The Safe Place
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3.9 • 50 Ratings
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- £2.99
Publisher Description
NO PHONES
NO OUTSIDERS
NO ESCAPE
'An exciting and compelling new voice, Anna Downes' The Safe Place is a very accomplished debut' B.A. Paris, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Dilemma
Rated 4.5 * on NetGalley, this international bestseller is perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Lesley Kara and Ruth Ware
A BEAUTIFUL HOME MIGHT HIDE DANGEROUS SECRETS
Emily Proudman has been offered the chance of a lifetime - leave her messy London life, move to a beautiful estate in France and help her boss' wife take care of their daughter, Aurelia. It seems like the perfect opportunity to start again.
But once there, Emily soon starts to suspect that her charismatic new employers aren't telling her the whole truth. That there are even dangerous secrets hidden beneath the glamourous facade.
Rather than throwing herself headlong into this oasis of wine-soaked days by the pool, Emily can't help but ask questions. Why have the family been moved to this isolated house so far from home? Why does Aurelia refuse to speak or be touched? Why are there whispers in the night?
The only problem is, the more Emily knows, the less chance there is she will ever be able to leave . . .
PRAISE FOR THE SAFE PLACE
'Tense and atmospheric with the seemingly idyllic, yet eerie, setting. A truly gripping read'
Karen Hamilton, bestselling author of The Perfect Girlfriend
'An outstanding debut. The Safe Place is destined to be a book club favourite'
Chris Hammer, award-winning author of Scrublands
'It's such a rare thing - a claustrophobic, addictive thriller that lets you actually feel for all of the characters involved'
Gytha Lodge, bestselling author of She Lies in Wait
'Compellingly disturbing. Anna Downes is a powerful story writer who will lull you into a false sense of security - and then pounce. An author to be watched'
Jane Corry, bestselling author of My Husband's Wife
'A brilliantly atmospheric novel that keeps you equally gripped and unsettled from page one. Starkly original and with an alarmingly plausible premise, this is destined to be a bestseller'
J.P. Pomare, bestselling author of Call Me Evie
'A dark and wonderful debut that lulls you in with beautiful prose and complex, believable characters, then beats you over the head with a killer plot and a thrilling climax. Everyone will be talking about this book!'
Christian White, bestselling author of The Nowhere Child
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Almost overnight, struggling London actor Emily Proudman, the protagonist of former actor Downes's atmospheric, fitfully gripping debut, goes from being fired from the office temp job that's barely paying her bills to being hired by the same boss, no less, dashing investment firm CEO Scott Denny for a gig as housekeeper/personal assistant for his reclusive wife, Nina, and their six-year-old daughter, Aurelia, at the family's estate, Querencia, in the French countryside. At Querencia, Emily is initially bewitched by both the unimaginably lush estate and Nina, who's fiercely devoted to a child whose issues seem to go well beyond a supposed extreme sensitivity to sunlight. But as wine-soaked summer weeks pass with Nina remaining as emotionally tightly defended as the gated grounds, the girl either mute or howling during one of her tantrums, and no sign of Scott, even someone as naive as Emily suspects there's something rotten in paradise. At her peril, she starts to snoop. Though plenty of surprises await the reader, Aurelia's palpable suffering casts something of a pall over this mix of romantic escapism and gothic menace. Ruth Ware fans may want to check this one out. 200,000-copy announced first printing.
Customer Reviews
Very good read
I enjoyed this book quite a lot, the twist was unexpected the book did have me guessing what could possibly be so wrong which is what made the twist all the more interesting. One thing I was upset about was not being able to find out what had happened to the main character and how her life story had linked to the story of the girl. But all in all I did enjoy this book very much
The Safe Place
A fascinating read from the very start. I kept trying to work out the plot, but I was quite some way into the book before it became apparent and I was still intrigued as to how it would end. It keeps you gripped until the very last page. Cleverly thought out and very well written.