This is sure to be one of the thrillers of the summer. It took me a while to truly get into it, but once I did the pages seemed to turn themselves. The novel premise is one you’ve encountered before: a little girl is abducted, escapes her captors years later, and returns to her shell shocked family. But trust me, S.K. Barnett infuses that familiar plot with a number of twists and jolts to give it a new feel. I’ll be looking for more from him.

I loved this twisted story. I loved the short chapters and read this in a day because of it. I also loved how I thought I had this figured out but then, I WAS WRONG! Thanks so much Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

S K Barnett is a pseudonym for the American author James Siegel, who is best known for the book Derailed. Derailed was made into a movie starring Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston. This new book is a domestic thriller. Six year old Jenny disappeared while walking to a friend's house and now 12 years later someone has walked into a police station claiming to be her. As readers we know she is not Jenny, but rather Jobeth who has her own horrible story to tell. The mystery is why are the parents willing to overlook the mistakes Jobeth is making in her attempt to be 'Jenny', how did Ben (the older brother) immediately know she was an imposter and who has warned her that she is not safe. While the premise has been seen before (The TV show 'The Family' for instance) there is enough new twists and turns to make this a fun read and I found the main character very likable. This is a great recommendation for fans of the genre

What are the things that make you feel safe? 2020 has been a year of fear and uncertainty for many, and the idea of safety seems to be one worth exploring. COVID-19 has become an all-encompassing subject, one that promotes much debate, unpredictability, and even fear. I'll admit that my own anxiety levels have increased this week as the number of cases has rapidly risen in my own state. Safety has become a paramount priority for me and my family. The ability to transition to working from home again after a month of being back at work certainly plays into my sense of security. However small it may seem, wearing my mask when I venture out into public also makes me feel safe. Beyond COVID-19, I find safety in the routine things like cooking dinner, playing with my dog, and falling into the story of a really good book. It seems no coincidence that this week's read is appropriately titled Safe by S.K Barnett. I was gifted a copy of the book from the publisher and was eager to dig into this intriguing thriller.

It has been nearly twelve years since little Jenny Kristal disappeared. The six-year-old was walking from her family home to a sleepover at a friend's house when she was snatched from the streets, never to be seen again. Her parents immediately began the search for their daughter while struggling to hold things together for the sake of their son, Jenny's younger brother Ben. But twelve years is a long time. Even the most optimistic person would have a hard time believing Jenny would ever return home. Parents Laurie and Jake are starting to run out of hope. At a certain point, it may be best to simply move on.

Things change when a woman claiming to be Jenny is found by the police. She seems to fit the description of the missing child. She has the same blonde hair, same age, same dimples when she smiles, and she can even recall details from her life before the abduction. The woman tells a story of escaping from her abusive captors and making her way back home to safety. Laurie and Jake are quick to accept that their daughter has returned. Ben is a bit more skeptical. Years of being apart have been hard, but the return of Jenny means the family is finally all back together. Jenny is finally safe. Or is she?

In Safe author S.K. Barnett brings a different take on a classic missing person mystery. Rather than focusing on the time of looking for the kidnapped child, Barnett picks up the story when the family is reunited. The novel digs deep into what comes after the happily ever after, revealing that the resolution of the years-long case is hardly the end of the story. The joyful reunion between parent and child soon gives way to drama, paranoia, and fear. Barnett deftly writes compelling character development while still filling the book with the twists and turns that make it a truly page-turning thriller. The revelations about each character intertwine with the driving plot, propelling the novel forward at a rapid pace. Flashbacks are interspersed with the present-day story, providing ample context about the events that lead up to the story without giving away any of the shocks that follow. As COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on the world, I'm happy to fall into the comfort of a good book like Safe by S.K. Barnett.

My Review:

Wow, wow, wow, what a great debut novel from this author. This book had me hooked from the very first line. I’m so happy that I decided to read this one.

This book was about a young girl that was kidnapped and then returned out of the blue many years later. Can they trust this is the same girl kidnapped? What has happened to her all this time? Will the family accept her with open arms? Are there dark and sinister secrets that are going to reveal themselves by the end? You find this out and so much more by the end of the book?

I want to start off by saying that I really enjoyed this book. The characters were very sinister and you did not know what to think of them until the very end. I wasn’t able to trust any one of them as in the end they were all hiding some sort of secret that finally came out. That’s what made this a great book. There were so many twists and turns you didn’t know which way the book was going. What I thought was happening was not really happening. It was such a roller coaster ride for me. The only negative of this book is it did go off in different directions at times and you are like what is going on. All those parts could’ve been cut out but it really didn’t take away from the book as a whole.

Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I'd been seeing some really intriguing and great reviews all over and I knew I just had to read this book.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers they provided me with a digital ARC.

The author has done such a fabulous job. I was hooked and how. Fully immersed in this crazy story that I had to remember to breathe!! Loved it.

Jenny Kristal was six years old when she was snatched off the sidewalk from her quiet suburban neighborhood. Twelve years later, she's miraculously returned home after escaping her kidnappers—but as her parents and younger brother welcome her back, the questions begin to mount. Where has she been all these years? Why is she back now? And is home really the safest place for her . . . or for any of them?

I don't want to give any spoilers or any heads up to what happens and how the story plays out. Trust me when I say you need to read this yourself... It is completely engaging, riveting and completely unputdownable!! This is one page turning, binge worthy book that you will not put down with all the twists and turns in it.

