Thank you for the opportunity to preview The Safe House.
Esther is home bound. She hasn’t left her house in over 15 years. She lives with her mom and life goes on.
While her mother is out of the house, Esther answers the door to a stranger. She knows the rules and she knows strangers mean trouble but Esther let’s him in and her life as she knows it is done.
And her new life is not going to be any thing she expected and worse…
3 stars

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC copy.

For 16 years Esther hasn't been outside. Her house keeps her safe, or so her mother tells her, from the outside world and all the dangers it brings. The air that will make her ill and the people that can't be trusted. Esther feels safe and secure and has no reason not to trust her mother, but does she?

When a strange man turns up, while mother is out doing the yearly shop, Esther should be afraid. But he knows Esther's name and why they are living they as well as details of her father. Why is he here and why hasn't mother mentioned anything of this before. Has mother been protecting her or keeping her prisoner?

Parts of this book I really liked but parts were a bit strange and farfetched in my opinion. From being locked up and scared of the outside world for 16 years but the same day as leaving at a festival just didn't sit right. All in all, was an enjoyable and thought provoking read.

The Safe House felt a bit like a hybrid - part character study, part thriller. I found the first three quarters of the book to be in interesting study in what leads people to act in extreme, illogical ways as a result of their love for someone, even if those actions end up harming the very person they love. However, the last three quarters change focus - picking up the pace and becoming a fast pace thriller. I loved the little bits of levity added by Esther's friend Mr. Wiffles. I did find the twists at the end of the novel to be a bit far stretched and I would have loved a chapter set a few years into the future as I felt invested in Esther's future, particularly after the events that unfolded in the last section of the novel.

I loved the idea, the character development and setting of this book and the first half was brilliant! However, into the second half of the book I had to suspend belief a little bit. There was quite a lot left unexplained and for me, I like some closure in a standalone book.

Esther steps outside for the first time in 16 years and realises danger comes in many forms. Enjoyable read that kept me guessing to the end.

Gripping and utterly compelling. I Devoured it in a single evening. Impossible to put it down. Can't wait to read more from the author

So that was it? So unsatisfying! Where is the shocking twist? I was scammed by the plot.

Thanks to Netgalley! Hoping for a better read next time!

I was keen to read this book having enjoyed "Sleepless" and the blurb sounded interesting.
It kept me hooked, even if it was a bit slow to start.
I liked Esther from the outset, but not Hannah, and that didn't change as the story progressed, even as a mother trying to protect her child she took things to the absolute extreme.
I was sad for Esther with how things ended up, even though it was hinted at, I wanted a happier ending for her.
My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for my eARC in return for my honest review.

What's 'Out There'?

I found this a really quite strange read in all honesty because while I couldn't put it down, the plot felt kind of lacking, in what I'm not sure.

Hannah is a mother facing some serious demons. To keep her only child Esther safe she keeps them locked in an underground bunker, bringing Esther up to believe that if she goes 'Out There' she will die.

For 16 long years Esther has only every spoken to her mother, until the day a stranger stands on the other side of their door and speaks her name. He explains that the life she has been living has all been lies and 'Out There isn't as dangerous and shes been led to believe.

Venturing outside for the first time, what she finds is disturbing.

I'm not a big fan of storytelling from the 3rd person because that's exactly what it feels like.. a storytelling. I much prefer to read the POV from the first person so I did struggle a bit with that. I'd rather be inside that persons head and read what they are feeling and witnessing.

It's quite slow paced, especially the beginning but it does speed up more as the story goes on and the last 20% is absolutely brilliant, I didn't want to put it down then.

Basically it's an ok read until the last part when its fantastic.

Thanks to netgalley and HQ for the ARC.

Esther lives off grid with her mum in a secret safe house. She can’t go outside as she believes that the air is unsafe but one day a man appears and everything that she knows is blown apart.

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller. Told from both the mum and daughters perspective of now and before it was very twisty and left me wanting more and more. I also could sympathise with both characters a bit - a mother trying to protect her child and a daughter who is realising that everything she believes in is a lie. It was a great perspective for how a person from the outside would see the world. It had a very twisty end and was very fast paced, I’d like to read more by this author.

A beautifully written book. Really enjoyed reading this. Thanks to publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read.

This was an excellent book! I had a hard time putting it down. The author really did her homework on this subject, I found it totally believable.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and mostly the author for the chance to read this advanced copy.

‘She said the house would keep you safe... She lied.’

Ahhh guys. I’m gutted about this one & I hate to be a downer but it just wasn’t for me. I love stories that revolve around abduction & captivity (yes, I’m THAT gal) but unfortunately this lacked realism & tension for me.

As a thriller, this feels very low stakes & the writing style, for me, felt like it was written for a younger audience. I didn’t like the romance elements & found Esther’s ability to acclimatise to new surroundings to be quite ridiculous. She’s lived in a bunker her entire life but on her first day in the wild she hits up a music festival & is off drinking in the local pub?! She even knows what a music festival IS?

I like the ideas & general themes - it gives doomsday prepper vibes, which is pretty timely given the current climate.. but ultimately I didn’t enjoy the execution & felt that the mother’s motives were inconsistent & the plot didn’t have the sinister edge I was hoping for.

The Safe House is an engrossing family drama telling of the depth of a mother’s love for her daughter and the lengths she is prepared to go to, in order to protect her. Hannah and her daughter Esther live an unusual life, secreted away from the world and it’s dangers, until someone comes calling.

It’s an emotional read and moves along at a good pace. I recommend it to everyone who enjoys a well written story.

My thanks to Netgalley, the Thor and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

4 Stars from me

I made the fatal mistake of judging a book by its cover (well, title actually) and therefore this book wasn't at all what I thought it would be about!

That, however, was a blessing as the storyline for The Safe House was a very pleasant surprise. Little Esther's mother moves heaven and earth to make the world a safe place for her daughter. Any parent can understand how easily that madness can creep in. And for a long time, it worked, and Esther believed that the house was what kept her safe.

As the story unfolded so did a quiet sense of unease. There was something so loving, so selfless, yet so utterly bonkers about the story and I found it equally sweet/sad.

Overall it is a cleverly constructed tale and will keep you reading long after bedtime as the need to find out more takes over your need to sleep.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

Fast-paced and entertaining. The Safe House is a recommended purchase for collections where thrillers are popular.

I really enjoyed this book at the beginning but half way through it lost its momentum. At times it was repetitive . The ending was a bit disappointing so that’s why I marked it a 3.

a great psychological thriller, with tones of everything everything. A bit depressing and unsettling in places. Wasn't entirely convinced I loved this one but it leavesyou thinking

2.5 star

Thank you for access to this ARC

What do you do when the only person you have, does all they can to keep you in the shadows?

I love the concept of someone removing themselves from society and the consequences of this down the line. However, there were times when I felt that this direction was missed and the focus elsewhere; perhaps a consideration as to the impact impact of mental health within society and especially upon child development. After promising a thriller, I felt like I was reading a family drama.
Overall, this was a quick and easy read with a few surprises along the way. A promising start but unfortunately it missed the mark.