Grace Latimer, just one of the many identities she has had, is a thief, particularly of small collectables and antiques. She learnt young from the best and is very good at what she does. She’s also a master at changing her appearance and identity so that she never looks the same. One day while carrying out the theft at a collectors’ convention in Brisbane, she sees a former associate she has been hiding from and has to flee.

Working her way down the east coast, Grace finally arrives in a small rural town in the Adelaide Hills. Deciding it will make a good place to lie low for a while, she finds a job in an antique store run by Erin Mandel. She is surprised to discover she enjoys this sanctuary she has found and thinks that perhaps it’s time to start living an honest life and quit her solitary life of thieving. What she doesn’t know is that Erin is also hiding from someone and soon their worlds will collide as those seeking them circle around.

Other threads woven into the tale involve several other complex characters. Adam, a man working off a debt owed to an unscrupulous woman by working as a con artist for her and Brodie, a self-obsessed body builder who sells memorabilia of criminals and and despots on his website and cares only about his image on social media.

Weaving all these strands together, Disher has served up an excellent slow burn suspense with some stellar characters. He clearly has a fondness for these characters he has wrought and his plot is tinged with humour as they go about their lives. It’s hard not to like Grace and feel anxious for her as the person hunting her sniffs ever closer. However, neither he nor the person looking for Erin could have any idea what a force of nature Grace and Erin make when combined together. This multi-faceted plot is beautifully laid out by Disher, ultimately coalescing into an addictive page turner, that culminating in a very suspenseful climax.

‘A night alone, somewhere unknown, is a long night.’

Grace is an expert thief. She has been trained by professionals and specialises in small, high-value items such as stamps and watches. It’s a difficult life: requiring Grace to be ever vigilant and able to move at the first sign of danger. And, while casing a potential target, Grace recognises a former associate. Grace is sure he recognised her and will be looking for her, so she heads off into regional South Australia.
Almost by chance, Grace walks into Erin Mandel’s rural antiques shop in a country town in the Adelaide Hills. Erin offers her a job, and Grace accepts. Erin suffers from agoraphobia and Grace quickly become more involved in running the shop. Could this be her opportunity for a more normal life? But neither Grace nor Erin is safe. Both have men searching for them, and these men are relentless.

We learn more about Grace’s past and then about Erin’s. Complicated relationships, complicated by abuse and mistrust. Will Grace ever find a sanctuary?

This novel grabbed my attention from the first page and held it until the end. I finished wondering what the future held for Grace. Can she ever really escape those who hold power over her? Can Erin? A terrific read, which still has me thinking about the impact of nature and nurture on any life.

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

A new Garry Disher is always something to celebrate. Located in the Adelaide Hills this time he has created the always believable mix of characters, some on the run, some in the police force and in this case a victim, the antique dealer with a need for security and secrecy. The first half is spent investing in understanding these people. The second half is spent with heart in mouth wondering what will happen next. Disher writes the best page turners set close to home that I know of. Sanctuary is unputdownable, one started I simply couldn’t stop. Addictive yes. The quality of the story, the writing, all brilliant. Thanks to @netgalley and to the wonderful Text Publishing for their support of great Australian writing and for the advance reader copy to review. I loved it.

Sanctuary can be ever so elusive

Grace is a woman of many names, many pasts and an uncertain future. Bounced around the child welfare system, Grace learns the art of thieving and with the assistance of a corrupt police officer elevates her skills to a whole new level. Working in the shadows comes with a cost of constant vigilance, always on edge, always expecting danger and always alone. After running into a former associate who she needs to avoid, Grace wonders what it would be like to be normal, to have a job and not constantly be looking over your shoulder. That dream looks possible when Grace walks into Mandel Antiques in an Adelaide Hills country town and for the first time hopes she has found sanctuary. Grace soon realises that a life of security is not going to be for her as the dangers of the past and the present collide.

When I read, I like to try and take notes, jot down lines of the book that are descriptive but not this time. From the outset I was drawn into this dark criminal world that Disher has created. The pacing is on point, the intrigue is high, the characters are vibrant, flawed, compromised and ever so real.

Grace as the central character is fabulous and you find yourself anxious for her. Worrying about how she is going to get out of this mess. Even though you know she has the skills, there is a vulnerability that peeks through, that rounds her out as believable. What I did appreciate is that Grace comes fully formed on the page and has a backstory that is slowly revealed. The supporting characters are all deftly drawn on the page and stand out. Adam Garrett, key to Grace’s past, is interesting in how he is almost the other path Grace could have taken. The mistrust, the misunderstandings it is a gloriously complicated relationship. One of the other characters I really enjoyed was Brodie Hendren, a lovely piece of narcissistic work, self-centred, social media driven and plain nasty. Melodie Pithouse, was another interesting character, and her scheming and manipulation is something to behold. The one character that runs along in the background is Galt the man who made Grace. While never physically there, he invades every moment of Grace’s life.

If you are a fan of Disher’s works you will not be disappointed. If you have not come across his works before or have been thinking about starting, grab this book, do not delay. Get completely immersed into the vortex of a complex story that is easily weaved together by a master thriller writer. As a reader you are in the safest of hands, as Disher knows how to keep you turning the pages and wanting to know what how this is going to end.

My big question at the end, when will this appear on screen? It is that good.

I have a few of this authors books on my kindle but had not previously read any of them so I am very pleased I requested this book as my interest is now high to read his other books. This is a great story held together by some fabulous supporting characters.

Grace is a bit of a chameleon, she is a small time thief that changes her appearance constantly to execute her plans and is extremely good at what she does. Since she was young she has been taught the tricks of the trade and she puts these into regular practice to reach her goals and keep money coming in so that she can live. She focuses on smaller expensive items she can move quickly including valuable watches.

I loved Grace's character, this a very hard and lonely life and I really felt for her. Really all she wishes for is to be able to settle down somewhere and not be continuously on the run. Then there is Erin who runs the local antiques store, Grace begins working for her and it seems to be working for both of them but Erin has secrets too and both of these women are looking over their shoulders trying to stay safe. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a great crime story.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy, all opinions expressed are my own.