My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Synopsis- #TheSafePlace is a debut mystery thriller from Australian Author Anna Downes. Meet Emily, an aspiring actress from London who just lost her agent and her day job. Unsure about her future and struggling to make ends meet, Emily takes up an unexpected job offer in housekeeping at a isolated estate in France. Guaranteed pay and accommodation in complete luxury, Emily thinks shes fallen into the perfect escape of her failing career. Shes even fallen for the beautiful family that lives there. Completely under their spell, Emily soon discovers the family and estate hides shocking secrets worth killing for.
My review - #TheSafePlace is a stunning debut from Downes and proved to be such an engaging and unputdownable book! The novel was an easy read with Downes’ light descriptions and subtle use of prose creating visual imagery which simultaneously presented scenes of luxury and relaxation, yet you could feel some sort of darkness with thoughts of isolation and danger looming. I was hooked onto the characters whose perspectives were alternating throughout the novel and tried to decode all the subtle hints dropped by Downes of the mystery. Being a mystery/ thriller there was a satisfying twist but I did find the way the story unfolded by the end was a little cliché and predictable. However, I definitely enjoyed this one and I think it will do very well in publication and could even make a great film. I was also pleasantly impressed that the story was inspired by Downes’ own career when she herself worked for a wealthy family on their private estate in France (so cool!).

Thank you #Minotaurbooks for the ARC of #The Safe Place. I don't know how I feel about this book. It definitely kept my interest but it is a bit unsettling. Emily the naive want to be actress was a very loveable character. Not so Nina, the pampered wife of Scott and mother of Aurelia. The two women become besties when Scott hires Emily to move to France and help his wife with their little girl. She would be well compensated. Emily, low on money, no job and turmoil with her family decides to take the job. The house in France sounds like a dream come true but is secluded and sheltered and very secure. Just what Emily needs. But then things start to become weird. It gets scary in parts but that keeps you turning the pages. All in all it was a good summer read and it comes out July 14, 2020. If you are looking for a great summer thriller put this on your TBR list.

**I read an early release copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book kept me guessing, and I loved every minute of it.

The protagonist, Emily, is in a rough patch—she just lost her job, is about to be evicted, and isn’t on good terms with her family. A rich businessman offers Emily a job working as a housekeeper on his French estate, and it seems to be a perfect solution to her situation. Upon arriving, Emily realizes that she doesn’t know much at all about the family she is working for and begins to suspect that all may not be as it seems.

As I read this story, I was riveted. Downes weaves in small details that cause you to question the validity of the narrative, but just when you think you’ve figured it out, she takes you for another loop. By the conclusion, I couldn’t read fast enough to find out what would happen next. I found the story to be well crafted and the characters believable. If you like a good thriller with a touch of mystery, this is the book for you!

Thank you Affirm Press, for an e-galley in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It started really strong and intriguing, then felt almost meaningless until around page 260 or so. I wondered what the point of the story was, because I was not picking up on much. Then the story was predictable in a way, but also kept me on my toes.

I give this 4 stars because it ended up tying together and ending strong. I just think that the end was rushed, so I would have preferred it get to the climax of the story sooner.

I found this book surprisingly deeper than I was expecting from a psychological thriller. I tend to find thrillers outrageously overdone, and even though the premise of this one was a little out there, there was something about it that kept it real and closer to the heart.

This story is definitely "psychological" in that it describes the damaged psyche quite well--how childhood trauma is carried subconsciously, the ways people cope with pain and loss, the fine line you tread when dealing with the mental illness of a loved one, and how easy it can be to lose track of reality. The author clearly has an understanding of human emotions, and her talent is in creating flawed characters who, even if not likeable, the reader can feel sympathetic towards.

However, I wouldn't quite call this a "thriller" because it lacks the twists and turns. There is a mystery, but I couldn't figure out what it was until it was revealed 2/3 of the way through the story. In my opinion, the build-up to that was a little too long, and I was starting to get a little bored. But once past that point, it really picked up. I don't usually love thrillers, so I may be in the minority, but I enjoyed the focus on character development and was really glad that there weren't any crazy horror scenes like I was expecting.

I would definitely be interested in reading more by Anna Downes in the future.

SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: I was very excited to receive an ARC of this book directly from the publisher, as I am a huge fan of thrillers and can't resist a twisty summer beach read. This is a debut novel for Downes, and I would like to point out that the version I read was the paperback ARC (which did have some spelling errors and spacing errors that I know will be removed prior to the finished product).

The Safe Place is a debut mystery/thriller novel with the tagline, "No Phones. No Outsiders. No Escape." We meet our protagonist Emily on her absolute worst day - she's flubbed an audition that she desperately needs as a struggling actress, and she loses her temp job as a receptionist at a financial firm. She's about to be evicted from her terribly basic flat in London, and her bank account is in overdraft. When her agent calls a meeting to tell her that she's moving to America and Emily is being dropped by the agency...well, Emily hits rock bottom.

Should she dare call her adoptive parents to ask for monetary help? The last time she'd spoken with her mom, Juliet, they had an explosive argument about how Emily only ever comes home when she needs money. When Emily swallows her pride and tries anyway, Juliet realizes that Emily has forgotten her birthday, and she hangs up the phone...leaving Emily ashamed, depressed, and completely out of luck.

But then, her luck seems to change...when a chance encounter on the street ends with Emily's former boss, Scott Denny, saving her from an almost-deadly accident. Scott offers her the chance of a lifetime - move to France, live in a gorgeous palatial estate hidden away on the coast, and help his wife and daughter with tasks around the estate. She would be "a housekeeper/au pair/personal assistant," in his own words, and she would really be doing him quite a favor. Emily is flabbergasted by this opportunity - and more than a little attracted to Scott, who is seeming more and more like a knight in shining armor. The chance of a lifetime has fallen into her lap...but should she take it?

Feeling like she has no choice, Emily says yes, and is whisked into a world of riches beyond her imagination...and a level of privacy she's never experienced, complete with miles of wooded seclusion, security cameras in almost every room, and a required signature on a non-disclosure agreement. She falls in love with the two gorgeous homes and the beautiful infinity pool, but she also falls hard for Scott's wife, Nina, and their lovely but troubled young daughter, Aurelia. Aurelia has many health challenges that stem from an incident in her infancy, Nina confides; she is mute, allergic to the sun, and has tantrums and night terrors that border on violent. Emily recognizes parts of her own troubled childhood in Aurelia, and she begins to grow incredibly close to both women.

But as her time at Querencia continues, Emily begins to realize that some things are never what they seem. Was this opportunity really too good to be true, and did it just happen to fall into her lap? Or was she hunted down and chosen for reasons unknown to her? She begins to see that the houses are not the only things on the island hiding secret rot and decay inside, and her slow unraveling of the truth behind the Denny family's secrets and seclusion is a tense and taut journey that includes flashbacks from Nina's perspective, as well as current views of how the truth is literally tearing Scott apart.

It all culminates in a terrifying and tragic confrontation - who will come out of this summer alive and unharmed, or will they all be transformed forever? And is it ever okay to bury a difficult and horrifying truth, or is it always better to bring dark deeds to light - even when the consequences could be utterly devastating?

I enjoyed the story and felt compelled to read until the end to find out what was truly happening at Querencia, and I wasn't disappointed in the unique yet ripped-from-the-headlines plot twists. It wasn't the same storyline you find in SO many thrillers (Did someone cheat? Did the husband/wife do it? Did someone fake their own demise?), which was refreshing. The character of Nina was well-written and we were able to get a solid peek into her background, her marriage with Scott, and her reasons for all of the questionable decisions she made. I do believe that Downes needs more space to flesh out her relationships between the characters; the attraction between Emily and Scott felt a bit forced or sudden, and Emily occasionally felt flat or a bit too one-dimensional...but I definitely feel like Downes' character development will only grow in her future novels.

Both Scott and Nina were excellent examples of tragic characters with vastly different flaws and coping mechanisms. Downes did a good job showing us the many facets of mental illness, depression, anxiety, and grief...and the decisions the characters made reflect reality for a lot of people who have faced, or are facing, tragedy and loss.

For more sensitive readers, the book does contain scenes depicting self-harm, kidnapping, suicide/suicide attempts, natural infant death, and what could possibly qualify as Munchausen's-by-proxy.

What an incredible debut from Anna Downes. This was the perfect, juicy summer thriller - an idyllic setting and spine-tingling suspense. I didn't move from my seat for several hours because I just could not put this book down as my heart was literally thumping in the final chapters, not sure how it was going to end.

