The Governor

By: Lynda La Plante

Narrated by: Lucy Price-Lewis

Length: 15 hrs

Publisher's summary

No one is above the law.

Barfield Prison is one of the toughest high-security prisons in England, housing the country's most dangerous criminals. And when an inmate is found dead in his cell, a riot breaks out, forcing the authorities to investigate a potential murder.

Despite being Barfield's youngest ever female Governor, Helen Hewitt is seen as the best woman for the job. But with a prison full of corrupt and suspicious officers, restless inmates and a broken system, Helen has her work cut out - and no allies to help her....

Based on the popular TV series starring Janet McTeer, the complete and unabridged Governor series is now available for the first time in audio.

©2020 Lynda La Plante (P)2020 Bonnier Books UK

Great story

I enjoyed this story, but the first part felt independent from the rest, almost as if they were separate books: a prequel and a sequel. The story was engaging though the addition of so many insignificant characters made it feel confusing. I was a bit let down by such a major plot line (*spoiler: helicopter escape) wasn't even mentioned again or brought to a conclusion. I'll read the second book because I want to see if all the above are resolved there.

I listened on Audible and the narrator is absolutely one of my favorites as of recently and she made this story infinitely better.

Became Boring

I have 5 hours to go to complete this audio and have listened intently thus far. I have realized after 10 hours listening I have yet to identify a purpose or theme to this story.
I have been surprised at the complexity of running a prison and the staff as well as controlling the high profile prisoners but at this point I’m becoming bored. I have made the decision I do not want to invest another 5 hours to this story. The narration is very good.

Determined

This story shows the strong determination of a prison official trying to do the best job possible with the cards they’ve been dealt. It reflects some of the highs and lows of working in the prison system. I was amazed how she overcame all the odds to win the respect of the staff.

I could not wait to pickup from where I left off

I will be honest in saying that I almost did not finish this book because I found my interest fading. What gripped me is the truthfulness of what goes on behind prison walls and the constant danger that staff and inmates alike face. This was educational and very informative.

It was almost disbelieving how much the staff encounter so frequently, but believable at the same time since I watch prison documentaries.

I would find it difficult to be on constant alert of this magnitude. Also, it was comical and I laughed out loud throughout the book. Just listening to the juvenile behavior and banter between the inmates kept me engaged.

Lastly, the narrator always keeps my attention. I have listened to her narrate other masterpieces and she did not dissapoint this time around either.

Amazing!

Interesting plot/idea, The Governor. A complicated story, very well told. An insight into the tangled web of prison politics, unraveled with a lot of insight into both the prisoners' life's, that of those in daily contact with them, as well as those managing both on the outside. Not just a story, but one made that much more interesting in the telling of all the facts, dynamics, and details. Am on to Part II of The Governor.

The Governor

Loved this story, it kept me hooked and always wondering what was going to happen next! The characters were so well thought of and prison life fascinating and scary. The narration was excellent.

It was okay …

This was okay, although I really wanted to like it more than i did as the story line is right up my alley.

I found there was at times a lot of information coming at me at once, a lot of characters to try and keep straight, and a lot of flipping between story lines, without enough of a pause for me to keep track.

I was doing a lot of rewinding and listening again because I couldn’t either follow the change of direction or figure out who we were talking about.

These issues could have been the narrator - but I’ve listened to other books my this narrator and not had this problem.

Very engaging

Great to listen to a story that features a strong female character. Narration was excellent

Great Book

La Plante is a great writer, lots of excitement and a powerful woman making a name for herself. Great performance!

Not my cup of tea

La Plante's writing and research is always excellent, but I lost interest in following all the assorted plots and profiles. Perhaps British penitentiary protocol is not a compelling topic for me....