This was fine. If you like thrillers then give it a go. I was expecting something more from the the prose. It was pretty much a standard thriller.

I think it would've benefited from having more or none of Nina's point of view. The amount we got was like no man's land.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Proudman has just been offered the opportunity to start again, and she quickly grabs it with both hands. Within days, she's moving to France to begin her new role helping her boss' wife care for their daughter Aurelia. She quickly falls in love with France, and soon feels like a part of the family. But Emily can't quite shake off the sense that something isn't quite right. Why do the family crave such extreme isolation? Why does Emily always feel like she's being watched? And what's really wrong with Aurelia?

This is actually a really difficult book to review. The synopsis makes it sound absolutely gripping, and I will admit that there were definitely sections of this book where I was frantically turning the page to find out what happened next. But there are also sections that I felt dragged quite a bit, and where I had to almost force myself to continue.

I think the big issue for me was pacing - the first two thirds of the book were all about setting up what came later, but there just didn’t feel like there was enough tension there for me. Yes, strange things were happening but I thought that Emily was far too quick to dismiss them and find excuses for them. This meant that there were sections of the book that to me just felt a bit repetitive - Emily see something strange, when does if it might be something sinister, but then shakes her head and forgets all about it.

However, once Emily finally cottoned on that there is actually something weird going on this definitely became a far stronger book. The tension is palpable, and the reveal of what actually happened is jaw dropping. But then this great reveal is followed up by a quite vague ending that I personally found quite unsatisfying.

All in all, this was an ok book. The plot was very unique, the setting was absolutely gorgeous and so well described, and Emily was a strong character, even if you did have to grow to like her. However, for me personally it was a bit too much of a slow burn, and a decent twist was let down by a sudden and unfinished ending.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to be provided with an advance reading copy by NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

Wow. Just wow.

Ok, I love a book with a really creepy setting and this was exactly that. Not only did the setting give me goosebumps, It was the perfect juxtaposition between what the main character thought was idyllic mixed with those isolated vibes. I read a lot of thrillers and so although I worked out some of the plot before it happened, knowing didn't make me enjoy this any less and so I have to give it 5 stars!

Looking forward to more from Anna Downes!

This one is a bit of a mixed review. The Safe Place is the story of Emily. Emily’s life is a mess so when she is given the opportunity to spend some time in France with her boss wife helping care for her daughter she jumps at the chance. When she gets there she quickly discovers something isn’t right. Things get strange from then on in.
I like this type of book. The type of book that keeps you guessing, secrets and lies on every turn of the page.
The end didn’t really answer all the questions I had. Maybe that’s how the author planned it? So that we could fill in the blanks ourselves.
Overall this was a good debut novel and I will certainly look out for more of Anna Downes books in the future.
Thank you to the Author, Publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Chance Of A Lifetime......
The chance of a lifetime? When Emily Proudman - she of the messy, tumultuous, disorganised lifestyle - is made an offer she cannot refuse she begins a dark descent into something she could never have anticipated. Enjoyable suspense, a slow burn but with an ongoing and mounting sense of tension together with some nice final twists.

Anna Downes’ “The Safe Place” is a brooding, deep, emotional slow-burner, that builds to dizzying conclusion. An exercise in paranoia and adept at keeping readers guessing, this is a solid debut thriller.

Down on her luck aspiring actress and office temp Emily is having a string of bad luck. She’s not getting any call backs, she’s just been fired from her receptionist temp job and she’s about to be evicted. When the CEO of the company she’s just been let go from saves her from falling into the path of an oncoming bus, things start to take a turn for the better. Scott Denny offers Emily another job, but this isn’t any old job. This job will change Emily’s life. Flown off to the Denny family estate - Querencia - in France by private jet, Emily is thrust into the beautiful, luxurious, isolated world of Scott’s wife Nina and daughter Aurelia. But the Denny’s aren’t all they seem and Emily is about to find out that whilst this job is going to change her life forever, it’s not in ways she expected...

Anna Downes has written a very sophisticatedly chilling novel in “The Safe Place”. The tension builds gradually and mystery meanders throughout the novel, building to a shocking conclusion that you won’t see coming. Downes expertly plants seeds of doubt throughout the narrative and I found myself continually trying to work out exactly what was going on at Querencia and with the Denny’s. I formed all manner of ideas, from the pragmatic to the absurd, but I still didn’t contemplate the truth until exactly when Downes wanted me to. This is testament to her skills as a writer, as the dark revelations are really quite logical, but there are so many other subtleties at play that expertly conceal the final reality. I found this made “The Safe Place” a very thought-provoking read, replacing breakneck pace with a more deliberate, gradual build of suspense. The pace then quickens in the final few chapters and I found myself flying through the events to find out how things end.

