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Cut Adrift
** selected as THE TIMES & THE SUNDAY TIMES Book of the Month **
Risk everything, trust no one.
Jen Shaw is climbing in the mountains near Alajar, Spain. And it's nothing to do with the fact that an old acquaintance suggested that she meet him there...
But when things don't go as planned and her brother calls to voice concerns over the whereabouts of their mother, Morwenna, Jen finds herself travelling to a refugee camp on the south coast of Malta.
Free-spirited and unpredictable as ever, Morwenna is working with a small NGO, helping her Libyan friend, Nahla, seek asylum for her family. Jen is instantly out of her depth, surrounded by stories of unimaginable suffering and increasing tensions within the camp.
Within hours of Jen's arrival, Nahla is killed in suspicious circumstances, and Jen and Morwenna find themselves responsible for the safety of her daughters. But what if the safest option is to leave on a smuggler's boat?
The second instalment in the action-packed, 'pulse-pounding' Jen Shaw series, following Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month On the Edge.
Risk everything, trust no one.
Jen Shaw is climbing in the mountains near Alajar, Spain. And it's nothing to do with the fact that an old acquaintance suggested that she meet him there...
But when things don't go as planned and her brother calls to voice concerns over the whereabouts of their mother, Morwenna, Jen finds herself travelling to a refugee camp on the south coast of Malta.
Free-spirited and unpredictable as ever, Morwenna is working with a small NGO, helping her Libyan friend, Nahla, seek asylum for her family. Jen is instantly out of her depth, surrounded by stories of unimaginable suffering and increasing tensions within the camp.
Within hours of Jen's arrival, Nahla is killed in suspicious circumstances, and Jen and Morwenna find themselves responsible for the safety of her daughters. But what if the safest option is to leave on a smuggler's boat?
The second instalment in the action-packed, 'pulse-pounding' Jen Shaw series, following Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month On the Edge.
346 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 3, 2023
12 people are currently reading
255 people want to read
About the author
Jane Jesmond
10 books52 followersJane Jesmond writes psychological suspense, thrillers and mysteries
Her debut novel, On The Edge, the first in a series featuring dynamic, daredevil protagonist Jen Shaw was a Sunday Times Crime Fiction best book. The second in the series, Cut Adrift, was The Times Thriller Book of the Month and The Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month. Her latest novel, Her, a standalone psychological thriller was published in May 2023 and A Quiet Contagion, a disquieting contemporary mystery, will be published in November 2023.
Although she loves writing (and reading) thrillers and mysteries, her real life is very quiet and unexciting. Dead bodies and danger are not a feature! She lives by the sea in the northwest tip of France with a husband and a cat and enjoys coastal walks and village life.
Stay connected to Jane and receive news about her books and giveaways by signing up for her newsletter - https://jane-jesmond.com/contact/
You can find Jane:
On Twitter - @AuthorJJesmond
On Facebook - www.facebook.com/JaneJesmondAuthor
On Instagram - www.Instagram.com/authorjanejesmond
Her debut novel, On The Edge, the first in a series featuring dynamic, daredevil protagonist Jen Shaw was a Sunday Times Crime Fiction best book. The second in the series, Cut Adrift, was The Times Thriller Book of the Month and The Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month. Her latest novel, Her, a standalone psychological thriller was published in May 2023 and A Quiet Contagion, a disquieting contemporary mystery, will be published in November 2023.
Although she loves writing (and reading) thrillers and mysteries, her real life is very quiet and unexciting. Dead bodies and danger are not a feature! She lives by the sea in the northwest tip of France with a husband and a cat and enjoys coastal walks and village life.
Stay connected to Jane and receive news about her books and giveaways by signing up for her newsletter - https://jane-jesmond.com/contact/
You can find Jane:
On Twitter - @AuthorJJesmond
On Facebook - www.facebook.com/JaneJesmondAuthor
On Instagram - www.Instagram.com/authorjanejesmond
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 3, 2025
Cut Adrift is a second book in Jen Shaw series. As much as it's fine to be read as a standalone, I felt I would get more from it if I had read the first book. I believe it would help to shed the light on some of the issues between the main characters. Overall though, it was an enjoyable well-written and well-paced book.
April 16, 2023
Cut Adrift is the second book in the series featuring self-confessed adrenaline junkie Jen Shaw, the sequel to On the Edge which was a Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month. I don’t think it’s essential to have read On the Edge to enjoy Cut Adrift but it would probably help to understand the cause of the fractures in the Shaw family, the impact of which forms a secondary, albeit minor, plot line. The latter – a wrangle over the sale of the family home in Cornwall – felt like a distraction to me but might have more significance for those who’ve read the first book.
The plot of Cut Adrift is inspired by the very contemporary issue of the smuggling and exploitation of refugees. The author takes her time to build up a picture of the desperate situation faced by people – often women and children – forced to flee war-torn countries such as Libya and Syria. The dramatic prologue brilliantly brings this to life. Such people are easy prey for smugglers and people traffickers but can also be used as cover by those with more sinister motives. Having made it across the Mediterrean to the island of Malta, they face long waits to have their asylum claims processed, in the meantime being placed in crowded camps with limited access to medical care. And the influx of refugees is causing problems for Malta as well with rising anti-migrant sentiment. I think we can all call to mind parallels with the situation closer to home.
