Named a New York Times Best Book to Give!“This house of correction is booby-trapped with twists, the floors paved with trapdoors, quicksand churning in the garden. Enter if you dare.” –A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window “Full of unexpected turns . . . Immensely satisfying.” – The New York Times Book ReviewIn this heart-pounding standalone thriller from …
“Full of unexpected turns . . . Immensely satisfying.” – The New York Times Book Review
In this heart-pounding standalone thriller from bestselling author Nicci French, a woman accused of murder attempts to solve her own case from the confines of prison—but as she unravels the truth, everything is called into question, including her own certainty that she is innocent.
Tabitha is not a murderer.
When a body is discovered in Okeham, England, Tabitha is shocked to find herself being placed in handcuffs. It must be a mistake. She’d only recently moved back to her childhood hometown, not even getting a chance to reacquaint herself with the neighbors. How could she possibly be a murder suspect?
She knows she’s not.
As Tabitha is shepherded through the system, her entire life is picked apart and scrutinized —her history of depression and medications, her decision to move back to a town she supposedly hated . . . and of course, her past relationship with the victim, her former teacher. But most unsettling, Tabitha’s own memories of that day are a complete blur.
She thinks she’s not.
From the isolation of the correctional facility, Tabitha dissects every piece of evidence, every testimony she can get her hands on, matching them against her own recollections. But as dark, long-buried memories from her childhood come to light, Tabatha begins to question if she knows what kind of person she is after all. The world is convinced she’s a killer. Tabatha needs to prove them all wrong.
But what if she’s only lying to herself?
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In a small British coastal village, Tabitha is charged with a murder she didn’t commit. She has to prove her innocence–while she’s locked up in prison. This is serious suspense with a dark comic edge.
An excellent, engrossing novel about a former student accused of murdering her teacher who violated her as a teen. Suffering from depression and having periods of lapsed memory, she can’t be certain she didn’t murder the guy. Her intuition, however, tells her otherwise. So when her court appointed attorney recommends she plead guilty, she fires the attorney and represents herself. This is where the book held most of its intrigue for me. With no legal experience, very little knowledge of the legal system, and not a clue of understanding of the legal dialect, the story imagines a scenario whereby if she hopes to save herself, she must try on her own, against all odds.
Title:
Author: ℎ
Number of Pages: 513
Genre: ℎ ℎ
Publication Date: 10/27/2020
Rating: (3.5 stars)
This is the first book I have read from this author. Thank you @thrillerbooklover foe my #gifted copy. Use my code darkthrillsandchills for 10% off of anything from her store.
So in this book we follow Tabitha who is shocked to find herself being placed in handcuffs when a body is discovered in Okeham, England. She thinks it must be a mistake because she just moved back and then hadn’t gotten acquainted with any of the neighbors.
Overall I enjoyed this book. There were definitely some details that had me emotionally invested. I did enjoy the unique writing style of the author. In my opinion, I think the story was possibly a little too long. I was able to figure out the ending, but would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a good psychological Thriller.
“House of Correction” by Nicci French is the story of Tabitha Hardy who is not doing well; she is locked up in prison, but she does not belong there. Her story unfolds in a flood of metaphors and sensory descriptions, the squeak of rubber-soled shoes, the glossy institutional paint of the walls, the spluttering sound of the water pipes, and the sour taste of the milk. Her days are fluid and vast.
The narrative is driven by conversations, what Hardy says to others, what others say to her, and what she says to herself. She is charged with the murder of Stuart Robert Rees, yet she remembers nothing. Readers follow her through the prison conflicts, the interviews, the soul searching, her efforts to convince everyone that she did not do this terrible thing, and her pains to remember those events herself.
Her fight begins; the action proceeds at a measured, calculated pace. She is playing a game, deadly poker, with her life on the line. She has no legal representation; she decides to represent herself. This means she cannot be put into solitary confinement, and she has access to every document and resource needed for her own defense. She pours through documents, statements, files, CCTV, and finds that people remember what said six months previously, but not perhaps what actually happened. For the trial, she is unprepared, like a horrible exhibit of what not to do; yet, proceed she must.
