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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The main character's super power is not being able to see a single red flag.
Emily's life is a mess, until her way too attractive boss hires her to be his beautiful hermit wife's BFF. She goes to live in the family home in France, only to discover that gosh, would you believe it, the offer was too good to be true.
My favorite line: "People you know - people you LIKED - didn't just turn into gun-toting lunatics overnight." Spoiler alert, they do.
My favorite line: "People you know - people you LIKED - didn't just turn into gun-toting lunatics overnight." Spoiler alert, they do.
Anna Downes debut novel The Safe Place was inspired by her experiences working on a remote French Estate. And the feel of that estate comes through strongly in the opening framing of the book. Emily is whisked away by private plane to the South of France and then taken by a silent driver to a massive, remote coastal estate called Querencia. Clearly this is not Emily’s milieu and from the start it seems that something is a little off. But what that something is takes quite a while to get to.
The story then rewinds to Emily’s disastrous life. She is an aspiring actress who can not land a role and when the book opens is also being fired by the firm where she is temping and being evicted from her flat. She is already on the outs with her adoptive parents partly because she craves more than their small British village life but at the same time is always coming to them for money. So when her ex-boss Scott runs into her, apologises for her sacking and then offers her a job as a housekeeper and companion for his wife and daughter in France she really has little choice. But of course Scott knows this. Scott’s story is also being told in parallel, including the way he has manipulated Emily into a position where she has to say yes to his proposal. There is something decidedly creepy about Scott (including the occasional act of self-harm) but nothing more than that is revealed until much later in the book.
Upon arrival in France, Emily meets Scott’s wife Nina and their silent, reclusive daughter Aurelia. From the beginning she knows something is not right. There are plenty of rules, including not allowing her into the family home (she has a guest house of her own), and a strange damp smell that permeates the paradise that might be more than just mouldering buildings that need some TLC. All of this keeps the reader slightly on edge until finally (they take a long time coming), secrets are revealed and some hell breaks loose.
The Safe Place is effective if languorously paced. It takes a long time for anything to happen, so that the bulk of the middle of the book just feels like Emily’s adventures in paradise. The revelations when they do come are not particularly surprising, partly because they have been seeded but partly because they are par for the course for this type of domestic thriller. And there are plenty of creepy elements here that are thrown in but not really explained or used particularly well, they are just there to add atmosphere. All in all, though, this is a reasonable diversion for those looking for a sunny, but slightly twisted, escape to the South of France.
The story then rewinds to Emily’s disastrous life. She is an aspiring actress who can not land a role and when the book opens is also being fired by the firm where she is temping and being evicted from her flat. She is already on the outs with her adoptive parents partly because she craves more than their small British village life but at the same time is always coming to them for money. So when her ex-boss Scott runs into her, apologises for her sacking and then offers her a job as a housekeeper and companion for his wife and daughter in France she really has little choice. But of course Scott knows this. Scott’s story is also being told in parallel, including the way he has manipulated Emily into a position where she has to say yes to his proposal. There is something decidedly creepy about Scott (including the occasional act of self-harm) but nothing more than that is revealed until much later in the book.
Upon arrival in France, Emily meets Scott’s wife Nina and their silent, reclusive daughter Aurelia. From the beginning she knows something is not right. There are plenty of rules, including not allowing her into the family home (she has a guest house of her own), and a strange damp smell that permeates the paradise that might be more than just mouldering buildings that need some TLC. All of this keeps the reader slightly on edge until finally (they take a long time coming), secrets are revealed and some hell breaks loose.
The Safe Place is effective if languorously paced. It takes a long time for anything to happen, so that the bulk of the middle of the book just feels like Emily’s adventures in paradise. The revelations when they do come are not particularly surprising, partly because they have been seeded but partly because they are par for the course for this type of domestic thriller. And there are plenty of creepy elements here that are thrown in but not really explained or used particularly well, they are just there to add atmosphere. All in all, though, this is a reasonable diversion for those looking for a sunny, but slightly twisted, escape to the South of France.
Emily is in trouble again. She’s lost her temp job, her acting agent, and her flat. She can’t get money from her parents...again. So when her old boss, Scott, offers her a dreamy sounding job staying with his family at their mega mansion in France, she can’t say know. She spends her time getting to know Scott’s wife Nina and their daughter Aurelia. She soon discovers all the money and beautiful things are covering up dark secrets.
Okay. I think this a real, “it’s not you, it’s me,” situation. I just don’t think I like domestic suspense. This is definitely not a domestic thriller as maybe only the last 20% of the book has thriller aspects. For me, slow burn domestic suspense just doesn’t work. The Safe Place is slow burn domestic suspense...Finally, I saw the ending of the book way too early. There was no twist I did not see coming.
I could not stand Emily. I can’t do a poor me MC, and Emily blames everyone but herself for her actions. She’s entitled and doesn’t want to put the work in for anything. I just could not with her inner monologue sometimes.
I did get some mild Ruth Ware vibes. It’s the whole: girl goes to mildly creepy mansion to take care of a mildly creepy child thing. The setting is atmospheric and Anna Downes does a great job making you feel like you’re there. The writing is great. She also does a great job with the narration of the audiobook!
So here’s the thing, this didn’t work for me, but if you like domestic suspense...it’s going to work for you. I ended June 2020 with a couple domestic suspense books and didn’t like any of them. I’ve decided then that it’s me..not them. So you should definitely check out The Safe Place if that’s your thing. Thank you to LibroFM, Macmillan sudio, and Minotaur for my review copy.
