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

Dr Connie Woolwine has five days to catch a killer.

On a locked ward in the world’s highest-security prison hospital, a scream shatters the night. The next morning, a nurse’s body is found and her daughter has been taken. A ransom must be paid, and the clock is ticking.

Forensic profiler Dr Connie Woolwine is renowned for her ability to get inside the mind of a murderer. Now, she must go deep undercover among the most deranged and dangerous men on earth and use her unique skills to find the girl – before it’s too late.

But as the walls close in around her, can Connie get the killer before The Institution gets her?

I recieved a review copy from the publishers via Netgalley

If you like a slick and cleverly plotted thriller with tension ramped up to the max and the darkness of the subject matter to be as dark as the bottom of the deepest coal mine…then it is time to get The Institution into your life. This is quite a read and I really, really enjoyed it but I’d forgotten Helen Fields doesn’t pull the punches when putting her characters through the wringer – proceed with caution.

The Institution is a prison for dangerous killers. Each inmate in the isloated, high-security ward has committed multiple murders, is considered to be dangerous and can hold no real expectation of ever being freed. They are closely guarded and under the medical care of a team who provide psychological care but also employ any type of restraint or chemical assistance to keep their charges docile and calm. It’s a thankless place to work and there’s a high level of frustration on show amongst the staff. One employee appears to have been more popular than others but my use of “was” in the previous sentence may give an indication as to her fate.

A murder in a locked ward where all the inmates are known killers. A kidnapping too. Into this maelstrom comes Dr Connie Woolwine. She is going undercover on the ward to try to use her profiling skills to work out which of the convicted killers was responsible for the murder of the poplular young nurse. But there’s a real time pressure as the woman’s kidnapped daughter isn’t expected to live unless she can be found and returned to her family quickly.

This is a story where I can’t really share much about the plot without slipping into dangerous “spoiler” territory. The crimes described are brutal and could be upsetting for some readers. The locked room mystery element of the book is wonderfully set up and really had me scratching my head. There are obviously unpleasant characters in the story as there is a secure wing full of violent killers. But the staff that Connie finds herself working beside are equally complex and unpleasant too.

There are only a few people that Connie can trust and the nature of her undercover role will mean she is often cut-off from their support. Watching Connie cope with the intensity of her situation made for utterly compelling reading and when cracks start to show, well that is when Helen Fields really gets into the tension groove. I hit a point in the story where I realised there was no way I’d stop reading The Institution until I actually finished the whole book.

Another terrific thriller from Helen Fields – she always delivers.

The Institution is available in hardback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0B85RCGXM/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1