House of Correction By Nicci French (Review by Lara Ferguson)

Tabitha is pretty sure she didn’t kill anyone, yet here she sits, in this House of Correction, trying to put together the memory fragments that she is clinging to, so that she can prove it to those who would accuse her. Trapped in a nightmare, somewhat of her own making, Tabitha must figure out what really happened to Stuart Rees, from the confines of her cell. Quite the “page-turner,” this story drew me in from the beginning. I was alternately exasperated and astounded by the circumstances surrounding Tabitha and her experience “inside the system.” I found myself frustrated not only by the system, but also by Tabitha’s responses to her plight. She is her own worst enemy at times, but she definitely keeps it real. It’s hard to know who to trust or what to believe in a town full of real people with questionable motives. With it’s variety of colorful, believable characters, House of Correction, blends an honest first-person look at depression and anxiety with an entrancing murder-mystery plot that insists upon being read.