Superbly tense and oozing with atmosphere, Anna Downes’s debut, The Safe Place, is the perfect summer suspense, with the modern gothic feel of Ruth Ware and the morally complex family dynamics of Lisa Jewell.Welcome to paradise…will you ever be able to leave?Emily is a mess.Emily Proudman just lost her acting agent, her job, and her apartment in one miserable day.Emily is desperate.Scott Denny, … apartment in one miserable day.
Emily is desperate.
Scott Denny, a successful and charismatic CEO, has a problem that neither his business acumen nor vast wealth can fix. Until he meets Emily.
Emily is perfect.
Scott offers Emily a summer job as a housekeeper on his remote, beautiful French estate. Enchanted by his lovely wife Nina, and his eccentric young daughter, Aurelia, Emily falls headlong into this oasis of wine-soaked days by the pool. But soon Emily realizes that Scott and Nina are hiding dangerous secrets, and if she doesn’t play along, the consequences could be deadly.
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I admit I was struggling with the first few chapters as it skipped between scenarios and I couldn’t get a handle on the story. My dilemma is to rate it 3 or 4. I’ll go with 4 as I enjoyed the latter half of the book. It was all a bit odd, my imagination had bodies in the basement as the author wove this tale.
Grief and mental health created this strange story, some say predictable, but I had no idea until the clues started falling into place. The storyline was good for a debut and the characters intriguing. The cover drew me in and that the author lived in my country. I look forward to seeing what this author does next.
Good Evening, My Fellow Book Dragons! I do hope you had a lovely weekend. It was beautiful here, sunny, cool and crisp. Our leaves are starting to turn, time to get out the Autumn tea and mulled cider, hot chocolate, coffee and the warm blankets.
Our Gem this evening comes in the shape of a star and is the color sea glass. Quite beautiful to look at, to contemplate holding in the claw. To bask in it’s light reflected from the sun and firelight. But to actually hold it brings shivers to the spine, a mystery too awful to ponder. This is Gem Maker Anna Downes “The Safe Place”.
Imagine you aren’t very good at much of anything. You just can’t seem to get your life together, no matter how hard you try. Suddenly you have lost your day job, your acting agent, you have wounded your mother by missing her birthday – only to call her up on that very day and, instead of wishing her happy returns you ask to borrow more money, you are now Emily and you are very. very unhappy.
Just as suddenly, your old boss finds you and offers you a new job. A great job. THE job of a LIFETIME. A job on his hidden French Estate, with a car, room and board in a fabulous guest house (practically a mini-mansion) and pay for the summer. All you have to do is assist his wife with a little house work and help take care of their little girl. Emily jumps at it. She leaps.
Emily lands in a place so remote there is no internet, no cell tower, a janky landline and her bosses wife is getting weirder by the minute. The little girl is sicker than she was lead to believe. Emily is not eating what she thought was a cake job, Emily is smelling a rat. A huge Rat with fangs and mange. This is “The Safe Place”.
If you are looking for a book that is contemporary, but has a gothic feel and definite British Mystery air about it. This is the one. I read this far into the night. Anna has outdone herself. This was fantastic.
Remember to check back daily for Trick or Treats! Free Books from SW Frontz still available through midnight EST. See yesterday’s post. Until tomorrow, I remain, your humble Book Dragon,
Drakon T. Longwitten
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher, my opinions are my own.
A fast read with some twists. I enjoyed reading the author’s note and how a portion of her real life story morphed into this story.
Emily is not having a great day. It seems like her life is falling apart right before her eyes. Then she meets Scott. Emily is attracted to him and believes he might be attracted to her. He hires her for his company and that’s when things began to get strange.
While the pacing is slow, it is well written. The characters are well defined and interesting. I have to say the “creepy factor” is evident as well. I was surprised many times in this book. It usually came out of nowhere. If you enjoy thrillers, you’ll love this book.
I found no issues.
I gave this one 4 cheers out of 5 because of the slow pacing. copy of book provided by author and I voluntarily reviewed it.
The Safe Place by Anna Downes
Released 7/14/20
This was a great summer read! Especially for 2020! Although I had trouble actually finding a “safe place” for this poor book….a trip to the lake with an accidental drop in the water, and continually knocked off the pool chair by the dog LOL, but soggy pages did not stop me from turning them quickly! Struggling to find any success as a working actress in London, recently fired from her temp job, out of money, a misfit in her family, and a bit broken on the inside, …Emily is lost. But her now former boss, Scott, sees Emily as an answer to his problems and offers her an amazing opportunity at his remote French estate as a housekeeper. Is a job in a beautiful paradise setting everything Emily needs for a fresh start away from all her troubles, or has the trouble just begun! Fast-paced, The Safe Place, is an amazingly thrilling novel you won’t want to miss! No phones. No outsiders. No Escape!
