“Querencia was a little like Narnia. You could spend weeks there without ever leaving, months even, and on your return to the real world it seemed that no time had passed at all.”

I really liked this. The Safe Place is this slow burn mystery suspense read. Like legitimately the entire time I was just waiting for our poor naive heroine to actually have something happen to her. Like something was there, out of focus, just waiting for this unsuspecting woman to get too close.

I think as you read things slowly click into place, but you don’t quite hear them clicking, and by the end I honestly felt like I was the naive heroine of the story. Like, what just happened? Have I been bamboozled. I clearly don’t want to say too much, because what mystery suspense reads well without the mystery? I was left with a few questions at the end, but I’m pretty sure that was intentional and while I wish I had actual answers, I understand that leaving the reader to dream up their own answers, leaves a certain strong impression as well.

All in all I enjoyed this one. I’d love to pick up another from this author in the future, because while a slow burn story isn’t usually my favorite, Anna Downes did a fabulous job keeping me interested in this cast of characters and all of their secrets.

Review Copy

A good novel novel to escape and not think too much. A bit too predictable for my taste, however. By the time I finished reading I had asked myself several times when the big twist was coming. Without that, why did the characters even do what they did? It was a little too far fetched for me.

In spite of the plotting, it was well written, the sentences grammatically correct. That's a huge plus in my mind! Three stars for an ok, not bad read.

I really enjoyed this book. The idea of Emily taking care of his former boss’s wife and daughter in their safe place was different. I felt myself dragging it out because I didn’t want it to end. I wish there was a little more background on what made Nina tick.

This was a most unusual and well done read. Emily, an unemployed actress, was working as a temp Receptionist at a London company. After she was fired for incompetence she met the company’s owner who offered her a companion/housekeeper type job at his home on the French coast. She took the job and was flown there in a private plane. It was a gated two house estate in the middle of nowhere. His wife and child lived there with a very stoic handyman who came in daily. Emily and Nina (the wife) developed a very close relationship and she also became close to their child, a six year old girl who didn’t speak and also had some behavior issues. Going further into the plot would lead to too many spoilers but for anyone who enjoys reading psychological thrillers, I would highly recommend this novel. Thanks to Net Galley and Minotaur for an ARC for an honest review.

Anna Downes has won me over! I absolutely enjoyed every bit of this story and I found myself excited to head back to this beautiful French estate even if something is off and not right at all. Being cooped up in my home with what seems like the fifth winter this year I was so quickly lost into the story, the people and the setting. I felt the characters were likable and relatable. This is the summer read for 2020. A place you can go when you can't go on vacation. While some may find it predictable I did not at all and enjoyed the mystery unravel before me. I will put Anna Downes right next to my Ruth Ware books as she has earned my respect. Bravo! I highly recommend as the read to kick-off summer or a good mystery beach-read.

So this is definitely one of my favorite types of books where you have multiple characters telling the story. This makes it interesting because you are seeing both sides of the story as it happens. This style of storytelling also compels you to want to turn the page to the next chapter.

Poor Emily's day went from good to worse but little does she know that some of it is totally out of her control. I will be curious to find out why Scott has "chosen" Emily and what he has in store for her. Does it have something to do with Nina and if so what? At this point in time anything positive that is offered to her will be pleasing as her life cant get any worse than it currently is. Or can it??

My word, that has to be the best prologue I've ever read! It was funny and yet full of word pictures. I found myself laughing out loud at the flighty Emily. Loved it! Unfortunately the book went slightly downhill after that. Granted, it was still highly readable and suspenseful enough that you are kept reading. At the beginning, it was quite impossible to guess where the story was going to go.

I enjoyed reading most of the book but also found myself skipping some chunks of it. Wish the author kept up with the same writing style she had in the prologue...somehow...

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the review. This is my honest review.

Whoa! Anna Downes' "The Safe Place" blew me away! I didn't know what to expect from one page to the next and read it straight through in one day. Suspenseful and creepy in the best kinda way

Mixed views parts of it were predictable and then parts you were shocked when something occurred. It is worth persevering as it has it's good and bad poonts

I don’t really know how I felt about this, I saw all the incredible reviews and had high expectations. Those expectations were not met, and I am disappointed. I thought this was a very drawn out thriller, that you figure out very soon into the book. I didn’t have that, “wow” moment where my jaw drops open. While the author did a great job at adding in very peculiar thoughts throughout that kind of made you eerie, it didn’t add up to this huge plot twist.

The Safe Place had so much potential, but it just felt short. I really thought in the beginning it was going to be great, the author set up such a good plot line, but she just didn’t follow through. I didn’t like any of the characters really. Emily the main character was very annoying, she gets this job offer from a guy she hardly knows and says yes? To moving to a remote location that has no service or wifi and she is okay with that? If it seems to good to be true it probably is, not to mention all the weird things that start happening and she still acts stupid. While the ending was crazy, I knew exactly what was coming and not shocked.

This dark horror novel drew me in from the start with its spooky atmosphere, compelling characters and well-written story. The pacing was strong and the main characters we’re perfectly fleshed out. The Safe Place is a perfect story for readers who love their narratives razor-sharp and their secrets dark and deadly.

Emily’s life is in shambles! She had hoped to be an actress, but that hasn’t worked out. She’s lost numerous part time jobs and now learns that she is also being evicted from her flat!

For years she’s dreamed of leaving her small English village to have a successful career and live a happy, carefree life. Now she thinks she may have to swallow her pride and return home.

When her former boss offers her a position as personal assistant to his wife, Emily jumps at the chance. The job is located at a huge estate on the coast of France. The family is endearing and welcoming. Emily feels as if she is part of their family.