Cut Adrift focuses on a small group of refugees, including Nahla, a friend of Jen’s mother Morwenna. A journalist and activist, Nahla has been forced to flee Libya with her two daughters, Aya and Rania. (The author does a terrific job of conveying the trauma of such an experience through the character of Aya.) Unfortunately, whilst Nahla thinks she may have reached safety, that’s not the case. She’s witnessed something that’s placed her in danger, but what exactly is it?
The death of Nahla trailed in the blurb doesn’t take place until around a third of the way through the book but from that moment on the thriller element really comes to the fore in a series of dramatic scenes that sees the very particular skills of Jen and her mother put to the ultimate test.
Jen finds herself once again in the company of Nick Crawford whom she met in the first book. Although attracted to each other, Jen is frustrated by Nick’s reluctance to talk about his work. As she says at one point, ‘I was sick of lies and secrets and uncertainty. Sick, sick, sick of them.’ She starts to find out more when there occurs what I like to term a ‘Casablanca moment’ – as in “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world,she walks into mine” – but what she discovers doesn’t necessarily put her mind at rest. Who is this man who can seemingly adopt multiple identities? Is he ever really himself?
Jen is a brilliant character. She’s fearless, independent-minded, tough, determined but quite solitary and introspective. When we meet her at the start of the book she’s attempting to rein in her wilder instincts for fear of hurting others and trying to leave behind what she describes as ‘the madness of last summer’ when she’d lurched from one crazy night to another. (Those who’ve read the first book have the advantage over me as far as the cause of this is concerned.) Jen’s the sort of woman who when told to do something, including for her own safety, is likely to do the exact opposite. It’s this that makes her such a great protagonist of a thriller such as Cut Adrift.
A third book in the Jen Shaw series is promised in 2024 which is just as well because, appropriately given Jen’s love of climbing, Cut Adrift ends on a tantalising cliffhanger.
The plot of Cut Adrift is inspired by the very contemporary issue of the smuggling and exploitation of refugees. The author takes her time to build up a picture of the desperate situation faced by people – often women and children – forced to flee war-torn countries such as Libya and Syria. The dramatic prologue brilliantly brings this to life. Such people are easy prey for smugglers and people traffickers but can also be used as cover by those with more sinister motives. Having made it across the Mediterrean to the island of Malta, they face long waits to have their asylum claims processed, in the meantime being placed in crowded camps with limited access to medical care. And the influx of refugees is causing problems for Malta as well with rising anti-migrant sentiment. I think we can all call to mind parallels with the situation closer to home.
Cut Adrift focuses on a small group of refugees, including Nahla, a friend of Jen’s mother Morwenna. A journalist and activist, Nahla has been forced to flee Libya with her two daughters, Aya and Rania. (The author does a terrific job of conveying the trauma of such an experience through the character of Aya.) Unfortunately, whilst Nahla thinks she may have reached safety, that’s not the case. She’s witnessed something that’s placed her in danger, but what exactly is it?
The death of Nahla trailed in the blurb doesn’t take place until around a third of the way through the book but from that moment on the thriller element really comes to the fore in a series of dramatic scenes that sees the very particular skills of Jen and her mother put to the ultimate test.
Jen finds herself once again in the company of Nick Crawford whom she met in the first book. Although attracted to each other, Jen is frustrated by Nick’s reluctance to talk about his work. As she says at one point, ‘I was sick of lies and secrets and uncertainty. Sick, sick, sick of them.’ She starts to find out more when there occurs what I like to term a ‘Casablanca moment’ – as in “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world,she walks into mine” – but what she discovers doesn’t necessarily put her mind at rest. Who is this man who can seemingly adopt multiple identities? Is he ever really himself?
Jen is a brilliant character. She’s fearless, independent-minded, tough, determined but quite solitary and introspective. When we meet her at the start of the book she’s attempting to rein in her wilder instincts for fear of hurting others and trying to leave behind what she describes as ‘the madness of last summer’ when she’d lurched from one crazy night to another. (Those who’ve read the first book have the advantage over me as far as the cause of this is concerned.) Jen’s the sort of woman who when told to do something, including for her own safety, is likely to do the exact opposite. It’s this that makes her such a great protagonist of a thriller such as Cut Adrift.
A third book in the Jen Shaw series is promised in 2024 which is just as well because, appropriately given Jen’s love of climbing, Cut Adrift ends on a tantalising cliffhanger.
