This book was fine but I feel it wasn't as advertised, the synopsis and cover had me feeling this was a thriller but it didn't end up that way.

Characters were fine but I would have liked to have heard a bit more of explanation from Esther's mother's side and I didn't feel like we got that. I also felt like the ending was really unsatisfactory as it left us with lots of unanswered questions.

The first half up until Esther left the house was great but then it went a bit downhill after that.

*Thanks to NetGalley, HQ and Louise Mumford for the copy of this book. All views are my own.*

This was a gripping read, really enjoyed the plot and the characters. Would definitely recommend!

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Esther is safe in the house. For sixteen years, she and her mother have lived off the grid, protected from the dangers of the outside world. For sixteen years, Esther has never seen another single soul.

Until today.

Today there’s a man outside the house. A man who knows Esther’s name, and who proves that her mother’s claims about the outside world are false. A man who is telling Esther that she’s been living a lie.

Is her mother keeping Esther safe – or keeping her prisoner?

This book tells the story of Hannah and her daughter Esther who have been living in a house underground in total isolation for 16 years.

When Esther is 21, Hannah goes in her usual annual trip for provisions and a man appears at the door which will turn Esther’s world upside down.

I really enjoyed this book, the premise is quite original and the author keeps you intrigued from the beginning, with a few nice twists and turns towards the end.

The Safe House had a really strong concept that started off well, but then became repetitive and almost comical.

A mother would do anything to protect her child, including hiding her from the world. Twenty One year old Esther has lived with just her mum for the past sixteen years. Not only has it just been her and her mum, she has not seen another person for sixteen years. These years have been spent inside a specially designed bunker, keeping Esther and her mum safe from the outside world. But when one day a man arrives outside the house, claiming to know Esther, Esther starts to wonder if her mum has told her the truth all along.

The behaviour of the characters at the beginning of the book are expected, however, as the novel progresses, some of them behave in ways that just don’t’ make sense, and this is where the novel lost me. Without going into spoilers, some of the choices and situations that happen just don’t seem realistic and ruined what had previously been built up.

I definitely had more of an interest in Esther’s narrative than in Hannah’s. Once we’d had one point of view from Hannah, I found all the rest of them a little repetitive and needless; they just didn’t really add anything beyond the obvious.

The book just left me a little cold and a little bored. I couldn’t wait to get it finished. Such a shame that an original idea was so poorly delivered.

All the stars for this book. Wasn't quite sure what I was reading to start with. Felt dystopian - reminiscent of Bird Box. But OMG LOVED IT ! Read within 24 hrs and loved every minute. No wasted story line - just a fab read. Highly recommend x

Room meets The Village meets Z for Zachariah.

What lengths will a mother go to to protect her child?

This was a really good take on a familiar story. It didn't end all rainbows and roses which is usually a.good thing (as it was in this case) I felt for the characters. I would definitely read another by this author

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the review copy.

I loved this! One of those books where the first few chapters left me a bit confused and totally unsure what on earth was happening, and why Esther and her mother were living in this very strange underground home, with a very strict and unfulfilling lifestyle. But of course you read on and everything gradually becomes clear.

A very cleverly put together story I thought and one that held my interest (and slightly morbid fascination!) right to the end. Esther is the main character and was particularly well written so I really felt her dilemma and how she was torn in terms of what action she would take (trying to be euphemistic here so as not to spoil anything).

A great read though - buy it now and get turning those pages!

I was intrigued by the description of this book 'Esther is safe in the house. For sixteen years, she and her mother have lived off the grid, protected from the dangers of the outside world. For sixteen years, Esther has never seen another single soul. Until today. Today there’s a man outside the house. A man who knows Esther’s name, and who proves that her mother’s claims about the outside world are false. A man who is telling Esther that she’s been living a lie. Is her mother keeping Esther safe – or keeping her prisoner?'
When Netgalley offered me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review I jumped at the chance. I suspect that this is one of those books that will divide opinion as it could be seen as a bit dark and depressing. It raised issues such as how Esther could be happy to stay living in this house for 21 years unquestioningly and without noticing that there might be something wrong with her mum. And why no-one from the authorities had tried to find her? Having said that, I really enjoyed this book. I wanted to know what Esther would decide - would she leave the house for good? What would happen to her mother/captor? I thought that Louise Mumford did an excellent job of making me want to read on. Did I think this sounded a likely scenario? I wasn't sure. But it still made for an excellent read.

Louise Mumford has become one of my favorite authors. The Safe House is a brilliant work of fiction. Esther and her mother Hannah have lived off grid for the sixteen years during in which Esther has lived in total isolation. When a young man comes to the "House" and knows Esther's name her whole life starts to unravel, torment, lies and the outside world.
I do not want to write spoilers, all I can say is that this is a brilliant piece of fiction. All the characters are believable and are brought to life by Louise Mumford.
Highly recommended but be warned, once you pick this up you will not be able to put it down until you have finished it.

The storyline is good but the way it was dealt left me in askance. The events are possible in the real world and the conclusion is also good but overall the book didn’t catch my interest. Some parts were quite slow and boring.

