What is it about?
Jess gets admitted to Fellside prison for killing a child, except she was drugged up on heroin and was badly burnt herself and doesn’t remember it. She starts seeing and hearing the boy she killed, but is all as it seems? Also the prison officers are corrupt also, think Wentworth or Bad Girls but on acid.
Who’s it for?
Very much for adults.
Genre?
Psychological thriller
Is it any good?
A big fat yes. Subplots, conspiracies and a protagonist for all her failings is very likable. This was another of Laura’s recommendations, and I didn’t have to buy the book!!!! So I read it, and loved it. For some reason I thought it was written by Mariah Carey’s ex-husband Nick Cannon, because of the pseudonym used, but that didn’t take anything away from the book.
It is a cross between Wentworth Prison/Prisoner: Cell Block H and a Stephen King book. It is slow at first, till our protagonist goes to the titled prison for the murder of a child. Carey makes the character likeable, we as readers want justice for her and want the real killer to get their comeuppance. She cannot remember much from the night of the murder itself, due to her heroin addiction. The fire itself caused her to need facial surgery. I wanted her to conquer her problems and survive her hunger strike. How can a potential murderer be such a likeable character? She comes across as a victim of circumstance, rather than a cold blooded killer.
Bring in the ghost of Alex Beech (the child she supposedly killed) and through the ability to enter various inmates’ dreams, and Jess has something to strive for. Alex asks her to find out who killed him. Running parallel to this story arc is the stories of the inmates themselves.
· Grace who is the brains behind the drugs operation at Fellside in Goodall wing.
· Devlin the corrupt prison warden, who receives sexual favours from the above
· Sally/Salazar the doctor, who becomes embroiled in the drugs operation
· Nurse Stock a nurse who makes a few blunders
· Paul Levine, Jess’ appeal lawyer, who is in love with her
· Carol Loomis, one of Grace’s cronies
· Liz Earnshaw, another one of the above
There are lots of other intertwining characters and story arcs, which surround the main narrative, which makes this thriller, more thrilling and chilling. It is worth the wait to get into, and it pays off.
Was the end satisfactory?
I don’t want to give too much away, the last few chapters are amazing. My only concern is one character, who is a baddie doesn’t get his comeuppance. I haven’t even told Laura my concern. I kind of wanted all the loose ends to be tied up. But as this character was not a main character: am I just being picky?
Rating?
5
Would I recommend the book?
I have not read MR Carey’s debut novel The Girl with all the Gifts, but it is now on my wish-list. All thrill seekers will be thrilled by this thriller.
Read it if you like?
Stephen King or Dean Koontz
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