I enjoyed this book! It is a court/prison drama that focuses on a woman who has been incarcerated for a crime she didn't commit. We follow her as she tries to prove her innocence and work out what really happened on the day the crime was committed.

While the protagonist was very entitled and slightly annoying, she had great character development and I enjoyed following her story.

This book was written extremely well, but I find that that's always the case with Nicci French novels.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this E-book to review via Netgalley.

These day's I only have to see the name Nicci French to want to read more and that's exactly what happened here. I was first hooked on these two authors after reading the Freida Klein series but have since enjoyed many of the stand alone novels.

This is an excellent courtroom thriller that pulls you along without the need to rush yet entertain in doing so. Excellent characters and cleverly constructed plot that keep you guessing.

School Teacher Stuart Rees lies dead and his ex pupil Tabitha Hardy is on remand in prison accused of his murder. The police are convinced she is the killer after his body was found in her garden shed. Although Tabitha pleads innocent she is unaware of what actually happened on the day he was found. She has an history of mental health and depression and her memory is always a little hazy. The case against her is not helped by the discovery that she had an underage sexual relationship with him which provides a motive for revenge. After a falling out with her lawyer Tabitha decides to defend herself which adds a little humour to the book.

This is an enjoyable read and I am sure it will prove to be another winner for Nicci French.

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Simon & Schuster UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

A fabulous book with the quirky Tabitha being just one of a whole chorus of weird and wonderful characters. I really could not guess where this story was going as Tabitha is totally unreadable. A very well thought out story that was intriguing throughout.

A well plotted, riveting read, that had me glued to the pages. I started it late one night reading into the early hours, then finishing it later in the day. Tabitha is a character that you don’t know whether to like or not. She on remand having been charged with the murder of Stephen Rees on the 21st December, as we start the story is is January and Tabitha doesn’t seem to know where the time has one, or what day or date it is. Like she has gone through the last couple of weeks in a complete fog. Her cell mate Michaela, gives her a nudge to get up and wash, and to leave the cell when she can. Because otherwise the other women could make life difficult.

Tabitha is a loner, she seems to have no friends, and it looks like she’s never really had friends, or many successful relationships. When she goes to court to enter he plea, her lawyer advises her to plead guilty, but Tabitha doesn’t want to say she’s guilty of something she says she hasn’t done, she wants her lawyer to say she believes her. But when the lawyer tells her that’s not her job, that her job is to represent her to the best of her ability Tabitha fires her on the spot. Deciding to represent herself. Despite the fact she doesn’t have a clue as to what she is doing.

The story is told in three parts The first Tabitha, as she goes through the evidence, and gets some of the villagers of Okeham to come and visit her so that she can ask them questions, of course they aren’t visiting to help Tabitha it’s more to get the gossip, as each of them tell her they are witnesses for the prosecution, things aren’t looking great for Tabitha. The second part is the Prosecution, as the trial begins, Tabitha seems out of her depth, and at times gets the judge wound up, with her comments. The third part is Defence, as Tabitha tries to represent herself sitting in the dock, then asking her few witnesses questions.

As I got to know Tabitha I started to warm more to her, there is a good mixture of characters within the story, everything you would expect from a small village, the vicar, the dr, the shopkeeper. Who all want to know what happened, as not much else goes on in their village. But who did kill Stephen? Was Tabitha guilty? If you like a good crime mystery then this will suit you, as each character is interviewed there are more who could have wanted Stephen dead than you think at first. I tried to guess who the killer was going to be, but I was wrong.

A riveting, well paced mystery, that will have you turning the pages fast, well plotted and well written story.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #Simon&Schuster for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

Tabitha is on remand, awaiting trial for the murder of her old school teacher Stuart Rees. He was found dead in her shed but Tabitha can’t remember anything about the day of the murder, Though she is sure that she didn’t murder him. When her lawyer advises her to plead guilty, she knows she is the only one who can help herself, so she fires her lawyer and defends herself in court.

This is rather a slow burner, the first part is where Tabitha is on remand in prison and she is trying to defend herself ready for court. Occasionally we keep going over the same things but I think we are seeing it how Tabitha would have seen it recollecting it and going over it as much as she could to prepare herself.

I enjoyed the second part which was the trial and seeing how Tabitha defended herself, although I was disappointed with the ending of the trial, I enjoyed reading the book overall.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Simon & Schuster UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Tabitha is accused of murder. She is in prison awaiting trial. There is a strong case against her, and she can’t remember what happened on December 21st. She is alone, frightened and confused. But somehow, from the confines of her cell, she needs to prove everyone wrong.

