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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed how the author pulls you along for the perfect amount of time before giving more context about what we are waiting to learn. You have guesses as you go through but for me it was really a toss up between a few things that seemed to be alluded to in different ways. Overall really enjoyed however I do wish the climax has been a bit splashier- a juicier or more surprising twist would’ve been the cherry on top.
I finished this book awhile back. I’ve been struggling with how to write my review. I really couldn’t figure out if I liked it or not. Some parts I did like which I found added to that suspense factor but the rest of the scenes didn’t support them. There were some scenes that had me trying to figure out what they had to do with the story. They didn’t further the plot and I ended up confused. I did like Nina. She had many layers and I admit I wanted to know more about her. Emily fell flat for me. I think as a whole, I did like the book. It didn’t wow me or have me on the edge of my seat. I felt the wrap up was ok and the twist wasn’t enough to save it. I wanted to like it more than I did. I will read more of the author’s work because her writing is good. I give this 3 stars.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Now thats how you create and maintain narrative; tension and unease! The Safe Place is this slow burn mystery suspense read. The story is told from three perspectives outlined by chapter. We see our naive Emily down on her luck (no job, lost her acting agent, losing her flat, and complicated relationship with parents). Scott is her former boss who offers her the dream of a lifetime as a housekeeper/personal assistant at his estate in France -- he is extremely good-looking and successful, but nothing is as perfect as it seems. Lastly, we have bits and pieces from Nina, Scott's perfect and beautiful wife, and we see the cracks beginning to really form. The reader is also introduced to Aurelia, Scott and Nina's daughter, who is mute with a variety of ailments. You know from the beginning that things are off but are as clueless as Emily as to what they may be. I was still guessing right up until the end. I really enjoy the multiple perspectives and the fact that my attention was held all the way through. There were a couple of things that felt like the author didn't quite finish her original plan but overall a really good summer read!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book plodded along until the last quarter, where it picked up. I did like that it wasn't super predictable at the beginning. Overall it had the feeling like when you watch a horror movie and you find yourself telling the characters the things they shouldn't do. The main character did all the things she shouldn't do. The ending was ok, nothing spectacular.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The writing style was beautiful, especially for a thriller. I honestly had no idea where it was going until about two seconds before it was revealed.
After losing her job, her agent, and her apartment in one fail swoop, Emily Proudman is reluctant to turn to her disappointed parents for yet another hand out. What she needs is someone to believe in her. Enter her former boss, Scott Denny.
Scott has been searching for just the right person to help him with a problem that no amount of money can fix.
Unable to believe her luck, Emily takes on the role of housekeeper at Scott’s remote estate in France where his wife Nina, and their daughter live. Emily can’t quite believe how perfect it all is... until it’s not.
Wow, this thriller was fantastic! The perfect amount of intriguing and unsettling. The tension I felt as Emily started to discover the things that weren’t quite right with Nina and her daughter had me enthralled! It’s a real page turner. Emily is super likeable and the fact that she’s just a little bit broken makes her all kinds of endearing.
I was on edge for so much of the story and the remote setting only added to the tension. A well paced thriller that I would recommend!
Actual rating 4.5 stars
Scott has been searching for just the right person to help him with a problem that no amount of money can fix.
Unable to believe her luck, Emily takes on the role of housekeeper at Scott’s remote estate in France where his wife Nina, and their daughter live. Emily can’t quite believe how perfect it all is... until it’s not.
Wow, this thriller was fantastic! The perfect amount of intriguing and unsettling. The tension I felt as Emily started to discover the things that weren’t quite right with Nina and her daughter had me enthralled! It’s a real page turner. Emily is super likeable and the fact that she’s just a little bit broken makes her all kinds of endearing.
I was on edge for so much of the story and the remote setting only added to the tension. A well paced thriller that I would recommend!
Actual rating 4.5 stars
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Twists and turns aplenty in this well written book. I'm definitely a fan!
Emily is down on her luck, unable to pay her bills and sacked from her job when she receives an offer she can't refuse.
Her former employer, Scott, asks her to go and stay on his estate in France as a help to his wife and daughter.
The estate is massive and she is given the guest house to stay in but with strict instructions that the main house is out of bounds.
Aurelia, the daughter is mute and suffers from a condition which means she has to be covered up at all times and wear sunscreen.
Emily begins to suspect that everything is not as it seems with her employer's wife and, after a trip into a nearby town, she uncovers information which confirms her suspicions.
An excellent read with lots of tension. Read along with Pigeonhole.
Her former employer, Scott, asks her to go and stay on his estate in France as a help to his wife and daughter.
The estate is massive and she is given the guest house to stay in but with strict instructions that the main house is out of bounds.
Aurelia, the daughter is mute and suffers from a condition which means she has to be covered up at all times and wear sunscreen.
Emily begins to suspect that everything is not as it seems with her employer's wife and, after a trip into a nearby town, she uncovers information which confirms her suspicions.
An excellent read with lots of tension. Read along with Pigeonhole.
This is a psychological thriller that keeps you going to the final page. What seems like a paradise smells rotten underneath (literally). But why? Who are these people, really, and how did they end up together? What damage was done prior to this grand experiment that made them who they are?
I read a preview copy and agreed to post reviews of this book. It is out in July.
I read a preview copy and agreed to post reviews of this book. It is out in July.