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coolbeans 's review for:
The Safe Place
by Anna Downes
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This story is is one of your ominous, suspenseful "Is this going where I think it's going?" thrillers. The main character Emily, is a reliable narrator, but also one of those people that you throughout the plot think "What are you doing!?" Although, to be fair, her initial situation in the book is pretty dumpy in terms of her physical living situation and her mental state as well. It's fair to believe that it's easier to see the silver lining in such an oddly golden but vague opportunity to solve the immediate problems in her life. Her former boss, Scott, employs her to be a kind of nanny to his daughter/property caretaker/companion to his wife, Nina, in a picture perfect house in middle of nowhere France. Not many details, not much cell service, a lot of odd behavior by Nina and her daughter, Aurelia, that is just normal enough for Emily to brush off.
The plot slinks along at a good, steady pace with enough Easter eggs here and there to give the reader a solid guess at what's going on but still let you enjoy the suspense. The characters were at a nice in-between for a suspense where you don't love them, don't hate them, just understand the actions and consequences that got them to where they are in this merry-go-round that we call life. The actions were of their own making, but the author does a better job than other books I've read of giving the reader a backlight of understanding for some of the darker characters in this story. You don't like their actions or believe they were justified in them, but you can see why they ultimately did what they did. Solid enough ending. Suspenseful read for a good getaway from life. Three out of 5 stars. Not stellar, but as the title states, a good safe read.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.
The plot slinks along at a good, steady pace with enough Easter eggs here and there to give the reader a solid guess at what's going on but still let you enjoy the suspense. The characters were at a nice in-between for a suspense where you don't love them, don't hate them, just understand the actions and consequences that got them to where they are in this merry-go-round that we call life. The actions were of their own making, but the author does a better job than other books I've read of giving the reader a backlight of understanding for some of the darker characters in this story. You don't like their actions or believe they were justified in them, but you can see why they ultimately did what they did. Solid enough ending. Suspenseful read for a good getaway from life. Three out of 5 stars. Not stellar, but as the title states, a good safe read.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.