Helen Fields is one of the best in her field and does not shy away from the gore and stomach turning moments some other writers avoid. Her stories are always gritty and dark and filled with twist after twist.

The Institution takes place at an undisclosed location on an island where a psychiatric hospital is home to a select few of the darkest murderers known to man. And then one of the staff is brutally killed and her unborn child is taken from her. Time is obviously of the essence and there is an entire hospital full of suspects. This is the first story I almost didn’t like a single character. Baarda is probably my favorite and he barely speaks because of his part is the story. I wasn’t a huge fan of Connie and her approach, but she definitely gets the job done and has more guts than I do. I loved how I was literally suspicious of every single person the entire time I was reading this story. It wasn’t until the end where I started to slowly weed out the people I thought might not be involved. I mean, how do you not suspect an entire floor of crazed serial killers?

Fields has a great way of building her characters back stories so well that it explains a lot about why they are the way they are and how they function. I think it makes the reading more interesting as you are reading a character and can flash back to a description of their past and understand why they may handle something a completely different way than you would. Fields characters are deep and twisty and can catch you off guard at any time. Connie, in this case, had me feeling all her feelings. Her character had an intriguing backstory for the case she was being put on and I felt her anxiety, I felt her fear, I felt her annoyance. It was a like Connie’s conscious was inside me as I was reading along with her. Not many authors can do that.


My only issue, and I am not sure I can even call it a real issue, is that this book had no location. Meaning, Helen Fields purposefully doesn’t tell us where it takes place. Usually you hear her mention Edinburgh or France or something of that nature, but this one did not and I even reached out to her and she said she purposefully left it off. It does not affect the story AT ALL and it is fantastic in itself, but for me, I love to have a visual in my head of where this is. I still feel this would be off the coast of Scotland or Ireland just by the weather and terrain, but honestly it could be anywhere. I just really felt strongly about wanting to know where it was.

Otherwise, this book was fantastic. If you love thrillers and suspense, any Helen Fields book will be great, but pick up The Institution and let me know if you agree with me. A real nail biter!

I loved this latest book by Helen. So different from her others. A slow start but, it builds and then it takes off and you can’t stop reading it. Quite creepy at times, being centered on a secluded island with terrible weather and alone with a building full of lunatics and murders. I always know I’m going to enjoy books by Helen Fields and so far she hasn’t disappointed me. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

#TheInstitution #NetGalley This was a very dark and gruesome thriller that hit the ground running with the horrific murder in the first chapter. I have met the character of Dr Connie Woolwine in the Luc Callanach series by this author and it was nice to see her take centre stage in this thriller. Lots and lots of action and plot twists, with the final quarter of the book being an emotional rollercoaster! Although it horrified me frequently, as a thriller I couldn't put it down. I kook forward to more by this author.

This was a great book! The crime gruesomely meets you in the first chapter, and then you're left wondering, what now? What next? Then, the tension builds and the reader is left puzzling out the crime alongside Dr Connie.

The accounts of the crimes at the institute are grizzly and the setting for the mental hospital is perfect for the plotline.

I didn't see the ending coming, I was shocked and very much enjoyed the twists and turns along the way.

A new take on a locked room mystery as it takes place in a mental institution in the middle of nowhere on the highest security ward. The Institution did not disappoint, the characters were thoroughly developed, the setting was fantastic, and the mystery kept me guessing up until the end. We reunite with Dr. Connie Woolwine as she goes undercover in the Institution to try and solve the mystery, we first met Connie in The Shadow Man (another great book) but you do not need to read the books in order you can jump straight into this book. I highly recommend reading both The Institution and The Shadow Man because they were both dark thrillers and great reads.

Looking forward to reading more books from Helen Fields in the future.

The Institution is a phenomenal thriller from start to finish. Filled to the brim with twists and a captivating plot, this one is sure to keep readers hooked. The characters are well-developed. The story is incredibly fast-paced. This is one not to be missed! Highly recommended! Be sure to check out The Institution asap.

Connie is a profiler who is called to a remote psychiatric unit to help find a murderer and the baby he has cut out of the woman’s body before it dies. The unit holds serial killers who have not been considered sane enough for trial. The details of the murder are very unpleasant and this book is not for the faint hearted. She then goes on to interview different men held on the ward which feels a bit like an excuse to horrify you further with details of their crimes. The staff are also suspects and pretty unpleasant too. When a storm hits, Connie finds herself in dreadful danger and unable to know who to trust. This last part was very exciting but this book was too dark for me. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

When a ransom demand for a newborn baby is received by the mothers family it's realised a horrendous crime has taken place. The Mother, heavily pregnant Tara, worked in a high security prison and is found dead with her baby surgically removed. Dr Connie Woolvine agrees to go undercover in the prison with her partner Detective Baarda under the guise of monitoring him on behalf of the military whilst in reality desperately trying to find the baby before it's to late. The prison houses the worst psychologically disturbed murderers and Connie needs to investigate each of them and their gruesome pasts.
A gripping story which could have moved faster for me as at times it seemed to loose momentum times but a very good thrilling plot.