November 12, 2024
If ever I'd thought "Follow THAT!' on finishing 'On the Edge' (despite a sigh of satisfaction most definitely tinged with admiration and, yes, a twinge of envy as I suspect I might've done) Jane Jesmond has proved herself eminently capable of doing just that. So many of the characters first met in that debut reappear in this: Jen, as brave as ever and maybe more more sensitive; her mother, Morwenna), assuredly more sensible, and Nick Crawford a LOT more enigmatic, as they hurtle towards trying to make safer a wicked and dangerous embroilment of people-smuggling. Thoroughly deserving of its Sunday Times nomination of 'Thriller of the month' I know it is one I'll return to more than once for the sheer pleasure of re-reading.
This month, following a second visit to Malta, a re-read was definitely required and just as richly rewarded. I'm now avidly waiting book 3 in this series.
And a third read, prior to beginning just-arrived - 'Gone to earth', finding the pace and tension just as throat-catching as before - impressive!
This month, following a second visit to Malta, a re-read was definitely required and just as richly rewarded. I'm now avidly waiting book 3 in this series.
And a third read, prior to beginning just-arrived - 'Gone to earth', finding the pace and tension just as throat-catching as before - impressive!
January 28, 2023
Jane Jesmond brings back the offbeat adrenaline junkie, the unforgettable Jen Shaw, after the harrowing events in Cornwall in At The Edge. Jen has slowly recovered, learning to rediscover her passion as she becomes climbing fit, although she is a trifle more safety conscious. An enigmatic postcard has her travelling and climbing the mountains near Alajar, in Andalusia, Spain, as she wonders whether to reconnect with Nick Crawford, feeling ambivalent and uncertain. Nothing pans out as expected, and Jen finds herself going to Malta as the family home of Tregonna comes under threat, and the only person who can do anything is her hippy, free spirited mother, Morwenna. Morwenna is attempting to help her friend, the Libyan writer, Nahla Shebani, and her 2 young daughters, Rania, and the traumatised Aya.
Nahla, a activist facing dangers in Libya, escaped through a precarious boat journey to Malta, she has been released from detention, into the stressful conditions of a refugee camp, living in a container. A shocked Jen is out of her depth and cannot comprehend the horrors the refugees are living under, the heat and overcrowding, the state of the wasteland, the misery, despair, hopelessness, poor health, trauma, the suffering, the understandable anger and bitterness, and the tensions that result in riots. Events culminate in the suspicious death of Nahla at the Musaeada Clinic, and Morwenna far too preoccupied with trying to help Rania and Aya to do anything about Tregonna, leaving Jen having to contact a father she has been estranged from for years to prevent the sale of their home.
Jen and Morwenna find themselves on a terrifying people smuggling boat journey on the Mediterranean Sea in their efforts to protect Rania and Aya from nightmare fates, only to run across a familiar figure, but can he be trusted? Jesmond writes a harrowing story, of the grim=realities facing refugees, the evil criminals intent on stealing vulnerable refugee children, the dangerous boat smuggling enterprises, and countries that dehumanise people who have gone through the kind of terrors none of us can imagine, and which we gain insights into through Jen's reactions to the refugees and the camp they are forced to live in. Jen is a marvellous character around which this informative, suspenseful, gripping and adventurous tale is woven. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
Nahla, a activist facing dangers in Libya, escaped through a precarious boat journey to Malta, she has been released from detention, into the stressful conditions of a refugee camp, living in a container. A shocked Jen is out of her depth and cannot comprehend the horrors the refugees are living under, the heat and overcrowding, the state of the wasteland, the misery, despair, hopelessness, poor health, trauma, the suffering, the understandable anger and bitterness, and the tensions that result in riots. Events culminate in the suspicious death of Nahla at the Musaeada Clinic, and Morwenna far too preoccupied with trying to help Rania and Aya to do anything about Tregonna, leaving Jen having to contact a father she has been estranged from for years to prevent the sale of their home.
Jen and Morwenna find themselves on a terrifying people smuggling boat journey on the Mediterranean Sea in their efforts to protect Rania and Aya from nightmare fates, only to run across a familiar figure, but can he be trusted? Jesmond writes a harrowing story, of the grim=realities facing refugees, the evil criminals intent on stealing vulnerable refugee children, the dangerous boat smuggling enterprises, and countries that dehumanise people who have gone through the kind of terrors none of us can imagine, and which we gain insights into through Jen's reactions to the refugees and the camp they are forced to live in. Jen is a marvellous character around which this informative, suspenseful, gripping and adventurous tale is woven. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
May 22, 2023
A great follow up to Jane Jesmond’s first novel. Continuing the story of Jen Shaw it takes us from Cornwall to Spain and on to Malta at a breathtaking pace.
February 27, 2023
We find our heroine Jen climbing in Spain. Still battling her addictions and self-destructive streak, she finds solace and the opportunity to clear her mind through climbing. She has a mysterious postcard of the cork ceiling of a bar, a postcard that can only be from one person, Nick, the undercover operative whose life she helped to save. They only met briefly but there was a chemistry between them, enough for Jen to go and search out Nick to see if something may develop. A whim perhaps but Jen’s life is currently unanchored, she is drifting, looking for something to cling to, to enable her to start to rebuild.
Jen finds Nick and they spend a few blissful weeks in each other’s company as he shows her the sights of that part of Spain. A romance is blossoming. Then after an amazing evening stargazing things start to crumble as Nick is called into action again. A distraught Jen wonders if a real relationship is even possible with a man who must be a chameleon to survive undercover, when she gets a call from her brother Kit who is in a panic. Their father wants to sell their large family home and the only one who can stop him is their mother Morwenna, who cannot be located as she is off on one of her do good missions. Jen must stop moping about Nick and find her mother, no easy task as Morwenna is somewhat ethereal.
After a gentle start we have a great set up for another skin of the teeth adventure, that is a search and rescue one which includes an against the clock chase and plenty of danger. On several occasions, the tension is built up only to be released and then wound up again towards a gripping finale on a treacherous stretch of the French coast. Fast paced and frantic at times, danger abounds, people are murdered, and all the while Jen is unsure who she can trust. The action and climbing scenes are excellent and any failings in realism, such as the undercover work, are more than made up for by sheer enthusiasm in a story that drags you along.
Jen remains an interesting and engaging character. Bold, courageous and daring she tackles problems head on whether properly equipped or not, as her recklessness returns to the surface at times. She is also rather frustrating too, failing to see the bigger picture and the danger she puts others in, but impulsiveness is much more fun for the reader. Strong but flawed, an ideal lead.
The reader knows that Morwenna is a well-meaning woman but not quite with the rest of us. Here though we see that is not the case. The plot centres on her love and loyalty to a Libyan friend, her determination to rescue the woman and her children as well as her empathy for refugees and migrants. When they are at sea, she comes alive as her love of sailing takes over and it is her skill, knowledge and determination that keeps them safe. She proves to be a substantial and grounded woman, at times prone to promising too much to people but one trying to deal with the harsh realities of life in a cerebral and spiritual way.
The central themes of refugees and migration, people trafficking, and exploitation are in our news every day. This may a thriller but the migrants within are treated as individuals with empathy and compassion whilst highlighting the dangers and obstacles they face. Malta is as much in the vanguard of the migration flows as Lampedusa, Sicily and southern Italy and some of its unique difficulties are highlighted amongst some wonderful descriptions of a uniquely beautiful island.
The finale is one where the reader thinks that’s it but then there seems to be a little more and even the conclusion sets it up for the next on in the series and if you get this far you are not going to want to miss that.
Climber Jen stretches every sinew to stay alive and save those she loves from being Cut Adrift in this excellent escapist thriller.
Jen finds Nick and they spend a few blissful weeks in each other’s company as he shows her the sights of that part of Spain. A romance is blossoming. Then after an amazing evening stargazing things start to crumble as Nick is called into action again. A distraught Jen wonders if a real relationship is even possible with a man who must be a chameleon to survive undercover, when she gets a call from her brother Kit who is in a panic. Their father wants to sell their large family home and the only one who can stop him is their mother Morwenna, who cannot be located as she is off on one of her do good missions. Jen must stop moping about Nick and find her mother, no easy task as Morwenna is somewhat ethereal.
After a gentle start we have a great set up for another skin of the teeth adventure, that is a search and rescue one which includes an against the clock chase and plenty of danger. On several occasions, the tension is built up only to be released and then wound up again towards a gripping finale on a treacherous stretch of the French coast. Fast paced and frantic at times, danger abounds, people are murdered, and all the while Jen is unsure who she can trust. The action and climbing scenes are excellent and any failings in realism, such as the undercover work, are more than made up for by sheer enthusiasm in a story that drags you along.
Jen remains an interesting and engaging character. Bold, courageous and daring she tackles problems head on whether properly equipped or not, as her recklessness returns to the surface at times. She is also rather frustrating too, failing to see the bigger picture and the danger she puts others in, but impulsiveness is much more fun for the reader. Strong but flawed, an ideal lead.
The reader knows that Morwenna is a well-meaning woman but not quite with the rest of us. Here though we see that is not the case. The plot centres on her love and loyalty to a Libyan friend, her determination to rescue the woman and her children as well as her empathy for refugees and migrants. When they are at sea, she comes alive as her love of sailing takes over and it is her skill, knowledge and determination that keeps them safe. She proves to be a substantial and grounded woman, at times prone to promising too much to people but one trying to deal with the harsh realities of life in a cerebral and spiritual way.
The central themes of refugees and migration, people trafficking, and exploitation are in our news every day. This may a thriller but the migrants within are treated as individuals with empathy and compassion whilst highlighting the dangers and obstacles they face. Malta is as much in the vanguard of the migration flows as Lampedusa, Sicily and southern Italy and some of its unique difficulties are highlighted amongst some wonderful descriptions of a uniquely beautiful island.
The finale is one where the reader thinks that’s it but then there seems to be a little more and even the conclusion sets it up for the next on in the series and if you get this far you are not going to want to miss that.
Climber Jen stretches every sinew to stay alive and save those she loves from being Cut Adrift in this excellent escapist thriller.
June 24, 2023
Firstly Thank you so much to Verve books for inviting me to the Blog Tour and sending me a copy of Cut Adrift.
