Anna is a very anxious mother, keeping her kids under her wing at all times. Under pressure from her husband, she allows her 11-year-old daughter, Harrie, to stay home while she drives to pick up her other daughter from gymnastics. But there is an accident on the road that delays her return home. She worries about her daughter but reassures herself that nothing would happen in their sleepy village.
Except, something does happen. The next morning, Anna find bruises on her daughter, but Harrie refuses to tell her what happened.

I enjoyed the author's previous book, so I was excited to receive this ARC.
The story gripped me right from the beginning, and it had me racing madly through it. It was fast-paced and full of suspense. I found the ending surprising, albeit slightly disappointing, but overall, it was a great and gripping read that you're bound to race through.

I thought this book was a brilliant read , got you hooked from the beginning by revealing things then going onto something else which made you just want to read it all in one go , I couldn’t leave it down but still finishing with everything explained but leaving you shocked to the end.

Brilliant, pacy, twisty read.

I loved Safe at Home, the idea of something happening to a young child when you think they're going to be safe was a great premise, and the backbone of a great story. I raced through it and kept second guessing myself as to who could have done what, and I was no where close when the ending was revealed! Brilliant.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review.

A story that zips along! It’s pacey, it’s worrying, it’s disturbing and it’s quite brilliant. One feels the mother’s panic, her primal fear. We feel her isolation – new to the village, welcomed but not truly part of the community, not sure who to trust, if indeed she can trust anyone. We can empathise with her concern for her daughter, Harrie. And we worry for little Harrie and her terrible loss of innocence. We sense that someone we trust is not being honest. We’re never sure what direction this might go in; never sure what’s around the corner. Hence, a delicious read!

All in all, an excellent read.

I wasn't mad about this book. The plot was solid and I liked many of the characters but to be honest I found the way the story jumped from the main narrative to the chat room and then to the police interviews a bit confusing. I also wanted to give Anna a good shake. She knew there was something very wrong with Harrie but instead of sitting her down and talking to her she constantly second guessed herself and did nothing. It was ok as a read but not one I will be going back to.

Another good book via Netgalley. Anna is at home with three children as her husband is working away on an oil rig in Nigeria. Rob has had to take this work as his own business failed and they lost everything. They moved to a small village called Barton St Martin. Anna struggles with all she has to do in a day and is always exhausted. She has made friends with the mothers outside the school gates and feels that she is making a life for herself. Harrie (one of the 11 year old twins) wants to stay home while Anna takes Elisa to gymnastics. Anna leave her alone which is so against all she feels as she is a very protective. On the way home they get caught in a road traffic accident. The next morning all things have changed. Anna asks Harrie what is wrong, she becomes distant, distracted and the household becomes in turmoil. Anna cannot get to the bottom of what is happening but Harrie cannot tell her what the problem is. The story moves from the emotions of Anna and the emotions of Harrie and then, of course, it affects Molly (the youngest) as well. Harrie saw something happen the night she was not supposed to go out. She follows someone and they take someone to a barn and once they leave she goes in and finds someone caught in a cage. She brings food and water to him and fears that he passed away. In the meantime Anna is trying to find out what has happened and eventually she puts two and two together. The book moves on at a great pace and I enjoyed the way it moved from one part of the drama to the other and eventually it all comes together. The twist at the end was not expected - interesting

Thank you to netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this.

Anna lives with her 3 daughters whilst her husband Rob works away, in a little sleepy village. One evening Anna is delayed after picking Elise up from gymnastics, leaving Harrie home alone & their lives are changed forever.

This book was so full of promise. I was drawn in from the very first page. There was mystery, suspense & intrigue. What could have happened to Harrie to change her personality so dramatically overnight. My imagination ran wild with the clues that were left.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that this wonderfully written book would lead to such a truly dreadful ending. What a disappointment. Had I known I would never have requested it.

Anna is an anxious mother to her 11 year old daughter Harrie, so when she is left with no choice but to leave Harrie alone for one night she is filled with worry and uncertainty. The only thing that calms her down is the fact that they live in a quiet and peaceful village where nothing bad could ever happen.. right? Wrong. Everything that could go wrong, does. And Anna’s worst nightmare is confirmed when she finds her daughter covered in bruises but won’t explain how she got them. Harrie is traumatised and the once close bond that Anna had with her daughter becomes more and more strained.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel! Lauren North managed to capture the emotions of a distressed and frightened mother so perfectly. I was hooked! If you’re looking for an unputdownable thriller then I highly recommend this one!

On the plus side I liked the book, it was an easy read, the characters were well written. Anna was portrayed as an anxious mother who worries about giving her children freedom - when she leaves her daughter at home alone something happens but she won't tell her what. Anna tries to find out from the other mothers but they claim to know nothing. The story that follows was engaging and good to read but I found the last quarter of the book quite difficult because it was unrealistic. So many people involved and you were led to believe that a 11 year old girl is guilty of a lot of things.

This was almost a book of two halves for me. The book got off to a cracking start; the characters were well drawn, the mystery deepened and the tension was well sustained. It was well written and enjoyably paced and I was intrigued to find out what had happened to Harrie.

However, towards the end of the book things went downhill for me. The ending felt rushed and clunky; motivations and details weren’t fully explained and the number of people involved just felt too far fetched to be credible. I found myself skipping over a few pages at the end which was a shame as I’d really enjoyed it up until then.

Overall Safe At Home was an enjoyable read and started off with promise, with developed characters, an original idea and pacy dialogue - but the conclusion, in my view, let it down.

Thanks to the publisher, author and netgalley for the ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this domestic thriller although I did find Anna to be a bit naive and unworldly.

The children were extremely well drawn characters and I did enjoy how the story was revealed through flashbacks.

I did find the denouement to be a tad unbelievable but the story kept me intrigued as to how it would be resolved.

