Stilettos and Shanks

by Cindy Lea Casperson

Almost 14 years of walking the concrete jungle left me with a lot of stories to tell. Both good and bad. I decided to write this book to not only tell you some serious prison stories but also the funny ones. Also, to share what's it is like to be a female working in a male predominate profession with male offenders. It was by no means easy, and that career was not for the weak of heart or those with tender emotions. There were nights I would go home and cry for hours. I'd stand in the shower trying to scrub the skin off my body from disgust. I'd get fall down drunk trying to forget the things I've seen and heard. I was physically, mentally and emotionally ripped apart by this career. Both in a good and bad way. All in all, I can say that through my years, I learned and grew through my experiences with the Department of Corrections.

122 pages, Paperback

Published July 17, 2023

Reviews

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection. The stories are engaging, entertaining, and exactly what I’ve come to love from Cindy’s voice online. If you’re already a fan, it feels like getting even more of that same personality and storytelling style.

That said, the book leans very casual in its writing and structure. The stories feel more like snapshots than fully developed arcs, and the editing is fairly light, which can be noticeable at times. It didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment, but it did leave me wishing for a bit more depth and polish.

Overall, I’m glad I read it and would absolutely pick up more in the future. The storytelling is there, and I’d love to see it continue to grow.

[Jeanine Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I follow Cindy on TikTok and I enjoy her stories and realness about prison life as a guard. It's interesting and funny at times. As I'm reading I'm picturing her facial expressions telling the story and it makes it funnier. She is the type of person that was meant for that job, such humanity and kindness.

[Emily Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book fascinating, and I love Cindy and her TikTok. However, there were so many typos, like words missing or misspelled! Sometimes it looked like autocorrect messed it up, so some things didn’t make sense. There was also some grammar/ punctuation issues. It was like reading a first draft. Again, such interesting content, but it was hard to overlook the mistakes.

[Robert Houk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hear her voice when I read it!! Awesome job!!! Next?!?!