Definitely recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One of my favorite things to read about are missing people who disappear without a trace. I was so excited for this book, but it ended up falling short for me. I felt like it started off slow for me and didn’t pick up until about 1/2 way through. The ending felt very rushed and I wanted more from it. I loved the premise though. I’m definitely in the minority though, so give this one a try!
3/5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Jenny Kristal was 6 years old when she disappeared walking to a friend's house. 12 years later she miraculously appears! So many questions follow! Is it really Jenny? Where has she been for 12 years? What happened during the 12 years? The answers to these questions and more make this a fantastic book! This book has so many twists and turns and I gasped out loud several times while reading. The story kept me on my toes and had been reading so quickly to find out just what was going on! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

An ARC of this novel was sent to me by NetGalley for reviewing purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is insane! There's so much twists and turns and it was amazing.

Safe was a dark and twisty thriller that left my jaw dropped! The ending completely shocked me, I never saw it coming!⁣
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12 years ago Jenny was kidnapped as she walked to her friends house. Now she’s back! But is she....?⁣
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This was so twisted and fabulous! There were so many unique twists thrown in that were completely shocking. I truly never saw any of them coming! Make no mistake, this is dark and disturbing. I was horrified by many events and trigger warnings abound! But the writing is incredibly well done and the plot slowly unravels, revealing so many shocking things that my mind couldn’t keep up. This was a unique and interesting thriller that left me whispering WTF multiple times. The ending completely flipped the script and had me going back to re-read it. 4⭐️. My thanks to @duttonbooks for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Holy cow! What a book! This is a book that all fans of this genre need to get today and clear your schedule, because trust me, once you start you will not stop! Well written, unputdownable, shocking, thrilling, chilling is ways to describe this indescribable book! It is very original in its entirety and will definitely chill you, thrill you, and shock the heck out of you! Don’t delay, grab today! I promise this is not to be missed, completely captivating! Cannot wait for more by this author! Hurry, hurry, write another book, I’m a fan!
Will buzz it up and use low Amazon reviewer number to review!

This was an entertaining, twisty, very DARK thriller that definitely did NOT go in the direction I thought it would. I will say that the writing was a bit confusing at times, there are flashbacks randomly interspersed during the narration, but overall it was a fun ride

Whoa... now that is what your call a thriller. Safe by S.K. Barnett is an unforgettable dark and twisty thriller. The start of the book makes you think it’s another child kidnapping story - but it’s far from that. There are many unexpected turns with this book and the plot is thoroughly entertaining. Definitely recommend!

I loved this book so much. I have been impatiently waiting for this book to come out. This is the first time I have read anything by S. K. Barnett but I will be adding more to my tbr list.

This was a very dark read that is still with me. I had to wait a couple of days to even write this, which sounds like the beginning of a bad review but it's not. This was an emotional read with interesting characters and lots of twists that I didn't see coming. The character development and pace were excellent and the tone of the book had me glued to the pages.

As a suspense book, it had everything you want including twists that the reader knows that the other characters don't, which is the best way to cringe through the dialogue and actions. Be warned that there are many terrible things that happen to young children in this book but the mystery will take you on a wild ride. This book went quickly so you could definitely get it in during one weekend which makes it great for a trip or poolside this summer.

This is a slow burn read. Which is not a bad thing but when you mix it with the fact that I really did not care for the characters; it makes reading this book a bit difficult. So, what kept me reading this book you ask? It was the storyline. I was intrigued to learn the mystery surrounding Jenny.

What exactly happened to Jenny years ago and why are things not adding up now? What are her parents and brother hiding? I was very intrigued to figure out what this mystery was. Although, it was apparent that part of it was not a surprise. It was early on that readers discovered Jenny's truth. However, this I learned was a cover up to throw the reader off the course to the big reveal towards the end of the story. Which I did not see coming. Overall, this was a fairly good book that is worth giving a look at.

I have seen this book raved about all over Instagram leading up to pub day. I'm not one to gravitate towards a book where a child has been kidnapped, but this one is different because she comes back. So I requested this through NetGalley and thankfully they, along with Dutton Books approved.

Jenny disappeared when she was 6 years old. She was walking down the street to her friends house to play when she was taken. Her mom and dad did everything they could to find her, but nothing came of it. Fast forward a decade, and Jenny is back. Right off the bat I had my suspicions on who she was, who she really was. I wanted her to be Jenny so bad. I wanted a happy ending, but you know when a child disappears and comes back towards the beginning of the book, this story is more about than the child.

I was on my edge the entire time with this one never really knowing what to believe. Twist after twist is thrown your way while trying to figure out what is happening. When we get glimpses into what Jenny's childhood was like being raised by "Father" and "Mother," you're like it's her! However when Jenny talks to an old friend, we find out she was no angel child before she went missing. So why is she so different now?

There are many disturbing parts in this book, but what takes the cake is at the very end. Just throw in that twist right there, one that you could have never predicted. If you did, my hats off to you! What the heck?!! I'm still thinking about it, which makes this a very good, but disturbing read.

This one is available now. Thank you NetGalley and Dutton for sending this one my way.

Lots of terrible things happened in this book and there are a lot of questions. Just when I thought I had things figured out, something else would happen to make me question my thoughts. I suspected quite a few of the things that were eventually revealed but wasn't absolutely sure until the end. I thought the writing was good and the characters were believable. The pacing of the book is good as it leads the reader slowly to the conclusion.

I featured this title in a round-up and will provide details directly to the publisher in the next round of this review process.

This was a dark and twisty read. Twelve years ago, six year old Jenny was kidnapped walking to a friends house. Today she has returned. Safe and sound, but questions abound, where was she? Who took her? While she remembers some things others are forgotten. As the days go by something is not right. Is Jenny in danger again, or this time will the story end differently?