The characters are equally complex and mysterious. Emily has overcome a traumatic childhood and we often wonder what exactly she went through and how it might have affected her adult life. She starts of as one of life’s lovable losers, who can’t quite catch a break, but is charming in her own gawky way. However, as events progress she proves herself an admirable heroine as well and the narrative is just as much about her journey and growth as it is the dark secrets hidden behind the fences of Querencia. Scott is a well-written character who is not at all who I thought he was by the end of the novel. Downes depicts him in a very clever way, using smoke and mirrors to disguise exactly who this tortured and deep man is. I enjoyed the fact that I was completely wrong about the role Scott would play in the narrative, as it kept the story fresh and from being predictable. Nina and Aurelia are equally puzzling and I spent a lot of time trying to figure out whether they were characters to trust or be wary of. They perfectly help heighten the sense of paranoia that Downes so precisely fosters throughout. However, for me, the most enthralling character is Querencia itself. The French estate becomes larger than life - a place of exquisite beauty and enviable luxury, which is all but a facade barely covering a decaying, dilapidated core and a heart of dark secrets. I was reminded of Manderlay in Daphne DuMarier’s “Rebecca”. Similarly, Querencia has a life of its own and is a major contributor to the taut mystery unfolding in front of us. The estate leads us to probe in a similar way that Emily does when she sneaks around - why is she forbidden from entering the family house, what is causing the putrid smell that comes from it, why is the bath stained that concerning rusty colour and what exactly is in the secret basement room? As Emily slowly pieces together the truth, it becomes clear Querencia is both a safety net and a prison, keeping Nina and Aurelia from the outside world - but will it claim Emily? Ultimately, we find that sometimes our Safe Place is actually our jailer.

I recommend “The Safe Place” for thriller fans that enjoy a complex, slow-burning mystery that will keep you guessing until the final page!

I really enjoyed this page turner of a thriller. It’s well constructed with characters I absolutely believed and a thrilling storyline that held my attention from start to finish.

Emily is a bit of a mess, she’s uncertain what she wants to do with her life and has a difficult relationship with her adoptive parents. She also suffers with anxiety.

Then, she’s given an amazing opportunity. The job of a lifetime. Working as housekeeper in an idyllic setting in France. Surely though, there’s a catch?....

What follows is filled with suspense, some unbelievable elements, but, overall a wonderful, escapist thrill ride and I really enjoyed it and highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley And the publishers for the opportunity to preview and congratulations Anna Downes.

3.5 stars. This was quite the page-turner! It got off to a slowish start, but picked up very quickly. The atmosphere is stunning, the remote, sprawling French estate, with its reclusive inhabitants, and odd goings-on—what’s not to love. My only niggle was that there were too many u answered questioned, just brushed aside.

(Review copy from NetGalley)

I personally found this a really, good read. Tense and very atmospheric...you could really tell as you read, that there was something very weird and sinister going on at Querencia, the family home where Nina lives with her daughter, Aurelia.

However, my one disappointment was the lack of proper background for the characters. There were the odd snippets here and there, but I felt it wasn't the full story. It made it difficult to fully emphasize with the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, Anna Downes and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book.

The Safe Place is a mixture of glamour, intrigue and a heap of creepy!
The story is told from two points of view, with a third, offering snippets of the past. All three main characters are ultimately flawed and have complicated histories which bonds them at first but past tragedies and mistakes still control their daily lives and evolve into new devastation.
This was a compulsive read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are disturbing twists in the plot but it’s very readable

#BOOKREVIEW
Emily Proudman loses her temp job, her acting agent, and her apartment all in one day. Then what seems like a stroke of good luck, may be an opportunity of a lifetime. She lands a summer job as a housekeeper at her former boss, Scott Denny's remote French estate, where his wife Nina and daughter Aurelia live. It isn't long before Emily realizes that maybe her bad luck hasn't come to an end after all. The couple she has begun to love as a family is hiding dangerous secrets that they will go to any extent to protect.

