White Noise by Mercedes Mercier

Publisher's Synopsis

When prison psychologist Dr Laura Fleming is assigned charismatic inmate Justin Jones to assess for parole, alarm bells ring. Working with some of the state's most damaged criminals, she knows Jones is too dangerous to release, but he's got everyone fooled . . . She needs proof.

Laura knows all about damage. Her own painful mistakes have destroyed her marriage and she's been refused access to her daughter. Step by agonising step, she's rebuilding her life and her relationships, but it's a hard road. What does she have to do to prove she can be trusted?

Laura's not taking any chances with Jones, and as she races to find evidence before his parole hearing, she digs deep into his life - and is shocked by what she finds.

But as she edges closer to the truth, Laura falls victim to a series of increasingly personal attacks, and secrets from her past threaten to unhinge everything she holds dear - her job, her family . . . even her sanity.

Sometimes redemption is out of reach. But revenge will do just fine.

My Review of White Noise by Mercedes Mercier

This debut psychological thriller by Mercedes Mercier introduces prison psychologist Dr Laura Fleming and the dangerous world in which she works. White Noise presents a realistic depiction of the Australian prison system and the wider criminal justice system as a whole. It also reinforces the importance of mental health experts and their ability to understand the criminal mind.

As a prison psychologist, it’s up to Laura Fleming to make a recommendation as to whether an inmate is ready to be considered for early release by the parole board. Although Justin Jones appears to have ticked all the boxes with exemplary behaviour, there’s something about him that concerns her. His record is too perfect and she senses he’s hiding deeper, darker thoughts during her weekly sessions with him.

Her considered opinion, though, is not backed up by her boss nor the Warden. In fact, they’re both convinced that she’s harbouring some kind of grudge against him and, weirdly, tend to prefer to believe him over her when he lodges a complaint against her. 

Then she starts receiving pills in the post, her apartment is repeatedly broken into and her cat is allowed to escape. Someone is targeting her, sending her a message and she can’t help but think Jones is somehow behind it all. It prompts her to dig even deeper into his past and the crime that saw him sent to prison in the first place. What she finds is far more surprising and concerning than she could ever have imagined.

There are some familiar themes explored in this debut thriller with a damaged female protagonist who is still trying to come to terms with a devastating past. Part of that past has resulted in her suffering from tinnitus which plagues her at the most inopportune times. She is also a recovering prescription drugs abuser, having developed an addiction after a savage attack while working as a paramedic.

In fact, Laura appears to be surrounded by people who refuse to support her or back her up in most of her pursuits. Not least among these people is her ex-husband who shows clear signs of abusive and controlling behaviour. It’s a wonder she can function normally at all with so much baggage piling up on her.

White Noise is a fast moving thriller that navigates the complexities of the Australian criminal system with great dexterity. A multitude of crises crashing down at much the same time ensure that the pace is extreme and the outcome is constantly in doubt right up until the dramatic and tension-filled finale. I found this to be a believable and well-told story that served as a great series opener.