The Madam

Lizzie Wells is released from prison after three years and eleven months for a crime she says she did not commit. Waking up naked, covered in blood, near a body, with finger prints on the murder weapon is fairly damning evidence.

An escort with a binge drinking and class B drug problem, Lizzie has a difficult and tumultuous relationship with her religious mother. While in prison, Lizzie becomes involved in a relationship with her cellmate, Donna also known as ‘Scar’ and together they plan to try to prove Lizzie's innocence. She has hardly finished celebrating her release when she receives a warning to "let it rest"; this is the last thing she has on her mind. Lizzie is impulsive; determined to prove her own innocence so is unwilling to listen to the advice to slow down. She does acknowledge to herself that she will inflict more pain (emotional and physical) on others in her need to find the truth or at least to confirm what she knows to be true.

Lizzie and Scar are strong, feisty characters not totally likeable but interesting. There is possibly sufficient potential in their characters for a series. There are clichés too - the bent cop, dodgy billionaire business man, a large ex-bouncer called Tiny but they don't detract from the story.

It is an easy to read style with a few twists although at times it doesn't quite hold the tension it is still an enjoyable read.