From Nora Roberts comes the #1 New York Times bestseller Shelter in Place (June 2018)–a powerful tale of heart, heroism…and propulsive suspense. 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 video game store tended to … together, and the manager at 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, helplessly 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.
more
Have your tissues ready when you start reading this book….the events that unfold and their aftermath will hit you in the feels. Hard. In true Nora Roberts fashion, she connects you with the characters and takes you on an intriguing journey. You won’t want to put this one down!
This book grabbed me from the first chapter and I found the description of the shooting terrifying and very hard to read. Even more difficult to think about were the feelings of the survivors. This ripped from the headlines topic was well written and very thought provoking showing the effects of 8 minutes on the lives of four people (8 minutes was the total time that the shooting took place.) over 14 years.
I enjoyed several of the main characters in this book but thought there were way too many other characters that drew attention away from Simone and Reed, the two main characters. I think that their story could have been even more dramatic without so many other minor characters. That said, I enjoyed this book and thought that the main characters were well written – both their strengths and flaws.
I recommend this book but be warned that there is a lot of graphic violence that may be a trigger for you. The story itself is very well done with a bit of romance and a lot of suspense.