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Sounds Like Trouble to Me
Sounds Like Trouble to Me sheds light on what happens when a corrections officer kills her abusive husband and suddenly finds herself on the other side of the law. Not only is she shocked with the systematic abuse against fellow female prisoners but confronted with the complicated history of her own abuse, she must struggle with her fragile memory to uncover what actually happened before she goes to trial. It is the women she meets that change her, and in the end, she spurs on a MeToo movement behind bars. (Paperback and Kindle)
362 pages, Paperback
Published May 12, 2026
About the author
Jean Trounstine
10 books5 followersI am an activist, author and professor emerita at Middlesex Community College in Lowell, Massachusetts and my latest book is "Boy With A Knife: A Story of Murder, Remorse, and a Prisoner’s Fight for Justice" (IG Publishing April, 2016). It explores the true story of Karter Kane Reed and the injustice of sentencing juveniles to adult prisons.
I worked at Framingham Women’s Prison for ten years where I directed eight plays with prisoners. My book about that work, "Shakespeare Behind Bars: The Power of Drama in a Women’s Prison" has been featured on NPR, The Connection, Here and Now, and in numerous print publications here and abroad. In addition, I've spoken around the world on women in prison, co-founded the women’s branch of Changing Lives Through Literature, an award-winning alternative sentencing program featured in The New York Times and on The Today Show, and co-authored two books about the program. I published a book of poetry, "Almost Home Free," and co-edited the New England best-seller," Why I’m Still Married: Women Write Their Hearts Out On Love, Loss, Sex, and Who Does the Dishes." I am also on the steering committee of the Coalition for Effective Public Safety in Massachusetts.
When I'm not spinning or with friends and family, I take apart the criminal justice system brick by brick for magazines and blogs such as Boston Magazine, Truthout.org, the Rag Blog and Huffington Post.
I worked at Framingham Women’s Prison for ten years where I directed eight plays with prisoners. My book about that work, "Shakespeare Behind Bars: The Power of Drama in a Women’s Prison" has been featured on NPR, The Connection, Here and Now, and in numerous print publications here and abroad. In addition, I've spoken around the world on women in prison, co-founded the women’s branch of Changing Lives Through Literature, an award-winning alternative sentencing program featured in The New York Times and on The Today Show, and co-authored two books about the program. I published a book of poetry, "Almost Home Free," and co-edited the New England best-seller," Why I’m Still Married: Women Write Their Hearts Out On Love, Loss, Sex, and Who Does the Dishes." I am also on the steering committee of the Coalition for Effective Public Safety in Massachusetts.
When I'm not spinning or with friends and family, I take apart the criminal justice system brick by brick for magazines and blogs such as Boston Magazine, Truthout.org, the Rag Blog and Huffington Post.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 31, 2026
This is one of those books that’s harder to rate than it is to talk about.
I came away respecting Sounds Like Trouble to Me more than I actually enjoyed reading it.
Jean Trounstine’s decades of experience working in a women’s prison are evident on every page. The setting feels authentic, and it’s clear this story comes from someone who has spent years listening to incarcerated women and witnessing the realities of that system firsthand.
The storyline that kept me invested was Nettie’s. She’s awaiting trial after killing her abusive husband but has no memory of what happened that night, and I genuinely wanted to see how her case unfolded. Every time the book returned to Nettie, I found myself much more engaged.
Where I struggled was with the overall reading experience.
I read fiction for emotional immersion. I want to feel like I’m living alongside the characters, not simply observing them. For me, this novel often felt more like an exposé of the women’s prison system than a character driven story. Many of the biggest moments were described after they happened rather than experienced alongside the characters, which kept me at an emotional distance.
I also found myself wishing I had formed deeper connections with the other incarcerated women. Their stories were heartbreaking, but I wanted to know them more personally and become as invested in their journeys as I was in Nettie’s.
I have a great deal of respect for what this novel set out to accomplish, and I think readers who enjoy issue driven literary fiction will likely connect with it more than I did. My favorite moments were the quieter, more personal scenes that focused on Nettie herself. Those were the moments where I felt the emotional connection I had been looking for all along.
I came away respecting Sounds Like Trouble to Me more than I actually enjoyed reading it.
Jean Trounstine’s decades of experience working in a women’s prison are evident on every page. The setting feels authentic, and it’s clear this story comes from someone who has spent years listening to incarcerated women and witnessing the realities of that system firsthand.
The storyline that kept me invested was Nettie’s. She’s awaiting trial after killing her abusive husband but has no memory of what happened that night, and I genuinely wanted to see how her case unfolded. Every time the book returned to Nettie, I found myself much more engaged.
Where I struggled was with the overall reading experience.
I read fiction for emotional immersion. I want to feel like I’m living alongside the characters, not simply observing them. For me, this novel often felt more like an exposé of the women’s prison system than a character driven story. Many of the biggest moments were described after they happened rather than experienced alongside the characters, which kept me at an emotional distance.