My top three thoughts on 'The Safe Place':
1. This is Anna Downes's debut novel, and it delivers on what the blurb promises - a good summer suspense read. The book is tense, fast-paced, the atmosphere is sinister, and all the characters have something to hide. Speaking of, I haven't often changed my mind about first impressions. I initially found it hard to like the protagonist, Emily. I was prepared to continue disliking her for the rest of the book, but she changed quite a bit by the end, which was a pleasant surprise. The mysterious, gothic feel, the waiting around for something evil to happen, the complex family dynamics, the morality angle, and the random and sudden dark humor all made for a compelling read.
2. I figured out where the story was going very early on in the novel. Even then, the ending felt sudden and unfinished, leaving me with more questions than answers.
3. I loved the author's note! Anna Downes talks about her struggles and what led to her becoming an author. I appreciate her honesty, and it was interesting to connect how much her own experiences influenced the book.
Thank you, NetGalley and Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐(Liked it)
#thesafeplace #annadownes #netgalley #bookedin3

Emily Proudman is a strapped for cash aspiring actress but has to take temping jobs to make ends meet. She’s a bit disorganised, often late and so finds herself fired from her job at Proem Investments. Then out of the blue her ex-boss Scott Denny offers her a job as housekeeper/au pair/assistant to wife Nina and daughter Aurelia who live in France. Left with little other opportunity she makes her way to ‘Querencia’, the large and beautiful property Nina lives in. The story is told principally by Scott and Emily.

The storyline is interesting and keeps you entertained throughout. The characters are good, Scott is complex, Nina is clearly not very balanced, Aurelia is worryingly strange and Emily is hard to weigh up because she veers from selfishness to caring. I like the complicated relationship between Scott and Nina and it’s an intriguing puzzle between Scott and Emily. There’s growing empathy between Aurelia and Emily which adds an additional element. I enjoy how the author uses all the senses to describe life at Querencia which makes it very vivid and easy to see and understand that something rotten lies at its heart. The whole set up is weird. It’s a fast paced story which at times is quite creepy and freaky. The ending is quite good though probably not surprising and there’s an unresolved issue which I would have liked an answer to!

Overall, an enjoyable read and a promising debut.

Unfortunately, I am no longer interested in reviewing this book as it is not for me. I am sure the right audience is out there.

I really enjoyed this book. The scene is set very well, albeit a little slowly but this just adds to the anticipation and the atmosphere of what is to come. Unlike a previous reviewer I did not guess, even if I had tried I was way off and the ‘happening’ was very cleverly introduced

I would have no hesitation in recommending this book

With thanks to Netgalley & Hodder & Stoughton for ARC in return for an honest review

Thank you NetGalley and publisher Hodder & Stoughton for a free galley of The Safe Place in exchange for my honest review. The Safe Place kept me entertained and intrigued enough that I read it in one sitting on a rainy Sunday afternoon. I was drawn in by the idea of escaping the real world and staying in such a lovely remote place in the French countryside, yet thoroughly creeped out by the darkness that simmered beneath the surface. Emily Proudman is relatable and loveable because while she is incredibly capable, she is a hot mess who finds herself at a dead-end with not many options. When her employer, handsome and successful Scott Denny, offers her an opportunity to work as a housekeeper and serve as a companion and helper to his wife, Nina, and young daughter, Aurelia, on his isolated French estate, she quickly accepts the opportunity with not much thought to why he picked her or even why her presence is needed. When Emily arrives, she is startled to find she has no cell service, no wi-fi, and virtually no contact to the outside world, but this is soon forgotten as she bonds with Nina and Aurelia during wine-filled days lounging poolside. However, Emily soon discovers that Scott and Nina are hiding a dangerous secret that they will do anything to protect... even kill. The Safe Place is a superb debut by Anna Downes! My only criticism is that the ending felt a bit unfinished and left me with some questions. I won't go into details in order to avoid any spoilers, but I do wish we would have been told the outcomes of all the players, especially after being so invested in each of their stories as the book is written with multiple POVs.

The front cover is alluring and the words inside are incredibly compelling. There were some tense parts, tender moments and snippets where I thought “I wasn’t expecting that!”

I was never sure throughout where things were going which made the storyline so much more enjoyable, and the ending was exactly how I wanted it.

Fabulously exciting storytelling combined with some beautifully descriptive moments and excellently created characters makes this a pretty darn good read.

Leave London, head for a French estate and help her employer’s wife and child – it sounds like there should be no hesitation to agree. That’s certainly how Emily Proudman feels: and in fairness, she doesn’t have a lot of choice. She needs to start again, away from her parents, her so-called friends and the fact that she no longer has a job in the city. And the estate is beautiful; there’s pretty much all you need to live there, quite independent. But it’s quite clear that, from early on, Emily’s employers haven’t told her the whole story and it doesn’t take long for her to begin putting the pieces together. She finds it difficult to make friends with the young girl, who hates to be touched and who only shows rare signs of being a child. The wife is mostly warm, sweet but there’s a bitterness that comes out at odd times. As the story unravels, you become more and more engaged, particularly the ending which will shock. A great read and one that should be made in one sitting.

Oh my gosh! What an amazing debut book!

Emily, a struggling actress, has been offered the chance of a lifetime - leave her messy London life, move to a beautiful estate in France and help her boss's wife, Nina, take care of their daughter. It seems like the perfect opportunity to start again.

