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?
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Claire Wilson works as an Intelligence Analyst within the Scottish prison system. She pitched her debut novel at the Pitch Perfect event during the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival in 2022, and in 2023 she went on to win the Penguin Michael Joseph Undiscovered Writers Prize. Five by Five was published by Penguin Michael Joseph in 2024.
Five by Five is a fast-paced, gripping thriller set deep inside the Scottish prison system. I was particularly appreciative of the glossary of Scottish prison terminology included at the beginning of the book. These terms add authenticity and depth to the story while also teaching the reader a thing or two, whether we’ll ever need to know them in real life is another matter entirely!
The lead character, Kennedy Allardyce, is a brilliantly crafted protagonist. Flawed and vulnerable at times, she is nonetheless fiercely dedicated to her work as an intelligence analyst and determined not to let the prisoners run the prison. Kennedy is essentially a spy: listening in on prisoners’ phone calls, decoding their coded language, and trying to prevent trouble before it erupts.
Drugs are circulating inside the prison, and Kennedy knows the supplier goes by the name Scout. After a violent incident leaves her both physically and psychologically scarred, she comes to a chilling realisation; Scout is an insider, a fellow officer.
Struggling to trust anyone, Kennedy grows close to officer Molly Rana. There is undeniable attraction between them, but the question lingers: is Kennedy opening herself up to something genuine, or walking straight into a trap? Only time will tell.
Claustrophobic, dark, and brimming with tension, this is the kind of novel that has you holding your breath for pages at a time. A triumph of sharp writing and clever plotting, Five by Five is a compelling, masterfully executed thriller that I highly recommend. Bring on book two!
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Instagram @byclairewilson
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