Ivy Seidel's life gave nothing to write about. It lacked that certain inevitable evilness. It was probably one of the reasons that she had never been published before. That was until she started a part-time position teaching a group of inmates at Dannemora Prison. Her students wrote what they knew, which made one inmate, Vance Harrow, an intriguing read. His writings were substantial and chilling. His characters so real that the came off the page and made Ivy convinced that he actually was innocent of his convicted crime. His anger seemed justified as he tried to protect his cellmate, a man guilty of an intellectual crime from the Latin Kings, a hard core gang. His intellect was far greater than those with whom he was imprisoned, and his talent was the motivational catalyst for Ivy to investigate talents of her own.

With the need to prove Harrow's innocence, Ivy set off on a research adventure that stepped back into the time of the crime. Meanwhile, Harrow wouldn't stop covering for the wife he was so obsessed with. In doing that, Ivy realized that Betty Ann held the key to the proof that would set the records straight. The problem was that the police couldn't find Betty Ann or the money that was stolen from the robbery, so how could she? After loosing her regular job, Ivy had nothing else to loose but her inhibitions. Being published, was nothing as exciting as the journey that she had embarked upon. Finding the characters who knew Harrow and setting him free became her obsession. She was so convinced in her conclusions, that she was blindsided by reality. Finally, she experienced first hand the dark side of the inevitable evil that her writing had lacked.

Peter Abrahams', END OF STORY, reminded me of the Russian dolls that stack one inside of another. He had numerous stories within the main story, all as interesting as the next. His ability to pinpoint the evil side of the human psyche was chilling. His characters were real. As a reader, you could feel the oppression of the prisoners' lives as you and Ivy read their writings together. But like being a doll that is opaque, you never saw what was coming next. Abrahams is brilliant. His writing is suspenseful and compelling. A definite must read for the reader who wants more than just a good thing.

Book Summary

Aspiring author Ivy Seidel accepts a part-time position teaching writing to a group of convicted criminals hoping the experience will add depth and darkness to her own work.

But in the haunting writings of charismatic inmate Vance Harrow she discovers a talent possibly greater than her own. And in the startling, disturbing stories Harrow has to tell, Ivy finds a dangerous new purpose—and a terrifying temptation that lures her into an inescapable world of shadows.