Freida McFadden tells a confusing tale surrounding alibis in Death Row. The story left me wanting more and not what I had hope for from the New York Times bestseller.
Talia Kemper is on death row for murdering her husband. She had an alibi and no known motive, yet Talia’s unwavering protestations of innocence have always been ignored. Then one day in the visiting area, she sees a recognizable stranger she’s certain is her husband. It turns out the man she’s been convicted of killing may not be dead after all. But as the days tick away toward Talia’s execution, what will it take for her to be believed?
Death Row is part of Alibis, a collection of stories about lies, truth, and deception. It’s just a matter of what you can get away with.
Freida McFadden’s Death Row left me wanting more and maybe we would’ve in a longer format. The story itself felt a bit constrained, lacking depth that could have allowed McFadden to fully spread her wings. As the plot progressed, I found myself confused, and the conclusion left me disappointed–failing to deliver the impactful twist and ending I had hoped for.
Not someone who typically dives into McFadden books, I wanted to give her a shot with this Alibis collection, opting to read only a selection of the stories I thought Freida would be a stellar choice. Given McFadden’s reputation, I had high expectations, but ultimately, Death Row fell short of the mark, leaving me underwhelmed.
Death Row may have had the alibis connection needed to fit this collection of short stories, but I feel the story lacked the excitement and allure I was hoping for from Freida McFadden. In the end, it was only 73 pages–so it was worth the ride.
Death Row is available on Amazon for your kindle or via audiobook.