I also found myself wishing I had formed deeper connections with the other incarcerated women. Their stories were heartbreaking, but I wanted to know them more personally and become as invested in their journeys as I was in Nettie’s.
I have a great deal of respect for what this novel set out to accomplish, and I think readers who enjoy issue driven literary fiction will likely connect with it more than I did. My favorite moments were the quieter, more personal scenes that focused on Nettie herself. Those were the moments where I felt the emotional connection I had been looking for all along.
June 19, 2026
I received an advance copy of this book. Thank you
This was a powerful and eye-opening book, giving me a glimpse into our prisons systems. Nettie is a Corrections Officer in a men's prison until she kills her long abusive husband. She is found with the gun in her hand, dazed and confused. She utters; it was him or me.
While she awaits trial, she is in the women's prison. The inmates distrust her as she had been on the other side, and so do the guards, as many knew her husband. The first few weeks are very hard for her. Thanks to her sister, she does get a great defense lawyer. Her lawyer though had initially been reluctant to take up her case, because she had lost an equally compelling case, and was still struggling to come to terms with that.
Slowly, Nettie realizes that her situation is similar to when she worked at the Men's prison, she didn't tolerate BS there, and there's no reason not to stand up for herself here. Gradually she earns the respect and friendship of some of the women, and they open up to her, at the same time she starts to notice patterns of abuse by some of the guards.
Much of the day she killed her husband has been forgotten, and her lawyer helps her with strategies to recall what happened. Throughout the story, there are flashbacks as memories resurface, which are interesting.
She comes to accept that her husband's abuse was not something she deserved, nor is the abuse aimed at the prisoners anything they deserve. She and her friends, gradually start to plan on how to expose the corruption, putting themselves in the crosshairs for more.
While not an easy read, it is very compelling.
This was a powerful and eye-opening book, giving me a glimpse into our prisons systems. Nettie is a Corrections Officer in a men's prison until she kills her long abusive husband. She is found with the gun in her hand, dazed and confused. She utters; it was him or me.
While she awaits trial, she is in the women's prison. The inmates distrust her as she had been on the other side, and so do the guards, as many knew her husband. The first few weeks are very hard for her. Thanks to her sister, she does get a great defense lawyer. Her lawyer though had initially been reluctant to take up her case, because she had lost an equally compelling case, and was still struggling to come to terms with that.
Slowly, Nettie realizes that her situation is similar to when she worked at the Men's prison, she didn't tolerate BS there, and there's no reason not to stand up for herself here. Gradually she earns the respect and friendship of some of the women, and they open up to her, at the same time she starts to notice patterns of abuse by some of the guards.
Much of the day she killed her husband has been forgotten, and her lawyer helps her with strategies to recall what happened. Throughout the story, there are flashbacks as memories resurface, which are interesting.
She comes to accept that her husband's abuse was not something she deserved, nor is the abuse aimed at the prisoners anything they deserve. She and her friends, gradually start to plan on how to expose the corruption, putting themselves in the crosshairs for more.
While not an easy read, it is very compelling.
May 12, 2026
This was an interesting one, about a prison correctional officer who suddenly finds herself on the other side after she kills her abusive husband. She is shocked to see how pervasive the casual abuse, both sexual and physical, of the women prisoners is, and she secretly works with the other inmates to spur an uprising.
Part courtroom drama, part MeToo inspiration, and part celebration of the power of female friendships, this one will stay with me a while.
Thank you to @runningwildpressllc for my gifted copy.
June 4, 2026
Thanks to LibraryThing and Running Wild Press for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.
The last book I got from Running Wild was written by a ignorant military dude, and the cover promised a redemption story. It ended up being not that, by far. So, when Sounds Like Trouble to Me arrived, written by a lover of prison guards, about a former prison guard, I was hesitant. All cops are bastards, and prison guards are cops. I guess I'm glad I read it though.
I like the overall story a little bit. Prison guard kills her abusive cop husband, and then experiences prison (I guess it's different in Massachusetts; most places one awaits trial in jail). Still, she has all the excuses in the world for the poor behavior of prison guards, and is actually shocked when she experiences it. She teams up with a rag tag group of fellow prisoners to try and take down the corrupt guards. (And by corrupt guards I mean guards.) Meanwhile, we get peaks into the lives of the lawyers, other prisoners, and families.
Unfortunately the writing is kind of blah, the editing is pretty much non-existent, and the story itself, for all it's darkness, is a bit too cheerful to be able domestic and sexual abuse. There were definitely parts that got me choked up, or where I experienced rage towards capitalism and the prison industrial complex (though I don't think that was the writer's goal), but for the most part I didn't give a single fuck about any of the characters. And it all wrapped up a bit too neat for my liking.
Keep working on it RWP, this book was better than the last you sent me.
The last book I got from Running Wild was written by a ignorant military dude, and the cover promised a redemption story. It ended up being not that, by far. So, when Sounds Like Trouble to Me arrived, written by a lover of prison guards, about a former prison guard, I was hesitant. All cops are bastards, and prison guards are cops. I guess I'm glad I read it though.
