Shelter in Place: Chapter One

by Nora Roberts

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts comes Shelter in Place—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 the video-game store tending 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.

Genres: Romance, Suspense, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary, Fiction

33 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 6, 2018

About the author

Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Hideaway, Under Currents, Come Sundown, The Awakening, Legacy, and coming in November 2021 -- The Becoming -- the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

Reviews

[ReadAlongWithSue ★⋆. ࿐࿔catching up · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Carol Suraci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Nora Roberts has created a terrifying story right out of today's headlines. Knowing how very real this story could be, I found myself crying as I read about the needless death of so many innocent people during a mass shooting at a US mall. Amazing plot, engaging, colorful characters, romance, suspense, and a psychopath that will haunt your dreams -- you will not be able to put this book down!

[Kaajal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely mind blowing! To write about such a painful and sensitive issue and to do it with such compassion. To touch upon the small things that are often missed under the bigger tragedies. To make fiction resonate so real. Only a master author could manage and that’s what Nora Roberts is.

[claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me reading non stop. I loved every single chapter, and it surely left me wanting for more of Simone and Reed.

Yes, it starts off with a mass shooting. Some people might not want to read books regarding shooting because of the era we live in, but regardless it is a great story.

[Marleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of Shelter in Place is absolutely riveting. I was genuinely engrossed in those first few chapters, when a horrifying mass shooting in a mall in Portland, Maine, takes place and changing the lives of many people in an instant, killing more than eighty, and defining the lives of the main characters, Simone Knox and Reed Quartermaine.
We witness, over a decade, how Simone Knox tries to cope with the death of her best friend and the shooting and recovery of her other best friend. Simone doesn’t want to fit in the mold her parents want her in. Fortunately, with the gentle guidance of her bohemian grandmother, CiCi Lennon, who happens to be renowned artist, Simone finds her path, her equilibrium, little by little.
We follow Reed, a college graduate, who saved a young boy during the shooting, decide to become a cop, under the mentorship of police officer and first at the scene, Essie McVee. We see Reed, who has great qualities like compassion and intelligence, grow into a fine detective.
What they hadn’t counted on, was the mass shooting did not sprout of the minds of the three teenagers who perpetrated the massacre, but was the idea of the younger sister of one of them, and she’s not done killing. So when Reed is starting to put the pieces together, his life is altered once again.
My favorite part of this book is without question Reed Quartermaine, especially when he becomes Chief of Police of Tranquility Island. How committed he is, and how he takes care of his community on the small island, with firmness and sensibility at the same time. I definitely loved when he adopted the abused puppy and how he talked to it. My least favorite part were all the senseless killing by this lunatic. I thought that was gratuitous violence and loss of life that went a bit too far, in my opinion.
One last thing I noted was that Roberts could contain her clipped dialogues and writing style for most of the book, but she did unfortunately revert to it by the last quarter of the book.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nora Roberts has redeemed herself after her abysmal foray into dystopian fiction with her novel Year One. Shelter in Place is about a mass shooting. This was made all the more relevant because there was a mass shooting in New Orleans while reading this. She humanized tragedy. The tragedy is a turning point which, forever changes the lives of everyone left behind. Three years later the are being targeted one by one. This is Nora Roberts at her best, its unnerving, twisted but a very satisfying read. 4 stars.

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this. this is without a doubt my favorite Nora Roberts book. and that's saying something as I've been a huge fan for years.

I will say the first few chapters are really hard to get through.

I listened to this and the narrator was fabulous.

highly recommend

[book_luv_r · Rating 3 out of 5]

***AUDIOBOOK REVIEW***

Nora Roberts fooled me yet again. I thought maybe, just maybe, this would be the “one” book by her I would rave about. Nope.

The first 9 hours or so of listening was a 5 star read for me. She tackles a mass shooting at a mall with vivid imagery and emotions. The two main characters never meet, but know of each other. They each are pivotal in being heroes for notifying the authorities during the shooting. One hides in a bathroom and is the first to call for help. The other saves a small child and also helps responders with what is going on in the mall.

Several years pass and they still never cross We paths. It was almost as if there were 2 parallel stories going on. Finally after 9 hours of listening, they meet and we are told of his attraction to her. Almost immediate they kiss. It seemed so out of left field. The second time they meet they sleep together. Say what?