Cut Adrift carries on where On The Edge finished, in that Jen Shaw is now in Spain, resting and recuperating after the adventures and danger she met in the first novel, in Cornwall.
Cut Adrift starts slowly with Jen deciding to have some fun climbing and travelling in her hired camper van, however, her last lover has sent her a mysterious postcard and asked her to meet her in a bar in Alajar by simply saying “wish you were here”, after some internal struggles Jen decides to go and see if Nick Grimshaw will be waiting for her. What follows is a time of fun, and romance for them both, before this is shattered by Nick having to leave immediately for work and also the news that Jen’s Mum, Morwenna needs to be contacted as her husband (Jen’s Dad) is going to sell the family home, Tregonna in Cornwall and the only one to stop it is Morwenna. The last she was heard of she was in Malta, so Jen makes for malta hoping to find her Mum and talk her into going to a solicitor and stopping the sale of their beloved home.
From then on Cut Adrift picks up the pace as we enter a world (that is extremely well-written and researched) of refugees. Jen and her Mum get caught up in a terrible round of events, including the murder of Nahla, Morwenna’s refugee friend. They are then thrown into a dangerous world and have to fight and run with Nahla’s two children, from people traffickers, killers and terrorists all of who want nothing more than to use the children in the most abhorrent way possible, from this pit on Cut Adrift is an anxiety-ridden ride and one that kept me up at night.
The plot and storyline are very well written, and I was totally hooked into the world unknown to me but that read so realistic of refugees and the dangers they face even when we think they are in Europe and safe. A terrible journey that they face from leaving their home countries, to getting to a safe country where they will be looked after and not become a target for criminals of all sorts.
The concluding chapters were super fast-paced and I was totally immersed, Jane Jesmond has done well to write with such clarity of the fear and anxiety that these poor people face, and entwining this into the lives of Jen Shaw and her Mum Morwenna, is brilliant. Their fight to save and bring two traumatized little girls back to Cornwall is truly heroic and full of danger at every turn, they don’t know who to trust!
The ending was brilliant, but you know, Ik not giving anything away! The writing is beautiful at times with the descriptions of the places we travel to in Cut Adrift. And there are some scary and visceral scenes on the high seas in a yacht, that for me triggered my PTSD (I had to leave a cruise as I was so frightened after being in Force 9 seas), but although this was difficult for me, it’s down to the excellent writing of Jane Jesmond that made me relive it!
An enthralling, tense, adventure and thrilling read hence my score of 4.5 stars.
Cut Adrift carries on where On The Edge finished, in that Jen Shaw is now in Spain, resting and recuperating after the adventures and danger she met in the first novel, in Cornwall.
Cut Adrift starts slowly with Jen deciding to have some fun climbing and travelling in her hired camper van, however, her last lover has sent her a mysterious postcard and asked her to meet her in a bar in Alajar by simply saying “wish you were here”, after some internal struggles Jen decides to go and see if Nick Grimshaw will be waiting for her. What follows is a time of fun, and romance for them both, before this is shattered by Nick having to leave immediately for work and also the news that Jen’s Mum, Morwenna needs to be contacted as her husband (Jen’s Dad) is going to sell the family home, Tregonna in Cornwall and the only one to stop it is Morwenna. The last she was heard of she was in Malta, so Jen makes for malta hoping to find her Mum and talk her into going to a solicitor and stopping the sale of their beloved home.
From then on Cut Adrift picks up the pace as we enter a world (that is extremely well-written and researched) of refugees. Jen and her Mum get caught up in a terrible round of events, including the murder of Nahla, Morwenna’s refugee friend. They are then thrown into a dangerous world and have to fight and run with Nahla’s two children, from people traffickers, killers and terrorists all of who want nothing more than to use the children in the most abhorrent way possible, from this pit on Cut Adrift is an anxiety-ridden ride and one that kept me up at night.
The plot and storyline are very well written, and I was totally hooked into the world unknown to me but that read so realistic of refugees and the dangers they face even when we think they are in Europe and safe. A terrible journey that they face from leaving their home countries, to getting to a safe country where they will be looked after and not become a target for criminals of all sorts.
The concluding chapters were super fast-paced and I was totally immersed, Jane Jesmond has done well to write with such clarity of the fear and anxiety that these poor people face, and entwining this into the lives of Jen Shaw and her Mum Morwenna, is brilliant. Their fight to save and bring two traumatized little girls back to Cornwall is truly heroic and full of danger at every turn, they don’t know who to trust!
The ending was brilliant, but you know, Ik not giving anything away! The writing is beautiful at times with the descriptions of the places we travel to in Cut Adrift. And there are some scary and visceral scenes on the high seas in a yacht, that for me triggered my PTSD (I had to leave a cruise as I was so frightened after being in Force 9 seas), but although this was difficult for me, it’s down to the excellent writing of Jane Jesmond that made me relive it!
An enthralling, tense, adventure and thrilling read hence my score of 4.5 stars.