This book tells the story of Esther and Hannah. Esther and Hannah live in The House, a type of modern day adapted bunker where they have lived for 16 years. Esther has never left The House because, why would she? The House provides all that the two of them need to stay alive, as the Earth is polluted and the air is toxic.with Esther’s asthma, she would soon succumb if she stepped outside of The House. Besides, there’s no need for them to leave, expect for the yearly outing when Mother goes out to replenish stock that can’t be replicated underground.
Then when Esther is 21, Hannah leaves for the day and a strange man appears outside. Who is he, what does he want and how does he know who they are and where they live?

A gripping tale as Esther starts to realise that just maybe Mother hasn’t been as honest with her as she believes……

Thank you NetGalley for my copy.

A story that represents what happens when mental illness and Doomsday prepping collide. Esther is told by her mother that the air is polluted and the planet is inhabitable. Esther grows up isolated, fearing the outside world until one day everything changes when a man shows up outside their bunker.

Interesting read.

I liked the sound of this book and the title had me intrigued.

I felt The Safe House got off to a good start with lots of drama but it slowed down a lot until the last 30%. I did enjoy the premise of a really ill girl being kept safe all her life, bundled away from the world by her loving mother but it seemed a touch far fetched that Mother could maintain the story for 16 years.

Esther is an odd character. She's likeable but extremely naive and unquestioning. That bothered me a little. I wished her well but wasn't 100% invested in her.

An interesting concept and plenty of drama and suspense

This is a really well written book with an original plot line and one that is believable up to a point. Told in two timelines, the present and when Esther was a child, before her mother ran away with her. The author has a brilliant command of the English language, in particular her use of metaphors: ‘Esther’s asthma is a demon, a sleeping dragon easily awoken’. The characters are so good. Not just the two main protagonists but my favourite Mr. Wiffles - I’m saying no more about this you will have to read it.

Briefly, Esther and her mother, Hannah, have been living in a bunker for 16 years with Hannah venturing out once a year for supplies. Esther has asthma and after a particularly bad attack her mother decided to keep her away from all pollutants that might cause another attack. Until one day a man call’s Esther’s name from outside the house… How will Esther cope when she realises that her mother, the one constant in her life, has been lying to her? And worse!

I want to say more about how Esther handles what happens next but difficult without spoilers, so I won’t. Suffice it to say her only knowledge of the outside world is what she has seen watching old films and inside she is still a child. There are a number of good twists and turns and I was engaged through pretty much all of the book. There was one aspect I though was a bit too far fetched to be realistic but again this would be a spoiler so I’ll leave it there. A good satisfying and original read, brilliantly written ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to NetGalley, HQ Stories and Lousie Mumford for this advanced copy.

This book has me a little conflicted, I'm not going to lie. The concept of this book is so interesting! I love the ominous circumstances surrounding Esther and her Mother. I love the pace of the story also, especially the first half, its quick and keeps you hooked. But I have to say it definitely fell short for me on overall execution.

I can see this book happening in real life, especially with the climate crisis and the increase in doomsday preppers but some aspects felt a bit far fetched. Some of the story and relationships were stilted. Throughout, I kept thinking of Esther as a 12 year old girl, not a 21 year old woman, which was strange to me. I did like the twists, they were a welcome change in direction and some I didn't expect at all! Overall, a very average mystery that I enjoyed but didn't love!

*Please look up any trigger warnings before reading*

I really enjoyed this book. I was a little bit concerned after the first half or so because it sort of felt like I knew the whole mystery at that point and I was confused about why there was still so much book left. But then they returned to "The House" and the pace picked back up again and kept me hooked until the end.

The only thing that kept me from rating this 5 stars is that as someone who also reads romance, I hate being teased with the potential for a romance and then not getting any payoff from it. If the author didn't want to include any sort of ending for that plotline it would have been better off on the cutting room floor in my opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
The start of this book describes Esther, 5 years old, and her mother fleeing from their home and going to the 'safe house' but it is not clear why this happens. Esther reaches her 21st birthday and we learn about their lives, enclosed away from the rest of the world. I didn't like the way the narrative did not include any explanation about what had actually happened until I was almost 20% through the book. I don't want to deliver any spoilers for other readers but when things began to be clearer I realised this was not what I was expecting and I didn't want to read any more.
I'm sure some readers will find this storyline interesting and enjoy the book but it wasn't for me.

A very exciting read. The relationship between Esther and her mother was extraordinarily gripping, with a atmosphere of both warmth and menace from the start. I loved the way current concerns about environmental issues, particularly air quality were dealt with in such an exciting way. It is certainly very readable. The only point I found difficult was when the man first appears. After sixteen years of living alone with her mother I think Esther might have been a bit more scared about the sheer 'otherness' of this newcomer.
The way the story resolves is intriguing and a cliff hanger to the end.

I really enjoyed this book. Great characters and Esther's re-integration into the world is so well written. It kept me interested throughout and I couldn't wait to see how it ended.

Wow fantastic definitely a 5 star read.
Amazing psychological thriller that will have you gripped throughout!