Spooky, creepy and tense. I loved this story and had to read it at daytime. Well plotted, gripping, it kept me hooked and guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

3.5 stars
This started really well but the pace really slowed down after the first thirst and didn’t pick up until the latter stages. Jess is the main character and she has something that happened in her past that still gives her nightmares. She also has OCD and this affects how she acts. There are quite a strange collection of people who gather together in the house and Jess is unsure who she can trust. In addition to this, is the danger of the wildfire sweeping towards the house. Tension does build towards the end and some of the reasons were quite complex. It does have a satisfying ending. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Well this a wild ride.
Fast pacy read that would make a brilliant film. Jess flees London and her job in the Met to caretake a house in her native Australia but when an unexpected cast of strangers turn up it’s a race against time to see what will cause her the most harm, her houseguests or the raging bushfires

This is a gripping thriller that is a great read.
Jess takes a job as caretaker for a huge house in the outback of Australia as she wants to get away from the UK for a while. She comes from Australia but wants the isolation that this job will give her.
However, she’s not on her own for long with people turning up out of the blue. Jess finds it hard to trust them but with the bush fires coming closer and closer, they all end up staying with her.
With a life threatening situation you’d think they’d all pull together but you couldn’t be further from the truth.
Thanks to Michael Joseph and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is a really different read with an unusual premise and a cast of random characters, each with a tale to tell. I liked the background to this story; a remote location in the Australian outback and Jess goes to an exclusive property to house sit. She’s looking for seclusion whilst she reflects upon the future direction of her life and I warmed to he as she arrives at the property and takes her bearings.

Meanwhile, a bushfire has broken out and a stranger, the first of a number, turns up seeking refuge. Bit by bit the tension builds as the threat mounts and it’s impossible to second guess who poses a danger. Are these people genuine? The phones go down, the power goes off the sense of menace escalates with every page, but unbeknown to Jess, the danger was within.

Fast paced, tense, creepy and a high octane ride this is a brilliant psychological thriller.

Jess has been offered the chance to get away from her troubles in London by a housesitting job in her native Australia. The house is owned by a mega rich guy, who, shes finds out by chance, is under investigation by the Federal Police. Gis current whereabouts are unknown and his lawyers are giving the Police the runaround regarding a search warrant for the place. The housesitting* job is part of this to maintain a presence in the building. However no one has accounted for the wildfires that are raging in rural Victoria. So when various people arrive looking for sanctuary, she can't turn them away, can she? It soon becomes clear that each person has their own agenda and when the bodies start appearing it's too late to leave. Will she make it out or will she be a victim of the fires?
I really enjoyed this.

A fast paced thriller.
Jess is back in Australia she is house sitting and it seems the perfect get away to escape her problems in the UK.
Her job in the UK is an analyst for the Metropolitan Police and she left with a dark cloud hanging over her.
The problems she left behind are nothing to the ones that are awaiting Jess in Australia.
Murder, blood diamonds and drug cartels are all involved in this gripping thriller .
Easy to read , fast paced and an enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph , Penguin Random House.

I have read the previous Cameron Ward book so I pretty much knew that there would be lots going on and that it would stretch my credulity a bit. I have a weak spot for plots set in Australia so that was definitely a factor in my decision to read Safe House. The threat of the bushfire and a mention or 2 of spiders and snakes sets the atmosphere for a tense, dramatic story. There is a quality to the writing that makes it feel like watching a movie. While it’s difficult to pinpoint I realise I said the same thing about the previous book too so I’m sticking with that thought. Jess was okay as a central character but I found Marty more interesting. For those who read to escape everyday life this will hit the spot.

When Jess accepts an offer to caretake a luxury property in the Australian outback, the isolated, all-inclusive solo trip is just what she needs.
But Jess isn't as alone as she thinks.
As bushfires rage in the distance, strangers start showing up to seek refuge. And as the fires start closing in, tensions in the group begin to rise.

This is the classic story of a group of strangers thrust together in adversity. It’s very well done, however, as there are different storylines weaved throughout it. The excitement builds as the bushfires get closer. Hopes are raised and then dashed as heroes become villains in this great story. The ending is quite sensational and sends you hurtling through the final pages. It’s almost impossible to put down. A great read.

Another fast paced thriller by this author. A real treat for those who enjoy the ‘not all they appear to be’ theme. A group of unlikeable strangers end up cornered by Australian bush fires. The sense of atmosphere and location really struck a chord with me and I was thrilled by the high tension plot. More, please! Thank you so much for eARC of this due out 14/9/23

Seven strangers seeking refuge, but the danger is already inside.

Jess accepts a job offer to look after a house in Australia and heads there to escape from everything. It soon becomes clear that the rest and relaxation she needs is not going to happen when one by one people arrive at the secluded property needing shelter from an ever increasing bush fire that’s heading their way. Each stranger has their own story but is she right to trust them all.

I really enjoyed this book, very atmospheric and built the tension great throughout. The ending was slightly chaotic for me and a lot seemed to happen all at once. Thanks to @netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and I will definitely be researching more from this author.