March 12, 2023
Another fantastic book by Jane Jesmond. This author knows how to write tense, adrenaline-pumping scenes that leaves me wanting more. The first half of the book was a little slow for me but the second half was brilliant! I’ll be eagerly awaiting the third book in this series.
April 6, 2023
Thriller set across Europe (mainly Malta)
This is the second outing for Jen Shaw, and it might be helpful to read On the Edge, simply to gain some sense of Jen, her motivations and her place in her own family dynamic. The thrust of this novel, focusing on the plight of refugees, feels like a very timely subject.
Jen descends on Alájar in Spain at the behest of a young man. Her curiosity is piqued and it suits her mood and her need to climb (without ropes). It thus also affords her the opportunity to climb mountains, which is her passion. Soon she finds herself on the sidelines of difficult events and when her brother tracks down her mother in Malta, that clearly becomes her next port of call. The siblings have issues around the family home, that only their mother, Morwenna, can address.
Once she looks up the 3 islands that comprise the country, she understands just how close they are to Africa and indeed to Sicily (a little geography lesson helps set the scene). With her thoughts working overtime to make connections, she surmises that Morwenna is there to help her friend and writer, Nahla Shebani, who, she knows has fallen foul of the ruling regime in Libya…. she clearly knows her mother and her motivations. Given there is a prologue, the reader is already aware that Nahla is trying to flee to Malta from Libya with her family.
Almost as soon as she arrives, Jen is confronted by the enormity of operations set up to deal with incoming refugees. Morwenna seems hardly fazed to see her daughter and both are soon involved in care of the community. It is a gritty scene, with dirt and appalling conditions, the people housed in containers with insufficient sanitation. An uprising results in the death of Nahla, seemingly torched to death in the burning clinic. Both mother and daughter understand that their time here now is limited and Morwenna is determined to take Nahla’s two children away from the camp to safety….
The characters are perhaps a little hard to get to know. I wonder as the series develops, more about their psychological drives will be revealed. The author is very good at creating a tense narrative, and the choice of subject lends itself incredibly well to taut storytelling. She captures the horrors of the situation in which Morwenna and Jen find themselves, not to mention the people incarcerated in inhumane conditions, hoping against hope for a better life.
This is the second outing for Jen Shaw, and it might be helpful to read On the Edge, simply to gain some sense of Jen, her motivations and her place in her own family dynamic. The thrust of this novel, focusing on the plight of refugees, feels like a very timely subject.
Jen descends on Alájar in Spain at the behest of a young man. Her curiosity is piqued and it suits her mood and her need to climb (without ropes). It thus also affords her the opportunity to climb mountains, which is her passion. Soon she finds herself on the sidelines of difficult events and when her brother tracks down her mother in Malta, that clearly becomes her next port of call. The siblings have issues around the family home, that only their mother, Morwenna, can address.
Once she looks up the 3 islands that comprise the country, she understands just how close they are to Africa and indeed to Sicily (a little geography lesson helps set the scene). With her thoughts working overtime to make connections, she surmises that Morwenna is there to help her friend and writer, Nahla Shebani, who, she knows has fallen foul of the ruling regime in Libya…. she clearly knows her mother and her motivations. Given there is a prologue, the reader is already aware that Nahla is trying to flee to Malta from Libya with her family.
Almost as soon as she arrives, Jen is confronted by the enormity of operations set up to deal with incoming refugees. Morwenna seems hardly fazed to see her daughter and both are soon involved in care of the community. It is a gritty scene, with dirt and appalling conditions, the people housed in containers with insufficient sanitation. An uprising results in the death of Nahla, seemingly torched to death in the burning clinic. Both mother and daughter understand that their time here now is limited and Morwenna is determined to take Nahla’s two children away from the camp to safety….
The characters are perhaps a little hard to get to know. I wonder as the series develops, more about their psychological drives will be revealed. The author is very good at creating a tense narrative, and the choice of subject lends itself incredibly well to taut storytelling. She captures the horrors of the situation in which Morwenna and Jen find themselves, not to mention the people incarcerated in inhumane conditions, hoping against hope for a better life.
March 5, 2023
"Cut Adrift' by Jane Jesmond is the second installment involving the character Jen Shaw.
It can also be read as a standalone book if you have not read the first book.
This book will literally take you on an adventure and is a gripping read.
Jen Shaw has returned to Spain in the hope of meeting up with an old acquaintance. This acquaintance is shrouded in mystery and things done quite go as planned. To get herself back on track she is also completing something she loves with is climbing mountains.
Jen is then thrown into a feat to find her mother and becomes enthralled in the plight and difficulties of individuals in a refugee camp in Malta.
This book is a real gripping read that is full of twists and turns. It is not your usual thriller, with Jen not being involved with any form of law enforcement but it is better for this. It gives you an unusual and visual character in Jen Shaw and she will be a popular character in books to come.
The story is well plotted and there are no dull moments and you will want to read it until the end.
Serious subjects are tackled in this fictional book, but they are done sensitively and it is clear the author has done her research.
A great book and a great story and roll on more in this characters story.