I like the overall story a little bit. Prison guard kills her abusive cop husband, and then experiences prison (I guess it's different in Massachusetts; most places one awaits trial in jail). Still, she has all the excuses in the world for the poor behavior of prison guards, and is actually shocked when she experiences it. She teams up with a rag tag group of fellow prisoners to try and take down the corrupt guards. (And by corrupt guards I mean guards.) Meanwhile, we get peaks into the lives of the lawyers, other prisoners, and families.
Unfortunately the writing is kind of blah, the editing is pretty much non-existent, and the story itself, for all it's darkness, is a bit too cheerful to be able domestic and sexual abuse. There were definitely parts that got me choked up, or where I experienced rage towards capitalism and the prison industrial complex (though I don't think that was the writer's goal), but for the most part I didn't give a single fuck about any of the characters. And it all wrapped up a bit too neat for my liking.
Keep working on it RWP, this book was better than the last you sent me.
July 28, 2026
Jean Trounstine's Sounds Like Trouble to Me is much more than a prison novel. Inspired by real events, it explores silence, injustice, resilience, and the courage it takes to speak when the consequences are life-changing.
What impressed me most was how naturally Trounstine transformed decades of firsthand experience within the criminal legal system into compelling fiction. The novel feels authentic without ever becoming overly instructional, allowing readers to experience difficult realities through memorable characters rather than statistics.
I especially appreciated the gradual unveiling of Nettie's memories. Each revelation deepens both her character and the emotional impact while the chapter-ending cliffhangers kept me turning pages despite the heavy subject matter.
This isn't an easy book to read, but it is an important one. Trounstine approaches difficult themes with empathy and compassion, reminding readers of the humanity behind prison walls and the power of women finding their voices.
Recommended for readers who enjoy thoughtful literary fiction, character-driven stories, and novels inspired by real events.
⭐⭐⭐⭐½
Read more of my book reviews at
Gina Rae Mitchell • Championing Indie Authors & Stories Worth Discovering
What impressed me most was how naturally Trounstine transformed decades of firsthand experience within the criminal legal system into compelling fiction. The novel feels authentic without ever becoming overly instructional, allowing readers to experience difficult realities through memorable characters rather than statistics.
I especially appreciated the gradual unveiling of Nettie's memories. Each revelation deepens both her character and the emotional impact while the chapter-ending cliffhangers kept me turning pages despite the heavy subject matter.
This isn't an easy book to read, but it is an important one. Trounstine approaches difficult themes with empathy and compassion, reminding readers of the humanity behind prison walls and the power of women finding their voices.
Recommended for readers who enjoy thoughtful literary fiction, character-driven stories, and novels inspired by real events.
⭐⭐⭐⭐½
Read more of my book reviews at
Gina Rae Mitchell • Championing Indie Authors & Stories Worth Discovering
Review of advance copy
Sounds like Trouble to Me by Jean Trounstine. Thanks to wunderkindpr for the gifted copy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nettie has always used her position as a correctional officer to help the prisoners and to act as their rock. Now, the tables have turned and she’s on the other side ; in a women’s prison for shooting her husband. She is shocked by the systematic abuse she sees.
I haven’t read many stories that take place within a prison, especially in a women’s prison, so it was very interesting. Nettie has a background as a CO, so she knows the in and outs but finds women’s prison a lot different than the male prison she worked in. I loved how she rallied the women and gave them hope. The ending was perfectly done.
“There was always a cost for doing the right thing. Say nothing and you risk more abuse. Act, and retaliation is almost definite.”
Read if you like:
-Prison settings
-Me-too tropes
-Women banding together
-Legal fiction
Sounds Like Trouble to Me comes out 5/12.
Nettie has always used her position as a correctional officer to help the prisoners and to act as their rock. Now, the tables have turned and she’s on the other side ; in a women’s prison for shooting her husband. She is shocked by the systematic abuse she sees.
I haven’t read many stories that take place within a prison, especially in a women’s prison, so it was very interesting. Nettie has a background as a CO, so she knows the in and outs but finds women’s prison a lot different than the male prison she worked in. I loved how she rallied the women and gave them hope. The ending was perfectly done.
“There was always a cost for doing the right thing. Say nothing and you risk more abuse. Act, and retaliation is almost definite.”
Read if you like:
-Prison settings
-Me-too tropes
-Women banding together
-Legal fiction
Sounds Like Trouble to Me comes out 5/12.
July 28, 2026
I am in the minority on this one based on the other ratings I've seen. I did not care for the narrator of this book. The tone was all wrong, the pauses were distracting, and there really is no excuse to mispronounce words. I also found it slightly problematic that they used stereotypical accents for certain characters. As for the story, I thought a legal drama would be up my ally, however this one left a lot to be desired. While the overarching theme was about ensuring justice was served, I found parts of the story difficult to believe, knowing how guns and the legal system works.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews