I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.

Nerine needs a place to hide from her abusive, violent husband. She found a chain of women willing to help. One of the stops is with a fellow abusive survivor, Meg, who opens up her quiet, off the beaten path, bouse to Nerine and her two young children. Meg starts noticing things and wonders if Nerine' ex tracked them down, if her own ex-husband is still tormenting her, and if they are in danger.

Shelter, the latest by Catherine Jinks, best-known for her young adult work, especially her Genius series, took a while for me to get into. Once I did, I could not put it down.

While Catherine Jinks is best known for her young adult series, this book is not YA. It is classified as a mystery and thriller novel. It is dark and gritty and includes adult themes. It focuses on a few strong women who survived abuse and help others in the same situation. It also involves gaslighting and manipulation.

I am interested in knowing if the legal ramifications are the same in the United States. If so, I think the outcome would have been different. Either way, Shelter is a slow burn but enjoyable read.

This 200-word review will be published on Philomathinphila.com.

Shelter is a tense, twisty domestic thriller, from Australian author Catherine Jinks.

Meg knows all too well what it’s like to suffer at the hands of an abusive husband so she is willing to accept the risks of providing temporary shelter to a young mother and her two daughters on the run. Meg’s home, ‘The Bolthole’, is an isolated property in country NSW, and great care has been taken to ensure the family are impossible to trace, yet Nerine remains terrified that her husband will find them. Though Meg does her best to allay Nerine’s fears, and reassure five year old Ana and 22 month old Collette they are safe, some minor incidents stoke’s Meg’s own anxieties. She thinks it is more likely her own ex-husband has returned to intimidate her with regards to a recent inheritance, than Nerine’s husband having found her, but the real threat is closer to home than Meg can ever imagine.

Shelter isn’t an easy read, the themes and issues central to the novel, which includes generational trauma, domestic violence, psychological manipulation, and narcissism, are uncomfortable to explore, however I got caught up in this taut, well paced thriller which cleverly subverts reader’s expectations. Though the primary plot twist is not entirely unexpected, it shocks nevertheless, and Jinks left me feeling breathless as the level of menace and violence accelerated in its wake. In regards to the conclusion though I am somewhat torn, it’s reasonably realistic and as such fitting, but not very satisfying.

At times I found Meg to be a frustrating character, however her behaviour really is in keeping with someone who has been a long term victim of psychological abuse by a narcissistic partner. Even though she is physically free of her ex husband, Meg’s first instinct is always to appease someone who exhibits high emotion, or makes demands of her, so she reacts, rather than makes decisions. Nerine is convincing as a mother paranoid about the safety of herself and her children, and though she’s not particularly likeable, she is sympathetic in light of the story she presents. Jinks’s portrayal of the children, especially Ana, deserves special mention, as they are accurately represented with regards to age and circumstance.

I found Shelter to be dark and disturbing, yet utterly engrossing, but fair warning, it may be too much for readers sensitive to its themes.

I enjoyed it for the most part until the final character motivations were revealed. I just don't find the aftermath that realistic. Further, making a certain type of person the villain makes me uncomfortable.

This book is a very harsh, unfiltered look into a violent and disturbing moment in time. Meg is a woman who has come out of the other end of a very emotionally abusive marriage. She is living alone on a farm, divorced from her awful husband Keith and estranged somewhat from her daughter who has moved to the UK to get as far away from her family as possible.
Meg is moving on with her life on her small hobby farm and part time job. The book opens with her picking up a young mother and her two small girls that are escaping domestic violence. Nerine, the mother, is very highly strung and soon she and her fractious daughters are wearing Meg down. On top of this it appears that Meg's ex-husband is trying to rattle her again with late night hang up calls.
This story is quite fast paced and it actually gave me a tension headache. I found Meg at times to be insanely frustrating and Nerine one of the most annoying characters that I have ever encountered in a book. I also spent a lot of time really worried about the two little girls in the story. Although the book is well written, and the plot made me not want to put the book down, to be honest it was very disturbing, I wanted to get as far away from it as possible but at the same time could not drag my eyes away. I am glad that I finished the book, but it left such a bitter taste in my mouth I needed to immediately pick up a 'light & fluffy' book to get some mental distance from it.
If you have a strong constitution and are mentally in a good place, then sure, read this book. If you are disturbed by themes of domestic violence, child abuse, animal abuse and are not in a mentally good place, then be warned - do not read this!
Thank you Text Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity the read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Meg lived alone on a small bush property outside town, her only companion Esme, her devoted old dog. She’d divorced Keith, her abusive husband once Emily, her daughter was old enough for it not to be a problem for her – she now lived in England, as far away from the toxic relationship of her parents as possible – and although he hassled her occasionally, Meg was content, and felt able to offer Nerine and her two daughters, Ana and Colette, refuge in her home for a month. But Nerine was paranoid, terrified of Duncan, her ex, arriving, even though everything had been done to stop him being able to follow her. The children were frozen with fear, especially as Nerine spoke in front of them constantly.

Gradually Meg’s own anxieties ramped up; Nerine was demanding, and Meg was trying to accommodate her. Meg felt sorry for the children and tried to distract them with the chickens, collecting the eggs and Esme, whom they both loved. But everything was going wrong and Meg wasn’t sure she would be able to cope for much longer…

Shelter by Aussie author Catherine Jinks is brutal! That’s my best word for it. I loved Ms Jinks last book I read – Shepherd – and was really looking forward to Shelter, but the further in I went, the more uncomfortable and distressed I felt. Violence, manipulation, lies, cruelty – I couldn’t see it ending well! Domestic violence is a bane on society; this is all of that and more. Recommended to fans of psychological thrillers.

With thanks to Text Publishing via NetGalley for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Shelter is a suspense thriller centred around the pall of domestic violence and the need for victims to escape their abusive partners.

The story opens with a night time handover of a woman, Nerine, and her two children into the care of Meg, another victim of an abusive relationship.

Right from the very start the stress felt by Nerine and her older daughter, Ana, is palpable. Jumping at shadows and the slightest unexpected noise is the norm and this puts everybody, Meg included, on tenterhooks.

From the moment they set foot on Meg’s remote property Nerine’s fears manipulate Meg onto an increasingly dangerous path. When the fears progress into something more disturbing, that’s when events really spiral out of control.

Through Meg, we are given a comprehensive breakdown of the many different ways an abusive husband can exert his control over his wife. And we’re not talking about physical violence here. The constant controlling, belittling and derisive comments that slowly wears away at the confidence has a long-lasting effect on the mind.

This, I think, plays an important part in Meg’s responses to the behaviour of Nerine and her two daughters.

I thought this was a finely constructed suspense novel that moves along crisply with a tension level that was constantly bubbling away on an increasing heat. It led us in one direction, playing cleverly on our preconceived sympathies about who the victim is only to hit us with one body blow after the other.

Shelter is an absorbing dramatic thriller that provides sobering insights into the harrowing world of the domestic violence victim.

Meg agreed to take into her home an abused wife and her two kids. Little did she know that this was the beginning of a drastic life change for her. This is a great read with twists and turns all the way up to the ending, which I think was too abrupt and could have been a little easier on Meg. I did enjoy the story very much and I highly recommend it.

Thanks to Met Galley for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

Meg lives alone in a quiet rural property with her beloved dog, Esme. Having been a victim of domestic violence she is keen to help other women. She is approached to help Nerine and her two little girls escape from her abusive husband Duncan. While Meg tries to reassure her that no one knows she is there, Nerine is paranoid that Duncan will find them and kill them and this is reinforced one night when a wind chime is played and a screen window is taken off the spare bedroom. Nerine begs Meg to get a gun to defend themselves and finally Meg does so but from then on things change.

This is an incredible story that holds you spell bound but also horrified at what people are capable of doing. While the first half of the story held my interest the second half had my heart beating rapidly and I was terrified!

Highly recommended read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Text Publishing for a copy to read and review.

Much like the story of the two main characters, this book starts strong and slowly unravels. Catherine Jinks instantly draws you in to the story of Nerine, an abused wife on the run with her two young daughters, and Meg, the woman who takes the family in on her homestead in the Australian countryside while dealing with the fallout from an abusive divorce. Once Nerine and the girls arrive strange things start happening and Nerine's story about her life and her ex-husband Duncan along slowly begins to fall apart, taking Meg's livelihood with it. This book suffers from the fatal flaw of a rushed ending. There is little to no closure for any of the characters and the biggest question of all is only given a two-sentence answer. I also found it very hard to appreciate how the author chose to treat domestic violence victims towards the end of the novel. If you're looking for Australian fiction, Jane Harper and Chris Hammer are much better bets.

Shelter is a tense and difficult domestic thriller that explores the different kinds of abuse, as well as the gaslighting.

The story itself is very tense and I found it psychologically draining. It literally gave me the feeling of being abused and it was somewhat exhausting.

The plot was completely decent and interesting, though I can't say I was excited about the ending. It was kind of depressing (which isn't necessarily bad).

I definitely recommend this book to all of those that are genuinely interested in psychology and want to really get a quality insight in how gaslighting feels like and to all of those, who are fond of realistic/pessimistic storylines ...

‘I first saw her spotlit by headlight, a pink plush rabbit tucked under her arm.’

Meg’s own experience with an abusive partner helps her to decide to help another woman who is fleeing, with two small children, from an abusive partner. Meg knows that she left it too long to leave her own partner, Keith, and as a result she is essentially estranged from her daughter Emily.

Nerine, the mother, seems incredibly stressed. Her daughters, Analiese and Colette are anxious and afraid. Meg thinks that she can help. Her home (aptly named ‘The Bolt Hole) is remote, and Meg has plenty of supplies to keep the family out of sight. Meg will provide the three of them with shelter for a few weeks until another woman is able to offer them shelter.

But Nerine is convinced that her husband will find her, and when strange things start happening around Meg’s home, Meg is concerned. Meg is in a dispute with her own ex-husband: is he trying to intimidate her, or is Nerine right?

What a bleak, heartbreaking, and incredibly beautifully written story this is. The characters are well-developed, the issues are real, and the tension is high. Nothing is straightforward, and while I worked out a few of the twists, I was not at all prepared for the ending. If you read this novel, be prepared to ride an emotional roller-coaster.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

From Australian author Catherine Jinks comes her latest standalone thriller and what a ripper!! Two women meet up in the middle of night to facilitate the handover of another woman with two children. As they adjust to life together out in the boon docks, their past come back to haunt them. A gripping, atmospheric tale, that ratches up the tension, with each page turned. A most realistic and believable psychological thriller with a 5-star rating.

Definite page turner! I figured things out early in the book, but that didn't deter from the reading experience - it actually made it more fun since I continued to look for "clues" to support my suspicions. Knocked a couple stars because the ending was a bit of a let down, don't want to give any spoilers here but Meg's cluelessness and end situation didn't make sense to me at all and I thought that could have been handled differently. But overall, a really good read, definitely recommended!

Great book! I was hooked from the start, thank you so much for providing me a copy of this book to read. This is something I would love to purchase.

No good deed goes unpunished takes on whole new meaning when late one night Meg opens her home up to Nerine and her daughters who are on the run from an abusive partner. Meg knows all about being on the receiving end as she is still being harassed by her ex husband Keith who never raised his hand but verbally abused and intimidated her and used their daughter to control her.

A rather brilliant on the edge of your seat read that pulls you in and takes you along for the ride. I thoroughly enjoyed that!

Violent exes and lives torn apart by fear. Meg lives nearly alone on rough land. She has a nice job she enjoys, an older dog she loves and a few hens she adores. Her life isn't easy and it isn't always peaceful but it's hers and she likes it.

But our story moves very quickly to a pass off - a women with 2 children on the run from a violent husband. She is passed off to Meg to hide at her house for a few weeks before the next house and pass off point opens up.

However, this new mother is testing Meg's boundaries and patience right off. The mom on the run is paranoid, afraid of every noise and is keeping Meg both up all night and up early in the morning. She is calling all hours at her job - she's positive someone is around the house, someone is watching. She's sure her husband has found them.

It was interesting to try to work around what was happening. I spent time trying to piece apart everyone's stories and enjoyed learning Meg's backstory because it finished rounding out the whole story. This is a well written, fast moving story.

But I'm disappointed by the end. I wish it had ended differently.

A slow build thriller that makes you question everything and everyone in the story. Well written and very engaging and entertaining. Highly recommended

The saying goes, 'no good deed goes unpunished.' Meg lives alone in the outback after a horrific marriage and divorce. In the process, she loses you daughter. As she wants to help others that were in her situation, she agrees to take in Nerine and her children as they are escaping her violent husband. Meg is too trusting as she realizes too late that Nerine wants more than just an escape. Previously, I had only read Catherine Jinks' middle grade novels, but after this adult tale, I'll never look at those books the same.

This was not my cup of tea and the pages are just messy. I know is ARC, but it's still hard to read.

NetGalley, thank you for providing me this ARC.

Intense, twisted and a side bar of ..... say what!??!?

I enjoyed the ride on this one. I felt the anxiousness of the characters and was invested in their safety. Boy was I in for a ride. To most this would seem a little slow paced and lacking, however, I found it to be the opposite. When someone is in danger moving slow and intentional is key, and covering the tracks of course. This was a great read that had me guessing; was it her ex or her guests' ex.....never did I see the ending that came.

Thank you netgalley for an eARC.