Thanks to the author and publisher for allowing me to join in the Blog Tour and to read and review this book.
It can also be read as a standalone book if you have not read the first book.
This book will literally take you on an adventure and is a gripping read.
Jen Shaw has returned to Spain in the hope of meeting up with an old acquaintance. This acquaintance is shrouded in mystery and things done quite go as planned. To get herself back on track she is also completing something she loves with is climbing mountains.
Jen is then thrown into a feat to find her mother and becomes enthralled in the plight and difficulties of individuals in a refugee camp in Malta.
This book is a real gripping read that is full of twists and turns. It is not your usual thriller, with Jen not being involved with any form of law enforcement but it is better for this. It gives you an unusual and visual character in Jen Shaw and she will be a popular character in books to come.
The story is well plotted and there are no dull moments and you will want to read it until the end.
Serious subjects are tackled in this fictional book, but they are done sensitively and it is clear the author has done her research.
A great book and a great story and roll on more in this characters story.
Thanks to the author and publisher for allowing me to join in the Blog Tour and to read and review this book.
June 17, 2023
Cut Adrift is the follow up to Jesmond's brilliant debut novel, On the Edge. It's every bit as good as the first book in the Jen Shaw series - this time set around the contentious issues of refugees crisis and trafficking. Jen has a real knack for finding exactly the wrong situation and getting involved, whether she intends to or not, and this book is no exception.
What I especially appreciate about Jesmond's books is that sge writes thrillers that are fast paced and action packed without sacrificing setting or characterisation. You feel as if you've been on an amazing and slightly scary adventure by the end. Jen is a relatable character, an adrenaline junkie with plenty of intellifenve and compassion; flawed but likeable. The supporting cast is equally strong.
Considering the subject matter, this book could have easily fallen into preaching about comtemporary issues, but Jesmond steers a straight course and uses those details to support the story without overwhelming it.
I enjoyed this as much as the first book - seriously, these are thrillers I would reread; a neat trick to pull off for that genre which relues heavily on the reader not knowing what's coming. This is adventure fiction at its best. I hope there is more to come in this series.
What I especially appreciate about Jesmond's books is that sge writes thrillers that are fast paced and action packed without sacrificing setting or characterisation. You feel as if you've been on an amazing and slightly scary adventure by the end. Jen is a relatable character, an adrenaline junkie with plenty of intellifenve and compassion; flawed but likeable. The supporting cast is equally strong.
Considering the subject matter, this book could have easily fallen into preaching about comtemporary issues, but Jesmond steers a straight course and uses those details to support the story without overwhelming it.
I enjoyed this as much as the first book - seriously, these are thrillers I would reread; a neat trick to pull off for that genre which relues heavily on the reader not knowing what's coming. This is adventure fiction at its best. I hope there is more to come in this series.
March 14, 2023
This book is the second book in which we follow Jen Shaw our main character. I haven’t read the first book and found this works well as a standalone, however I shall be reading the first book as I really enjoyed this one.
I love the fact that Jen isn’t actually involved with the law enforcement herself. I did find it a little bit slow to get going but once it did it didn’t stop.
There was twists and turns and I had no idea how things were going to turn out. I was certainly on the edge of my seat a few times. I really liked Jen she’s such a likeable character and she’s not afraid of a challenge.
Thank you to Verve Books for offering me a spot on the blog tour and for my gifted copy of the book.
I love the fact that Jen isn’t actually involved with the law enforcement herself. I did find it a little bit slow to get going but once it did it didn’t stop.
There was twists and turns and I had no idea how things were going to turn out. I was certainly on the edge of my seat a few times. I really liked Jen she’s such a likeable character and she’s not afraid of a challenge.
Thank you to Verve Books for offering me a spot on the blog tour and for my gifted copy of the book.
May 10, 2023
Beautifully written and brilliantly plotted, Cut Adrift has so much going for it. The painfully frustrating mother daughter relationship rings so true that I can't help wondering about the author's own family - while the central plot, dealing with the terrible plight of refugees from war-torn countries, (Libya in this case), and their desperate efforts to make it to Europe - gives this tense, ninety mile an hour thriller real depth and resonance. Overall, a really great and very worthwhile read.
December 18, 2024
This isn't my usual type of read, but I'm glad I picked it up. It's a harrowing story of Jens Ma trying to help her friend and her kids get to the UK while they've been classed as refugees in Malta after fleeing from Libya. It's a good book, and I enjoyed the plot and was surprised a certain character from book 1 made it into the 2nd. I'll be reading the third book in this series, Gone To Earth in January, for a book tour. So keep your eyes peeled 👀
February 21, 2025
A great story and informative about life for fleeing refugees.
June 27, 2024
I listened to this book on audible so not sure if it was the grating accents in the narration or the narrative that unsettled me. I found it hard to relate, like or even hate any of the characters. The storyline bounced along but there was nothing gripping enough to hold my interest. I can imagine the huge effort that goes into writing a novel but unfortunately this one wasn’t for me.
