It's great to be exonerated of a crime but how does an ex- inmate cope with what he had to do to survive those long years in prison? Life inside a prison almost mandates affecting an attitude or air of strength which is ultimately tested on a daily basis. Simply put, show weakness and you're dead, there's no room for moral behavior when you can't afford a conscience.

Virgil was put into jail for the murder of his stepfather -- set up by his own mother. All he had left to believe in is his sister. Becoming a member of a jail gang made the difference between life and death. You need someone to watch your back. So it becomes a sort of deadly brotherhood with no exit clause. But that usually doesn't matter. If you're in for life without any hope then there are virtually no consequences for your actions. Once Virgil is released, his chance of a normal life is threatened by his gang, The Crew, whose leaders are worried that he will use his knowledge of them to protect his sister and sell them out.

Virgil is being used by the authorities for his knowledge of gangs to infiltrate a violent group in Pelican Bay maximum security facility in exchange for putting his sister and her children in the witness protection program. The level of paranoia is astounding. Virgil's safety is the responsibility of a director, Peyton, who has years of prison experience. Peyton has noble plans to change how prisons are managing their inmates. She feels deeply that the environment encourages violence with hours of solitude, boredom, and hopelessness. She tries to encourage the staff to behave more humanely and at the same time be more cognizant of inmate's safety. Having lost her father to a prison fight she knows firsthand the obstacles facing men behind bars. What neither she nor Virgil ever imagined is the undeniable attraction between them.

Peyton needs to remain detached to stay sharp protecting Virgil while he is put in the prison population. She knows he will be expected to prove himself if he is to get close to the gang. But no one anticipates the level of corruption that exists within the security division charged with managing the prison. The corruption goes all the way to the top and it becomes apparent that not only is their operation at stake but that the lives of all those involved is in peril. Scary stuff -- the question is at the end who will still be standing?

Totally amazing gritty scary look inside prison from many perspectives. No matter how you go in -- you will certainly be a completely different person if and when released. The question is whether you will still have a soul. Once again Novak has written a book that totally immerses readers in a story that will open their eyes to a community of sorts that defies their imagination.