Emily is having a rough go of it - she's lost her job, her acting agent, and her apartment in a matter of days. She isn't sure where to turn when the CEO of her former company saves her from a near traffic accident. Scott has a major problem - he's worried about his wife, Nina, and thinks Emily might be the perfect solution. So Scott offers her the incredible opportunity to become the housekeeper/personal assistant for his wife and daughter at their private seaside French estate, Querencia. Emily can't believe her luck - a summer spent poolside with Nina and little Aurelia, soaking in French wine and French sun, no longer having to worry about money. But when Emily uncovers what Scott and Nina have been hiding behind the walls of Querencia, she begins to fear she won't make it back out the front gates.

Downes had me absolutely hooked from the beginning. The book is a thriller - you know something is coming, but I loved that I couldn't guess what it was. The suspense built to a shocking discovery and I was completely along for the ride, in the dark with Emily then equally surprised and made uneasy by the turn of events. The one thing that didn't feel quite right to me about the book was Emily's relationship with her parents - I didn't really see the contentious relationship she claimed to have with them and found it a bit difficult to think someone would take off to a new job in another country without telling anyone at all where she was going. But despite this one note, The Safe Place is an absolute page-turner that had me flying through the final chapters, desperate to see how it would end. This is the perfect summer read to completely engross you and leave you guessing every step of the way. Thank you to Minotaur Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emily is a mess. She's lost her acting career, lost her temp office job and is being evicted. Along comes her former boss with a job offer as a housekeeper in France. Emily is awed by the riches and beauty of the two houses. She thinks she has it made with the new job. But not all is as it seems of course. I wish it had explained Emily's childhood past. The book gave lots of hints to what happened but never explained it fully.
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

Brief synopsis from the book cover:
Emily is a mess.

Emily Proudman just lost her acting agent, her job, and her apartment in one miserable day.

Emily is desperate.

Scott Denny, a successful and charismatic CEO, has a problem that neither his business acumen nor vast wealth can fix, until he meets Emily.

Emily is perfect.

Scott offers Emily a summer job as a housekeeper on his remote, beautiful French estate. Enchanted by his lovely wife Nina, and his eccentric young daughter, Aurelia, Emily falls headlong into this oasis of wine-soaked days by the pool. But soon Emily realizes that Scott and Nina are hiding dangerous secrets, and if she doesn't play along, the consequences could be deadly.

My rating:

Plot: 3 out of 5 stars
Writing: 3 out of 5 stars
Character development: 3 out of 5 stars
Overall: 3 out of 5 stars

Recommended for readers of:

Mystery and Suspense

Review:

The plot of the book was interesting and gripping with a nice mixture of mystery and suspense. The start of the book was very good and I enjoyed it very much but towards the end the story kind of lost its momentum. The conclusion of the book was a bit disappointing, it created more questions then there were answers. The characters were described with enough detail for their actions to feel natural. The writing was good the plot flowed well enough. Despite being a bit disappointed with the execution of the ending of the book. I liked most of the book and I would still be interested in reading future books by this author to compare.

Overall this is an interesting story, with realistic characters and good writing. If you enjoy mystery and suspense you may want to give this book a go.


Review copy provided by NetGalley at no cost to me

I received this book as an ARC. The author is new to me. It had an interesting storyline but a little far fetched. I gave it 3 stars because I did enjoy it. It was a quick and easy read. I would read another book by this author if given the opportunity.

This story has a number of good traits. The main character, Emily, is relatable, quirky young lady trying to figure out who she is, what she wants and how she can make a go of it when her dream of being an actress fails to manifest. Her path leads her to a seemingly great opportunity working for a rich family at a remote compound in France. It seems like a dream come true, but everything is not as it seems. Emily will need to open her eyes to understand the truth about herself and this family. A solid psychological story. I think the author shows great promise, but there are elements that aren’t complete. I suppose I should imagine what I believe is going on and just go with it as not everything is spelled out and not every character is handed to you on a platter. I look forward to the author’s next work.

Emily is a mess ~ lost her job
Emily is desperate ~ accepts a summer job as a housekeeper at a beautiful French estate.