This read focuses firmly around Tabitha and would be nothing without her. Tabitha is quite a quirky character and it took me a while to warm to her. Actually, I am not sure I ever really did and some of the decisions she makes are very questionable. I did enjoy learning about her and following her as she battles to free herself from prison. There are other characters in this but they come in and out without really making a difference. This is very much Tabitha's story.

I am wary to compare, but usually with a read by French, I know I am in for an exhilarating, psychological thriller with a shocking twist. Surprisingly, this read was missing twists and I think it could have done with some. I liked the idea for the plot and it is okay but it loses its way part way through the read and desperately needed an injection of adrenaline to get it going. I did enjoy the concept of Tabitha defending herself and working to clear her name, it felt different and made for a nice change.

'House of Correction' is a very different kind of thriller that felt unique and made for interesting reading. It could have done with more excitement but Tabitha is a very strong character who made up for this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for an advance copy.

The House of Correction is a first courtroom drama I have in a while and it’s not your typical one. It is also the first book from the authors that I have read, and I will be looking out for more.
Tabitha Hardy is on remand in prison for the murder of Stuart Rees a neighbour and her old schoolteacher. His body was found in her garden shed. The police don’t expect anyone else. They think this is an open and shut case. But Tabitha claims she was innocent even though she can’t remember the events of the day due to her mental health and medication. The prosecution thinks that Tabitha has motive as she had a sexual relationship with Rees when he was her teacher and that she was out for revenge.
Tabitha does not agree with the plea bargain that was offered to her to save her case going to trail. So, she decides to defend her case and prove her innocence not only to the people at court and but to the villagers in the hometown she grew up in and as they all think she is guilty.
Wow what can I say this book. This is an addictive courtroom drama with lots of twists and turns that I could not put down. There were a great compilation of characters and the writing flowed easily. I felt sorry for Tabitha, everyone was against her she felt alone. I was cheering her on in the book to find out the truth. But there is a surprising twist at the end. 5 stars from me.

I have mixed reviews on this book and have given it three stars because of this. I thought it to be a slow start even though from the offset we are thrown into the deep end with Tabitha being charged with murder. Throughout the book I felt like it wasn’t really going anywhere but something made me want to keep reading . I had to know what was going to happen and what the outcome was. For this reason I enjoyed it a lot. Maybe it was the uncertainty of the character, was she mad or was she innocent? It gives a brief insight into depression which I thought was very good and made you sympathise with the protagonist. I did feel like the ending was a bit disappointing. But overall I did enjoy the book even though there were things about it that I felt were slow or rushed. I would recommend this book as I do think it is well thought out and others may have a different view and enjoy the parts about it that I did not.

As any fan of a courtroom drama can tell you, representing yourself in your trial for murder is not a good idea. Yet, this is exactly what Tabitha Hardy decides to do when she is charged with murder after a neighbour is found dead in her shed. Due to her health issues and medication, Tabitha cannot recall the day in question, and added to her turbulent history with the ‘beloved’ Stuart Rees, the police have a straightforward case. Of course, the entire village seem to concur with the view of the police and the number of prosecution witnesses gathers rapidly. Once her solicitor recommends that Tabitha pleads guilty, Tabitha decided to fire her and conduct her own defence. This is where the story truly begins as we follow Tabitha’s meandering journey through the British legal system as she tries to investigate what really happened to Stuart and to mount her defence case, all from her jail cell.
Tabitha is not the most-likeable character and there are times in the novel when she is so utterly careless and ignorant towards following the legal procedures, that I found her frustrating. Yet, I could not help laughing at her antics and admiring her sheer gall as she battled with the governor and slowly won around the judge.
Her relationship with her fellow prisoners also proved to be riveting as Tabitha learned many valuable lessons about how to treat those around her.
‘House of Correction’ contains a well-paced narrative and gripping. I would definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for the ARC of ‘House of Correction’.

A nailbitingly compelling and sometimes even darkly funny read introduces us to unikely heroineTabitha Hardy. The 30-year-old loner is fighting a lone battle for her freedom from inside the prision where she is being held on remand accused of killing her neighbour Stuart. With only hazy recollections of the day of the murder, she is determined to clear her name - but even she begins to doubt herself when she learns she was the only one with opportunity and motive . For Stuart is the man who groomed and abused her as a 15-year-old schoolgirl, leaving her with a legacy of low esteem, depression and anger management issues. If she didn't kill him, who did? It must have been one of the other residents of the small coastal village where they both lived. But stuck in a prison cell, what chance has Tabitha of finding out the truth?
Told in two halves, the narrative first explores the prison setting in which Tabitha finds herself, and then the courtroom drama of her trial, where she conducts her own defence. Both make for riveting reading, introducing contrasting and compelling characters in Tabitha's fellow inmates and the prison staff, and her few friends and neighbours on the outside.
The suspense and tension ratchets up as Tabitha strives to outwit the prosecution in her desperate bid for freedom. Can she escape not just prison, but the dark shadows of her past? With a compelling heroine, an intiguing mystery and a well-paced narrative that takes us to some dark places, this was a real page-turner!

