Inside

June 15, 2011

Pelican Bay State Prison is the last place exonerated ex-con Virgil Skinner wants to be. Yet when he makes a deal with the state to protect his sister and her children from his former prison gang, that's exactly where he ends up. Now he's working undercover to find a killer in the toughest ultra-maximum security prison in California and one misstep from exposure and sudden death. But the inmates and bad cops aren't the only threats, as vengeful outside gang members are on the move. Virgil and Chief Deputy Warden Peyton Adams try to stay ahead of the danger and smoke out a security leak, but the hot, unexpected attraction that crackles between them could prove to be the biggest threat of all. VERDICT Gritty, violent, and steamy, this tense, well-delineated thriller provides a frightening glimpse of prison gang culture and its wide-reaching influence. With ramped-up action and some wickedly uncommon characters, this white-knuckler satisfies on many levels. Novak (Killer Heat) lives in the Sacramento, CA, area.

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