Sandy M’s review of Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts
Contemporary Romantic Suspense published by St. Martin’s Press 29 May 18

When it comes to reading a Nora Roberts novel anymore, I very seldom pay any attention to the blurb. I just dig right in, knowing I’m going to love everything about the story and its characters. This time was no different, and from page one I was amazed and horrified by the events that rock a small Maine town and that will eventually bring two survivors together, all the while fighting a maniacal villain who is bent on revenge.

On a typical day at a shopping mall in Portland, three friends go to a movie, while others are doing their jobs at various businesses and others shop and enjoy their day. Then the nightmare begins as three gunmen open fire in the theater and the mall itself, causing widespread fear and destruction of innocent human life. This opening scene of the book moves very quickly, and once it starts there’s no way on earth you can stop reading until it’s over – and for these characters it’s never really over. Simone Knox and her two BFFs are excited to see this new movie, but it’s Simone herself who survives by leaving the theater to use the rest room. She’s the first to call 911 when she realizes what’s happening. At nearly the same time, Reed Quartermaine is headed back to his job at a restaurant when the shooting begins after leaving his best friend behind at his job. Taking shelter in a kiosk is both welcome and the last place he wants to be as he also shelters a young child who has been separated from his mama.

Thanks to Simone, it’s Officer Essie McVee and her partner who are first on scene and put a stop to eight minutes of horror. Reed is inspired by the officer and eventually enters law enforcement himself, partnering with Essie when he makes detective. Simone tries to be a better daughter, going through the motions of what her parents want for her, but she soon realizes she has to follow her own path. That leads her to her grandmother, CiCi, on Tranquility Island where she loses her soul in artistic freedom.

It’s years later when other survivors are dying one by one that Reed figures out someone is behind the deaths, but no one else really believes him. It’s not until the killer goes after him, failing in the mission to silence him, that a true investigation begins. After his recuperation, Reed needs another new beginning and becomes the chief of police on the island, and he ultimately meets Cici and Simone. I really enjoyed the playfulness between him and CiCi, even after he acknowledges his feelings for Simone. The fun amid the vengeance taking place is needed and well placed in the story. I like the full-circle aspect of Reed and Simone meeting, having the same yet difference experience of the mass shooting.

You can’t help but admire the way Ms. Roberts has written the villain in this piece, as warped and dangerous as they come. Always one step ahead until the arrogance finally overtakes the evil to lead to a fast-paced downfall. The identity of the villain is known early on, but that’s okay. It’s the hunt and chase – and that downfall – that keep the suspense moving.

As I usually do with Ms. Roberts’ main characters, I thoroughly love Reed and Simone. They are both strong characters and complement each other so you know what they find together will always be, no matter what. They talk to one another not only to work out the violence following them, but also to figure out any conflicts and their future.

I’m really glossing over the entire impact of this book. So much happens. There’s emotion after emotion on every page. A lot more characters are involved that pull at your heart strings as the years go by. The story and unfolding events are timely, unfortunately, in our world today. I highly recommend this book to everyone, but mostly to those whose lives have yet to be affected in this way. It is eye-opening, heart-rending, and one of the best reads of the year. At least for me.

Grade: A+

Summary:

Sometimes, there is nowhere safe to hide.

It was a typical evening at a mall outside Portland, Maine. Three teenage friends waited for the movie to start. A boy flirted with the girl selling sunglasses. Mothers and children shopped together, and the manager at the video-game store tended to customers. Then the shooters arrived.

The chaos and carnage lasted only eight minutes before the killers were taken down. But for those who lived through it, the effects would last forever. In the years that followed, one would dedicate himself to a law enforcement career. Another would close herself off, trying to bury the memory of huddling in a ladies’ room, hopelessly clutching her cell phone–until she finally found a way to pour her emotions into her art.

But one person wasn’t satisfied with the shockingly high death toll at the DownEast Mall. And as the survivors slowly heal, find shelter, and rebuild, they will discover that another conspirator is lying in wait–and this time, there might be nowhere safe to hide.

No excerpt available.