The Inmate: From the Sunday Times Bestselling Author of The Housemaid

Such a good book! Lots of twists and turns.. read the book in two days. Would highly recommended.. frieda is a brilliant writter

The Inmate has that particular Freida McFadden tension that creeps in slowly and then suddenly has you reading faster than you meant to. The whole setup — Brooke starting a new job in a maximum‑security prison — already feels uneasy, but the moment you realise she has history with one of the inmates, the story takes on a completely different weight. There’s something about the way McFadden writes these past‑and‑present collisions that makes you lean in a little closer.Brooke’s voice feels very human here. She’s nervous, determined, and carrying far more guilt than she lets on. I liked how her memories of Shane are threaded through the story — the golden boy she once loved, now locked away for murders she helped put him behind bars for. Their dynamic is uncomfortable in all the right ways: familiar, tense, and edged with the kind of danger that makes you question every interaction.The prison setting adds a claustrophobic feel that works beautifully. The rules she’s supposed to follow, the way every corridor seems to echo, the sense that someone is always watching — it all builds this quiet pressure that never really lets up. And Shane himself is written with that unsettling charm McFadden does so well. You’re never quite sure what he wants, or how much he knows, and that uncertainty keeps the story humming.As the plot unfolds, the twists start stacking up, and each one shifts your understanding of who’s guilty, who’s lying, and who’s been carrying the truth all along. It’s one of those thrillers where you think you’ve got the shape of it, and then the floor drops out from under you.A tense, twisty read with a strong emotional undercurrent — perfect if you enjoy psychological thrillers set in confined spaces, especially ones where past mistakes come back with teeth.

📖Book Review📖The InmatePlease check for any trigger warnings before you start this book. Your Mental Health is important.***MAY CONTAIN POTENTIAL SPOILERS***I love everything freida writes!!!Wow this was another really good read from Frieda, the pacing was fast and the story flowed smoothly. I was addicted as I always am with Freida’s books. I just needed to know what happened next.I thought I had it figured out on who did it but again I wasn’t quite right 😂I really recommend this book if you haven’t read it already, I also recommend Freida’ other books too.Tropes🧠Psychological thriller🔪 Murder mystery🕰️ Past comes back to haunt you💔 First love / high school romance👩‍👦 Single mom📖 Dual timeline (past & present)🤫 Secrets and lies👀 Unreliable perceptions🧩 Whodunnit🏛️ Prison setting😱 Plot twists🎭 Red herrings⚠️ Cat-and-mouse suspense💥 Shocking ending4/4.5⭐️0🌶️*Images are from Pinterest and are being used for book review aesthetic/purposes only.

It's ok good read not as good as other books written by this author like ward d.

I could not put this down. Great suspense thriller with lots of twists and turns. Frieda McFadden never fails. Would highly recommend.

I enjoyed the book and the ending was very good but I knocked off a star because the plot was over complicated to the point of it being a little unlikely but still a very good read.

I Loved this book. It kept me guessing all the way through with different theories. This is one of my favs

This was an easy fantastic read I finished it in a day pretty much. I was unable to put it down because it had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through!! I rated 4 instead of 5 stars because alot of the plot twists were easily figured out and wasn’t as shocking to my core as I had hoped, but there was also plot twists I hadn’t figured out and my jaw was on the floor when it came to Shane’s mother and little Josh at the end of the epilogue!! Brilliant read definitely one of my favs by Frieda.

Thrilling and gripping thriller. At first, it may seem like you’re reading an ordinary story, but as the pages go by, you’ll realize you won’t be able to put the book down, eager to find out what happens next.

私は整形外科医なので、傷の縫合や骨折治療のシーンを楽しめました。アメリカでは傷の縫合を看護師がするんですねー。物語も、中々意外な真犯人で良かったです。

Freida never disappoints! Always keeping you on the edge of your seat. Until the very last page. Now, what to read next ...

Tolles, spannendes Freida-Buch. Wie immer ein echter page-turner, nail-biting Story! Kann man nichts falsch machen, außer zu sammeln und pro Woche ein Buch lesen.

Freida McFadden’s The Inmate is another gripping psychological thriller that pulls you in from the first page and keeps you guessing until the end. With her signature style—short chapters, cliffhanger endings, and plenty of jaw-dropping reveals—McFadden delivers an intense, binge-worthy story that’s hard to put down.Plot Summary (No Spoilers)Brooke Sullivan, a single mother and nurse, takes a job at a men’s prison—only to discover that the man she once loved, Shane Nelson, is an inmate… and possibly a murderer. Shane was convicted of killing Brooke’s high school best friend, but as their paths cross again, secrets from the past begin to surface—and Brooke is forced to question everything she thought she knew.What Works WellMcFadden excels at writing fast-paced thrillers, and The Inmate is no exception. The tension is well-maintained throughout, and the prison setting adds a unique sense of danger and claustrophobia. Brooke is a relatable narrator, torn between her responsibilities as a mother and her unresolved past. The emotional stakes feel real, and the twists—especially toward the final act—land with impact.Why 4 Stars, Not 5While the plot is engaging, some of the twists feel slightly over-the-top or require a bit of suspension of disbelief. A few character decisions, particularly in the second half, felt more driven by shock value than realism. That said, it’s part of the ride with McFadden—her books are designed to entertain and keep you turning pages, and in that respect, The Inmate absolutely succeeds.Final VerdictThe Inmate is a dark, twisty, and thoroughly entertaining thriller with a strong emotional core. It may not be the most subtle or realistic of McFadden’s novels, but it’s undeniably fun, compulsively readable, and full of surprises.A solid 4-star read for fans of fast-paced thrillers, shocking secrets, and morally complex characters.Freida McFadden knows how to keep you hooked—and this one delivers exactly what her fans crave.