Helen Fields is always one of my "I need to read this book" authors, along with Nora Roberts. This one did not disappoint.

The Institution is a grim building, built centuries earlier, which now houses the criminally insane.

Dr Connie is going undercover so she can find out who killed a pregnant nurse who worked at The Institution, and try and figure out where her unborn baby is, if he/she is still alive. She has a friend with her but he is also undercover - as a prisoner. What could possibly go wrong here? Ha.

I think the setting adds to the atmosphere of the book, without a shadow of a doubt. Just the thought of being in the middle of nowhere, with no easy way to spend time with people in the community gave me the shivers, let alone needing to watching your back at all times with the mad and the bad who live in the place - and we are not only talking about the prisoners!

Another masterfully written book by this author. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK.

A very gripping, page turner of a thriller. Excellent characters and a relentlessly dark psychological story which continues with pace throughout. This is a stand alone novel with no need for having read any of the authors previous works with back story of the main character introduced throughout the book. It will keep you guessing to the last as you try to establish who was responsible.

They’re locked up for your safety. Now you’re locked in with them.

The Institution is a high-security prison for the criminally insane. One night, a nurse in a locked ward is murdered, and her newborn baby is kidnapped. Forensic profiler Dr. Connie Woolwine has only five days to find the ones responsible for this crime. After that, a newborn will be in danger.

I’m only an occasional thriller reader, but I really liked this one. It’s a fast-paced, dark psychological thriller. Not for the faint-hearted. I like that Dr. Connie’s not perfect. That she seems like a regular human being with flaws.

Thanks to Avon Books UK for the ARC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

Wow what a read!… I was up all night reading this… An absolutely gripping psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the last page… Full of mystery and suspense with twists and turns to keep you on your toes, I was completely hooked… Gives you goosebumps

Dr Connie Woolwine is an accredited criminal profiler and psychologist, and it’s to her that the authorities turn when a pregnant nurse in a high security prison hospital for the criminally insane is found murdered and her baby stolen. The kidnappers are requesting a ransom for the roads return of the baby, so the clock is ticking. Sent in to the facility under cover, she has 5 days to find the missing baby and discover who the killer is, but doing this is not only dangerous and high risk, it brings back haunting memories for Connie from her past. Can she keep her own demons long buried at bay long enough to discover who is behind this heinous crime?

From the get go I was gripped to the story! I couldn’t stop reading, I just wanted to know how it was going to end! The characters were well thought out, the story was brilliant and well written. I really enjoyed seeing the characters develop, especially the patients, as you really didn’t know who was involved and who wasn’t. I couldn’t have guessed the ending, it was just fantastic. Really chilling, creepy, and dark at some points too which I really liked, not just for the story, but for Connie too, as we learned more about her past as the book progressed which was a great insight to a complex character. Amazing is all I can say, loved it!

3.75 stars. I’m a big fan of Helen Fields and love her Luc Callanach series, but this one left me with mixed feelings. The setting of the hospital prison for the criminally insane was perfect and creepily atmospheric. The crime was horrific and the many suspects quite deranged. The storm and power outage, though cliched, definitely added to the tension. The main character, psychological profiler Connie Woolwine, however, left me disappointed. She was such a mixture of brains, unprofessionalism, emotional trauma, and oddness. She also pretty much misread all of the prisoners and staff she was interviewing. I have not read The Shadow Man, the previous book she was in, so perhaps that would have given me more background to better understand her character.

Wow this really had me hooked. The terror and sheer horror was gut churning. Just the thought of these people and also the people who look after them gave me chills. Brilliant #TheInstitution #NetGalley

The Institution is a maximum security prison for the criminally insane. Located in a setting that is cut off from the world & access limited, escape is thought impossible. The top level houses the worst offenders. A nurse on the ward is found murdered- the baby she was expecting torn from her body & missing- a ransom has been demanded. Dr Connie Woolwine, forensic profiler is called in. Her cover story is that she is examining the Institution to see if it is suitable for a top secret prisoner. This prisoner is Baarda, her partner & together they have to find the child before it's too late.

