She’s witnessed something that’s placed her in danger, but what exactly is it? (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. A journalist and activist, Nahla has been forced to flee Libya with her two daughters, Aya and Rania. I think we can all call to mind parallels with the situation closer to home.Ĭut Adrift focuses on a small group of refugees, including Nahla, a friend of Jen’s mother Morwenna. And the influx of refugees is causing problems for Malta as well with rising anti-migrant sentiment. 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. Such people are easy prey for smugglers and people traffickers but can also be used as cover by those with more sinister motives. The dramatic prologue brilliantly brings this to life. 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 plot of Cut Adrift is inspired by the very contemporary issue of the smuggling and exploitation of refugees.
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.
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 second instalment in the action-packed, 'pulse-pounding' Jen Shaw series, following Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month On the Edge.Ĭut 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.
But what if the safest option is to leave on a smuggler's boat? 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. Jen is instantly out of her depth, surrounded by stories of unimaginable suffering and increasing tensions within the camp. And it's nothing to do with the fact that an old acquaintance suggested that she meet him there.īut 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.įree-spirited and unpredictable as ever, Morwenna is working with a small NGO, helping her Libyan friend, Nahla, seek asylum for her family. Jen Shaw is climbing in the mountains near Alajar, Spain. ** selected as THE TIMES & THE SUNDAY TIMES Book of the Month **
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