 
I liked the MFC Brooke even though she put too much trust in people.

I would recommend this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.com and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This was entertaining… but the ending wasn’t great. I found this predictable and unrealistic. I love thrillers that feel like they can happen and the “thrills” in The Inmate didn’t feel like that. With the amount of twists and drama it was just okay.

I loved the writing itself, and the main character Brooke. The flashback style POV and how things came together was well done. This is a very quick read. Enjoyable, but just okay!

This is my first read by Freida McFadden and I can promise you it won't be the last. I am going to back to read all of her books now! How can one person think of stuff like this? O' goodness, you will not regret picking this one up to read. It will keep you guessing until the very end. So well thought out and written with characters that make you like them and then hate them, or hate them and then like them.

Brooke Sullivan is a young, single mom that is moving back to her hometown and the house she grew up in after both of her parent's are tragically killed in an accident. Brooke had. not been close to her parent's for the last 5 years but she was their only person they could leave their house to. She had no other siblings or family. Brooke has a 10 year old son that she is raising on her own because his dad is in prison. The dad doesn't know he has a son and her son, Josh doesn't know anything about his dad.

Brooke takes a job at a prison a little ways away from her house because that is the only job that has called her back and offered her a position since she has put in her applications. Brooke is apprehensive to take the job at the prison because her high-school sweetheart is an inmate there. Brooke hires a nanny to help with Josh and they get into a routine and things seem to be going ok for them.

Tim Reese has been Brooke's friend since they were in diapers and he lives a couple of houses down from Brooke. Brooke and Tim have been the best of friends for forever and have been through so much together so when Tim stops Brooke on the first day that she drops Josh off at his new school. Tim is the assistant principal at the school Josh is attending. Tim tells Brooke that he has been looking for her for the last 10 years but could never find her. Tim will soon find out why. The two of them hit it off again immediately and things go back to like they were with them 10 years ago.

Things are going good with Brooke's job, but when she has to treat her ex, things get sort of tense for her and she is scared to death of Shane because of previous events. I don't want to give the whole story away because you get the backstory while reading this one. It is told in alternating present and past stories. Brooke has learned how to calm herself down though and she pulls herself through these tough situations.

There will be revelations in this story that you will not see coming. Your jaw will be wide open and you will have to pick it up off the floor. This story is so good and Frieda has done and awesome job with it. I know you will enjoy it as I did. I am excited to go back and read the other Freida McFadden books now.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy of this book. It was great!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. This is my fourth read by Freida McFadden. I can say that she does it yet again. The twists and turns keep you engaged and thinking throughout the entire book. Her writing style is very easy and fast. Everything flows nicely. Freida McFadden is quickly becoming one of my top authors of choice.

Another absolutely captivating story from Freida McFadden! Brooke Sullivan moves back to her hometown after her parents pass away, to get by she has to accept a job as a nurse at the local prison. The only thing is, Brooke knows one of the dangerous inmates, she was a surviving victim of his crimes. But when she finally comes face to face, not everything that happened that night is as it seems.
I really enjoyed this book, it hooked me in and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next! I thought I knew what was happening but in true Freida McFadden fashion the twists were shocking!
Thanks to netgalley and Poisoned PennPress for the arc!

Another great read from McFadden.

This book is a story of who done it.
Of not knowing 100% because memory plays tricks on you to protect your mental state.

It’s a story about a mother who wants to protect her young son not knowing that he is the one who protects her.

A must read!

This was my second Freida McFadden read, and she did not disappoint. I will recommend this to anyone who loves a good psychological thriller.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really thought I had this one worked out. I did not. I can never figure out how to leave a review on her books because I don't want to retell the blurb about the book and I don't want to give anything away. She always has the best twists. I enjoy Freida McFadden so much.

I loved the twists but that epilogue has me MESSED UP.

Brooke Sullivan a nurse practitioner who has a 10 year old son just moved back to her childhood home following the death of her parents and starts a new job at a prison.. she she sent her boyfriend 11 years ago.

Brooke’s son was being bullied at his old school for not having a father in the picture and so they move and get a fresh start - new town new school. Brooke’s old friend is the principal and she hasn’t spoken to him since she vanished 11 years ago.

The book reads like a YA and you wanna scream over how naive Brooke is. But it’s a quick read with some unexpected twists and by the end I still don’t know who to trust or what the truth really is.

Thank you @netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press.

Was absolutely hooked on this book from the beginning! Was full of twists and turns that kept me wanting more! Couldnt put it down, highly recommend!

Great suspenseful story that had me guessing and changing my mind almost right to the end. Fast read too, which is refreshing sometimes.
Brooke has moved back home after a traumatic event made her leave 10 years ago. In need of a job, she starts work at a prison which houses her old boyfriend. Who tried to kill her. Who killed her friends….or did he? Can she trust her memory of that night? Maybe she has it all wrong and she is in danger again.

this book was classic frieda mcfadden.

i haven’t been in the mood to read recently and i needed something fast paced that would grasp my attention instantly. this was the book to do just that.

although i enjoyed this thriller, i felt like the plot twist was very predictable. was i still shocked? absolutely. and even though this book has me hooked from page one, i still found it difficult to pick it up once I’d put it down.

i’m slowly working my way through her backlist and enjoying every second of it! i’m excited to see what her future books entail and am looking forward to getting my mum on this bandwagon with me!

thank you to netgalley and poisoned pen press for an e-arc!

I was so excited to receive a copy of "The Inmate" by Freida McFadden. Fans and new readers alike will love this book!

Brooke Sullivan accepts a job as a nurse at a prison - the same one her ex is serving a life sentence at for attempted murder - against her. Brooke is keeping a few secrets - she doesn’t remember exactly what happened the night of the crime, which also resulted in her getting pregnant with her ex, Shane Nelson’s baby. When she faces him at the prison she starts questioning everything about that night - and if she got it all wrong.

Such a good twisty thriller! I didn’t see all the plot twists coming.

The Inmate
by Freida McFadden
Pub Date: March 5, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I love McFadden's books! They always keep me interested and guessing till the end. This one is probably my second most favorite books of hers. The ending was fantastic and the epilogue put the icing on the cake.
I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy fast paced thrillers.
5 stars

One of my favorite Freida McFadden books out there! She always throws in a twist or two that you don't see coming!!

I admit I listed to this before receiving this ARC. I don't know if it was the narrator or if I just didnt like the main character Brooke. I mean come on, make better choices and think before acting.
This book follows Brooke a Nurse Practioner as she starts a job at a maximum security prison. But she may already have a link to one of the prisoners. It is twisty and turny but I really did not understand some of her choices.

The Inmate by Freida McFadden follows nurse practitioner Brooke Sullivan, as she navigates the challenging dynamics of a men's maximum security prison. Adhering to strict rules becomes a complex task for Brooke, especially when her hidden connection to Shane Nelson, a notorious inmate and her high school sweetheart, is revealed. This story is full of secrets, forbidden relationships, and the haunting consequences of Brooke's past decisions.

First-person narratives seem to annoy some people. They don’t bother me, unless the book itself isn’t good. The narrative works here. I was fully invested in Brooke’s story from the beginning, when she first entered the men’s penitentiary where she’d be working as a nurse practitioner. I went back and forth with who was actually guilty, and I have to give Freida McFadden some major props, because it’s extremely hard to fool me. McFadden even suggested alternate theories that I totally bought!

And the epilogue—completely jaw-dropping.

*slow clap*

4.25 stars

I received a free copy from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press (I’m a huge fan of this publisher!) in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to both!