* Courtesy of Text Publishing *
Traced by Catherine Jinks is possibly the first novel I've read set in Australia during the early stages of the pandemic. It's 2020 and Jane is a contact tracer working for New South Wales Health, and during the course of her daily tracing calls she speaks to a victim of domestic violence named Nicole. Years earlier, Jane helped her own daughter escape a violent situation and recognises Nicole's fear of discovery by her abusive partner. Jane and her daughter Tara are still in hiding from her ex Griffin, but Jane's shocked to find the person on the phone is also afraid of a man named Griffin.
The story unravels from there as Jane attempts to help Nicole into a refuge while keeping her location secret from Griffin and trying not to break too many rules at work in the process.
Alternate chapters take us back to 2014 and Jane's life before Tara met Griffin. The reader slowly learns what went wrong in the relationship and how the two women escaped before returning to the present narrative and Griffin's renewed interest in tracking them down.
Griffin is a real piece of work, he's manipulative, obsessive and controlling and this book could be a trigger for readers who have suffered at the hands of a gaslighting domestic abuser. As a character in this book he was a well-written villain and the perfect contrast to Jane's determination to protect her family at all costs.
The Australian setting was enjoyable and the references so Sydney and the surrounding areas were an unexpected pleasure, including this one:
"The only personal thing I knew about Michelle was that she lived in Kellyville and ate salads for lunch." Page 71I have family living in Kellyville so that was a nice surprise on the page. Both narrative arcs - 2014 and 2020 - are packed with tension to make the reader squirm and boy did I fidget and clench my fists at the scenarios Jane was dealing with in both timelines.
The action really ramped up at the end towards a satisfying climax and I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Traced is recommended for those who enjoy domestic thrillers and is the third* book I've read from Catherine Jinks so I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for her next thriller.
* Panic (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) is a psychological thriller set in the world of sovereign citizens and an excerpt from my review is featured on the publisher's website, while The Attack (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) is a dual timeline domestic noir novel.