I spent about 250 pages of this book confused about what genre it was meant to be. It felt like a genre I had never read before, something like a fantasy for a world I wished I lived in and a romance. So I decided to search and find out. Oh. It’s a thriller? This is a thriller? It’s a very slow burn thriller for lack of better words to describe it. There’s a lot of build up that doesn’t amount to… much. I didn’t dislike this book, it just wasn’t the thrillers I’ve read in the past. So here’s what I thought
Win-
-I’m jealous of Ninas lifestyle. The paradise that was created was honestly beautiful, it is definitely somewhere I could live.
-when the actual suspense part hit it was pretty good, the pages started turning a lot faster at that point and I found myself somewhat enjoying it.
-the multiple perspectives. Normally I don’t like this, but it helped during the actual high suspense moments to keep it interesting
-the parts that were Nina. It gave us an insight into everything about her, and I enjoyed it. We got the full story from her, and not in the moment.
Opportunities
-characters. I really didn’t love any of the characters. I feel for Nina, and I liked Emily, but I’m going to forget their names in a week. Scott was your typical rich hot boy that everyone swoons over.
-the actual plot is sloooow. I was genuinely convinced I was reading a romance that just hadn’t amped up yet.
-the suspense and thriller aspects just weren’t there. I like heavy thrillers that keep me guessing the entire time.
-predictable. I didn’t predict 100% correctly but I saw it coming from a mile away
So all in all, it wasn’t a bad read, it just isn’t one I will go out of my way to recommend to people. I really like the writing style, so I would love to pick up more of her books, hopefully fantasy novels or even romances. It didn’t feel like a thriller until the last 50 or so pages which was kinda disappointing.
In exchange for an honest review, I received an advance copy from NetGalley. Ok this is the exact kind of book I like. Suspenseful, quick read. Emily is a bit flighty and nothing seems to be working in her life. Her boss, Scott, offers her a job as a dogs’ body in the South of France for Nina, Scott’s wife and daughter Aurelia. I read this book during the quarantine and it took me to the South of France which was delightful. READ THIS BOOK
This was a book that kept my interest up until the very last page!
3.75 stars As I always say with regards to reviews and star ratings, they are completely subjective.
I enjoyed this book.The writing was good—entrancing. But, it went from a 5-star for me to the 3.75 star because of the ending.
Without spoiling this for others in case they are reading this review, there were a few things I didn’t appreciate at the end. One has to do with Scott, (loved the comment- He felt free, but I’m wondering something else about him). The other has to do with Aurelia— how she copes, (even though I understand that isn’t the point of the story, it personally disturbed me worrying about how a child copes with being ripped away) and most important, one has to do with Emily—(Still lost out on childhood info here and the ‘orange’ envelope contents). Did I miss something there? I don’t like to guess. I felt there could’ve been more closure with this and maybe the story could’ve been cut somewhere else if it had to do with length. As I said, I don’t like to have to guess about what may or may not have occurred and that’s what I felt happened. I am not a fan of books that hint at things and never clearly state them.
Personally, I loved the story. It is slow-paced, but the characters are so fascinating, the novel held my interest and kept me wanting more.
Throughout the book, there is always doubts as to what might happen, and that keeps the story haunting and engrossing the whole way through. There are hints here and there throughout the book, but the secret is kept almost til the end. How it will play out, is kept until the very end.
Definitely a good read. Quite suspenseful and emotional at times, but as I said, it was missing elements for me at the end. And as we all know, the end is crucial.
Anna Downe’s debut novel, THE SAFE PLACE, is a fast-paced thrill of a ride. Downe uses multiple characters to tell the story, but it is mainly Emily’s that we hear throughout the novel. Emily is down on her luck, really down. When her former boss, Scott, offers her a job that sounds too good to be true, she jumps at the chance. When she arrives at a beautiful estate in France, she is quickly immersed in the lives of Scott’s family. There are odd things, but Emily throws aside her doubts and embraces her life there. When Scott finally comes to visit, Emily starts to question what she knows and what she doesn’t know when it comes to the family she is working for.
Emily is blinded by a pretty face and a gorgeous place. Her naiveté is amazing. Granted, Scott is her former boss, attractive, rich, and successful…BUT…. And it’s a big “BUT.” Going off without telling anyone, despite the tension with her parents? I found it hard to like Emily, as self-centered as she is. There were some good twists and the descriptions of the settings were amazing. I look forward to Downe’s next offering to see her growth as an author.
This was a good novel to escape into, especially as a summer read.
