I loved the subject matter which dealt with the psychological fallout that survivors deal with after a traumatic event like a mass shooting. As usual her characters are compelling, the plot keeps you engrossed but it’s a book that will make you think and feel. A good read you think about it after you read it

A mass shooting in America. A difficult topic to handle. This however has been skilfully done by Ms Roberts. Absolutely gripping. Shocking and upsetting. One to recommend. 4* from me. My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

This wasn’t my first Nora Roberts book and from the few I’ve read I knew what to expect. Some angst, a lot of good romance, and an interesting story. I was excited about it because it dealt with something different for me and this book began well. The book focuses on two main characters, Simone and Reed. Both were unfortunate to be at a shopping mall when shooters entered and starting opening fire. Both were there for different reasons, Simone was upset over a break from a boy who didn’t deserve her attention so was at the mall cinema with friends to cheer her up. Reed is working waiting tables. Neither expects what the day will bring and how this will shape their future.

The shooting is described in the opening pages of the book and I really think Roberts dealt with the panic and the trauma of the event and the aftermath of the event so very well. and She was sensitive to something which many will have thoughts about, especially with gun control being a key issue in the US right now. I honestly had a lot of respect for how it was written, I felt the terror and the confusion and then the guilt afterwards and the grief and the utter confusion about what’s next. The event was disjointed and filled with confusion and it’s only as the book progresses you begin to get a clear picture of what happened. Like I said, it began well with every day becoming this shocking event. The way the shooting was written with it being quick and disjointed made sense and I had a lot of respect for the initial aftermath.

Then the book began jumping about a bit and rushing forward and it began to lose me.

This book was told with multiple POV which was fine. Once I'd connected to the key characters I was fine with that. But the multiple POV also had time passing at a rapid pace. I expected to see the immediate aftermath and people's reactions but instead, it kept bouncing forwards in time seeing major events in characters lives. It made sense to progress the story forward, and I understood that, but it also meant I grew distant from these characters as I saw these glimpses to their lives but didn’t understand why it was significant to see it. and I got used to that too seeing how even through large gaps of time the shooting still had an impact. I did feel like it was rushed though until Reed and Simone met. I get that was the big romance Roberts was building to but I could have skipped the middle events if that was the case because this book felt dragged out in places and rushed in others. Like Roberts was eager for us to see what was going in their lives and how they changed, but didn’t want to waste time with that and then it felt like the story stopped at their meeting and really dragged during their romance and by that point I was more interested in the mystery, stop telling me about their romance when I wanted to know the whodunnit of who was bumping off survivors!

Oh yeah, because that’s what the plot really needed to focus on. After the shooting which Reed and Simone survived people slowly moved forward with their lives. It wasn’t immediately obvious at first but slowly those who managed to survive the shooting at the mall and move forward started getting killed. It often wasn’t labelled as murder because the killer was skilled at hiding how they did it. Making each death seem like an accident or something, and it’s only as the killer gets sloppy people begin to suspect it’s not a tragic accident but something more.

I admit, you know who the killer is because you get told, but I was eager to learn how they would be discovered and stopped. So you’d think when you reach the big finale I’d have been excited… it sort of felt flat. It went on for a while and then you kept expecting it would end and the story dragged out some more. In fact, I began to skim read because I just stopped caring, I wanted the killer to be stopped and if it has happened 50 pages earlier that would have been awesome.

I know I’m grumbling, but I did enjoy the book in some ways. I just wish it had been shorter. My issues overshadowed the good parts which sucked.

A book about a mass shooting is going to be a harrowing read with some chilling scenes. The characters are particularly well drawn- including the 'baddies'. It shows how events have long reaching repurcussions for everyone involved. A real page turning thriller.

Nora Roberts sets her latest novel in the aftermath of a mass shooting in a shopping centre. Those caught up in the shooting live in with consequences of that fateful day but also knowing that those who committed the act died too,

Or that is what they think. 13 year later one of the survivors of the shooting is attacked in his home. He survives but as a police officer realised that there was more to this than meets the eye.

