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When a copycat killer is gunned down in a quiet suburb outside of Houston, one TV station comes up with an ambitious plan to bump their ratings through the roof. The station plans to broadcast a reality TV show from inside a maximum-security prison which houses five death-row inmates—including the original killer who inspired the copycat: the infamous David Byers. At the center of the reality show is ambitious young reporter Thomas Ryans. But what initially seems like a windfall for Thomas quickly turns into a nightmare. Fueled by hostility and insanity from both in and outside the prison, chaos unfolds. A mission to film reality TV turns into a fight for survival as Thomas and his cameraman dig up the truths behind these vicious killers and uncover some shocking personal revelations. Reality TV has never been more real.
The reporter and his cameraman are innocent men thrust into the depths of depravity, all in the name of high ratings. For these men, the ordeal is all too real, even before the action begins. The author clearly tries to inject humanity into the inmates surrounding the outsiders, but above all the environment is laden with danger and fear. The death row inmates tasked with leading the show are blood-chillingly insane and will make even the toughest reader squirm. Byers himself is reminiscent of Hannibal Lecter, an incredibly intelligent psychopath with a long reach and an uncanny ability to pull people's strings. Convincing characters and a rush of action make this book a gripping, page-turning thriller that will keep you up at night.