3.25/5 stars! This first installment of the 'Detective Rebecca Ellis' series caught my eye. It seemed like an interesting take. I don't find enough thrillers with fire as a mode of murder so I was intrigued. The book started off as really interesting take and I was pulled in by the storyline. However, about 40% in, I lost interest. It felt like there was nothing new or exciting until the last third of the book. This could be an early speedbump for the series, but I would absolutely read the next book in the series to see if the pacing problem has worked itself out.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Complex and enjoyable police procedural that keeps the reader guessing. Detective Rebecca Ellis has a new partner and a difficult case to splve. A good read.

this book managed to confuse me but in a good way and i enjoyed this a lot.

i appreciate that the one chapter provided insights on what actually happened that night. you know, to scratch my itch a little because i was dying from being pulled into different places by the storyline and trying to piece everything together myself. could it be A, could it be B, or is it one huge web of everything-ness. i swear this was my thought process throughout the book.

we do see the murderer in the later chapter and i’m glad it’s not the conventional here’s the murderer, everything is mentioned in the background and then the end. the author brings us through the figuring out, the planning for raid, the stand-off and the aftermath of all criminals caught while investigating this case.

i liked that the author also included the reason Euan joined the Bangor police force from Boston. like everyone and every story are accounted for, you know?

i need the second book and the rest of the series so i can know what happens to the rebecca and how her almost non-existence love life pans out.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing…
Detective Rebecca Ellis has some big shoes to fill. Her father was the legendary detective, Hank Ellis, now retired from the Bangor Police Department. Emerging from his shadow hasn’t been easy.
So when she’s assigned to work with new hire, Detective Euan McCallister, Ellis is determined to keep their investigation right on track.
The explosive fire in a church parking lot looks straightforward at first. Claire Allen, a volunteer at the church, burned to death in her car. But then Ellis discovers the seatbelt had been rigged, trapping Claire in the inferno. This was no accident. It was murder.
Why was Claire at the church that night? Who would want her dead? In the race to find the truth, Ellis unearths a horrifying secret that takes the investigation into very dangerous territory.
Soon, Ellis will learn that in the search for this particular killer, there is no safe place.

Such a thrilling and gripping read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

I really enjoy police procedurals and this was no exception- especially when the MC is a strong minded female. The story flowed really well, and there were a lot of layers that kept me needing to know more.

The story was engaging and fast paced. I binged this in two settings and was constantly interested in the plot and the twists. Some of the twists I guessed- but others I did not see coming at all.

I highly recommend this book to fans of Karin Slaughter. I will absolutely be reading more from this author and more from this series when they are released.

Two crimes- one investigation - and somehow no leads. Ellis must use her gut instinct and advice from her dad, an ex-detective, to see if she has what it takes to solve two particularly heinous crimes.

Some triggers include reference to child pornography, and typical suspense/murder investigation plot.

Big thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

No Safe Place is a new police procedural series featuring Detective Rebecca Ellis of the Bangor Police Department. She is partnered with newly hired Detective Euan McCallister, who relocated from Boston. Ellis and McAllister are tasked with investigating the death of a loved and respected church volunteer who was found burned to death in her car in the church parking lot. It is determined the car had been tampered with and the case is ruled a homicide. Their investigation reveals multiple crimes with motives of greed, envy and lust linked to the church and its members.

This book has a great cast of characters that sets this up to be an intriguing series, including the mysteries of why McAllister left Boston PD for a small-town police department, and another detective who graduated from West Point, but is working for a small-town police department. There is also family drama with Ellis who is following in her father’s footsteps – he is a highly respected, retired Bangor PD detective who misses being on the job. We are also introduced to Ellis’ half-brother who has a drug addiction and is a source of friction between Ellis and her father.

This is a fantastic start to a new series. I was hooked from page one and had a tough time putting this down. I look forward to reading more in this series.

Thank you to Net Galley, author Robin Mahle and Inkubator Books for the opportunity to review the advance copy of this book.