Okay. I think this a real, “it’s not you, it’s me,” situation. I just don’t think I like domestic suspense. This is definitely not a domestic thriller as maybe only the last 20% of the book has thriller aspects. For me, slow burn domestic suspense just doesn’t work. The Safe Place is slow burn domestic suspense...Finally, I saw the ending of the book way too early. There was no twist I did not see coming.
I could not stand Emily. I can’t do a poor me MC, and Emily blames everyone but herself for her actions. She’s entitled and doesn’t want to put the work in for anything. I just could not with her inner monologue sometimes.
I did get some mild Ruth Ware vibes. It’s the whole: girl goes to mildly creepy mansion to take care of a mildly creepy child thing. The setting is atmospheric and Anna Downes does a great job making you feel like you’re there. The writing is great. She also does a great job with the narration of the audiobook!
So here’s the thing, this didn’t work for me, but if you like domestic suspense...it’s going to work for you. I ended June 2020 with a couple domestic suspense books and didn’t like any of them. I’ve decided then that it’s me..not them. So you should definitely check out The Safe Place if that’s your thing. Thank you to LibroFM, Macmillan sudio, and Minotaur for my review copy.
Emily’s had quite a bad day, until she runs into her former boss. He offers her a job with pay and what seems like unlimited perks—she just has to go to a remote estate on the beach in France. There, she’s to be his wife’s companion and helper, helping to ready the beautiful estate to be a B&B one day. But as the beautiful days pass by, Emily becomes more and more convinced that something is quite wrong at the estate...and will it cost her her life?
Bit of a slow start, but once it takes off...it takes off. Anna Downes writes some superb paragraphs, using your al senses to evoke a mood, not just your eyes. Well worth the read.
Bit of a slow start, but once it takes off...it takes off. Anna Downes writes some superb paragraphs, using your al senses to evoke a mood, not just your eyes. Well worth the read.
Predictable, but well-written. One of the better mystery/thrillers I've read lately.
This book was exactly what I needed at the time of reading - a page-turning slow burn thriller that kept my interest. I was drawn in from the beginning of this story about a down-on-her-luck girl who landed what seems to be a dream job out of the blue. I enjoyed the alternating viewpoint perspective between Emily and Scott, as the reader is not sure who to trust. Overall, I enjoyed this book, but it was not my favorite. I had a hard time connecting to the main character in this book. She seemed flighty and selfish in the beginning, and even though she redeemed herself by the end, I still found her hard to root for. I thought the story line was very intriguing, and the twist made sense, but certain parts of the story that didn't go anywhere received too much detail, while I thought other, more relevant story lines could have used more. Not a bad pick to slip into your beach bag if you're looking for a light thriller!
I loved The Safe Place by Anna Downes, her debut novel by Minotaur Books! I couldn't get through this book fast enough! Anna Downes captures your attention on page one and doesn't let up until the last page.
The Safe Place begins with Emily who is down on her luck and is desperately trying to find her place in this world. Acting isn't working out for her and her regular, steady 9 to 5 isn't either. She is offered a opportunity she can't afford to pass up, working for her old boss as a nanny, housekeeper, and all around jack of all trades. Emily is blown away by the generosity of her boss and his lovely family. But something starts not adding up after the first few days and the newness wears off. The boss's daughter is sick, or so she is told. But is she really? Something is definitely not right with the wife either. It is only a matter of time until Emily begins to uncover what she thinks is the truth.
The Safe Place is the perfect beach mystery/ suspense read. I can't wait to recommend this to others and I hope Anna Downes continues to write! Special Thanks to Minotaur Books and Anna Downes for the advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion! @MinotaurBooks
The Safe Place begins with Emily who is down on her luck and is desperately trying to find her place in this world. Acting isn't working out for her and her regular, steady 9 to 5 isn't either. She is offered a opportunity she can't afford to pass up, working for her old boss as a nanny, housekeeper, and all around jack of all trades. Emily is blown away by the generosity of her boss and his lovely family. But something starts not adding up after the first few days and the newness wears off. The boss's daughter is sick, or so she is told. But is she really? Something is definitely not right with the wife either. It is only a matter of time until Emily begins to uncover what she thinks is the truth.
The Safe Place is the perfect beach mystery/ suspense read. I can't wait to recommend this to others and I hope Anna Downes continues to write! Special Thanks to Minotaur Books and Anna Downes for the advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion! @MinotaurBooks
Thank you, Netgalley, for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!
Emma, Emma, Emma, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is not what it looks like. You thought you would be the exception, well, you made your bed and had to lay in it too!
With that being said, I have to say that the house, the wife, the child, and the driver were creepy from the beginning. If I were Emma, I would have felt the bad vibes from the start. Would I have given the family the benefit of a doubt, probably. But something was definitely wrong with the idyllic picture.
This book kept me shaking my head (at the characters), creeped out, excited to find out what would happen next, and anxious to find out how it would all end. To be honest, at some point this story gave me The Exorcist vibes. I think this was a fantastic debut novel, Mrs. Downes!
Emma, Emma, Emma, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is not what it looks like. You thought you would be the exception, well, you made your bed and had to lay in it too!
With that being said, I have to say that the house, the wife, the child, and the driver were creepy from the beginning. If I were Emma, I would have felt the bad vibes from the start. Would I have given the family the benefit of a doubt, probably. But something was definitely wrong with the idyllic picture.
This book kept me shaking my head (at the characters), creeped out, excited to find out what would happen next, and anxious to find out how it would all end. To be honest, at some point this story gave me The Exorcist vibes. I think this was a fantastic debut novel, Mrs. Downes!