Loved the slow burn of this thriller!
Anyone else learn something new about yourself lately as a reader?
Lately I've learned a slow burn thriller/suspense book ranks high for me, opposite of my preference in the romance genre
Downes utilizes the slow burn to a T in The Safe Place • Emily is out a job and place to live with no close friends to turn to, desperate for a change • Disconnected from her adoptive parents, she is adrift • A chance meeting with wealthy CEO Scott Denny leads to a cushy but unorthodox job offering- it makes sense for Emily to accept
But is it all as circumstantial as Emily believes?
Relocated to an isolated French estate, Emily is to help Scott's wife Nina with household needs and their daughter Aurelia • Nina enchants Emily with her attractiveness & mysterious aura • Young Aurelia proves to be quite eccentric, under strict rules put in place by Nina for medical concerns and displaying violent outbursts • Though some things are off-putting, Emily falls into easy living with the Nina's lavish world
Slowly Emily pulls at loose threads as her curiosity gets the better of her • When Scott leaves work in the US for an extended stay with his wife & daughter, the oddness of it all becomes more apparent • How far will Emily go to uncover what the Denny family is hiding?
Emily was not a character who incited much sympathy • I was highly frustrated as she made excuses or placed blame elsewhere for her choices • Aurelia and Scott pulled my interest the most • They both exhibited such strange behavior, I tore through the book to discover what was driving their actions • The slow build works due to well-placed bumps of "what just happened" moments throughout • The ending left me slightly letdown but I think the somewhat open endedness is a purposeful decision for the reader to make a few conclusions of their own
The Safe Place is Downes' debut novel & I'll for sure be on the lookout for more
Lately I've learned a slow burn thriller/suspense book ranks high for me, opposite of my preference in the romance genre
Downes utilizes the slow burn to a T in The Safe Place • Emily is out a job and place to live with no close friends to turn to, desperate for a change • Disconnected from her adoptive parents, she is adrift • A chance meeting with wealthy CEO Scott Denny leads to a cushy but unorthodox job offering- it makes sense for Emily to accept
But is it all as circumstantial as Emily believes?
Relocated to an isolated French estate, Emily is to help Scott's wife Nina with household needs and their daughter Aurelia • Nina enchants Emily with her attractiveness & mysterious aura • Young Aurelia proves to be quite eccentric, under strict rules put in place by Nina for medical concerns and displaying violent outbursts • Though some things are off-putting, Emily falls into easy living with the Nina's lavish world
Slowly Emily pulls at loose threads as her curiosity gets the better of her • When Scott leaves work in the US for an extended stay with his wife & daughter, the oddness of it all becomes more apparent • How far will Emily go to uncover what the Denny family is hiding?
Emily was not a character who incited much sympathy • I was highly frustrated as she made excuses or placed blame elsewhere for her choices • Aurelia and Scott pulled my interest the most • They both exhibited such strange behavior, I tore through the book to discover what was driving their actions • The slow build works due to well-placed bumps of "what just happened" moments throughout • The ending left me slightly letdown but I think the somewhat open endedness is a purposeful decision for the reader to make a few conclusions of their own
The Safe Place is Downes' debut novel & I'll for sure be on the lookout for more