Safe With You is set on a council estate in London. I had to research what this means and it's essentially a neighborhood that was planned and built at the same time. We don't seem to have anything similar here in the states, here I think we would just call it our neighborhood. Based on books I've read based in the UK these estates seem to be communities where people live, work, look out for their neighbors, and do lots of gossiping. Kath is an elderly woman who has lived in her flat or apartment for 40 some odd years. In the time that she's lived there the neighborhood's gone downhill, now there's lots of crime and little children who appear to be neglected by their parents. Some of this crime is being committed by said children and teenagers. Kath has new neighbors, a mother and daughter, and having noticed that the mother is away often has been keeping an eye out for the little girl. One day the little girl, Mina, doesn't give Kath their agreed upon signal, three knocks on a shared wall. When the signal doesn't come the next day Kath decides to go out looking for her, and so begins the search for Mina.

This neighborhood has several shady characters, at the cafe there's a young man who after an incident in college has been labeled some unsavory things. Den seems nice, but also seems very nervous at times. His father, Tony, has been disappearing at odd hours, also very suspicious. There's a construction worker that comes in and out of the cafe, that may or may not have been seen talking to Mina, who is also acting very suspiciously coming in and out of his work site on days off. Some of the teenagers have also been seen bullying and following Mina on different days, they're known to be violent with each other, would they be violent with Mina? Then there's Mina's mother, Sandy. Sandy isn't the best mom, she's trying her best though. She has to work a lot to make ends meet, she's also very young and a little selfish, but as we read we find out she's really not a bad mom, just not a great mom, but did she have something to do with Mina's disappearance? Kath inserts her busy body into every possible conversation and starts to help the police and even the community in their search for Mina. She seems off herself but she's an old lady, maybe that can explain her confused state and wandering mind.

Chapters alternate between Kath, Den and Sandy in the four days after Mina's disappearance. All are desperate to find her for different reasons and we find out different details of the situation from each pov.

I really enjoyed the author's writing, the characters were fairly easy to like, even the ones that we weren't supposed to like. I would definitely read more of this author's work, and would recommend it to my reading buddies who enjoy a good, fast paced mystery.

A huge thanks to the author RM Ward, the publisher HQ, and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC for my review purposes. This did not influence my review in any way.

Eleven-year-old Mina Dimitriou and her elderly neighbour Kath Cartwright are friends who look out for each other. Living side-by-side on the tough Nelson Flats estate, Mina is a child often left to her own devices who knocks on the wall to let Kath know when she’s back from school, and Kath responds in kind. This practised ritual provides security for both females, but one day, the wall remains silent. Did Mina ever come home? How will her careworn, hardworking mother Sandy react? And does fellow Nelson Flats resident Den play a role in Mina’s disappearance? Constructed in alternating points of view, the different sections told from the perspectives of Kath, Den and Sandy combine to create an overall picture of human ingenuity and goodness against the toughest of backgrounds that is even more interesting to explore than following the police operation that threads way through the pages. Highly recommended, this is a novel that deserves lots of new readers. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for the free ARC that I received that allowed me to read this novel and to produce an honest, unbiased review.

Mina Dimitriou, 11yo, always gives three knocks to her elderly next-door neighbour, Kath Cartwright when she gets home from school at 3.40 pm. Kath gives three knocks back until one day Kath doesn’t hear from Mina. Mina's mum, Sandy works, doing a bit of everything to make money. The school that Mina attends reports her missing to Sandy and the police are called in. Well-plotted and engaging.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from HQ Digital via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

A slow start with this book but then it speeds up to be a story well worth reading.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC

Although enjoyable it wasn’t one of the best books I’ve read it lacked tension I skipped a lot of pages as found it monotonous it’s definitely not a thriller. After reading all the fantastic reviews I feel I read the wrong book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC

She should have been safe.
But she never came home.
Kath has lived on the same London estate for decades. Lately she’s become friendly with the little girl next door, who is often left alone for hours at a time while her mum is at work.
They have a system. When Mina gets home from school to the empty flat, she knocks on the wall three times. Knock, knock, knock. I’m home safe and sound.
But one day Mina’s knock doesn’t come. Kath raises the alarm and the police begin the search. Kath was the only person looking out for Mina - now she might be the only one who can bring her home.

This is a thrilling 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 found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
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.

Safe with you by R. M. Ward.
They have a system. When Mina gets home from school to the empty flat, she knocks on the wall three times. Knock, knock, knock. I’m home safe and sound.But one day Mina’s knock doesn’t come. Kath raises the alarm and the police begin the search. Kath was the only person looking out for Mina – now she might be the only one who can bring her home
A really intriguing read. Lots of twists and turns. 5*.

An unsettling thriller about a child gone missing. I had a feeling from the getgo that one of the characters was not what they seemed and the reveal at the end still shocked me! The red herrings were fantastic and well done.

I quite enjoyed this book. It did drag on a bit up until the last few chapters with it all coming together. Good if you are into a slow burning mystery. .Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was good. It was a quick read that kept me involved. Recommend it for anyone who likes thrillers.

A. very quick read but for me not the high scorer a lot of reviewers seem to be giving it. I understand the concept of having a few characters likely to ultimately be the guilty party but it was a ploy much overused.
Nevertheless it was a book that I just had to finish.

Kath is worried about little Nina next door, she’s gone missing. Who is to blame? Her feckless mother Sandy? sad Den in the cafe or his suspicious father? The yobs who hang around the estate. Kath is 85 but determined to find out

Safe With You was a great read. It is about a young girl, Mina, who goes missing and her neighbour Kath who first raises the alarm. It is fast paced, twisty and quite unpredictable. I could not put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for my ARC.

