Fellside, M.R. Carey

It’s been a while since I had the chance to just sit down and read—sometimes my working life interferes with my reading life. So I was finally able to begin looking at my pile of new books and on the very top was Fellside, by M.R.Carey.

But first, THE BLURB:

Fellside is a maximum security prison on the edge of the Yorkshire Moors. It's not the kind of place you'd want to end up. But it's where Jess Moulson could be spending the rest of her life.

It's a place where even the walls whisper.

And one voice belongs to a little boy with a message for Jess.

Will she listen?

MY REVIEW:

Wow! Where to start…From the first line, this book reaches out and grabs you. Quote: It’s a strange thing to wake up not knowing who you are. The first line hooked me, and the book completely lives up to that first line.

Jess Moulson is an intriguing character. Her life has gone to hell, and she has no idea why.  She is charged with a horrific crime, and while she knows she is innocent, she is unable to prove it. Young, a drug-addict, and naïve, she is the perfect fall guy when a person in a position of power need one.

She lives in a bad part of town, and one of the neighbors has a son, neglected and abused. Alex touches Jess’s heart, and she does what she can to alleviate his life. She is accused of setting the fire that results in his death.

She also believes she can hear him speaking from beyond the grave.

It is when we get to Fellside Prison that things really kick into high-gear.

M.R. Carey has a gift for creating atmosphere. Fellside is dark, dangerous, and ultimately the domain of the male guard known within those walls as “Devil” Devlin.

Grace makes hell intolerable, and Devil Devlin enforces the pain. Still, Jess finds women like Liz, and Sophie—women as broken as she is, and finds compassion is as sweet and precious as water in the desert. She treasures it when she finds it.

The truths Jess discovers while behind those walls come to a shocking, violent conclusion. The ending is not what I expected, but is more powerful because of that.

This is not a light read. This is very much a psychological thriller. I found this book difficult to put down, and hard to forget.

I give Fellside by M.R. Carey five stars.