The Safe House

by Nicci French

The Safe House is a scintillating psychological thriller by the Sunday Times Top Ten bestselling author, Nicci French 'Nicci French's sophisticated, compassionate and gripping crime novels stand head and shoulders above the competition' Sophie Hannah *** You open your home and your heart to a victim. But your house is anything but safe . . . Samantha Laschen is a doctor specialising in post-traumatic stress disorder. She's moved to the coast to escape her problems and to be alone with her young daughter. But now the police want her to take in Fiona Mackenzie, a girl whose parents have been savagely murdered. Yet by allowing Fiona in, Sam is exposing herself - and her daughter - to risks she couldn't possibly have imagined . . .***Praise for Nicci 'French leads the field' Sunday Express 'Brilliantly crafted . . . masterly control of suspense' Daily Mirror 'Tense, frightening, gripping' Easy Living 'Dark, nerve-tingling and addictive' Daily Express'Gripping, chilling, moving' Observer

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, France

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Note: (Nicci Gerrard and Sean French also write separately.)

Nicci Gerrard was born in June 1958 in Worcestershire. After graduating with a first class honours degree in English Literature from Oxford University, she began her first job, working with emotionally disturbed children in Sheffield. In that same year she married journalist Colin Hughes.

In the early eighties she taught English Literature in Sheffield, London and Los Angeles, but moved into publishing in 1985 with the launch of Women's Review, a magazine for women on art, literature and female issues.

In 1987 Nicci had a son, Edgar, followed by a daughter, Anna, in 1988, but a year later her marriage to Colin Hughes broke down.

In 1989 she became acting literary editor at the New Statesman, before moving to the Observer, where she was deputy literary editor for five years, and then a feature writer and executive editor.

It was while she was at the New Statesman that she met Sean French.

Sean French was born in May 1959 in Bristol, to a British father and Swedish mother. He too studied English Literature at Oxford University at the same time as Nicci, also graduating with a first class degree, but their paths didn't cross until 1990. In 1981 he won Vogue magazine's Writing Talent Contest, and from 1981 to 1986 he was their theatre critic. During that time he also worked at the Sunday Times as deputy literary editor and television critic, and was the film critic for Marie Claire and deputy editor of New Society.

Sean and Nicci were married in Hackney in October 1990. Their daughters, Hadley and Molly, were born in 1991 and 1993.

By the mid-nineties Sean had had two novels published, The Imaginary Monkey and The Dreamer of Dreams, as well as numerous non-fiction books, including biographies of Jane Fonda and Brigitte Bardot.

In 1995 Nicci and Sean began work on their first joint novel and adopted the pseudonym of Nicci French. The Memory Game was published to great acclaim in 1997 followed by The Safe House (1998), Killing Me Softly (1999), Beneath the Skin (2000), The Red Room (2001), Land of the Living (2002), Secret Smile (2003), Catch Me When I Fall (2005), Losing You (2006) and Until It's Over (2008). Their latest novel together is What To Do When Someone Dies (2009).

Nicci and Sean also continue to write separately. Nicci still works as a journalist for the Observer, covering high-profile trials including those of Fred and Rose West, and Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr. Novels include Things We Knew Were True (2003), Solace (2005) and The Moment You Were Gone (2007). Sean's last novel is Start From Here (2004).

Reviews

[Suz · Rating 1 out of 5]

This thriller lacked the thrill for me. I didn’t feel any comradery for any of the characters, and lacked any connection at all. I wanted to keep going only to see whodunit. Even that was kindo of cr@#. Sometimes I wonder if I’d enjoy the physical book more than the audio, who’s to know? I couldn’t reconcile the love between the ones that were meant to have loved; nor the atrocities that were carried out by the horrible ones. I just didn’t get it!

The narrator was clear and smooth but a little too theatrical for me. The premise was quite cookie cutter, a few murders and an evil perp, but at each fork in the road I wasn’t convinced. Even at the crucial points I found myself thinking ‘did that just happen’ an ineffectual experience each time something happened, knowing an effective story should have the opposite effect.

I don’t get how the bereaved one missed her loved one, or even the love that should have been there for an offspring. Did not gel with me at all. No character or story connection. Never mind, I have lots and lots of books – too many of course.

[Delee · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE SAFE HOUSE by Nicci French started off strong with the discovery of the bodies of a wealthy husband and wife - Leo and Elizabeth MacKenzie. The couples daughter- Finn - is found upstairs away from the murders, suffering from a neck wound...but still alive.

Dr Samantha Laschen is a specialist of post-traumatic stress. She has moved from London to the countryside with her young daughter - Elise - not far from where the recent murders took place. Samantha's (Sam) plans for peace and quiet are put on hold after she is persuaded- by the police investigating the murders- that with her vast knowledge of trauma, and her out of the way house by the sea...wouldn't her home be the perfect environment for Finn's safe recovery?

Ummmmmmm no not really...