Thanks to the Publisher for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
#thesafeplace #annadowne #minotaurbooks
Debut novelist Anne Downes is a native of Sheffield, England, and studied drama at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. In 2009, she decided to travel and ended up working as a live-in housekeeper and caretaker for a wealthy family at their remote French estate. It was a fortuitous assignment because it provided the inspiration for The Safe Place. Downes says the experience was “eye-opening” for a number of reasons that she explores in her first novel.
Emily Proudman is down on her luck and her last attempt to extract money from her parents is unsuccessful. She has borrowed money from them in the past, and broken promises and forgotten milestones. Her relationship with her adopted parents is complicated, largely due to Emily’s internal struggle to understand who she is, where she belongs, and what her purpose in the world is meant to be. With no options left, she accepts Scott’s surprising offer, agreeing to live in the remote French countryside with Nina, and their troubled young daughter. When Emily arrives, she finds that there are two homes on the estate called Querencia, and she will be living in the guest house, but must maintain professional boundaries that include not entering the family home.
Emily immediately notices that there is something distinctly odd about Nina, who explains that Aurelia can never be exposed to direct sunlight, and is clothed head to foot at all times and wears hats with large brims to protect her skin. Aurelia does not want to be touched and sometimes acts out, screaming hysterically, which shocks and frightens Emily. Nina regularly gives Aurelia medication. But Emily is determined to get acquainted with and gain the trust of the little girl.
Downes credibly relates how Emily settles into her new role, developing an affectionate friendship with Nina and becoming attached to Aurelia, as well as her new lifestyle in the countryside. The weeks pass quickly and Emily grows close and protective of Nina and Aurelia, even as she is mystified by the ailments Nina claims plague Aurelia and the child’s strange behavior.
The Safe Place is atmospheric and Downes deftly evokes the feeling of warm summer days spent caring for the animals and renovating the main house before enjoying a rejuvenating dinner on the patio and swim in the glistening pool. Despite her poor judgment and irresponsibility, Emily grows more empathetic as the story proceeds and Downes reveals details about her childhood. She explains how Emily came to be utterly lost, making her attachment to Nina and Aurelia believable, and her desire to be rescued by Scott compelling.
Throughout the book, Downes injects portions of a first-person narrative describing events that appear to have occurred before Emily took up residence with the family. The narrator’s identity remains a mystery as the story progresses and Emily’s instincts lead her to seek answers about Scott and his family. Downes expertly accelerates the story’s pace as Emily inches closer to the truth, ramping up the dramatic tension and inspiring readers to cheer for Emily when she realizes that her discoveries have placed her in grave danger. Downs says her own time on a remote French estate revealed that “anything could happen and nobody would know it.” She employs the isolation of Quarencia to great dramatic effect — Emily is cut off from everyone she has ever known and must save herself.
The Safe Place is ultimately a story about a young woman who reconciles herself to her past and learns that it does not have to define her. Her experiences at Querencia place her in an ethical quandry, her life hanging in the balance if she makes the wrong choice. Downes provides a satisfying and credible conclusion to a story about a young woman who learns about empowerment and independence, and just how resilient, brave, and loved she really is. Ironically, she comes to understand that Scott hired her because “he’d seen her heart.” As the story concludes, Emily is confident that her heart is good and she knows where her safe place is.
The Safe Place is a noteworthy debut and readers will find themselves anxious to read more from Downes.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader’s Copy of the book.
This is a #creeptastic and fun thriller. This unputdownable page-turner will you guessing the whole way through! A mix of romantic escapism and quite a menacing premise. A gem that I wasn’t expecting! I am looking forward to more from Anna Downes. 5 stars. Thank you to the publisher for my Netgalley copy. All thoughts are my own.
The Safe Place by Anna Downes
Emily’s life is a mess, she got fired from her job, her agent let her go and truthfully she wasn’t going to make it as an actress anyway, her parents weren’t going to hand her money anymore it is time for her to grow up and behave like an adult…along comes Scott who offers her a job of…doing what?…follow Emily to France to see ….
I found this book interesting if a little predictable but it definitely holds your attention and you have to find out what is going on with this family she has come to assist…thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this book and letting me leave my opinion.
Emily Proudman wants nothing more than to be an actress, but with her acting career going nowhere, she is forced to work temp jobs to pay the bills. Unfortunately Emily is about as successful at her temp jobs as she is at acting, and in one unfortunate day Emily loses her job, her agent, and she gets evicted from her apartment. Her luck seems to change, however, when she is offered a dream job, one that almost seems too good to be true, by Scott Denny, a very successful, not to mention very rich, CEO. Soon Emily is flying off to Scott’s estate in France to work for his wife, Nina, as a type of personal assistant, and to help care for his daughter, Aurelia. Soon Emily begins to see past the beauty and serenity she finds in her new job, and discovers that there are secrets hiding within the walls, secrets that, if discovered, could be dangerous and life-altering.
