Beautifully Written, Clever, and Shocking: Read a Review of House of Correction by Nicci French

‘So,’ said Mora Piozzi, her lawyer, looking down at her laptop. ‘In brief: you are charged with the murder of Stuart Robert Rees, on December 21st, between the hours of ten-forty in the morning and half-past three o’clock in the afternoon.’

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.

House of Correction is a new standalone thriller by the husband and wife writing team known as Nicci French and it confirms their place as the masters of psychological suspense. Prolific writers, with over a dozen novels, my first Nicci French novel was their previous one, The Lying Room. This outstanding thriller had me checking out their backlist and then, in the leadup to this release, making sure no one else in the office got their hands on the book before me. My certainty that this was going to be a brilliant read was spot on. I read it in two sittings, flipping through pages until the surprising twist at the end.

House of Correction is beautifully written, clever, shocking, twisty, so believable and utterly enthralling. Tabitha is a complex and compelling protagonist. She’s a loner and has recently returned to her childhood village of Okeham in Devon. She has some mental health issues, few friends, and no memory of the night Stuart Rees was murdered in her yard. For years Tabitha has suffered blackouts, but she would remember killing someone, wouldn’t she? She also has a history with Rees, from when he was her teacher, which strengthens the case against her.

When her lawyer tells her to plead guilty, she informs the court that she’ll defend herself. And this is where House of Correction becomes a very smart, utterly engrossing courtroom drama. Everyone is against Tabitha and believes she’s guilty, but as the reader you’re ripping through pages hoping for a positive outcome for her. Page by page you connect to this complicated character until you’re literally cheering her on.

A tight plot and pitch perfect premise shape this story, while the polished prose drives it forward. I’m quite fascinated by how Nicci Gerrard and Sean French write their books – but whatever their method, it works. This is another stunningly brilliant novel to relish from Nicci French.