The last 5 hours of the audiobook seemed so formal. Zero chemistry. I never felt like they knew each other. Overall, this book is great if you’re not looking for a romance. Narration was absolutely wonderful. Each voice was clearly different and her male voices were really good.

I wish I could rate this higher but I can’t justify it. The story would’ve been more believable had they experienced the shooting “together.” There really needed to be some type of connection. It would’ve made a great second chance romance.

[Sofie Hern · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was having a difficult time in the first few pages of this one because it's something we deal with and hear about almost daily. I had to put it down a few times but once those difficult pages were done and got deeper into the story I really enjoyed it.

I'm sure many people will have different interpretations but for me it was about not letting your past determine who you are or who you might become. I am a huge fan of books that expand years as it gives us a unique opportunity to see characters grow before your eyes. This allows us to grow along with them and be part of their development. Nora has created a set of characters that are developed beautifully and are certainly unforgettable.

This book showcases the resilience of the human spirit and let's us know that no matter how difficult our past, the future is full of possibilities.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a surprise from the start. I got it as a filler book on vacation in case a book I wanted to read wasn’t in on time. This book was so much better than expected. It was a crime suspense novel more than a love story. The plot took a twist after a few chapters. The ending wrapped it up and gave me closure.

[Athena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was captivating and disturbing because the novel focuses on more emotional, mental capacities and not just the physical traumas from this mass shooting. It was given to me by a friend as I doubt I would’ve chosen this story feom reading the backside of the book. But I’m glad I did get introduced to Nora Roberts.

[Cassandra Montalto · Rating 5 out of 5]

This definitely isn't the usual Nora Robert's novel, but it was still a page turner that I didn't want to end.

[Angela Austin]

Enjoyed the book. Different story line from this author but good.

[Brittny Huffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Nora Roberts, nothing will stop that...when I need complex characters to love, a villain to hate or a steamy sex scene...I KNOW I can count on Roberts to come in clutch! This one had some dark and heavy subject-matter this time and you know...as hard as it is...we need the truth of it. The terror, the grief, the healing and especially the love.

[Drz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got ARC of this book. The book started more like a JD Robb book for me. I also thought the subject of a mass shooting in a mall is sadly a timely one. I liked how the book followed the characters through the years after and really liked the main characters.

I did fing it a little confusing at first to follow so many characters until the main characters emerged. I don't want to give some of the major plot points away but I liked how the book flowed and came together.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Nora Roberts incessantly when I was in school, but I used to read her romance novels. This was the first mystery/suspense of hers that I’d picked up. Book review spoiler alert: I loved it.
I actually started this book just before bed, intending to read a few pages and nod off to sleep.
From the first three pages, I could not put it down. The tension and heartbreak written during the 8-minute mall shooting is riveting.

Multiple characters immediately are developed, telling the story from the perspective of: the first 911 caller who is hiding in the bathroom at the movie theater, the young manager of a video-game store herding customers to safety in the back room, a guy hiding in a kiosk, sheltering a little boy crying out for his lost mother, a waitress at the Mexican restaurant, the first responding police officer who came face-to-face with the movie theater shooter.

These are the characters whose lives readers will carry through the next decade; we get to see their struggle as they try to move past the grief and live meaningful lives.

I want to ensure that I am not spoiling the book, so I cannot give as detailed an opinion as I would like. I will say that the way Nora Roberts develops these characters made me invested in their lives. They became real, 3-dimensional people about whom I cared very much. I enjoyed the delicate way she described their struggle with grief and ultimately their resolve to survive and thrive. The way she was able to weave their lives together felt organic, not forced.

To top that awesomeness off, she then overlays the tension of an unidentified co-conspirator in the shooting who methodically seeks revenge on those that survived.

I really loved this book, could not put it down!

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three psychopathic teenagers shoot up a mall in small town outside of Portland Maine. Many died, including the three boys, many suffered serious physical injuries and others survivors' guilty. There are those, who became bitter from the experience and others who dedicated themselves to living and helping others. What no one knew, was that there was a fourth psychopath, the master mind.

