Genre: Mystery/ Thriller

Summary:

I was nine years old when my father sent me to prison.

I didn't go because I was a criminal, a murderer, or a monster; I went because he told me to.

.....

Emily is obsessed with criminals, the insane and the guilty. There are questions she can't answer herself. Questions only a criminal could answer.

The state prison has become safe haven for Emily, a place where she is heard and a place where she is valued.

But, being the eighteen year old daughter of the Correction officer, Dane Silverman, is both a blessing and burden in disguise. Emily has unlimited access to the prisoners, so when a body is found and people start going missing it is up to Emily to put her questions to some use.

Vans Waltz is the only one ready for her questions as he seemingly watches her every move. With his sarcastic humour and his endless charm it doesn't take long for Emily to question who is guilty and who is telling her the truth.

+ Cover

I like the cover. If this had been a horror story then this would not be sufficient but in this case the cover fits very nicely with the story itself.

Rating: 9/10

+Title

It isn't bad but it is awkward sounding. It just doesn't sit right with me for some reason though the words make a whole lot of sense related to the story. Maybe you could try to rearrange it into smoother sounding title?

Rating: 7/10

+ Summary

Tad long but that is to be expected. It may be long but doesn't give us much information except for the basics. I couldn't find anything wrong with it. It is beautifully put.

Rating: 9/10

+Plot

It is a very unique plot; one I haven't read before. It would be interesting to see where this would lead to because while I have read murder in prison kind of stories none of them have a protagonist who is neither a officer nor a prisoner themselves. So this is a fresh take on that particular plot.

Rating: 9/10

+ Characters

Emily: She seems to be a strong and curious protagonist. Since she is a psychology major, she understands how the human mind works. Her faith in her father is heart warming and I am glad that you displayed realism by giving her restraints when it comes to freedom in the prison. Being daughter of the Correction Officer didn't mean she could be allowed to do whatever she wanted.

I haven't really got a feel from the rest of the characters (since I read only 3 chapters) so it is still too early to talk about others.

Rating: 8/10

+ Chapters

Lenght: The first chapter is very, very lengthy. I would advise you to cut it down. It would turn off the readers. You can make your later chapters a bit lengthy if you want but keep the initial ones a bit start so that even if the lenght turns long later on, the readers are too deep to turn back.

Grammar, sentence structure: I found these to be near perfect. There was nothing glaring obvious thats for sure. There may be a few minor errors that I may have not noticed but you have editors for that

General:

I liked it. It was a refreshing read and mystery/thriller stories are one of my weak points. You have managed to give a fresh take on the plot of prison murder and that is something to feel good about.

The interactions between the characters feel very real and natural. There are no forced sentences or anything of that sort that would turn the readers off.

Though I still dont understand why would her father ask her to work in the prison? I mean, what is her official role?

As you say, she is interested in minds. It may as well turn into an obsession if she isn't careful. Because I have seen it happen in real life (Lets just say a psych student was so confident about her 'character reading' abilities that she predicted a boy was going to do suicide in the near future and had him killed. She called it being merciful)

I like the starting paragraphs of your story when you talk about monsters and what she was expecting. It shows that monsters also can hide behind a mask and you can't always recognise them.

Even Uncle George, who seemed so good, cannot be trusted.

But I do wonder why does her father tell her not to trust her own mother. Is it a general statement or a warning? Because there are no links between her mother and anything that is going on. What if it is to keep her safe?

Curious.

+ Conclusion

I truly enjoyed reading this. I would surely continue to read this when I have more time to spare (unfortunately I have a lot of books to review). Anyone who wants to read a prison murder with a protagonist who isn't an officer or a prisoner, this is for you

+ Overall Rating

8/10