Panic by Catherine Jinks

Bronte is jobless and friendless after a drunken online rant about her ex-boyfriend Callum. She is desperate for a place to hide and signs up to be a carer for Nell who has dementia. Nell's daughter Veda is busy running her rebirthing business and needs the help in looking after Nell. When Bronte arrives at Gwendelynne, an isolated homestead, she is faced with a group of individuals who reject the authority of the state and claim to be free citizens, not answerable to the law. Are they a harmless cult or dangerous individuals? Why is Nell obsessed with the dam that she can see out of her window? Will Bronte be safe?

Jinks has written an entralling thriller that is difficult to put down. Bronte's dilemma is gripping. After her drunken rant on video has gone viral she is easily recognisable and has been harassed online and in real time. Her window has been broken and her coffee spiked. She has no where to go but her innate ability to think clearly and to be practical helps her to struggle through the danger that she faces.

The action is non stop. Each chapter is rivetting and the reader is forced to continue reading to see whether Bronte will survive.

Readers who enjoy psychological thrillers and gripping suspense, a social media background and conspiracy theories, are sure to get a thrill from Panic.

Themes: Thriller, Murder, Social media.

Pat Pledger