This was an interesting psychological thriller that kept me guessing to the end! Told in multiple POV’s, there were quite a few characters that presented many red herrings but it was never confusing as to who was who. The author successfully portrayed the dreary reality of living in the estate. I would have liked a bit more explanation as to the whys and hows of the disappearance, but overall, a really good book.

Well I didn’t see that coming!

Kath is an elderly woman residing in London who has become friendly with the young girl living next door to her. Every day after school, Mina comes home to her empty flat and knocks three times on the wall adjacent to Kath’s; Kath does the same in return. It’s become a bit if a routine for the two of them, until one day Kath doesn’t hear her knock. Worried that something might have happened her, she notifies the authorities. When Mina’s mother returns home after being gone the entire night, she is given the devastating news that her daughter never returned home from school. Soon the entire estate is rallying to find Mina, while also turning against a local young man they suspect of causing her disappearance. As more times passes, there is only one question on everyone’s mind…where is Mina?

This was a really suspenseful read with wonderfully developed characters. I thought Kath was fantastic, but in the beginning, I had a hard time getting a good read on her. She seemed like a bit of a recluse or maybe a little introverted, yet when it came to helping others, she had no problem stepping up to the plate. In fact, she had a way of bringing others together and making them feel more at ease in troubling situations. Now the end of this story…I was completely caught by surprise! I don’t know how I didn’t see it coming, but looking back it makes so much more sense. Well played Ms. Ward!

*Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Kath Cartright is an elderly lady who has lived in a group of flats as part of an estate for many years. The area used to be very safe but now there is a lot of petty crime. Therefore, it is necessary for Kath to always keep her doors locked and chained.

Next door to her are Sandy, a single Mom, and daughter Mina, age 11. Sandy works a lot of hours and is sometimes gone overnight. Mina lets herself into the flat after school. Kath feels sorry for the child and they now have a system where Mina knocks on the wall when she gets home to let Kath know she is home and safe. This is their secret.

On day, Mina does not knock and when Kath asks about her, it appears she did not come home. A search does not turn up anything. But fingers point to Den, whose family owns and runs a cafe. When Den was in college, he has become somewhat obsessed with a young woman and there was a scandal that ended up with Den working in the family’s cafe. Now, some people think he is a pervert and think he may have done something with Mina.

As the police get involved and we see other questionable characters in the neighborhood, we wonder if someone else could be responsible for Mina’s disappearance.

The story builds well and the descriptions of the rather sad life of living on a estate are written very well. I have read stories of life on an estate but this one really shows what a dreary dead end it can be. I was shocked by the perpetrator and did not expect it at all. Do read this book and see if you can figure out who it is.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Safe with You by R.M. Ward

Mina has gone missing. She is only eleven, but she didn’t come home from school on Wednesday. Her neighbor, Kath, and her have a routine where she knocks on her wall when she gets home and Kath knocks back.

Where is Mina? Who knows something they aren’t telling? In a town full of suspects it is hard to know who to trust. All that is certain is that Mina is gone and she needs to be found fast.

This is a debut novel for R.M. Ward and I thought it was great. It is a quick read, but the story is well-paced and sets the tone for the urgency of a missing child case. There are various viewpoints in the story which helps showcase that how someone may be acting, may not be how others are perceiving them. For a debut, I was impressed and will keep an eye out for future work from this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kath has lived on the same estate for years, she mostly keeps to herself and the only interaction she has is with the little girl next door who knocks three times on the wall to let her know she's home safe. One afternoon tho those knocks don't come and Kath becomes increasingly worried as to what has happened to the little girl Mina.
Such a good read it was fast paced and kept me glued throughout. I felt very suspicious of all the characters and each one had secrets they where keeping. There was a real sense of loneliness within each character too.
The only thing for me that let it down was the ending could of had more of an explanation I just wanted to know more of the how they did it in more detail.
Overall great read and will be looking out for the next one from this author.
Thanks to #netgalley for this ARC.

maybe i needed some time before i reviewed this book because WOW...talk about a good book ..this story is definitely a 5 star for me .Much appreciation to the author and her team .

Location:- Nelson House flats, sadly now very run down.
11-year-old Mina Dimitriou gives three knocks to elderly next door neighbour Kath when she gets home from school who always gives three knocks back until one day Kath doesn’t hear from Mina. The following day Kath tells of her concerns to cafe owner Den who has concerns of his own about loner Mina and he is full of unease. Sandy, Mina’s mum is often absent sometimes because she has to work but she is now full of panic and worry for the whereabouts of her daughter now missing for a number of hours. What occurs over the next four days is told via these three characters.

The alternating points of view work really well as you get a different snapshot of events in and around Mina’s disappearance and they provide an intriguing contrast to each other. It makes your suspicion antenna twitch in several directions often led by the swift to judge inhabitants in and around Nelson House.

It’s a glide through gripping read with a believable plot and very good characterisation. Kath is the standout character and the lynchpin that pulls the story together. She is kind, caring and brave and is prepared to take a stand against the more unpleasant characters on the estate. Young Den has his own problems and these are well conveyed and make you feel some sympathy. You judge Sandy initially but learn that despite her mistakes she’s doing her best.

I like the pace of the novel which rises and falls in keeping with each of the characters. There’s plenty of tension fuelled by many rumours, partial truths and some suspicious strange behaviour. There are several plot twists and turns as it reaches a dramatic conclusion though I do guess the outcome it still somehow manages to surprise!!

Overall, a good, well written psychological thriller which I really enjoy.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HQ for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.