House of Correction: A Novel
House of Correction: A Novel book cover

House of Correction: A Novel

Hardcover – October 27, 2020

Price
$14.00
Format
Hardcover
Pages
528
Publisher
William Morrow
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0063021341
Dimensions
6 x 1.31 x 9 inches
Weight
1.45 pounds

Description

"Nicci French will leave readers questioning everything they think they know." — Popsugar on House of Correction "If you enjoy a whodunit headed up by a slightly unreliable narrator who is also an amateur sleuth, this unsettling yet sharp suspense novel will be most enjoyable." — Addison Independent on House of Correction “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 — A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window , on House of Correction "Seamlessly shifts from prison drama to procedural to legal thriller—and finally to an ingenious twist on the locked-room mystery. French continues to impress." — Publishers Weekly on House of Correction "Another winner . . .xa0combining an impeccably constructed, secrecy-prone English village with masterful plotting and an indefatigable protagonist who carries on, no matter the cost." — Booklist on House of Correction "Genius . . . a lot of fun . . . Nicci French always writes great novels and this is no exception. The character of Tabitha is one of the best ones all year in any novels I have read." — Red Carpet Crash on House of Correction "Razor-sharp writing by French expertly amps the tension." — People on The Lying Room “International bestseller French belongs on every thriller fan’s TBR list.” — Booklist “Having ended the saga of forensic psychologist Frieda Klein on a suitably harrowing note, French produces a stand-alone that’s just as suspenseful . . . The sorely tried heroine realizes, “I can’t trust anyone.” Neither can the expertly manipulated reader.” — Kirkus Reviews on The Lying Room “Fans of domestic thrillers will be rewarded.” — Publishers Weekly "An enthralling and addicting novel . . . Longtime fans of French will find their high expectations rewarded, while newcomers will be motivated to explore the author’s backlist. I envy their discovery." — Book Reporter on The Lying Room "An enjoyable mystery that offers unique views of the legal system and is a refreshing change of pace for readers of this genre." — Book Reporter on House of Correction "A big book, as always, and more than one kind of thriller, even though brilliantly integrated into one headlong narrative. It’s all-out psychological suspense: the central figure is maybe the hardest-to-like Nicci French antiheroine yet (and you’ll be rooting for her almost at once); but then it’s also a smashing courtroom drama.”xa0 — The Shawangunk Journal (New York) on House of Correction “Nicci French crafted a blisteringly intense thriller about a woman trying to prove her innocence from the confines of prison . . . House of Correction is a gripping drama that will leave thriller lovers rapidly turning the page as twist after twist unfurls.”xa0 — News Times (Connecticut) on House of Correction “This is a skillful and powerfully written blending of genres: an unsparing look at prison life, an unruly courtroom drama, a well-plotted murder mystery, and, most of all, a raw portrait of an angry, damaged woman whose complete disregard for being liked serves her very well indeed.”xa0 — Air Mail on House of Correction “Readers who love stories of empowered underdogs will cheer for Tabitha as she pieces together the facts that will prove her guilt or innocence." — The Big Thrill on House of Correction “Part Nancy Drew, part “Twelve Angry Men,” full of unexpected turns and surprisingly taut courtroom scenes. . . . Immensely satisfying.”xa0 — The New York Times Book Review Nicci French is the pseudonym of English wife-and-husband team Nicci Gerrard and Sean French. Their acclaimed novels of psychological suspense have sold more than 16 million copies around the world.

Features & Highlights

  • 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 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?

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(1.1K)
★★★★
25%
(880)
★★★
15%
(528)
★★
7%
(246)
23%
(809)

Most Helpful Reviews

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One of the best I've read in a long time...

It's been a long time since I read a book that was so suspenseful I couldn't put it down. This one kept me up past bedtime. I cared on multiple dimensions - the legal puzzle, the whodunit, and Tabitha, the main character.

Some reviewers didn't like Tabitha. I'm not sure I'd like her but I did admire her. She's a risk-taker. She deals with the unthinkable - finding herself in prison for a crime she's pretty sure she didn't commit, even with memory lapses. She follows her instincts when she chooses Michaela, her former cellmate, to help her in court. She's persistent: she doesn't know where to start, so she does whatever she can.

Descriptions are painfully realistic without being overly dramatic. You feel what it's like to be in Tabitha's cell, living a nightmare. You feel what it's like to walk in the small town, feeling the wind on your face and the cold sea air when she swims.

French captures the complex relationship of insiders versus outsiders. Tabitha isn't trusted. She dresses differently. She acts differently. She doesn't have the interpersonal skills to smooth over the rough spots. After she's accused, she loses everything. She's not poor - we realize she'll get money from her house and she'll probably be able to do some work. Her experience strengthens her and also adds another layer of scar tissue. As other readers suggested, it seems odd that she hasn't been referred for psychotherapy. Apparently, some British doctors, like their American counterparts, are happy to prescribe drugs without being psychiatrists or referring her to one.

There's a pervasive theme of a miscarriage of justice, starting with the times when Tabitha was too young and naive to realize what was happening. The police aren't concerned with accountability: once they've identified a suspect, they stop.

Tabitha somehow knew that she had to help herself. This is another theme of modern life. You can't put your life in the hands of anyone - doctors, lawyers, friends - and expect them to do the work to save you. Tabitha's court-appointed lawyer seems to care but she's got typical legal blinders on. She sees only what she's been trained to see. The prison people try to wear Tabitha down but she speaks up and asks for what she needs. There's a price but she holds firm.

At first, I wondered about coincidences. Would Tabitha really get what she asked for from the prison and the court? But I suspect her determination ultimately impressed them. That could happen.

The novel isn't without flaws. Tabitha drew an unusually fair judge. The British system (if reported accurately) requires a lot of disclosure. The prosecutor seemed like a decent guy doing a job. Tabitha lucked out with her first cellmate, Michaela, who turned out to be smart and supportive.

Overall, though, the book not only kept me reading. It also sparked some thoughts about fairness and justice, or the lack thereof, and the particular way anyone who's designated an outsider often gets the short end of the stick in every way. It was a great escape -- something that's increasingly hard to find.
1 people found this helpful
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An authentic portrait of a woman working through a traumatic event.

I thought it was an excellent psychological study of a woman struggling to recapture
a traumatic event just past. It depicted the inner consciousness ,thought processes and problem solving skills of a woman on the outer margins of society and often over the edge. I think it was a very authentic and realistic portrait . I loved reading this book!
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Well written!

Fun book. Enjoyed the suspense.
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New twist for this writer

Well written book, great character development, kept at a nice pace. Enjoyed it
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Loved this book so much!!!!!

I normally don't write book reviews, but I loved this book so much. I couldn't put it down. Nicci French is my favorite husband and wife team, and I love their books. Some are better than others, and this is one of my favorites. It had me guessing until the very end. It was suspenseful, twisty and the characters were believable. I was really rooting for the protagonist and her former cell mate / friend. Loved it!