Traced
Catherine Jinks
Jane is a contact tracer. She has to call a lot of people and some of them don’t want to talk. Various reasons – tax or immigration issues, infidelity. Domestic abuse.
Jane knows all about that. She and her daughter Tara have spent years in hiding from Tara’s manipulative and terrifying ex. Now, as Jane talks to a close contact, she realises the woman on the phone is scared of the same man – and he’s close. Too close.
Suddenly the past comes slamming back into the present as Jane realises she and Tara can’t keep running forever.
One day, they’re going to be found.
INTERVIEWS and REVIEWS
ArtsHub
AustCrime
Law Society Journal
Murder, Mayhem and Long Dogs
Pile by the Bed
ReadPlus
RNZ: Nine to Noon
Saturday Paper
andTraced
‘[Jinks] is a masterful storyteller, able to easily carry the narrative exigences of plot and character regardless of genre…[she] knows how to dole out the tension, letting the suspense slacken and then ramping up the terror lest you become complacent for a few minutes.’
‘Catherine Jinks cements herself as a must-read Aussie crime writer with this book. It’s atmospheric and hard-hitting; if you’re a fan of Australian crime thrillers, don’t miss this.’
‘A tense thriller…[with a] brutal and terrifying climax…Jinks can certainly tell a good story.’
‘Jinks tells a great story that holds the reader’s close attention on every page…This well-constructed and pacey narrative explores serious issues while maintaining spare and tight language, gritty circumstances, authentic dialogue and a building climax that will keep you on the edge of your seat.’
‘The fear is palpable and crawls off the page, so the reader can feel it too…This is a book that needs to be read with the lights on, and one that you will be unwilling to put down.’
‘If you enjoy a psychological thriller—a kind of cat and mouse book—I would certainly recommend this…It’s a really good read to curl up with on a wintry night.’
‘Jinks…cleverly blends the generalised fears and tropes of [the COVID] era, including those around mandatory isolation and testing, with a tightly wound narrative of creeping menace…[Jinks] crafts a taut, tense thriller of a narrative, expertly cranking up the suspense notch by notch.’
‘Jinks manages to deliver another effective and suspenseful thriller in Traced.’
‘A powerful examination of domestic abuse and control.’
‘Beautifully paced, with a central character that leans out from the page, daring you to feel her pain, frustration, panic, fear and resolve, Traced is a novel that shows the reader what it feels like to be afraid, and what protecting the ones you love the most in the world will drive you to do.’
‘Traced, [Jinks’] latest novel, should be in line for an award in the psychological thriller genre. It’s alarming and compelling in equal measure.’
‘The build up of suspense kept me reading to finish the book in a couple of sittings…The terrifying climax could well keep readers up at night!’
