Napier Courier

Prison system drama a wild ride

White Noise ByMercedes Mercier, HarperColl­ins, $35

- — LindaThomp­son

Something a bit different, and something rather good.

Prison psychologi­st Laura Fleming has to decide whether it’s safe to release a rather charming inmate, Justin Jones, whohas been put away for a violent crime.

Her predecesso­r has gone on maternity leave, and she has very little time to assess the inmate — but something tells her he’s not quite as rehabilita­ted as he seems.

Laura has history. As a paramedic she was badly injured and her colleague was killedwhen they went to a callout, and as a result she was addicted to painkiller­s.

Oneinciden­t meant she was denied access to her daughter, and she is rebuilding her life slowly.

What she doesn’t see— and it takes a while for a reader to realise too— is that her husband is a controllin­g manipulato­r. Meanwhile, she has to prove Jones is not safe, even though his prison record is immaculate.

She believes he’s a psychopath, but has to prove it and very quickly.

At the same time, things are happening to her and her family that she suspects are being controlled from prison.

Proving what is happeningw­hile not seeming paranoidma­kes this a nail-biter.

Author Mercier works in the prison system so she’s in the perfect space to write about this subject. It’s awild ride.

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