How would you feel if you were the mother of a young boy accused of murdering a baby?

Shelley Tremayne refuses to believe that her troublesome son Joey belongs to a gang accused of setting an eight-week-old baby alight in its pram at a local shopping centre. While eleven-year-old Joey has always been a bit of a handful and a troublemaker, Shelley believes that he is not capable of such a crime.

But how well does she know her son? While Joey is being interviewed by the police, the rest of the family are moved to a safe house due to the extremely hostility they find themselves up against. However, while the Tremayne family appears to be making the most of their new home they soon come to realise that all is not what they believe it to be. Other families who have come to the farm have not been seen leaving it.

Shelley has to deal with the repercussions of her troubled past, which may have had a devastating effect on her son Joey, but also trying to find out what has taken place at this seemingly idyllic farm.

In an age where one is getting used to children committing some of the most horrendous crimes, Refuge is a thought provoking and chilling thriller, which intensely depicts revenge and the forces of evil in equal measure. It is a well-written and plausible tale that grabs you with a pace that is not too hurried. For lovers of psychological novels Refuge is certainly worth reading.