Spoiler Alert: The Safe Place by Anna Downes is one of those “can’t put down” books.
A huge thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this work.
My genre is thrillers, and this thriller had everything I wanted, which is why I blissfully give The Safe Place 5 stars.
Sweet, pitiful Emily was such a lovable character from the very beginning. There is no trace of self-confidence when it comes to this protagonist. She’s smart, but gullible. She just wants to be seen; she wants to be heard.
Then marches in Scott Denny. I have to admit something here. I have an uncle by the same name, so I didn’t quite fall for this character in the way that I think Downes intended for her readers. Emily, however, is smitten from the beginning.
I will say, Scott was definitely a man of mystery. He hides his baggage well.
Speaking of his baggage, let’s call them Nina (Scott’s wife) and Aurelia (Scott’s daughter), you’ll want to pay close attention to these characters. There’s a lot of unpacking to do.
The location of this story is a character in itself. Querencia is a beautiful beachfront estate on the French coast. You could call the Dennys Pandora and Querencia their box. This place is their home and it houses all of their secrets.
Favorite Quote
“Everyone was carrying something, she was beginning to realize. The world was a much darker and more complicated place than she’d ever thought.”