The Safe Place

Emily is a mess. Her acting career is going nowhere, she’s at odds with her parents, and she’s has just been fired. And then her ex-boss offers her a job as a housekeeper on an isolated estate in France where his wife and daughter are living. Without much thought, Emily accepts the job. What could go wrong?

This is a case of a book where the marketing team have missed the mark. The beautiful cover and mysterious tagline give the false impression that The Safe Place is a page-turning thriller that will draw readers in with plenty of twists along the way as Emily discovers the secrets of the Denny family. Sadly, despite the many clues that something dark and perhaps dangerous is going to happen, so much is left unexplored.

First-time author Anna Downes creates an idyllic setting, but readers are well aware that the beautiful location is not all it seems. Flawed characters, even when unlikable, must be well-developed so the reader has strong feelings about them. However, the three main characters in The Safe Place are not unique or interesting. The story is very slow with little payoff, which is unfortunate since there were many opportunities to steer the plot in a different direction.

The Safe Place will satisfy those readers looking for a light and somewhat predictable mystery.