Tabitha Hardy is not in an American courtroom, and things are very different. She is stuck in a complicated legal system and must find the courage within herself to find answers. She questions everything, even herself. Yet she still believes that somewhere there is a killer who is getting away the crime she is accused of committing. I received a review copy of “House of Correction” from Nicci French, HarperCollins Publishers, and William Morrow Paperbacks. It is a personal journey, compelling and complex right from the start.
First and foremost, thank you for the opportunity to read this book early and give my true honest opinion.
At first this book was very intriguing. It started off really good, and considering I’ve never read a Nicci French book I was thought this book had a lot of potential. However, towards the middle I hardly knew the characters. I assumed that I didn’t know them because the main character was in jail and we only heard from them through visitations. I got to the second part the prosecution, and was pleasantly surprised to see how the book unfolded. Once I finished that and the third part defense I understood why the characters were so vague. The ending part 4, outside, was good I’m glad the author tied up all the loose ends.
I ended up giving the book t
3 stars because most of the book was part 1 where I felt the story wasn’t really going anywhere where she’s just watching CCTV and trying to understand the prosecution case against her which was also confusing.
Tabitha Hardy returns to her hometown and begins rehabbing a house she’s purchased. When her handyman finds a dead man in her shed, she is arrested for murder and remanded to prison to await trial. Her solicitor gives her the option of pleading guilty of manslaughter reducing her sentence to five years or pleading not guilty and face a life time in prison. Tabitha decides her solicitor thinks she’s guilty and tells the judge she’s not guilty and will defend herself despite knowing nothing about the legal system. The evidence against her is compelling including the motive. Tabitha is her own worse enemy and it doesn’t occur to her that she has neither the skills nor the means to mount her own defense.
Tabitha is an unlikable character from the start and the author does nothing to mitigate that. While not every main character needs to be entirely likable, they at least need to have some redeeming characteristic that will allow readers to root for them. Tabitha is angry with a hair-trigger temper, stubborn, impulsive, and just plain rude.
It was hard to decide whether this was a book about Tabitha or the legal system. The focus, at first seemed to be Tabitha, but then the trial began, and it became about the trial.
If you like books about the legal system, you will, undoubtedly, love this book. If you like character-driven books with fully developed characters, this is not the book for you.
My thanks to Morrow and Edelweiss for an eARC.
This book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When a body is discovered in Okeham, England, Tabitha is shocked to find herself being placed in handcuffs. It must be a mistake.
At first, I didn’t really connect with Tabitha. She was rude, brisk and prone to shouting or being violent. As I read on though, she grew on me and I saw her as the underdog. Everything was stacked against her, everyone was out make her look guilty. She didn’t have friends and the acquaintances she did have the village didn’t really seem to care about her. I was really invested in the book. I wanted to know why Tabitha was in prison, what evidence was against and how she couldn’t remember anything. In the end, I did feel sorry for her because she did suffer from depression and mental illness, and no one seemed to try to help her. I would recommend this book. This is the first one I have read by this author, although I have another on TBR. Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins Publishers, William Morrow Paperbacks and Nicci French.
his is by far the BEST book I have read so far this year, and any other year! Powerful writing, the author duo take a feisty main character through an emotional roller coaster ride that makes you want to scream “jump off ” over and over.
Tabitha returns to her childhood neighborhood and buys an isolated house by the ocean with money her mother left her when she passed away. Next door to a former teacher, who ends up murdered and his body is found in her shed.
The story is told through the main character, Tabitha, and describes how she becomes the main (and only) suspect in the teachers murder. She is thrown in prison, extremely depressed, and with no clue what to do. She ultimately ends up defending herself at trial. This is when small town gossip and secrets from the past make Tabitha question herself and how terribly the neighborhood judges her.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an expertly crafted, unique story with a brilliant ending.
I would like to thank Edelweiss, William Morrow Paperbacks and the authors for an advance copy of this book and the opportunity to give my honest review.