Publication Date - 14/09/2023

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#TheSafeHouse
#CameronWard
#NetGalley

Jess Walker accepted an offer (OK, actually she was gently nudged into it by her friend, Rupert) to caretake a luxury property in the Australian outback for a couple of months. After the problems she'd had at work, it seemed like just the break she needed. She was no longer a data analyst for the Metropolitan police in London: she was Jess who was returning to the country of her birth and in need of the space to get over the traumatic end of her relationship with Charles. A few weeks in the Otway Ranges in Victoria sounded like just the ticket.

I first encountered Cameron Ward's writing when I read A Stranger on Board. If anything, it's better than The Safe House, but there are similarities between the plots. The lead characters are both 'damaged' women, taking on something outside their comfort zones, almost as a form of therapy. In both cases, we know that - whatever else happens - it's not going to end well. The problems start with the injured man who's struggling on the outside of the property boundary. She's not meant to bring anyone else onto the property - but can she leave him where he is?

No - she can't. Nor can she deny safety to the couple (warring couple would probably be more accurate...) whose campervan has broken down. Although the bush fires in the area are still some distance away it would only take a change of wind direction for that to change. There are fire breaks on the property but this fire is ferocious and could easily jump the breaks. Then there's the ranger, the two drug addicts and the man who has been hiding in the shack on the property. When the telephone line fails, the seven people on the property are cut off.

Jess also has to reassess why she's looking after the property. It belongs to Bill Drummond Willoughby who made his money in diamonds. Bill has disappeared and the courts are still debating as to whether or not there should be a warrant to search the house. And that's before we even start to think about the vault in the basement that everyone seems so interested in...

The tension ramps up right from the start. Unfortunately, I made a connection early on which told me who I should be watching. It didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book as there were enough twists and turns to ensure that I was never completely certain that I was right. It was a good read and I'd like to thank the publishers for letting Bookbag have a review copy.

This was an interesting story but a bit far-fetched at the start when Jess goes to Australia to house sit a very expensive and secluded house. Wildfires approach and so do some strangers. As the story and the area hots up, dead bodies start appearing. Who is the killer and what are the connections between everyone.
I liked this story.

Wow, what a read.
A fast paced gripping intense thriller. Set in an isolated house in the Australian outback.
Jess, a police analyst, accepts an offer to caretake a luxury property where she is joined by strangers seeking shelter as the bushfires move closer. But all is not as it seems as Jess finds herself in danger.
The characters are well developed, some likeable and others not so much. The writing is so descriptive making it easy to visualise the landscape and wildlife as you read.
It’s brilliantly written with so much going on including murder, wildfires, heartache, drugs and more.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. A real page turner. Definitely recommend this one.
Thanks to #NetGallery @MichaelJoseph @penguinRandomHouse @CameronWard for an arc of #TheSafeHouse in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Book publishes 14th September 2023.

When Jess accepts an offer to caretake a luxury property in the Australian outback, the isolated, all-inclusive solo trip is just what she needs. but Jess isn't as alone as she thinks. As bushfires rage in the distance, strangers start showing up to seek refuge. And as the fires start closing in, tension in the group begins to rise. Then, the phones stop working. All exits are cut off. There's no way out. Quickly, Jess's guests begin to panic. And when the first person goes missing, she realises that someone in the house isn't who they say they are.

Set in an isolated house in the Australian outback. The story covers bushfires, murder, drugs and heartbreak. Jess is a police analyst. She leaves London after a traumatic period in her life and heads home to Australia to be a caretaker of a luxury property in the outback.Soon Jess i joined by some strangers seeking shelter from the bushfires. Then strange things occur. This is a descriptively written, easy to read book. The characters are well developed, some likable, others not so much. Everyone is a suspect. This os a well plotted nove,.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #MichealJoseph #PenguinRandomHouse and the author #CameronWard for my ARC of #TheSafeHouse in exchange for an honest review.

I made the mistake of starting this in the evening, only planning on reading a couple of chapters..... but once I started reading it I didn't want to stop. The characters are described well, with each one having suspicious moments, so you never know which are trustworthy. The backdrop of the fire added to the tension with descriptive writing making it easier to imagine. A book I'd recommend

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

A fantastic, fast paced read. I enjoyed this book very much. The first half of the book set the scene nicely with all of the different characters and not knowing who to trust. The second half really ramped up the action and I raced through it in no time. Four stars from me.

Well what a motley crew of characters, I didn't trust one of them and at times found the story a bit ridiculous. But it redeemed itself in the end. Not as good as A Stranger on board but still a good read overall.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I am sorry to say that I struggled with this book. I found it to be too slow at first, and then I found it too farfetched.it was not a captivating read for me.

A very enjoyable romp even though a bit far-fetched. Jess, an analyst for the Met, has a personal crisis that also relates to her work. She wants to get away for some peace and quiet so takes a two month job caretaking the home of a missing corrupt billionaire for the authorities in Australia. Quiet it is not - bush fires are spreading towards the house and stranded people start arriving. Thinking she is saving them from the fires she lets them into the gated estate. With great characters and good writing, it's a brilliant read.
This is an honest review of a complementary ARC.