I had a hard time with a lot of this book.

Yes, the world is made up of maaaaaaaaaaaany people making bad life decisions, but I had a problem believing that Sam would risk her daughters safety and mental health hiding a troubled teenager from a murderer at large. I wasn't convinced, so the book fell apart for me as soon as it started really. I also thought the book should have ended at least a hundred pages sooner than it did. Once I had the murder plot figured out, it was quite frustrating waiting for the police and other characters to catch on to what had happened.

[Pvw · Rating 1 out of 5]

Incredibly boring book with cardboard characters who communicate with each other in dead serious, uninteresting dialogue. The story unfolds tediously slow, with a seemingly endless description of the main character's daily routines. Then Nicci French performs a hard to imitate trick: lots of highly unlikely elements and unrealistic events are added to the story, without making it more interesting! The ending is so bad that you get the impression that the authors had to meet their deadline and wrapped it up quickly. This being the first (and last) book that I read by Nicci french, it leaves me puzzled as to why they are so popular.

[Dominique · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Nicci French books for the involving day-to-dayness of the books. This one got me like the rest but I absolutely hated the ending.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love Nicci French books and this one started off well. However about two-thirds in it descended into a bit of a quagmire for me and I didn't enjoy the ending. It almost became a non-ending. It also took a long while to get to the ending and this should have happened sooner in my opinion as it dragged on to no real purpose.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book until the last page! WAY too many loose ends for me. WHY did Michael kill Sam? Was he planning to kill her when he took her sailing, simply because she was suspicious about Danny's alleged suicide? Or did he decide to do it when she found the paper animal? She had no real proof against him; her suspicions would not have held up in court. And what was the deal with the phone number she got from the images in the "safe house"? Was it actually a phone number? What the hell was the point of that? Why even introduce it into the story? Are we to think that she pretended Elsie had wandered off so that the police wouldn't go looking for the fake Finn? Aren't they looking for her anyway?

Sorry, NONE of this made sense to me, and I hope someone will answer my questions! :-)

[Lauren-Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I normally really enjoy Nicci French books, finding them atmospheric and full of suspense. Maybe I just didn't get this one but it seemed like the ending was completely missing a satisfactory conclusion, at the very least if the point was for Finn to escape then the part about kidnapping Elsie is redundant.
I did not rate this book at all and had I read this work first I probably wouldn't have read any of their other works.
Shallow and fails to draw you in.

[Amby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok so, the story here was good. It was suspenseful and it had intriguing characters. I like how Nicci French makes all her characters kind of vague and non chalantly cool, especially the men, who all seem sorta the same in every book, but thats ok, cause i like them. Brutish, reserved, unblinking and passionate. My kinda man.

My complaint with this book was the freaking end. It ended, then went on for way too long afterwards, and if there had been some sort of gratification- some great second twist or discovery, or a face to face meeting with the woman formally known as Finn, then it would have been worth it. But there wasn't. There only needed to be one, maybe two extra chapters to explain the part where she visited her daughter. But really, i think that whole part should have been cut out, and the book would have made more sence, and flowed better.

It seemed aimless. And quite frankly, it was boring. She just continued her day to day life mostly, thinking back upon things time and again. And really, it was unrealistic that this chick who would help murder a whole family for money, would have qualms about killing a small girl, but would be perfectly fine kidnapping her, then returning her, with an implied message of 'back off'. This lady didn't want revenge, for killing the Doctor, Michael? (who she must have been at least somewhat close with, to have joined forces with in an insane and risky murder plot) She may have been nuts, but she was clever and commited to have pulled this hoax off. How would one woman ever have found her real identity, without police cooperation, and ANY idea whatsoever who she really was? She was home free in my opinion.

She should have just faded into the night, and so should the end of this book. It went on and on and on, and almoust ruined the whole book for me. Maybe i just didn't get it. Overall a decent read though...

[Susy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
A fast and easy read, with a not so surprising end with a surprising twist. As I see from the other reviews this is not one of Nicci French's best novels, but I enjoyed it enough so I'm looking forward to reading more of their novels.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Right from the off, I didnt enjoy this. Language, for me, was flat and uninspiring. 😒

[Kristi Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had two guesses for who the killer would be. Both were correct. But then, it was more a thriller than a real mystery - the animal activists were too obvious a red herring, and the foxhunter really was bloodthirsty.

Seemed to drag, after I'd figured it out. Wasn't enough to the relationships and the rest of the novel to keep me interested.

Signed this out a few times without quite getting around to reading it. Was my brain trying to tell me something?

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read other books by Nicci French and really enjoyed them, but this one was a struggle to get through as it really didn't hold my attention. It started well, then became dull as it just followed day to day activities with no real suspence. When things do start to happen again it's a sudden curveball and then back to fairly unexciting. If this had been my first book by this author I doubt I would have read more, but it was an anomaly as I normally enjoy their books.