This is a dark tale, full of menace. The author draws the reader into the claustrophobic setting & the dark characters. Connie had her own demons to fight as well as the mind games going on within the Institution. It makes for a totally gripping read that kept me reading way past my bedtime. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this brilliant book.

The Charles Horatio Parry Institution for the Rehabilitation of the Criminally Insane is the Institution of our story...

In an isolated location, the Institution is a maximum security hospital housing some of the most notorious mentally ill patients ever to have stood trial. It staff highly vetted, and the strictest procedures in place - it isn't a place that welcome strangers.

When a nurse is found murdered, her body mutilated and another life at danger, the hospital has no choice but to let outsiders in.

Dr Connie Woolvine is a forensic profiler, renowned for her ability to get inside the mind of a murderer.

At the institution she has her work cut out, because 'Heaven' ward is full of the most deranged, sadistic and dangerous murderers.

Alongside a colleague, she must fight against the clock to catch the killer, and save a life, but she must keep them both safe and alive whilst doing so. Which is easier said than done.

When a life endangering storm isolates the Institution further, Connie and her colleague have their work cut out.

The Institution is a fast paced thriller, with some uncomfortable subjects dealt with sensitively. I can't wait for the authors next.

The Institution was a read that was long but full of action and twists and turns.
Dr Connie Woolwine is a profiler, she is excellent at her job. A criminally insane unit in the middle of nowhere needs her help. A nurse has been found murdered but that isn’t all she was pregnant and someone has cut the baby from her. How has this happened? Who is responsible and why? The most important question…where is the baby? Connie must go to the institution and live amongst these murderers and staff to find out who has done this truly awful thing and for what reason.
This was a really good read, it had danger and trepidation all the way through it along with the ticking clock to find the baby. The longer it takes the less chance there is of the baby surviving. Interesting characters and a well written plot put this amongst the reads of the year for me.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Not for the faint-hearted, this harrowing crime thriller is set in a secure institution for the criminally insane, where a baby has been abducted under everyone's noses. In a setting full of criminally and morally devious characters, Connie Woolwine is the forensic profiler charged with finding out what has happened - and as you can imagine she has her work cut out, with a plethora of possible suspects at her feet.
Some neat twists and turns, with a spookily gothic setting - I couldnt sleep until I'd finished the book!

Helen Fields what a genius!

I remember reading The Shadow Man in 2021 and my mind being completely blown, so it should of come of absolutely no surprise to me that The Institution was the BEST BOOK I'VE READ IN YEARS!! Honestly my mind was completely blown. I was even more excited when I realised that the two main characters Dr Connie Woodwine and Detective Brodie Baarda.
Connie is a forensic psychologist who has been called into the high security prison to help solve a murder of a staff member and find her missing baby who was cut out of her at the time of her murder, Connie has five days to find out who the killer is and save the baby. Brodie comes in undercover as a serial killer to also get to know the serial killers from inside the prison. Problem is, everyone seems to be hiding something staff included! the search is going to be much harder than either of them anticipated.

Honestly this is going to be such a hard review to write because I don't want to fill it with spoilers and I want to make sure that you know how great this book is! There are so many suspects it's insane and i it was one of the first books I've read in a while where I had absolutely no idea who the killer or killers could be, plus how could a baby disappear from a top floor maximum security criminally insane institution.

This book was just woo I honestly do not understand the mind that Helen Fields has but i want to be part of it! Who comes up with such a complex story. Each person who is a suspect seems to be a bit crazy and that includes the staff! I even found myself suspecting people who weren't even part of the line up. It was just absolutely crazy I swear to god! I loved how they brought Dr Connie into the institution undercover to run an investigation and find the killer aswell as the new born baby!!! Bringing in detective Brodie Nat as an undercover army very turn criminally insane serial killer was epic!!
What I will say is this if you want a book which will leave you baffled when you finish it. Have feelings for some characters you never expected you would and also have no idea who is guilty then this is the book for you. Honestly I’ve not picked up a book in a while where I wouldn’t put it down until I was finished. I swear it’s one of the best books I’ve read in ages. The research is impeccable as always, especially into the different mental health conditions. The descriptions were so great that I was able to picture the building and grounds so well.

So I won’t say anymore other than I of course recommend. I think this will be a popular read!! It’s full of twists and turns, literally if you asked for a crime psychological thriller this is the book I would give you! It’s an easy 5 stars!!!! Love love love

Thank you, Helen Fields, Avon books uk publishing and netgalley for a free digital ARC of the institution in exchange for my fair and honest opinions.