Prison Shadows

Drug trafficking for sport and financial gain catapults Clifford Ratz from a life of promise into a prison filled with hardened criminals. Eventually, he faces an endgame of family betrayal and ultimate sacrifice.

Clifford Ratz carries the burdens of others and the weight of his own dysfunction. His story is a bruising character study of a small-town drug trafficker in the 1980s. Over the course of this psychological suspense novel, Clifford is imprisoned and framed for murder by corrupt prison guards. Later betrayed by the light of his life, who’s walking a razor-thin line of self-destruction, Clifford is forced to make a decision. Does he turn his back on her and focus on himself? Or does he protect her, consequently risking his own life?
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"Dr. Kathryn Den Houter’s experience as a professional psychologist takes readers places we hope to never go—except in books. In Prison Shadows, Kathryn not only takes you to prison physically, she also exposes you to the dark recesses of its mental basement. And just when things are looking up, she yanks the rug out of from under you. Well researched and written, this story is an emotional roller coaster." —L. H. Davis, author of The Murder of Miss Shelby Putnam and The Race: That Boyce Girl, 1939

"I recommend this book to anyone interested in crime psychodramas—in fact, I suggest that the Law and Order scriptwriters, or their competitors, grab an option on turning this into a TV screenplay.
I also recommend this to anyone who avoids Law and Order shows. They will learn a lot of factual and accurate information about the criminal justice system in the US. Stuff they really need to know because every family has black sheep. And every human being has bad days. —John Tepper Marlin, PhD, president, Boissevain Books LLC, New York City

Dr. Kathryn Den Houter’s novel is both a harrowing page-turner and a beautiful paean to family bonds. Set against a grim portrayal of the cruelty of prison life, the Christological arc of the protagonist soars from slacker to victim to selfless redeemer. As a skilled novelist, she has crafted a story that answers the broader question: What do we need from each other so that we can go on living?" —Frank Langer, PhD

"Clifford Ratz turns to drugs for comfort, self-styled altruism, and profit to compensate for a failed marriage and strained family relationships. An astute cop and a traffic infraction speed up Clifford’s downward spiral into incarceration and its grim picture of violence, corruption, and despair.
"Clifford is a magnetic character whose successful return to society is applause-worthy. But his return is as dismaying as it is cheerful, due to a dear family member’s continued manipulations putting Clifford at risk.
"Prison Shadows is a realistic and compelling psychological suspense novel that fans of crime fiction will want to read." —J.C. Konitz, author of Becoming Kate, a Novel of Second Chances, and Herald, the Christmas Dachshund

"Dr. Den Houter has created a sympathetic protagonist, a rarity in today’s literary world. Travel with Clifford on his riveting journey for psychological and physical survival.
"Suspenseful, well written, and superbly researched, Prison Shadows is a must read for anyone who appreciates crime novels." —Katharine Crawford Robey, author of Cardinal Coat and Other Stories and Tor and Raven Are Friends

Kathryn Den Houter has been actively writing since retiring from her work as a psychologist in 2014. Her last novel, Cobalt Chronicles, has received a Reader's Favorite Award, a Kops-Fetherling International Book Award, and was a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book Award. Prior to her career as a psychologist, she served as a college professor, a K-12 teacher, and as a directress at a Montessori school. She holds a doctorate in psychology from Michigan State University.Her most beloved career, however, was raising four children with her late husband, Leonard Den Houter, on a hobby farm near Lowell, Michigan. She now has seven grandchildren.She lives in Caledonia, Michigan, in the summer and in Indian River County in Florida during the winter with her husband, Jim Jackway.Kathryn enjoys hearing from her readers, so feel free to email her at: kathryndenhouter@gmail.com or kvdhwriter@gmail.com