Recommended and my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This is a pretty average book in all. It is fast-paced and gripping but the ending seemed rushed and lacking. The characters are well described and you can almost feel the characters anxiety.

I enjoyed this edge-of-your-seat thriller, telling the story of a mother who suspects that something awful happened to her child that was briefly left home alone one evening. With twists and turns, keeps you guessing, and wanting to read more.

A good read, well written although for me it wasn't a page turner nor did it keep me on the edge of my sea but it was a good solid read.

The only negative point for me was the ending, a bit disappointing and I felt the author was just wanting to get it finished.

Thank you to Netgalley and Corgi Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Only a few pages in and you can already feel the anxious thoughts appearing after Harrie, Anna’s daughter is left alone at home.

Anna is a very anxious mother who easily feels worried for her children, especially when she has to leave her 11 year old daughter at home by herself to drop off her other two children to their gymnastics and cooking club. Her worries are so profound and as the reader you’re feeling these uneasy and frightening thoughts with her too. She’s definitely a very protective mother who is terrified for her children’s well-being even when she knows she’s living in a very peaceful neighbourhood. But is it really as peaceful as it seems? Now that’s a question that will itch away at you.

I enjoyed the back and forth between the present day and the interviews that took place after the murder. This kept the anticipation of wanting to know what happened at its peak.

We also have the group chat filled with some of the women of the neighbourhood and they’re quite chatty and love a good gossip. Honestly I found them slightly annoying because they were of no help to the investigation and were of no help to Anna who was trying to fit into a new neighbourhood she knew nothing about. And also trying to keep her children happy and safe while worrying about her husband who works overseas.

It was definitely a hell of a ride. I never expected the ending and I didn’t see it coming. I don’t think I could’ve guessed the real reason why Harrie was acting different after that night she was left at home. It definitely opened up a whole new problem I wasn’t aware of.

Doubt is weaved into every line and hints are dropped yet it’s still a frantic, unknowing race to the finish line!

This novel focusses on Anna James, and her three daughters (eleven year old twins Elise and Harrie, and seven year old Molly). One night, Anna reluctantly leaves Harrie at home, and when she returns it’s clear something has happened. Harried has an unexplained bruise, the back door is open, there’s mud on the floor and the next day, it appears a local businessman has gone missing.

I was immediately hooked with this book – North is, without doubt, a master at creating tension, weaving her stories through different points of view and altering timelines. I spent a lot of time feeling desperate to know precisely what happened, how it all linked and where everything was going.

However, the conclusion really let everything down for me. The explanations offered were just so wishy-washy (especially given everything that went before), and barely made the slightest bit of sense (I appreciate this is fiction, but still!). Equally, I struggled with Anna’s character – one minute we’re meant to believe she is an incessant worrier, the next she just seems to accept the simplest of explanations for things at face value. It felt like there was a lack of consistency in her character development which I couldn’t get on board with.

Ultimately, this ended up being a three stars for me because it just felt rushed and far too neatly tied up at the end. I found the dialogue quite stunted and, I’m sorry to say, amateurly written in parts which made it really hard to believe. Such a disappointment because honestly, the first half was brilliant and I was swept away on a tide of mystery.

As this is the second misfire for me from this author, I’m not sure I’ll be back again.

Nothing bad can happen in the village of Barton St Martin can it?
Anna James is a nervous mother of 11 year old daughter Harrie so when she leaves her alone one night she can't stop worrying.Something does go wrong and when she returns home she finds Harrie covered in bruises she can't and won't explain.
The next morning a local business man is missing and Anna is sure there is a connection to Harrie,but how can she help if she doesn't know what the danger is.
Plenty of twists and turnsI raced through this book and would recommend it highly.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK for the ARC.

This is my first time, reading Lauren North, and most certainly won´t be the last!

This book is so clever in the plot, the twists and turns which come into play and out of nowhere keep you captivated. Who knew such events could take place in a sleepy village, how hard it can be to fit in a close knit community and always feel like the outsider.

The ending is simply out of this world - completely unexpected, but brilliant!

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for allowing me the opportunity to read and give an honest review of an advanced copy.

When Anna leaves her 11 year old daughter alone for the first time just for twenty minutes, she is delayed with her other daughters returning and their lives are changed. Sweet gentle Harrie is like a changed girl but she can’t speak to Anna and the distance between them is widening the more Anna tries to find out what happened.
This was a really gripping read and the way in which the story was told from Anna and Harrie’s POV was brilliant. I really enjoy Lauren’s books and look forward to more. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Anna James is an anxious mother. So when she has to leave eleven-year-old Harrie home alone one evening, she can't stop worrying about her daughter. But nothing bad ever happens in the sleepy village of Barton St Martin.

Except something goes wrong that night, and Anna returns to find Harrie with bruises she won't explain. The next morning a local businessman is reported missing and the village is sparking with gossip. Harrie is not the girl that was left behind that night, overnight she's turned into an argumentative, troubled girl who refuses to talk to her mum.

Anna is convinced there's a connection and that Harrie is in trouble. But how can she protect her daughter if she doesn't know where the danger is coming from?

In addition to an out-of-character daughter, Anna is also struggling with an MIA husband and two other children as well as money worries. The fact that Anna and her family have had to flee London to escape their financial woes leaves Anna as "the new mum in town".

Lauren North has outdone herself with this intriguing thriller. I completely identified with anxious Anna and sympathised with the situation she found herself in. I thought the inclusion of WhatsApp group chats was a clever device put to good use to suggest that Anna may not be a completely reliable narrator.

The interactions between residents and village-life in general is well-described and adds a lot to the story.

By scattering breadcrumbs of doubt, North leads the reader to the same conclusions as her protagonist. The denouement is pitch perfect. A brilliant read.