As the months go by, however, Emily begins to see that everything is not as perfect as it seems. The family is keeping dangerous secrets that envelope Emily and become life threatening.

This debut novel has a real sense of place with complex relationships and characters. Tension builds slowly with a twist at the end.

Thank you to author Anna Downes, Minotaur Books, and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this suspenseful novel.

I received a copy of this already.

This is one of those books that without prior knowledge of it being a debut, you would not believe it by the writing. It is absolutely well written, chilling, shocking, and unputdownable! It was one of my favorite reads of the year, and I know I’ll be looking for more and more by Anna Downes! This book was written in a way that really makes sure to leave you chilled to the bone, gasping in shock, and utterly mind blown! Highly, highly recommend, if you love lots of twists and turns, chills, and thrills!
Will make sure to buzz it up on all the different platforms!

The Safe Place is the perfect read for when you don't want to think too much and want to escape to a beautiful home off the coast of France. AKA the perfect read for someone who wants to travel to Europe, but doesn't want to leave their own safe place! 😂

Emily, the main character is a lost little lamb who stumbles her way into an ideal job as a housekeeper for a wealthy family in remote France. The estate is beautiful and she's in awe of the wife and cute animals everywhere.
So what, if the daughter is a bit of a weirdo who can't be touched and doesn't speak?!
Who cares if there's WiFi when you can have a glass of French wine in a pool overlooking the beautiful coast?!
Yeah, the husband is never around and when he is he's ogling you, but he's handsome, so it's flattering--right?!
Oh, and the family house is off-limits to you, but it's only because they are fiercely private... obviously, there's nothing odd about that when you have a stunning guest house all to yourself!

Emily is in paradise! And getting paid nicely for it! What's not to love?!

🐚🌊🍷🏖️


This was a fun if a bit predictable thriller that remained tense throughout! I wanted to scream at Emily a lot, but she pulls through in the end!

⭐⭐⭐🌠3.5 rounded to 4 for this incredibly tense mysterious thriller! The Safe Place is out July 14th 2020 and would make the perfect beach read!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review

Emily is a flighty, lost 20-something working for Simon, a high-powered private equity manager. After being fired from her temp job, Simon gives her what seems like a perfect job: being a nanny, caretaker, and companion to Nina, his wife, and their daughter Aurelia. But all is not as it seems, and Emily realizes it is too good to be true. Emily is also adopted, and this is utilized as an underlying theme.

Wow! This was a great read and suspenseful from start to finish. You know something is *off* but you don't know what it is and the twists are fresh and original. A perfect beach read -- the book is fast-paced and had me googling French chateaux for sale in between chapters. The characters were in-depth and I was captivated throughout the book. A must-read for summer 2020!

An intriguing mystery for the modern gothic lover. If you’re a fan of books with endings that have a huge twist, then this one is for you.

Seeing things from multiple characters’ perspectives also makes this book extremely engaging.

The main character Emily is a genuinely likable character, one that you would sympathize with. She’s a friendly and kind girl but quite down on her luck. She gets manipulated into working for a high flying CEO named Scott, as a companion/ nanny for his wife and daughter, who live in a lovely accommodation in France.

Something just seems off right from the start, even though the house and surrounding areas are exquisite and the wife is an ethereal beauty who is nearly perfect in every way. The allegory is that “all that glitters is not gold.”

Thus begins the guessing game, where you can never quite put your finger on what exactly is happening, until the shocking climax. Plenty of red herrings along the way kept me guessing, but I couldn’t figure it out till the very end.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to read a thrilling mystery or psychological horror.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley, for sending me an advance copy of this book for an honest review.

Emily is at her wit's end, she's lost her job and her agent, and she's about to be evicted from her apartment. Without a clue what to do, she is approached by her ex-boss, Scott, who offers her a mysterious job as housekeeper and companion to his wife and daughter who live on a private estate on the coast of France. Signing a non-disclosure agreement to take a post as a housekeeper seems a bit bizarre, but in her desperation, Emily doesn't give it a whole lot of thought.

At first, Emily is overwhelmed with her luck and the idyllic beauty of both her boss's family and their estate. As time progresses, Emily begins to realize that all is not as it seems. She trusts the family, but do they trust her? Should she trust them? Can they trust her? Why all the seclusion and secrecy? While the isolation is at first jarring, it eventually becomes relaxing, and finally a bit stifling. What is really going on and what really motivated Scott to offer this job to Emily?

This book is fast-paced and compulsive! I finished it in one day because I just could not put it down. Lots of twists and turns keep the reader guessing and I missed a few clues at the beginning that were artfully placed. Atmospheric and haunting, this book will keep you reading and guessing and You'll very likely lose some sleep over it. Definitely recommended!

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars! This cover is to die for! Beautiful! Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read The Safe Place. I enjoyed it, and it def had my attention right up until the end! Full review soon!

I tried very hard to become invested in this story but was unable. I found it choppy and the characters uninteresting. There were many unneeded sidebar situations/moments. I read the reviews on NetGally and there were many rave ones so I tried again. Just could not grasp any enthusiasm for the book. But remember, a review is just a personal opinion and since there are so many positive reviews, I will just gently leave my thoughts and retreat.

#netgalley #asafeplace

This book was absolutely a page turner for me. From the prologue I was hooked and had to know everything about the two protagonists. I loved the plot line and the character development that occurs throughout the book. You learn a lot about all of the characters and their back story. I could not put this book and found myself up late at night to finish this thriller/mystery. I absolutely loved this book and can not stop raving about it to my husband and friends. Thank you so much netgalley and publisher for this advanced copy. It’s definitely one I will be rereading again. I give this book five out of five amazing stars!