Five by Five

Author Claire Wilson
Narrator Lois Chimimba, Angus King
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Publish Date 29 August 2024
Run Time 9 hours and 51 minutes
Format Audio
Genre Crime and mystery: women sleuths, Narrative theme: Love and relationships, Narrative theme: Sense of place, Psychological thriller.

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

What if the killer she's hunting turns out to be the woman she's falling for?

A gripping debut thriller in a unique location from a major new talent in Scottish crime.

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Just because the most dangerous criminals in society are caught and locked up, doesn’t mean they stop committing crime.

That’s where Kennedy Allardyce comes in – monitoring not just the prisoners, but also the staff.

And she’s just stumbled across her most dangerous foe yet – rumours of a corrupt guard with lethal influence. And what’s worst, it seems they’ve already realised Kennedy is on their tail.

At least one thing is giving her joy – a blossoming relationship with Molly, a beautiful, enigmatic new guard.

Wouldn’t it be awful if the killer she’s hunting turned out to be the woman she’s falling for?

©2024 Claire Wilson (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critics Review

Tense, chilling and distinctive, this is a one-sitting read

Guardian

A bloody good read

Val McDermid

A significant crime debut. Authoritatively authentic, irresistibly pacey and nerve-shreddingly tense

Chris Brookmyre

Five by Five is an assured debut by former prison officer Claire Wilson, taking us inside the claustrophobic and offtimes gladitorial setting of a modern prison. With the dodgy guards and vicious cons, this is a topical dive into the darker aspects of our penal system. Terrifyingly authentic.

Raw, brutal, claustrophobic, fast and impossible to put down. Written by someone who's walked the walk and seen the prison system close up

Neil Lancaster, bestselling author of Dead Man’s Grave

One of the best debuts I’ve read in some years. Five By Five is a no-holds barred gritty account of working in the prison service, and told from such a unique perspective. Claire Wilson writes with such a confident and assured voice. Utterly impossible to put down.

Robert Rutherford, Sunday Times bestselling author of Seven Days

Claire Wilson’s debut novel Five by Five grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. She quickly establishes that she’s blessed with a distinctive new Tartan Noir voice, so you’d better watch out Val McDermid, Ann Cleeves, Alex Gray and Denise Mina because there’s a new girl in town.”

Professor David Wilson, leading criminologist and author of My Life with Murderers

Brilliantly plotted and so tense I forgot to breathe in places

Lisa Hall, author of Between You and Me

Gritty and unflinching, unbearably tense and claustrophobic, it gripped me throughout. Claire’s professional expertise shines through and gives such authenticity to the story. The ending left me needing more so I really hope we meet Kennedy again in the future!

Natalie Chandler, author of What We Did

I really enjoyed this gritty crime thriller... feels like a blend of Orange is the New Black and Line of Duty

Roxie Key, author of The Deadly Spark

User Reviews

Book 5.0

Narration 5.0

5.0

Loved the characters development, and how prison life is shown from a (at least to me) completely new angle.

fluentindothraki 04/10/2024

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