Aww this was an interesting read. I didn’t like Emily or Scott but I love author, Anna Downes..
Her Author’s Notes were great! I always like reading the author’s notes as we get the inside scoop into what inspired the author to write their story.
In her “Author’s Notes” she starts off with worrying if she got this novel right. Her close friend said …”Your book will never be perfect…. until it finds its readers”.
I just love that! We readers all have different tastes. This was a 3 star for me but I know there are readers who will love this. Additionally, I loved knowing about her situation as well as getting started with writing.

I honestly cannot wait for Anna Downes next novel.

Want to thank NetGalley and Affirm Press for this early release granted to me in exchange for an honest professional review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 30, 2020

Thanks Netgalley and Affirm Press for an ARC...very much appreciated.
Now to the book...everything is going wrong in Emily's life until she is approached with a too good to be true offer. All she needs to do is live on a secluded French villa cutoff from every day life. Anna Downes creates a magical oasis but all that glitters is not gold. On the surface Emily 's boss Nina , along with her daughter Aurelia are wonderful The author had me totally invested in finding out what lurks beneath the surface. Loved how everything climaxed into a terrific conclusion.

Emily has lost direction in her life and when the boss at her temp job notices, he has her fired and then offers her a job as a housekeeper at his French home where his wife and child live.

As you do. Storyline unlikely, dialogue very naive and stilted, this was a strange read. Fortunately as the story moves, it gets quite tense and starts to surge along to its conclusion, where our heroine does some more quite unlikely things and it ends with her back in the bosom of her parents, having had some flashbacks.

Nice idea, not quite executed. British writers are also terrible at Aussie vernacular. What a sheila 🙄

Emily Proudman's life is a disaster: her acting career has failed, she just lost her job, and she's being evicted from her dumpy little apartment.

And out of the blue, her very rich and very handsome ex-boss offers her the opportunity of a lifetime as live-in help working for his family on their French coastal property. Emily jumps at the chance, but soon discovers that things are desperately wrong at the estate and she may never get home to London even again.

Well, where to start. I enjoyed this book, though it didn't turn out exactly how I was expecting. This isn't a mystery/thriller in the sense that I was hoping for, just a family drama with characters in desperate need of mental illness treatment. And while I guessed the direction of the "twist" quicker than I usually do, I really liked the plot/premise.

But I had a difficult time connecting to Emily as a main character. I suppose I'm supposed to feel sorry for her, but she spends enough time doing that for herself. I mean, you have this pampered girl who does nothing but treat her adoptive parents like they're horrible abusers when they're anything but and her redemption isn't enough for me to forgive.

Nina's POV seemed weird as is written, but it might flow a little better when seen in the final draft, and I just didn't understand Scott at all. Geez guy, grow a backbone. There's really not enough of his and Nina's backstory to give me any sense of his attachment to her and why'd he'd go along with her crazy plan.

That being said, you don't have to like characters to make a good book and this one worked enough for me. It keep me reading fairly quickly and I'd be happy to check out other books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Affirm Press for this review copy.

This book was kind of middle of the road in regards to a rating. I liked the first third of the book then it seemed to slow down for me in the middle to then speed back up at the end. Unlike other readers, I didn't discover the twist/mystery until it was spelled out for me. I was so immersed in the characters and story that I wasn't even trying to decipher what was going on, but let the story guide me. I thought the book was very well written and overall an enjoyable read. I would read more from this author.

3.5 Stars

***Thanks to the publisher and Net galley for allowing me to read this early edition.

While the beginning of The Safe Place was a little slow, it soon picked up and I was really enjoying it. The way that Scott manipulated events to ensure that Emily would accept his job offer was nefariously impressive. Emily’s time in France was well-developed and the plot had several unusual elements that made the story different from many of today’s thrillers. The book’s resolution was a letdown, because it left too much unresolved about Emily, leaving me feeling as if I had missed some important information that I was supposed to have picked up along the way. Those who don’t mind unanswered questions in their thrillers will likely enjoy the book.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Found this book a little hard to get in to..the story line though was good but it didn't capture me the way some books do.

It was an ok book and did leave you guessing quite a bit

Thank you for my ARC from netgalley. This book kept my interest from page one, which doesn't happen too often lately. I kept changing my mind as to how the plot line would evolve. I did appreciate the twists in the story. Overall this was a good book to get lost in.

I found this book very slow paced and after reading halfway; decided not to finish it.
The author had done a great job with the research of the characters and how they placed out in the book; I just couldn’t get to the hub of the story