Anna Downes | THE SAFE PLACE

Plot (via Goodreads):

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, 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.

Superbly tense and oozing with atmosphere, Anna Downs's debut 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? 

Review:

The Safe Place by Anna Downes is by far one of the most complex, immersive, and entertaining thrillers I have read all summer. In this one, we have four central characters and I actually liked reading a book with a smaller cast because these characters really dazzled and I was thankful for every single page I got to spend with them. I was really surprised with Downes and this thriller that had a unique setting, plot, characters, and was just all around the perfect summer read. While both twisty and eerie, I think this one is definitely a novel that can be devoured by the pool or the beach in a single day. It's the kind of novel that takes you from breakfast to lunch to dinner and by the time you gobble up the harrowing conclusion, you're wondering where your day went.

I loved the uniqueness to the plot with this one and I felt that the characters really carried the story well. The unique premise had me constantly going back and forth of moments of feeling like I was in paradise and then being completely creeped out. You the saying "if it's too good to be true, it probably is."? Well that's majorly applicable here! I thought this one was the perfect blend of creepy, immersive, and twisty. The pacing with this was great and this one was damn near impossible to put down. It went in so many different directions than what I was expecting and I was relieved and ecstatic that Downes avoided a few cliches with this type of story and instead provided her readers with an impeccably written poignant novel that is sheer brilliance.

If you want something that is unique and has a fantastic setting, this is definitely a go-to recommendation from me when it comes to summer reads; in fact, I can't think of a more addictive summer thriller. This novel is just as perfect as that post-sunburn nap you take after being in the pool all day before dinner. So, if you do anything this summer, make sure to check out this one and go in blindly so you don't know what hit you.

Special thanks to Minotaur Books for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 5/5