The Distance: A Thriller by Helen Giltrow, 357 pages.
There's a section of abandoned industrial / residential slum somewhere outside of London that has been walled off and converted to a privately run prison. It's state-of-the-art as far as security is concerned, with cameras watching everyone's every move, but it's also meant to make a profit, so they skimp on things like guards, staff, and administration. The prisoners run the place. They have elections and choose their leaders, and learn how to be citizens again. Unexpectedly, the most brutal and sadistic prisoners end up running the prison and people die all the time.
Charlotte Alten is a successful, wealthy and somewhat idle woman, who enjoys her social life. While at the opera one night she receives a message for Karla, her alter-ego, and must resume the role that brought her the wealth she now enjoys. Karla is a fixer, a go-between who can set up anything for anyone. She has a client who needs to insert an agent into the impenetrable prison in order to kill one of the inmates. It all gets very complicated, convoluted, and improbable, but the story moves at a rapid pace, and the characters and setting keep your interest. A fun, somewhat gritty thriller.
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