A captivating beginning to this new series. Detective Rebecca Ellis and her partner are called to the scene of a car on fire, with the body of a woman inside. Determining if this was an accident, they soon learn that the woman’s car had been tampered with…she was unable to escape. The woman worked at a church where the current pastor was once accused of embezzling funds. Did this have anything to do with her murder? As Becca investigates, she deals with the return of her stepbrother, an addict, who brings trouble with him. Searching for evidence of embezzlement, other files are found on the computer owned by the husband of the dead woman. This sends their case into a new, disturbing direction. As she searches for the murderer, has she become a target? Although a small department, Becca and her outstanding team work to find any connection between the murder, the possible embezzlement and the computer files. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

In this mystery thriller, a woman is killed in a church parking lot. It is up to the police, including Detective Rebecca Ellis, to figure out who murdered her. In the investigation, several details arise about the individuals in the church community.

I found this book to be extremely interesting and it held my interest throughout the entire story. There were constantly new details being introduced throughout the book and for most of the book, you found your suspicions being constantly rerouted. In the end, I guessed “who did it” before it was evident, but this was well written and worth reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A very good read and keeps you on your toes until the last page, one of my favourite books I have read this year so far

A heartstopping psychological thriller that keeps the reader guessing throughout. The characters are likeable and the twists were unpredictable. This was a great read.

No Safe Place is the first book in a new series which features Detective Rebecca Ellis. Her father is a retired detective, from the Bangor Police Department. Becca Ellis knows she has big shoes to fill but she also knows that he misses being involved so she checks in often and uses him as a sounding board.

Detective Euan McCallister has been assigned as Becca's new partner. Their first case together is a fire in a church parking. Claire Allen, the victim and a volunteer at the church, was in the car at the time of the explosion, leading to her death. But while investigating Ellis discovers the seatbelt had been tampered with, trapping Claire in the car. This changes everything.

While investigating the murder there will be twists and turns along the way until all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.

The story moves fairly quickly with several suspects and evidence along the way. I suspected early on but the story back away until it circled back again. I think this will be a fantastic series and am looking forward to reading them all.

Det Rebecca Ellis, following in her retired famous father's footsteps in the Bangor PD., has a new partner, Euan McAllister. Together, they are charged with finding the person who murdered Claire Allen, a local much respected church fundraiser, by trapping her in her car and burning it. The book just gets better and better, as you move along. Multiple suspects, parallel story lines with intersecting characters and some Ellis family angst thrown in, make this a very interesting and a real page turner.
Very good plot development and compelling character build ups.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for an advance copy of No Safe Place, the first book in Robin Mahle’s new Detective Rebecca Ellis series.

Detective Ellis and her new partner Euan McCallister are officers with the Bangor, Maine Police Department. When a beloved church volunteer is brutally murdered, an investigation of an entire community is set in motion. Feeling the pressure of following in her father’s legendary detective footsteps, she will stop at nothing to bring the offenders to justice.

The detectives are very likeable characters. While some of their backstories are gradually revealed, Mahle leaves a lot of breadcrumbs. This definitely peaked my interest about the next books in her series.

** Please note that in addition to violence and murder, there are other trigger warnings that involve child abuse and exploitation. These are disturbing events, which I wish I had known about before reading the book.

In this fast-paced police procedural, the reader is hooked from the first chapter. Mahle did a fantastic job of gripping the reader with the victim’s terrifying first person narrative.

This is a dialogue-driven novel, which makes sense for a procedural, but in this case it didn’t flow naturally. Some of the detectives’ interactions with each other and their suspects did not feel authentic. The dialogue also became repetitive. For example, after an event occurred, a character would later repeat the entire story to someone else. It felt unnecessary for the reader to have to read the same story twice.

Read this if you like…
- Playing detective
- Small town police procedurals
- Dark twists
- Dialogue-driven thrillers

I received this arc through net galley and the publishers.

Becca is folowing in her Fathers footsteps in the police and the call comes in of a woman burnt alive in her car outside a church.

We follow Becca and her partner as they come up against embezellment and other crimes once they start investigating the church but eventually we find out why the Claire was killed and why.

I hope there are more books starring Becca and her partner as I would love to know what she gets up to next.

4 stars

Great book to start 2023 off with. Im torn between 3.5 -4 stars for this book. It’s a new series so we were introduced to many characters and back stories to some. I’m sure in upcoming books more will be revealed. I love crime fiction stories like one. I enjoyed getting to know the station personal and a bit about the town. Our main character had lots of insight into what has shaped her into who she is present day. The story started strong with a car burning with a victim inside. The story unfolds as the detectives hurry to solve the murder while uncovering crimes they can not quite understand how fit into killing someone’. I found the ending a bit rushed once all pieces of the puzzle came together , I would have liked a bit more time taken in that respect. That being said I will go on to read more books in this series as they are published.