Teenager Simone Knox went with her to besties to see The Island at the DownEast Mall Cineplex. During the movie, she had to use the restroom, and when she came out, she heard shots. Thinking it was part of the movie, she rushed forward, until a man stumbled out covered in blood. Instinct took over as she ran back to the restroom, becoming the first to call 911. College student, Reed Quartermaine, was on a break, working at a restaurant in the mall, for the summer, when people started running and screaming and finding a small child, scoops him up and they hide in a mall kiosk. Officer Essie McVee and her partner were in the mall parking lot when Simone's call came in. It was Essie, who took at the boy in the cinema. Influenced by the experience and with the guidance of Officer McVee, Reed goes into law enforcement. Many years later, these three will be forced together to confront whoever is hunting down the survivors.

I have been reading the author's romances for decades, but she has changed the direction of her books, to more thriller/suspense. Fascinating characters, going through experiences we hope never to have to, this book is hard to put done.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The realism depicted in the first chapter of this book may frighten one with its all-to-common, current event, a mass shooting. At the mall, an innocent evening goes bad and Simone and Reed, two teenagers are caught up in the devastating event. Simone is the first to call 9-1-1, when she realizes what is going on, and Reed saves a little boy who has been separated from his mother. We see them through the aftermath and follow them as they move on. Reed is inspired to become a police officer and Simone struggles to find what she really wants, until her Grandmother CiCi reminds her of her love of art. As Reed and Simone, and Essie, the first police officer on the scene, try to live out their lives following the dreadful events, it seems that the shooting is not really over. Without disclosing a lot of the plot, there is the sister of one of the shooters who believes the story of the shooting is not finished.

The story felt modern and suspenseful, and the characters were believable. We hear about the tragedies and often fail to think about how lives are changed in the aftermath.

I received an advanced reading copy of this book from St. Martin's Press, in exchange for a review.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay. Nora Roberts can still create a story that involves and entertains and this one is a beauty, on so many different levels.

The story is so relevant to today and all those people in the gun happy USA who have been involved in in even the slightest way in the tragedy of a mass shooting live their lives with that horror always a part of them. It gives us an insight into the tragedies in a very personal way.

Nora brings out all that plus takes us on a terrifying ride with a psychopath and three wonderful people, caught up in her crazy murder spree.

I listened to this book so I’m uncertain of the spelling of the names, but the characters of Reed, Cece and Simone were people I’d love to meet, and not since the unforgettable Chesapeake series have the characters and setting become so real and important to me.

January Levoy, the reader, adds so much to the story with her understanding of the characters which she conveys with her voice, particularly with the clever conversations.

This is a gem of a book and spine tingling thriller.

[Katrina Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simone Knox is sixteen years old when a mass shooting reigns terror down on the local mall. That July night, Simone is there at the mall theatre, taking in a movie with her two best friends. She ducks out to use the bathroom, ultimately saving her life, and hides in a bathroom stall as gunfire rages outside. She’s the first 911 call to authorities.
After the carnage, survivors try to piece their lives back together, in fundamentally different ways. As years pass, the struggles and repercussions of that night unfold. But, someone wants to finish what the shooter started that night in 2005.
NR is my all-time favorite so its really hard to be disappointed by anything she writes. I will say, I found the subject of the book intriguing, with all of the chaotic mass shootings occurring today, NR makes you feel the sheer terror and disgust at such an ugly tragedy. As always, the characters are likable, relatable and sympathetic. Definitely a great read!

[PATRICIA KUNA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Nora. A shooting at a mall sparks some to become police and others struggle.

Simone goes to the movies with friends. She goes to the bathroom and hears the shooting. She calls 911.

She loses her best friend.
Reed works a restaurant. He saves a little boy and the mom survives but won't walk again.

Simone struggle over the event but she goes the island where her grandmother and the friends there help her find her passion. Sculpture.

Then the killing starts again.
Reed became a cop. He works to find this new killer and who doing it.

He gets shot ad goes to the island where Simone and CiCi are living and finds his house and becomes Chief of Police and collects the information about more killing.

Patricia Hobert is the killer. Reed finally puts an end to it all.

Simone and Reed find their love for each other in spite of all they have gone through.

