Author Kathryn Den Houter pens psychological thriller ’Prison Shadows’

Psychologist turned author delivers it all in this disturbing novel set in Marquette State Prison in Michigan's U.P. inspired by real-life stories of inmates told in her practice, and by her husband's stories.

Protagonist Clifford Ratz is a small-town drug dealer who gets caught near Mason by an astute cop.

"It's a tale about his life," Den Houter said, "because he was passive he became a target of other prisoners. I wanted to convey that prisoners are human beings."

Several strains run through this meticulously crafted psychological suspense novel; from Ratz's passive humanity, his daughter's rebellion, and the police & correctional systems at work, to loving beyond betrayal.

As a psychologist, Den Houter knows what makes her characters click, in fiction and in real life. And the cover eloquently captures Ratz's humanity.

"It's a very real face of someone who was down on his luck," Den Houter said.

And all of us have a dark side. Some of us just don't manage it well. So what do we need from each other so that we can go on living?

The novel answers that question. Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of 'Prison Shadows.'

Sponsored by Doc Chavent, The Lowell Ledger, and author Kathryn Den Houter.