I voluntarily received a free advanced copy from NetGalley. All opinions are my own .

As an avid reader of the British police procedural genre. I wasn't sure about this book by Robin Mahle. I decided to give it ago as it was described as the first to feature Detective Rebecca Ellis.

I am pleased to say that I wasn't disappointed. I thought that the characters were cleverly developed and the book moved on at a swift pace.
I won't go into detail about the storyline for fear of spoiling the narrative. Suffice to say that there are enough twists and turns in the plot to hold the attention of the reader.

On the strength of this novel I will certainly look out for future books featuring this team of detectives.

I give my thanks to Netgalley and Inkubator Books for a copy of this book in exchange for this review.

Thank you to Inkubator Books, Robin Mahle the author & Netgalley for a free ARC of this book.

No safe place was a 4/5 stars. A quick psa the story needs a TW for child molestation, child abuse, domestic violence, drug addiction and abuse.

Aside from that, the first quarter was fairly slow. Once the story progressed and The detectives started to gain traction on their case it really pulled you in. I felt all the emotions as a reader and really enjoyed how it all played out.

If this book is the start of a new series with murder mystery and family drama, then I look forward to number 2 in due course.

The setting is Bangor Police Department, Maine and we are introduced to Detective Rebecca Ellis and her new colleague Detective Euan McCallister, Their first case involves an explosion and fire in a local church car park with the victim Claire Allen, a volunteer at the church, burned to death in her car.

Rebecca and Euan investigate and the case turns into a murder. Lots of twists and 'red herrings' which I really enjoyed, especially other crimes which come to light during the investigation.

Fast paced and excellent ending would normally have given this book 5 stars but again we had a perennial and boring abusive father storyline. Plus, Rebecca's own Dad ( a retired detective) did not add to the story at all.

Thanks to Net Galley and Inkubator Books for the chance to read and review.

This is the first book in a new series by Robin Mahle, who happens to be one of my favorite authors. Detective Rebecca Ellis, of Bangor, ME, lives in the shadow of her father, Hank, who retired after a celebrate career as a Detecti ve in the same department. She and her new partner, Euan, are assigned a strange murder case -- a woman is killed when her car explodes in the parking lot of the church where she was a committed member and volunteer. At first. the case has no obvious clues or suspects; however, as Rebecca and Euan investigate further they see there more than just a murder involved. It was an interesting read, though not my favorite of Mahle's books. Hopefully the next book will give me a chance to care about the main characters.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Inkubator Books for an advance copy of No Safe Place, the first novel to feature Detective Rebecca Ellis of the Bangor, Maine Police Department.

Becca is assigned to work with new hire Euan McCallister on the death of Claire Allen in a car fire in the local church car park. They soon realise that Claire was murdered, due to a tampered with seatbelt but why? And what was she doing at the church so late at night?

I thoroughly enjoyed No Safe Place, which is a fast moving procedural with likeable characters. It is told mostly from Ellis’s point of view with contributions from other characters as and when required.

I like a police procedural because the format appeals to me. I like the idea of a wide open suspect pool that narrows through diligence, nous and a touch of luck and I love the way forensics has developed as a strong arrow in their quiver. I also like the way ancillary crimes are discovered along the way and in this case it is not one but two serious crimes that are uncovered. Much of the novel revolves around deciding which crime led to murder. It works well and kept my attention throughout.

The novel is fairly fast moving with new discoveries in every chapter or so it seems. Ellis and McCallister cover a lot of ground in their hunt for a killer, but soon they are not just hunting a killer but other criminals as well. It muddies the waters and makes the novel more interesting, but not enough to keep the reader totally in the dark. I had a good idea of who from about half way through, but not enough detail to spoil my read.

The novel establishes Ellis’s character strongly from living in the shadow of her father, legendary detective, Hank, to the issues with her stepbrother, Carter and her backstory. I think the author belabours the Carter thing as it has no contribution to the investigation and we got the sibling rivalry the first time, but it does give the reader a warts and all picture of her. McCallister too has a backstory, but as it is not revealed in this story I assume it will be in the next. As a result he is a foil to Ellis rather than a fully developed partner.

No Safe Place is an easy read that I can recommend.