But once there, Emily soon starts to suspect that her employers aren't telling her the whole truth. The house is located in such an isolated place that she begins to suspect that there are even dangerous secrets hidden beneath the glamorous facade.

I loved the way the plot slowly develops into one filled with suspense as it progresses. The plot is narrated through the alternating perspectives of Emily and her boss Scott, with occasional flashbacks of Nina.

All the main characters are well developed in the book and the description of the estate and its surroundings are so good that I could imagine myself being present there. I really felt it was courageous and stupid of Emily to stay in that house without any contact with the outside world, If it was me, I would have definitely run back home on the next day itself irrespective of the pay.

It was such an intriguing read. I kept trying to guess why Nina and her daughter would be living in such as secluded place but I just couldn't figure it out. I was as shocked and stunned as Emily!

Overall, a dark psychological thriller which will keep you hooked on right from the start to the end!! I'm really looking forward to read more books by this author.

Thank You to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance review copy of Anna Downes' debut movel.

The cover of The Safe Place got my attention straight away - an idyllic poolside scene but with a mysterious undertone - No Phones, No Outsiders, No escape. It sounds like just the kind of thriller I love and I was really looking forward to reading it. I wasn't disappointed.

Emily Proudman's life has hit an all time low. A wannabe actor currently temping as a receptionist, she flunks yet another acting audition and arrives late to her day job. She's given the sack, gets dropped by her agent and is about to be kicked out of her dingy flat due to being behind with her rent. She can't contact her adoptive parents again and ask for money - their relationship has been strained for a while and she only ever seems to contact them when she needs something.

After a 'chance encounter' with her boss, he tells her that sacking her was a mistake, and offers her the opportunity of a lifetime - to more to a beautiful private estate in France and help his wife Nina take care of their daughter and their home. It sounds idyllic, but there's rumour in the office that Scott hates his wife. Their 6 year old also has health conditions; but Scott was pretty vague. Despite the ambiguity of the situation Emily feels she has nothing to lose. With no real friends or family members to stay at home for and her life falling into tatters around her, it seems like just the chance she needs to turn her life around.

When she arrives at the estate in France; on the surface it looks amazing. Remote and calm but lots of work to be done; Emily can really picture herself there. But when she meets Nina she wonders whether she's made a mistake. Quiet and tense, Nina is hard to read, incredibly uptight and bans her from entering the main house. Aurelia is a mute 6 year old girl with an allergy to the sun, She screams, lashes out and refuses to be touched.

Convincing herself to give this oppotunity a chance, they slowly get to know each other and Emily starts to settle into her new surroundings. The more she learns about her new employers however, she very quickly l;earns that there are dangerous secrets hidden behind the glamourous facade of this life, this house and their relationship.

The Safe Place builds slowly but keeps you hooked throughout and is packed full of suspense. I felt willed to keep on reading, with the chapters swapping between the perspectives of Emily and her boss Scott, as well as flashbacks of Nina's experiences, slowly piecing together the history of the situation and how the events began to unfold. The character building is really strong, and I could really picture Nina and their daughter Aurelia in particular; both of whom were quite eerie and haunting in parts.

I read this book in 24 hours and LOVED the ending, feeling it concluded in the 'right way'.I was however still left with some questions, thinking that Emily's backstory would have been more prevalent than it was.

I have two main criticisms of this book and the only reason why for me it doesn't get 5 stars.

Firstly, I find it far fetched to believe that any young woman would have no pull to social media, email, wifi or a mobile phone, and that whatever your background, you'd be prepared to fly to another country without the ability to stay connected with anyone.

Secondly. and this is hard to discuss without spoilers so I will be fairly vague, I found the similarity to a real life events a little unnecessary. I would say for UK readers at least, it is virtually impossible to read a key part of the book without linking this to real life events and this cheapened the creativity of the storyline for me. My comments will make sense when you read it!

Despite these two minor points, The Safe Place was a great read, and a debut novel to be proud of.

Lucy

Emily is a struggling actress who is temping to make ends meet. However she's not very good at that either and is sacked. Not wanting to ask her family to bail her out yet again, she is relieved when Scott the CEO of the company she'd been fired from offers her a job in France helping his wife Nina and looking after their daughter Aurelia. Any sane person might wonder why she'd be chosen for this role especially when she discovers that the house, though beautiful, is also very secluded and cut off from the outside world, no internet, mobile phone coverage etc. Aurelia's behaviour is also very strange and Yves the handy man doesn't seem particularly friendly. I think at this point I would have been hightailing it back to London but Emily is made of sterner stuff. As the story progresses we find out why Nina and Aurelia are living in seclusion and it becomes apparent that Nina and Scott have a very dark secret.