Kennedy Allardyce works in the intelligence section of a prison, following up reports on both prisoners and staff to try to prevent any further illegal activity and keep everyone safe. Unfortunately she has stumbled upon a corrupt member of staff with influence among the most dangerous prisoners who will do anything to get her out of the picture. As Kennedy tries to track down who this staff member could be, romance blossoms for her with a new member of staff, the beautiful Molly, but cracks in their relationship quickly begin to show as Kennedy questions if Molly is what she seems .

Set in a prison I was looking forward to this alternative look at a crime/thriller novel for me but unfortunately I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped. The premise is really good and the story is told over a dual POV between Kennedy and a prisoner. The tension in the beginning of the book felt like it was setting us up for a rollercoaster but it kind of just coasted along with not much happening to keep the story progressing. The end of the book felt like it was trying to wrap up the story but never actually got there. This felt like all tension and no payoff at the end.

I also wanted to note that the prison violence scenes while possibly realistic were unnecessarily graphic in the context of the story to such an extent that I found them quite jarring. They didn't add anything to the story for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Five by Five by Claire Wilson is a captivating romantic suspense novel that expertly blends mystery, tension, and emotional depth. The story follows a woman who becomes entangled in a dangerous situation involving secrets, betrayal, and unexpected love. Wilson’s writing is sharp and engaging, with well-drawn characters and a plot full of twists that keep readers hooked. With its balance of romance and suspense, Five by Five is a thrilling read for fans of suspenseful, character-driven stories.

A good debut novel. We meet Kennedy who works in a high secure prison. Is she safe there ? Who is watching her?
Will her new love lead to disaster?
I enjoyed the fast pace of this and the chapters from different points of view.

Thank you for allowing me to read the advance review copy of this book. I learned more about prisons and the violence that can take place there. Very much a LGBTQ story. Didn’t like or empathise with any of the characters. There was a lot of lose ends which was really frustrating however I would not bother to read a follow up book if there was one.

Wow this was a thrilling, eye opening read. I guess quite a lot of these behaviours from inmates do actually happen. The author writes brilliantly, starts off gentle than the suspense builds. This book definitely makes the reader appreciate how dangerous it is to work in the prison sector.
I found this very interesting, nerve wracking at times and just a great book.

This was a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller that delivers twists at every turn. I read well into the night and couldn’t wait to see how it ended! Fantastic.

The plot's premise is set in a prison—this distinctive environment impressed me and presents an excellent opportunity for exploration. The dual points of view, alternating between an Intelligence Analyst and a Prisoner, effectively enrich the narrative and provide a balanced examination of both the internal and external aspects of prison life. The author’s thoughtful portrayal of the prison system's processes is not only engaging but thought-provoking.

The beginning was a bit of a slow burn, for my preferences, but I must praise the author for swiftly increasing the momentum and captivating the reader more successfully as the narrative progresses.

In the course of the book, I observed considerable growth in the characters. Every character is developed in a manner that renders their journeys both relatable and engaging. I am eager to witness how these characters will grow in upcoming instalments since I think there is ample opportunity for additional exploration.

Overall, this prison thriller truly kept me engaged, making me eager for the next book. It is undoubtedly an impressive debut novel that showcases the author's talent, creativity skills and originality.

This would make an ideal book club read.

Five by Five is set in a Scottish prison and focuses on the character of Kennedy, a prison intelligence officer whose role is to monitor both prisoners and staff.
I was drawn to the synopsis of the novel and it’s an original plot but I did find both the language and number of characters confusing. For this reason it took me a while to become involved in the novel and it didn’t flow well. A mixed read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Read if you like:

- Debut novels
- Cliffhanger endings
- Multi POV
- Short chapters
- Crime thrillers
- Orange Is The New Black

A cracking debut book focusing on Kennedy and her job as part of the intelligence unit in a prison. It’s her role to track and monitor potentially incidences of violence and more specifically the movement of drugs into the prison. When she successfully prevents drugs entering the prison, she is later targeted and attacked.

On returning to work her entire goal is to find out who was behind the attack and in the process, she uncovers a greater conspiracy, that puts her life and others at risk.

It is a dark and gritty book, that details the violence that goes on in prisons, and with enough twists to keep the reader engaged.

It is an open ending, and with unanswered questions still remaining, I would imagine there will be a follow-on book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

4 Stars.

A very clever and well written debut novel that deserves all the plaudits it’s receiving. I was hooked from the start and had to keep reading. Tense and claustrophobic this was a thrilling read and I’m really looking forward to reading what the author does next. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kennedy Allardyce works in the Intelligence Management Unit where she keeps a watchful eye over hundreds of prisoners for signs of drugs, contraband and other types of trouble. She uncovers a mysterious mole under the name of Scout who is working for organised crime group and funnelling drugs and other contraband into the prison. She starts making waves in the prison to discover their identity and soon they want her out of the picture.

It’s a great debut novel with a realistic portrayal of prison life - except the hyper-exaggerated riots, assaults and murders but that’s where the thrills come from! Kennedy is an interesting main character: jaded by her experience but still caring and vulnerable towards the other prisoners and officers (who absolutely despise her).

