House of Correction

A thriller to beat all thrillers. This was just the book to read during last weeks stressful election days. When I needed a break from the news, I turned to the pall that befell a small, coastal town in England where a young woman has settled hoping to find solace but instead, she is accused of murder and winds up in prison.

Tabitha cant remember much, other than she ran out to the local shop to get milk, shortly after her ritual swim in the frigid water. Nothing unusual. Other than coming home to find herself being arrested and taken to prison for a crime she swears she did not commit. The murder of her long-ago teacher. While she finds Stuart vile and she is a bit unstable, she doesnt fancy killing anyone. But the folks in town all seem to have it in for her.

She soon learns that her only chance for freedom is to defend herself. Advised against it, she is a stubborn one, and proceeds to do whatever it takes to act as her own barrister, with her limited means and knowledge. Oh, and even more limited friends who will testify on her behalf.

The book gets going straightway and you will not be able to put it down. First you will be so consumed with her case, the prep work, and then the trial, and next, you will be wracking your brain trying to figure out if she is guilty and if not, then who is.

The courtroom scenes are where it’s at and the judge could run laps around Judge Judy.

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. Shed 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 shes 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, Tabithas own memories of that day are a complete blur.

She thinks shes 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, Tabitha begins to question if she knows what kind of person she is after all. The world is convinced shes a killer. Tabitha needs to prove them all wrong.

But what if shes only lying to herself?

My Thoughts: As House of Correction opens, we meet our protagonist, Tabitha Hardy, a young woman who is on remand in prison for the murder of a man who some might describe as her abuser. But Tabitha is not quite sure she would label him that way. Their relationship was complicated, and because she was very young when they had this connection, she is not exactly sure of how to define it.

But in some ways, these complications make her more culpable in the murder.

Tabitha decides almost immediately to represent herself in court. We watch her as she tries to sort through the events of the day in question, taking notes and making her own deductions about what has happened. But what, if anything, has she failed to remember?

I liked Tabitha and found myself rooting for her, even though I suspected that she might not be as innocent as she claims to be.

What will we discover as the trial progresses, and what further secrets might be revealed? I found myself on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. An enticing read that earned 4.5 stars.

My first Nicci French book, but it won’t be my last. They really delivered on every level – Unique MC, fantastic location, and a wonderful use of a single surveilance camera. Plus, you just can’t beat a closed set mystery where the possible suspects are limited. In this case a road closing. If you’re tired of the usual missing kid, cheating husband thrillers and want a splendid blend of old school and new school, then I strongly recommend House of Correction.

I wasn’t clear on how Tabitha could see that the bus window was different when it was leaving town from the CCTV if it would be showing the other side of the bus. Makes no sense. And why did no one (not even the judge or prison doctor) suggest that she pursue treatment for her depression?
The story was great, and I loved all the legal discussions, but felt let down at the end.

I’m a huge Nicci French fan but this is not the best of her books. Usually I’m drawn in by the characters as well as the plots, but I have to say, I didn’t care one iota for a single character in this book. I completely lost patience with what an annoying idiot the main character is in the courtroom scenes. The climax/resolution of the story was Ok but not up to par with other French books.

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