Great read

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story quite a bit except for one thing. In the first part and I think part of the second part there was a great deal of moving back and forth in time and it drove me nuts because I thought it was one time period and then read a part and think what? I thought we were in this time period. Luckily, it finally landed in the current time period for the book and stayed there. I was a little shocked at the beginning of the after-Simone and did not care for her at all, although her parents and sister were unbelievable in their treatment of her. Thank God for CiCi. I absolutely loved Reed and CiCi and Essie. Patricia was a rather frightening character, but it did get old reading "her mind". This book did have me crying in a few places as well.

[Deepa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The topic is mass shootings and the aftermath. The shootings, the impact of on the characters afterwards was really well written. Many of the characters were strong and interesting.
A nora roberts book typically has quite a strong suspense element and a very interesting romance.
Here the romance was just there. Not really great or exciting. As far as the suspense element , it wasn't that gripping really i guess because we know who the villain is and how it will end for the villain.
That said, the characters were still interesting, the small town elements good, some quirky characters and you feel like you want to keep reading. I would say quite a great book for others but for a Nora Roberts not one of the best one's.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A summer day, people at a mall, shopping , eating and going to the movies. Suddenly, there is gunfire, and 3 people are shooting in the movie theater and throughout the mall. Simone Knox, in the bathroom is the first to call 911. Reed Quatermaine, hears the shots and rescues a young child. Essie McVee, a young patrolman, is the first on the scene and takes out one of the gunman. The book focuses on the impact that day had on these 3 people and the person behind the plan of the massacre at the mall. You really care about these characters. While the reader can figure out that Reed and Simone will connect (spoiler alert), it is interesting to follow how Reed and Essie figure out who is killing survivors of the mall massacre. A great read.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I didn't like this one it was probably just because it was not for me at this point of my life. It was well written. All the characters are likeable except for the villain who I did not find plausible. Nora does kick ass with her writing and I would still recommend this to readers especially those who like her J.D. Robb series. It's suspenseful. Both my parents liked this one especially my dad who recommended it to me. Good reads would not let me rate the audiobook so my review is here.
The narration was good.
I may have liked the book better because you can pause and skip hard parts. You're not tearful in a car listening. This one really hits hard.

[Sara ✨ Next Book Review Blog ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

************ AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ************

Timely and emotional. A story that will struck all the cords in your heart. This is a story that opens your mind to what the survivors of mass shootings go through. A story truly unlike any other book out there. A book different than every other Nora Roberts book.

The narrator, January LaVoy was more than a narrator. She performed and lived this book through her words and the emotions in her narrative. The one and only time I have ever thought of an audiobook as a performance and not a book being red to me.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nora Roberts tackles the hard subject of a mass shooting in Shelter in Place, and then she adds the typical Roberts suspense and romance that is easier to read. Lives are forever changed from a shooting in a mall in Maine and the stories of not only some of the victims, but also of the mastermind behind the shooting, are followed through the years. Simone and Reed make life decisions based on how they were affected by the event. As they find happiness, they are constantly aware that someone is killing off some of the survivors. Worth reading - three and a half stars.

[Ebony · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the Nora Roberts i know and love. A great romantic suspense, well developed characters and good writing.
A Nora Roberts book was the first romance book I read and I just fell in love with the genre and with her books. I gobbled up everything of hers I could and she has been on my auto buy list for years. But the last few years I’ve found her books not as good. Last years “The Obsession” was a step back to the Nora I loved and “Shelter In Place” has sealed the deal.
Despite the awful subject matter a good read

[Eileen Leith · Rating 1 out of 5]

I confess. I did not finish this book. It came highly rated by my sister who reads a lot of books I like. I really thought I was going to like it as the beginning really caught my attention but a week later I am struggling to get thru and thinking will this book ever end. Finally I looked at 8 other library books that need my attention and said I give up. One comment I have trouble believing so much attention thru the years was given to Simone because she made a 911 call

[Misty Camp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book felt SO long and a little tedious.. but it was a really good read for me. The meaning behind it all was worth any flaw this book had. I also love how the author has a way of fast forwarding through life; most of the time that makes me feel sad but she does it in a way that really seems to work. I've read two of Nora Roberts books now and I've loved them both. I'll definitely be reading quite a few more of her books.