Tabitha Hardy is having a really bad day, but when the body of her neighbour is discovered on her property her day gets even worse. When Tabitha is arrested for murder, she protests her innocence; she’s almost sure she didn’t do it! But everyone in her small village believes she did it so she must be guilty. When she realises her Solicitor is also sceptical that she is innocent, Tabitha fires her and decides to conduct her own defence.

The story follows Tabitha as she tries to navigate her way around the legal system while stuck in a prison cell. With very little help and time running out for Tabitha, will she find a way to prove her innocence?

A book full of twists and turns, this was a compulsive read.

I thought this was an excellent read. I really liked the way the main character was complex and both likeable and unlikeable. It was extremely clever in how the plot unfolded and was a book that got you thinking and wondering throughout.

#HouseOfCorrection #NetGalley
A different read.
She’s a murderer. Everyone knows she killed Stuart Rees – why else would his dead body be found in her shed? So now Tabitha is in prison, awaiting trial.
Coming back to the remote costal village where she grew up was a mistake. She didn’t fit in then, and she doesn’t fit in now. That day is such a blur, she can’t remember clearly what happened.
There is something she is missing, something important… She only knows one thing. She is not capable of murder. And the only one she can trust to help her out of this situation is herself.
Too much jail scenes make it sometimes boring and a reader thinks that when it will come to an end. Narration of the story is simple.
Characters were ok ok. Don't expect too much from it.
Overall it's a different read with a somewhat satisfying ending.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for giving me an advance copy of this psychological thriller.

I loved this book!
Fast paced, interesting and a great courtroom drama.
I did get annoyed with Tabitha at times, and her approach to her defence but I appreciated it was part of her character and a reaction to her situation.
I would have preferred to have a map and cast list to help my understanding of the events on the day of the murder.

When the dead body of Stuart Rees is found in her shed, Tabitha is declared a murderer by everyone in the village and thrown in prison.

Now, awaiting her trial., she is sure that she is not capable of murder. She knows that she is missing something important but can't figure out what. When her lawyer tells her to plead guilty, she realises that the only one she can trust to help her out of this situation is herself. So she fires her lawyer and decides to fight for herself.

I absolutely loved this one. I just loved Tabitha in spite of all her flaws. I admired her determination to go and fight the case even though the prosecution's case against her was strong and that she had no training whatsoever. Her cellmate, and later friend, Michaela was also an interesting character to read about.

It was so annoying that people didn't like her just because she kept to herself. I liked the way Tabitha started investigating the crime and once the trial began, I was totally hooked on to this book and just couldn't wait to reach the end.

This was my first book by Nicci French and I will be looking forward to read more of their books!

Thank You to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for this ARC!!

A courtroom drama if there ever was one! Tabitha, accused of murder, apparently never read one herself, or she would have known that what she is trying to do is almost impossible. But... she does it! She is confused and angry, nobody likes her (she thinks) and the whole community sentenced her before the trial even started.
Yet somehow she is so angry of being accused of a murder she didn't commit, she doesn't let go and what unfolds is a true brilliant story.
Although it is a lengthy story and there are many repetitions in it, it doesn't feel slow or 'too long'. I loved every page of it. Sometimes I wanted to grab Tabitha by her shoulders and shake her, other times I wanted to hug her.

I'm very thankful to Netgalley for this digital reading copy.

I enjoyed reading this book, although I found the main character Tabitha hard to relate to and like. Would recommend this book

Absolutely gripping and compelling, with a realistic portrait of prison life. The best Nicci French yet? Highly recommended.

House of Correction is an utterly compelling and twisted novel that will have you on the edge of your seat, frantically turning the pages trying to work out the next twist. This is NIcci French at her absolute best.

This is a great stand alone book by Nicci French.

Tabitha is a 30 something, slightly eccentric woman who has been charged with murdering a man whose body was found behind her house. She lives in a small town where everybody knows everyone's business - and no one likes her because she keeps to herself and does strange things like going to swim in the ocean in the middle of winter.

Tabitha is trying to build up a defence whilst awaiting her trial but she doesnt know how to go about it as she doesnt remember what happened on the day of the murder. The book is full of twists and turns and you dont know how it is going to end until the last page.