Shelter-AU

Text Publishing, 2021

Available from
Apple Books
Amazon

 

Meg lives alone: a little place in the bush outside town. A perfect place to hide. That’s one of the reasons she offers to shelter Nerine, who’s escaping a violent ex. The other is that Meg knows what it’s like to live with an abusive partner.

Nerine is jumpy and her two little girls are frightened. It tells Meg all she needs to know about where they’ve come from, and she’s not all that surprised when Nerine asks her to get hold of a gun. But she knows it’s unnecessary. They’re safe now.

Then she starts to wonder about some little things. A disturbed flyscreen. A tune playing on her windchimes. Has Nerine’s ex tracked them down? Has Meg’s husband turned up to torment her some more?

By the time she finds out, it’ll be too late to do anything but run for her life.

‘[An] assured, unsettling thriller … Jinks’s sensitive exploration of the theme of trust between women who share similar trauma will resonate.’
Publisher’s Weekly

‘A propulsive thriller that is also distinctive in its plot, vision and style … Masterfully developed.’
Australian Book Review

‘Cranking up the suspense … a brutally effective potboiler.’
The Big Issue

‘Jinks knows how to dole out the tension, letting the suspense slacken and then ramping up the terror …’
The Guardian

‘an engrossing read …’
Australian Bookseller and Publisher

  • Michael Rowell

    Hi Catherine, I just finished your thrilling novel “Shelter”, an absolute page turner. I absolutely loved it, from beginning to epilogue. It kept me guessing and wanting more! Wow, what a very compelling and awe-inspiring read. Which book should I read next? The Attack, perhaps?

    Thank you so much!

    Mike Rowell

  • Catherine Jinks

    Thank YOU, Mike – how lovely it is to hear from a satisfied reader! I really appreciate it that you took the time to give me a personal thumbs-up! You could either read ‘The Attack’ next or ‘Shepherd’ – ‘The Attack’ is contemporary, while ‘Shepherd’ is historical, but they’re both thrillers set mostly in the Australian countryside. I would certainly appreciate it if you read ‘The Attack’ – it was published less than a month ago, in the middle of the lockdown, and all books sales lately have been WOEFUL, including mine.