As I have said in many of my reviews, I like novels in which the narrative is told from the perspectives of multiple characters; I like experiencing the action and emotions from a variety of viewpoints, giving me a bigger picture of the events and people’s motivations. The great thing about The Safe Place is that I was able to experience events from Emily and Scott’s viewpoints, but there were also other little random sections within the novel, narrated by third, that added to the mystery of the novel. The characters are quite complex and well developed. There were many times while reading it that I wanted to yell at Emily, to tell her to get her head out of the clouds and open her eyes, but in the end I think she did the right thing. Nina, on the other hand, is quite the tragic character; I almost felt sorry for her at the end, even with her decisions and desires. I do wish that there was more in the novel about her past however. I also wish there was more in the novel, specifically at the end, about Emily and her story; I felt a little jipped and was hoping to get some answers about her past, the same answers that she craves.
The Safe Place was a novel that I could not put down and really enjoyed. It is a page-turner that kept me guessing right until the end. I would highly recommend it to anyone who would enjoy a little mystery with their paradise. Thank you to BookishFirst, Minotaur Books, and Anna Downes for sending me an advanced readers’ copy of The Safe Place, given in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This captivating debut novel by Anna Downes had me hooked the moment I picked it up.
The exhilarating unexpected things that were happening to Emily kept me on the edge of my seat, looking for more thrills.
“The Safe Place” was suspenseful and riveting. You will love the surprising ride you go on when you read this novel.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for fair and honest review.
This is a five star book for me – but I can’t get the 5th star to show up!
This one is a winner! Loved the writing – and the twist!
Emily, a struggling actor and temp receptionist, has just lost her apartment, her temp job, and her agent. Facing the possibility of having to return home to her parent’s house, Emily is approached by her former CEO boss Scott Denny with a job proposal. He asks her to move to his French estate and work as a housekeeper for his wife and daughter. The offer sounds too good to be true but she accepts because she is desperate and Scott seems so sincere in his desire to help her out. Emily arrives in France and settles in to a job that seems too could to be true. Turns out it is- secrets and lies soon have Emily in a dangerous situation! Great read!
Emily Proudman is a mess of a woman. She doesn’t want to be like her parents so she decided to step out and become an actress. Little did she know that was not as easy as it looks. Faced with financial hardship, she accepts a job from her old boss, Scott Denny. Now Scott Denny is famous and thinks he has the perfect person to help with his wife and daughter. He is offering her Paradise. Little does she know that Paradise is not all that it is cracked up to be. Escape she must. There will be consequences. At the end, she decides what she can live with.
Loved the cover.
Emily could use a knight in shining armor…a fairy godmother…just a lucky break! She’s lost her job, her agent, her apartment, and she’s not in the best place with her family. But just as everything seems to be falling apart, her former boss offeres her an opportunity to spend the summer working for his family at their French manor.
The amazingly eerie manor at the French coast houses Scott, his wife Nina and daughter Aurelia. While Emily assumed she was hired as a housekeeper, she soon finds that she spends her days predominantly lounging poolside with Nina and playing with Aurelia. But things are strange with Scott’s wife and daughter, and Emily may have been less a victim of circumstance than she originally thought.
The Safe Place is an engaging thriller even if the storyline becomes a bit predictable around midpoint. I was hoping for a more stunning end, but overall it was an entertaining read and a great escape.
*I received a copy of The Safe Place from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Emily Proudman’s life has fallen apart. She doesn’t know what to do or where to turn. Unexpectedly Scott Denny, a successful CEO, offers her a summer job as a housekeeper. She’s overjoyed. This will be a great adventure! I just kept thinking that it was to good to be true. Unfortunately I was right. The estate in France was lovely but isolated. The peaceful setting was soothing. Everything seemed perfect when Nina, Scott’s wife, was warm and welcoming. Their daughter, Aurelia, had medical and emotional problems but she slowly accepted Emily. Her new job could become a nightmare. She fit in here and cared for her employers. All that changes when their deadly secrets started to surface. Now Emily is in danger. She’s trapped far from home with no resources. Can she escape with her life? The Safe Place gave me chills. I was shocked by all the secrets that were hidden beneath a facade of luxury. The characters are well defined which makes them interesting. The dialogue is strong and powerful. The plot is filled with twist that kept me guessing. The suspense kept growing and pulled me into this dark drama. It was an amazing story.