March 8, 2023
Heading to Malta to track down her Mother, Jen Shaw is unaware of the deadly situation she is about to be plunged into.
A thrilling tale of people trafficking, asylum seekers, terrorists and undercover agents which takes place on the picturesque island of Malta
This is a page-turning thriller that keeps the reader guessing throughout. Just who is the suspected terrorist attempting to travel invisibly to the UK? Who is responsible for Nahla's death? Who can Jen trust?
There is so much more to the plot than initially meets the eye and the author draws you into the story right from the start.
Plenty of suspects, multiple twists and an entertaining read.
This is book 2 in the Jen Shaw series but reads just as well as a stand-alone novel.
A thrilling tale of people trafficking, asylum seekers, terrorists and undercover agents which takes place on the picturesque island of Malta
This is a page-turning thriller that keeps the reader guessing throughout. Just who is the suspected terrorist attempting to travel invisibly to the UK? Who is responsible for Nahla's death? Who can Jen trust?
There is so much more to the plot than initially meets the eye and the author draws you into the story right from the start.
Plenty of suspects, multiple twists and an entertaining read.
This is book 2 in the Jen Shaw series but reads just as well as a stand-alone novel.
June 13, 2023
3.5 * An enjoyable page turner bit slow to start and with one mighty unlikely coincidence. However it picked up the pace and became exciting with a lot of jeopardy threaded throughout the story. Another thing I liked about it was the uncertainly of the fate of any of the characters at any given time in the plot. Some did come to a sticky end. I did resent being made to read the next book in the series to find the answer to a couple of mysteries left hanging at the end unless it was just me you didn't get who Leila was. She may well have been in the first book which I haven't read. Nice glossy cover. This book was won in one of The Bookload free draws. This is a great group on Facebook especially if you like to win great books.
May 24, 2023
This was a great thrilling novel. It did take a little time to get into, as this is the second in the series. It was written well to work as a standalone as it caught me up on the important points from the previous book. I was actually expecting the whole book to be set at sea with its fantastic cover. It was an exciting story with some great seafaring elements. It was definitely an interesting book. There was some great edge of your seat moments. I really liked the flow of the book. I really like the vulnerability of certain characters. It was great not knowing who you could trust it was very gripping. I definitely recommend reading this action-packed story. I loved the female James bond type story. I also loved all the outdoor recreation elements, especially the climbing. I can't wait to read more from this author.
So much praise goes out for creating an exciting story that had my pulse racing.
So much praise goes out for creating an exciting story that had my pulse racing.
May 14, 2023
I definitely didn't find myself "cut adrift" at any point of this fast paced, tense, twisty, gripping, emotive, enlightening, sad, hopeless, hopeful and action-packed offering from Jane Jesmond.
It is clearly well researched, thoughtfully plotted and brilliantly executed.
Jane shines a well needed spotlight on the subject of refugees and the brutal business of people smuggling in the second book in the Jen Shaw series. Providing her readers with a varied cast of characters. Each one of them being a small piece of the puzzle that slots perfectly in place at just the right time. Reaching a climactic ending with a cliffhanger ending. Leaving you excited and almost impatient for the next instalment.
I really loved the main protagonist of the story, Jen Shaw. She's a complex, multi-faceted character who is fierce, independent, strong, passionate, compassionate and an admirable moral compass. I really liked the thread of Jen's connection to Nick just bubbling away under the surface and became interested and invested in their storyline going forward.
It is the second book in the series. But it can be read as a stand-alone. However, I liked it so much, I had already ordered the first book before I finished this one. It'll definitely be a series that I'll be following and I am pleased to see that book 3 is in the pipeline.
If you are looking for and enjoy a detective series, laced with intrigue, pace and adrenaline. Then this story is for you.
It is clearly well researched, thoughtfully plotted and brilliantly executed.
Jane shines a well needed spotlight on the subject of refugees and the brutal business of people smuggling in the second book in the Jen Shaw series. Providing her readers with a varied cast of characters. Each one of them being a small piece of the puzzle that slots perfectly in place at just the right time. Reaching a climactic ending with a cliffhanger ending. Leaving you excited and almost impatient for the next instalment.
I really loved the main protagonist of the story, Jen Shaw. She's a complex, multi-faceted character who is fierce, independent, strong, passionate, compassionate and an admirable moral compass. I really liked the thread of Jen's connection to Nick just bubbling away under the surface and became interested and invested in their storyline going forward.
It is the second book in the series. But it can be read as a stand-alone. However, I liked it so much, I had already ordered the first book before I finished this one. It'll definitely be a series that I'll be following and I am pleased to see that book 3 is in the pipeline.
If you are looking for and enjoy a detective series, laced with intrigue, pace and adrenaline. Then this story is for you.
April 11, 2024
I really enjoy Jesmond’s ability to create a compelling mystery in unusual settings and situations. I really enjoyed the focus on refugee experiences in this book and thought that the characters and themes were well researched and executed. I thoroughly enjoy Jen as a protagonist and I can’t wait to see where Jesmond takes us in the next instalment in this series.
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