With another survivor and her extraordinary grandmother they start to look into a series of deaths affecting those who were caught u in the original shooting. Is it a consequence that so many are dying or is there something or someone else at work?
Nor Roberts handles this difficult subject with sensitivity showing the impact that a shooting can have on those caught up in t and what is felt if you survive when so many other don't.

A good read with Nora Roberts typical depiction of strong female characters.

There have been quite a few books lately that have had reference or stories told around mass shooting, some have been written well some not so well.
Some concentrated on the drama of it all some on the newsworthiness and some on the effects and events leading up to it.

Nora Roberts chose to focus more on the after effects which for me made it emotional and interestingly vital to invest in the characters.

Imagine. Lots of people out shopping in a busy shopping mall and then it happens. Just 8 minutes that changed peoples lives.
Those that saw it, those who lost loved ones, those who were working there and those injured.


Survivors for the rest of their lives.

This author is known for her story telling and this book was no exception to the skill and talent of her.

I selected this copy to read from Net Galley and the publishers kindly granted my wish Little, Brown Book Group UK

I love Nora Roberts books so much I put off reading them as I know it will be finished within the day, once I start reading I can’t put it down and Shelter inPlace is no exception.

Simone and Reed don’t know each other but what happens on a fateful night in 2005 changes their lives in many ways and someone isn’t going to let that event drop, can they save each other?

Strong women, no one writes them better than Nora Roberts. I feel so privileged to be able to read her books.

There is only one thing to say about this book: Read it! Seriously, this book has it all. It has the thrill, the anxiety, the romance. It grabbed me from the first page and kept me glued to the book ‘til the end. And along the way, I hold my breath, because I was so afraid what’s going to happen next. I laughed about the hippie grandmother, swooned about the man posing naked and hated the psychopath killer. Five stars for an amazing book I enjoyed reading.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK!

You don't need me to tell you that Nora Roberts is an accomplished author.  You only have to look at the impressive back catalogue to see that.

What is astonishing to me however, is how she appears to flip between genres with such apparent ease.

This is, without question, an emotive and relevant topic.  And, for me at least, I think that this is pitched just right.  The focus is on the horror of the act.  On the emotion of the immediate aftermath.  On the impact on the survivors.

On the one who was overlooked.

The author has skillfully pulled together all those threads to develop a story filled with suspense and emotion in a balanced, cohesive and tense manner, but with humour and love to counteract the darkness.

Chillingly wonderful.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

Wow is the first word that comes to mind. Nora Roberts took a big gamble writing something that's so topical. Gun crime is something that's touched a lot of lives. I personally think she did a good job, its a story that is difficult to read at times. At the same time its hard to put down. I found myself thinking about it all, long after i put the book down. The author knows how to write characters you take to heart. I loved Reed CiCi & Simone. The friendship between Reed & CiCi was so much fun. This story has so many themes tragedy, adversity, love. If I could give it more than 4 stars i would. Well done Nora Roberts. Highly recommended. I would like to thank net galley for allowing me to review this for you. This is my voluntary review

I've read a couple of books by this author and thoroughly enjoyed them, including book one of her new trilogy, so I was quite excited to get my hands on this one. There are quite a few books popping up which focus on mass shootings, but this one goes a bit further than them as it focuses more on what happened next for the people who survived and how those fateful eight minutes of chaos and carnage have not only affected their lives going forward but that, for some, the nightmare has not yet finished.
This book spans quite a few years and is set mostly in the present with flashback to the past. It shows how one heinous event proved to be pivotal for some people, knocking their lives about, changing the path in which they would travel further.
One survivor, Reed, was so impressed with one of the Police first responders so he went and joined them himself. We follow him as his career blossoms, as he starts to work some very scary things out. We also follow Simone, a young woman, who was lucky enough to need the bathroom when the shooters arrived at the cinema she was attending with her friends. We see how this things she experienced that night also affected her and her ongoing life.
But these two characters that I have singled out above are not the only ones. They are just the tip of the iceberg of those affected by what happened, both personally and removed. There are many more characters in this book with their own stories and we hear from them all in turn and their stories are all so different but at the same time so similar.
The main crux of the story is that what happened that night wasn't over that night. Ripples are still occurring across the country. Reed spots things and connects the dots but, in doing so, is forced to make personal and professional changes in his life. Changes that mean he meets up with Simone again and their stories intersect once again.
Once I started this book I didn't want to leave it until I finished. Being quite a big book, I didn't quite have that luxury but I can say that every time I had to put it down, I was constantly thinking about it and yearning to get back to it. Obviously as with the other books I have read by this author, there is a romantic element to be found but, although prominent, I found that it complemented the storyline well rather than distracting me away from it.
The other thing that I found to be well done was the fact that with mass shootings being nearly commonplace at the moment there could be some who think that authors are bandwaggoning onto the topic a bit too much for whatever reason be it political or otherwise. This is definitely not the case with this book. The subject, although coming across as harrowing, is treated very well albeit quite rightly graphic in parts. It by no means glorifies nor glosses over the important stuff.
All in all, a thoroughly satisfying read that gripped me from the off and held me tight all the way. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Nora Roberts does it again with another splendid standalone. This one is definitely lighter on the romance side of things than Roberts fans might expect so if you're reading it solely for that, be prepared to wait for a long time until the two characters meet.

