About the Author
Ross Greenwood is the author of six crime thrillers. Before becoming a full-time writer he was most recently a prison officer and so worked everyday with murderers, rapists and thieves for four years. He lives in Peterborough and his first title for Boldwood – the beginning of a series – The Snow Killer was published in November 2019.
About the book
Behind bars, the rules are different…Prison Officer Jim Dalton is used to walking the landings on the male side of HMP Peterborough. It’s a dangerous place, fuelled by testosterone-driven violence, but he’s done the job for a long time. He understands the unwritten rules, and he has the prisoners’ respect.
When a relative is sent to the jail, Dalton is transferred to the female side of the prison. His next shift is so easy, he can’t believe that the officers over there get paid the same wages. He sleeps well for the first time in years.
But when he is assigned to the young offenders’ wing, dealing with female prisoners no longer seems so simple. As every day passes, and he gets to know the women better, he is slowly drawn in to new temptations, new traps and a new nightmare. One which could destroy everything.
Taking a break from his bestselling DI Barton series, Ross Greenwood returns with this shocking, page-turning and utterly compelling glimpse behind the bars of a women’s prison. From a man who walked the landings himself…
Review
Jim Dalton is an experienced prison officer, who knows instinctively when the atmosphere changes in his section. He knows the nuances of the dangerous men, the fear of the newbies and the unpredictability of the addicts.
When he is moved to the women's side of the prison he finds himself having to navigate different waters and in doing so makes the kind of mistakes that can cost a man his career. The vulnerability and fragility of the women blinds him to the crimes they have committed and how ruthless they can be.
I really enjoyed the window into the world of a prison officer. I think the majority of readers have a certain image of life as a prison officer, as the granddaughter of a screw then governor who taught me plenty about the job, I know there are many misconceptions about the role. This story does a lot to give a clearer picture of what it is really like for a prison officer.
The strain it puts on their mental, physical health and the way the pressures can have a direct impact on family and their personal lives - all of those things tend to happen in silence or just out of earshot of the general public.
After The Soul Killer this is a breathe of fresh air and a clear indication of what the author is capable of. It's pithy, precise, rooted in fact and it keeps the reader engaged. I would say the last third of the book wasn't as tight as the rest, however overall it was a really good read. This book is the kind that keeps readers coming back for more.
Looks like Greenwood is just getting started, clearly stories with a more urban gritty feel are more up his alley.
Buy Prisoner at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : Boldwood Books; pub date 22 April 2021. Buy at Amazon com.
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