Thrillers About Prison Systems With A Twist
This list of books came from three random things that just happened to all occur in the same week: Prison Banned Books Week; I was reading one of these books; and I started watching Unprisoned on Hulu. All of those things had my mind churning, from our (in)justice system to the various ways that prison is shown in crime novels. So here are four great backlist titles that are different from each other while all having either some form of experimental prison system or an imagined dystopian world setting rooted in showing the dangers of our current system.
The Distance by Helen Giltrow
I went into this knowing nothing about it and loved getting to experience how layered it was. Charlotte Alton lives in London and we don’t really know who she really is, nor anything about her past. Let’s just say she might be a fixer because someone from her past, Simon Johanssen, comes to her for help. There’s a place called The Program—an experimental prison that is impossible to get into—and Johanssen, a hitman, needs to get in for his next mark. Alton, who he knows as Karla, agrees even though no one can figure out who the mark is…
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
This is a near-future dystopian that takes the US prison system and turns it into a literal sport for the masses. Think Survivor except it’s incarcerated people who fight matches like gladiators, where one will die and one can keep fighting for the chance at freedom—or so they’re made to believe. This made the rounds of award-nominated lists last year for good reason!
The Blinds by Adam Sternbergh
The Blinds is the nickname for a town so small most people don’t know it exists. It’s also a program where criminals—and people who witnessed a crime and are in danger—have that specific memory removed from their brain and then live safely in The Blinds. But they can never contact anyone outside of this town, and while they can technically leave, if they do so, they’ll never be able to return, and the danger they were put here from will find them. Except how safe is this town they’re imprisoned in after a suicide and a murder?
Bitch Planet Vol. 1: Extraordinary Machine by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Taki Soma, and Valentine De Landro
This is another dystopian crime, but in graphic novel format, that I’m adding because its “non-compliant” theme feels important to toss in during our current world where so many rights are being taken away. Plus, it was the first “prison system with a twist” I recall reading and one of the titles that made me fall in love with graphic novels.
Women who are deemed non-compliant in the patriarchy are sent to another planet (Bitch Planet) which is their prison system, and where they’re meant to die. Now a group of women are tasked with playing a sport—think future football—as they fight the current system.
Browse the books recommended in Unusual Suspects’ previous newsletters on this shelf. See upcoming 2024 releases and mysteries from 2023. Check out this Unusual Suspects Pinterest board and get Tailored Book Recommendations! Until next time, keep investigating! In the meantime, come talk books with me on Goodreads, and Litsy.
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