The focus on the book is on the fallout of a mass shooting and this is where you really have to praise Nora Roberts: it's like she has a giant cauldron full of completely unrelated story ideas written on bits of piece of paper and no matter what subject matter she picks and focuses on for her next book she manages to write about it with such authority and bring it to life. I felt like I was right there in the shopping mall with all the characters and within a few brief pages I was invested in all the victims and secondary characters and I learnt more about the world of art and sculpting than I ever thought I would!

I think the back half of the story dragged on for just a tad too long which stopped it being a 5* read but otherwise another solid addition to Roberts's repertoire.

The DownEast Shopping Mall is crowded with shoppers, cinema goers, workers, all busy carrying on with their lives as usual. Three young girls meet to watch a film; a police officer patrols the area with her partner; a young lad slips out on a break to visit a pretty girl – just some of many enjoying their leisure. Until violence erupts! Three young shooters have made a dramatic entry, killing and maiming randomly while they laugh in the faces of their victims. In a matter of minutes, eighty nine die and two hundred and forty two are injured, some to die of their injuries later on; the shooters are killed by police and each other.
Nora Robert’s opening scene for her latest book, ‘Shelter in Place,’ is vividly created and terrifying in her fictional depiction of a modern event which, to America’s shame, has become all too familiar in recent years.
I have read many books based on mass shootings over the years, both fiction and non-fiction, but this one has a completely different take on an often used genre.
As the story develops we focus on a small selection of characters, Simone, Reed and Essie all connected initially by the one thing, namely the DownEast Mall shooting…and chillingly, their ordeal is not finished!
Patricia Hobart, the brains behind the mall shooting, and sister of one of the DownEast killers, wants revenge. She is out to seek, find and kill the higher profile survivors of her brothers killing spree, and Simone, Reed and Essie are all on her list!
I did thoroughly enjoy this book, although for me it did lack a little something, hence the 3 and 1/2 stars. The build up in suspense from the beginning, to a well planned conclusion is developed steadily to the climax, which although just a little predictable, did nothing to detract from the ending.

This yet again is a great story from Nora Roberts.

After the three friends are involved in a shooting in a shopping mall and cinema their lives will never be the same again.

Three teenage boys who want to shoot and kill as many people as possible, why and what has made them do this terrible thing????

Live moves on from that fatal day not everything can be forgotten and moved on, everyone carries scars and memories that will never disappear.

The story follows 4 main characters who were present on that day and how there lives have irrevocably changed because of what happens, but many more characters are also intertwined into the stories, this was a well rounded fast paced storyline with a gripping ending.

Well worth a read!!!!!

A well paced and exciting read. I was gripped from the start and felt that the tension built up well alongside other plot lines. The characters were believable and it was another fantastic read by Nora Roberts.