Only downside is it ends on a cliffhanger. I absolutely flew through the book as it was so addictive and compelling and I can’t wait to read the next instalment.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This enthralling debut centres around Kennedy, who works in the intelligence unit of a modern prison. With vicious prisoners freely using violence against each other and staff, plus corrupt staff bringing in drugs and other contraband for the inmates, Kennedy's monitoring and tracking both from her secure unit is necessary, but puts her in a vulnerable position and paints a target on her back. With deaths to be solved, there's much at stake, and the murderers don't want to be identified.

Well-paced throughout, tension-filled and violently descriptive, but never gratuitously so, brief and much-needed respite can be felt as Kennedy falls in love with colleague Molly. Wonderful characterisations and an authentic basis to the tale from former prison officer Claire Wilson bring the story to life. As incident follows incident, it is impossible to put this down! A thrilling debut!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Claire Wilson and Michael Joseph for providing an eARC via NetGalley; this is my honest review.

This is a dark and hard hitting debut from Claire Wilson, set in the unusual setting of a prison, an environment the author is well placed to write about as a former prison officer, lending the bleak narrative an all too real air of authenticity. The flawed Kennedy Allardyce is ambitious and stubbornly determined, living with Ellie, a former lover. She works as an intelligence analyst, monitoring both staff and inmates, at the Scottish HMP Forth Valley, holding over 800 men. This is a role that I admit I had little knowledge of, so this is a real eye opener, how many of us think beyond the justice system to the continuing crimes that may take place in prison by convicted criminals, gangs, and the corruption that may exist there?

This is a atmospheric, chilling, and insightful look at the brutality and violence that exists within prisons, something Kennedy has experience of, but this is not going to stop her doing her job. It is a lonely occupation, leaving her wondering who can she possibly trust in a place where there are worrying rumours about guards and the drug smuggling. Then there is Molly Rana, a prison officer that Kennedy finds herself falling for, but who exactly is she and can she be trusted? There is a shocking level of suspenseful drama and tension that makes this such a gripping read as Kennedy fights back, against a corrupt player known as 'Scout'. She is going to need to be on her guard and dig deep into her inner resources and resilence.

This is a fascinating, intriguing, emotionally impacting, and compelling read, full of twists and turns, although I was far from happy with the cliffhanger ending, this is the first in a series, and it has me keen and looking forward to reading the next book. At the same time, it is seriously disturbing in its content, prison is not an environment I would ever want to be in. Wilson creates a brilliant and complex character in Kennedy, tantalisingly vulnerable, with her informative inner thinking, and the novel throws a light on the intel gathering techniques utilised in the service. If you are looking for a gritty thriller and or are interested in prisons, I highly recommend this. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

HMP Forth Valley in Scotland houses 850 high-security male prisoners, and intelligence analyst Kennedy Allardyce is tasked with monitoring both the inmates and the staff. After a successful operation leads to serious repercussions, Kennedy realizes there's a traitor among them. In a world where trust is paramount, she is determined to uncover the identity of the corrupt figure known as "Scout."

Can she rely on her new ally, prison officer Molly Rana, or should she remain cautious? The story unfolds primarily through Kennedy's perspective.

Set against the backdrop of a prison, this debut novel offers a fresh take on the mystery/thriller genre. Fans of prison dramas, such as recent British TV series or Prisoner: Cell Block H, will appreciate its unflinching portrayal of prison life, organized crime, and the inherent violence that permeates the facility. The fast-paced plot keeps the tension high, with chilling characters eager to disrupt the status quo.

Kennedy stands out as a compelling protagonist, using innovative intelligence-gathering techniques (the "Five by Five" method) to stay ahead of her anonymous adversary. Her ambition, tenacity, and bravery shine through as she navigates a web of deception, leading to numerous twists and turns in this gripping narrative.

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I often like books set within a prison but I didn't warm to this at all unfortunately. Despite the beginning information on Scottish prison slang I still found myself not understanding so much and the sheer volume of characters that are introduced at the start was a bit overwhelming to then distinguish who was who (when many of them were irrelevant to the story anyway). I do feel that I shouldn't enjoyed the plot but I just didn't.
The ending confused me hugely, so many unanswered questions and finished so abruptly.... does this mean a sequel? I'm not sure?

Kennedy is an Intelligence Officer working at a men's prison is Scotland.. She not only monitors the prisoners for any signs of illegal drugs, etc but also has to keep an eye out for corrupt officers. Kennedy was recently attacked in a supermarket and has not long returned to work but she's keen to find out who was behind the attack. She starts to get close to a new Prison Officer, Molly, but can she be trusted or does she know the identity of Scout or even be Scout.. I enjoyed this though it is certainly very gritty in parts and the ending was a little disappointing but assume this means there'll be a sequel.. However it's a promising debut for the author.

I could not put this down, it was thrilling, fast-paced, and kept me on the edge of my seat. Congrats to the author on their debut novel - another incredible Scottish writer to keep eyes on!

I had the pleasure of meeting Clare Wilson at the Harrogate Crime Festival in July, where in addition to the NetGalley ARC I won a signed proof.
This is a great debut novel from Clare, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had me wanting to turn the page again and again. You could tell she was writing about a subject she knew well.
I was thankful for the table at the beginning of the book which gave the meaning of some of the Scottish terminology used however, there were still a couple of words I didn’t know the meaning of.
I look forward to reading Clare’s future novels.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.