Book Rating: 4 out of 5 boozy stars

The Inmate is the 5th Freida McFadden book I have read so far this year. After reading 5 of McFadden's novel, it is safe to say that I am a fan of her work. There are a few things that you come to expect from a Freida novel:

1. Plot twists

2. Dark story lines

3. A great read with a jaw dropping ending

This book did not disappoint. The Inmate follows main character Brooke Sullivan as she returns to her hometown for the first time since she fled it ten years ago. Ten years ago Brooke's ex boyfriend, Shane Nelson, was responsible for multiple grisly murders, including attempting to kill her. It is because of Brooke's testimony that Shane Nelson now spends his life behind bars in the local prison. The only problem is that now Brooke, a nurse practitioner, will be working in the very same prison...

I devoured this book. I could not wait to get to the ending, where all of my plot twist guesses were proven to be false and once again Frieda blew my mind. The only think about this book that I did not like was Brooke. I understand that she had been through a tragedy and that she was primarily relying on her sense of smell to determine who the killer was that night, but throughout the novel she was far too easily manipulated. I didn't like that she would see evidence (multiple times) and try to justify it or make excuses. I feel like her character could have been more curious as well as stronger. I think if I had liked her character more this would have been a 5 star read, but there were a lot of eye-roll worthy moments regarding Brooke.

Overall, the plot twist at the end was definitely worth the read. Even when I thought I finally had the ending figured out, there was so much more that I was missing. The epilogue in The Inmate was definitely my favorite epilogue of all time. It was such a good way to wrap up the story while still leaving you shocked and wanting more.

New York Sour 

(From "A Couple of Cooks")

Ingredients

• 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) bourbon whiskey

• 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) lemon juice

• ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) maple syrup or simple syrup

• 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) dry red wine

• Optional garnish: lemon twist

Recipe

1. Add the bourbon, lemon juice, and syrup to a cocktail shaker and fill it with a handful of ice. Shake until very cold.

2. Strain the drink into an ice-filled lowball or Old Fashioned glass.

3. Carefully pour the red wine over the back of a spoon just above the surface of the drink, creating a layer on top. Serve with a lemon twist if desired.

Booze Rating: 4 out of 5 boozy stars

This drink is the perfect pairing to the inmate because of its sour but strong taste. The Inmate features a strong plot that has a lot of little pieces woven into it, much like this drink. Also, I needed a way to feature red wine, and the splash of red wine in this drink remind me of spilled blood... What do you think?