Big fan of Nora Roberts for many a year. Nora’s books always give a real sense of feelings, situations and places. Shelter in Place gave insight into a situation that has a seemingly increasing role to play in today’s culture that will never be fully understood. “Tried to fit into the box and they never could.” Characters are always believable and well researched giving a sense of “sheltering in place” in many ways. “You face up and do it anyway.” Thank you to NetGalley and LIttle Brown Books for the opportunity.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
A very “current” storyline related with much empathy and understanding of the effects of those left behind. This for me was a completely different genre of Nora Roberts’ novels than I have read before, but it engaged me from page 1.
A compulsive read with brilliantly crafted characters, some romance and a strong plot from start to finish.
A 5 star read from a very talented author.

Wow! This book opened with so much drama, so emotional. Be ready for this one, don't start reading it without a bit of time to at least get through the first few chapters, and definitely have a box of tissues to hand.

It starts off with three teenage friends meeting in a shopping mall to go to the cinema who get caught up in a mass shooting by three teenagers, and the fallout around this shocking act. The rest of the book mainly centres around two of the survivors, Reed Quartermaine who managed to save a young boy and eventually become a Detective, and Simone Knox (one of the three teenage friends) who placed the first emergency call, and become a well-known sculptor, along with someone (no spoiler) trying to kill off the survivors years later.

There were also side characters who helped both main characters to finally meet up, years later, on Tranquility Island, the main ones being Essie, one of the first Officers on the scene, the one who killed one of the shooters and Reed's inspiration to become a police officer, and CiCi, Simone's grandmother, who I absolutely loved! She was such a bohemian artist type character, who lived her life the way she wanted to, without anyone telling her what to do, but equally loved her family, especially Simone, so much.

The story just flowed so well, I didn't want to stop reading it, with the suspense always lingering in the background, ramping up to nail-biting towards the end; when was the killer going to strike, were they going to kill any of our main characters? I have to say there is a dog in it, and he's not harmed, in case anyone (like me!) would be worried.

An absolutely fabulous book that I wanted to keep reading, but didn't want to finish, as now what am I going to read to follow this?! Another keeper from the very, very talented Nora Roberts.

This is another brilliant standalone book from Nora Roberts ....fast paced thriller, full of suspense and just enough romance to bring the characters to life .

Starting with a Mall shooting by three teenagers the book concentrates on a number of characters , survivors of the shooting and their rescuers . All the horror of the event is well written drawing the reader in , making the wellbeing of the characters paramount ......the loss of some making the horror worse .
Fast forward 12/13 years ....Reed Quartermaine, who survived the shooting has become a detective , the horror of the shootings never far from his mind . Suddenly survivors of the shooting and their rescuers are being found dead - some murdered , some unexplained accidents . Reed realises that something has been missed in the original case .
Another survivor , Simone Knox has become a brilliant well-renowned sculptor and lives on Tranquility Island with her painter Grandmother CiCi . Even now she is still haunted by the loss of so many friends especially one of her BFFs Trish .
When Reed passes on his research into the deaths to his colleagues he finds himself sidelined from the case .......but is soon back center stage for there was a fourth member of the shooting gang ......one who had planned the whole event but whose brother had pre-empted the timeline ... she is killing those that survived anf Reed is in her sites .
He survives the attack but his recovery takes him to Tranquility Island to find peace and quiet .
Offered the job of Chief of Police he decides to accept but continues to profile where the killer will strike next .
Meeting Simone, a survivor like himself , he falls in love .... hoping that she will love him too, along with his dog .

The Islanders are determined that the killer will not escape when she puts both Reed and Simone back in her sights .

This book is a fast paced suspense thriller/romance which shows that love and support from family and friends can help overcome the horrors of the past .
A thoroughly enjoyable book despite the initial subject matter .

Another excellent story from Nora Roberts. In light of the spate of mass shootings in recent times this could have proved a difficult topic, however as always Roberts displayed how great a writer she is and delivered a powerful and absorbing read!

The protagonists, Simone and Reed were tangentially linked by their presence during a mass shooting thirteen years before. Roberts shows how that event impacted on them and others affected by the tragedy until they meet in the present day.

I was thoroughly impressed by the way in which Roberts transitioned from the past (with its more procedural tone) to the romantic suspense of the present. The tension built nicely as murders occur with increasing frequency and the danger to our heroes is tangible.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a well written romantic suspense with great a great storyline and characters!

*Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for inviting me to read this title*