[Margie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have now given Nicci French the old college try (two books). I'm done.

The book is not terrible. If I were in a plane on a tarmac for several hours, it would certainly help to pass the time. However.... The protagonist is unbelievable, and the 'twist' is visible from afar. This makes the final third of the book quite tedious.

[فریبا ارجمند · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was it inspired by Vertigo by Alfred Hitchcock?

[Bettina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Na meer dan 20 jaar eens herlezen. De twist is op zich best oké, het geklets over kleren en eten vind ik altijd wel gezellig om te lezen. Probleem is dat de hoofdpersoon zo slecht is in haar vak en daarbij ook nog eens van elke charme gespeend. Haar dochtertje is zo irritant dat ik haar in het bos zou hebben achtergelaten als het mijn kind was geweest. (Nicci French heeft altijd heel irritante kleine kinderen.)
Een ster extra voor de kat met de briljante naam Anatoly.

[Vera_leest · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5⭐️

[L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always pleasantly surprised when I pick up a new read by a new author that I've never even heard of and my daring choice pays off. This book was a wonderfully suspenseful page-turner. I'm always rather uneasy with novels in first person (this one flip-flopped, but was primarily in first), but Nicci managed to do it in a way that wasn't overwhelming. The characters were well developed and interesting to tag along with. POTENTIAL SPOILERS: There were a few loose ends that I would've liked tied up; I'm curious to know who "X" was and how she found Elsie again in the park. What happened with Baird and the rest of the case? I suppose this is the sort of book that could've had a sequel. Still, I rather enjoyed it and I've gained a new author to enjoy.

[Lian · Rating 1 out of 5]

For some reason I couldn't get through this book, although I'm a real Nicci French addict. I found it predictable after having read some of the other earlier Nicci French novels.

[Crystal Melbourne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beneath the Skin was really great so obviously, my hopes were too high. Oh well.

Elsie was really cute.
but the plot twist was predictable.

[Marieke | Marieke's Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Het verhaal was best goed. Op sommige momenten wel voorspelbaar, dat was soms hinderlijk. En op sommige momenten was het ook nog wel spannend.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot was ridiculous but it was fun and I loved the writing and characters.

[Froukje · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lange opbouw, beetje voorspelbaar en een teleurstellend einde, maar wel goeie spanning en goed verhaal.

[Manouk Roxanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow start.
Unexpectingly took a turn in a great direction

[Mandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are so many inconsistencies & loose ends in this book, it's very unsatisfying. And the main character is frustrating, her behaviour feels motivated by what the author thought would be interesting to read, instead of any sort of logic.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had a binge of re-reading Nicci French written prior to the Frida Klein series. 'The Safe House' is one of the best of these, if what you are looking for is a plot with some complexity and murder which does not instill too much fear. This is not to say that it is dull read, quite the reverse. But, unlike my having to read the end of 'The Land of the living' because of my unbearable fear around the middle of the novel, 'The Safe House' can safely be read as it should be.

The protagonists are a professional mother, Sam, and daughter, Elsie, who move from London to the country. The relationship between Danny, an irregular visitor, Sam's lover and beloved male figure for Elsie is a particularly interesting part of the plot. He is an integral part of the domestic part of Sam's life, but on the periphery of her professional life; their relationship is at the same time loving and close but awkward; he is independent of the mother and daughter at times but also expects to be part of their decision making. He is not a party to the most important decision Sam makes, accepting a traumatised survivor, Finn McKenzie, into her home.

In the first part of the novel Finn's parents are found by their daily help. They have been murdered: throats slashed, and 'Piggies' written in blood on the wall of their luxurious bedroom. Finn, their daughter is found bound, gagged and wounded, but alive. Suspicion revolves around the animal rights movement because of McKenzie's work. Sam is assured that she will have Finn for a finite period, she and Elsie are safe, and that she can be of help to a traumatized young woman who is now alone. Sam's concerns are overcome and she enjoys Finn's gradual recovery from a victim who cannot speak to someone who will shop, play with Elsie and eventually cook delicious meals. Sam is pleased to see that her help has had positive results for Finn and mother and daughter build a warm relationship with her.

The police and the McKenzie's doctor become regular visitors in Sam's domestic world; at the hospital where she is to head up a new trauma recovery unit new relationships are also formed, like those in the community with negative and positive aspects; Elise's world also expands, with school friendships.

Two murders and an apparent suicide demonstrate that Sam and Elsie are not necessarily safe and Sam's attempts to maintain her child's safety and her own become the focus of the plot. The safe house motif is important in Sam's and Elsie's lives, as a memory game and, eventually, a clue to their survival and important factor in Sam's decision-making.

While French's familiar motif of the incompetent police emerges with its frustrations for the reader as well as the characters in the novel, it is understandable. The complexity of the plot, although there are some excellent clues, is clear only to the person most involved. Sam knows the characters better than anyone. It is Sam who can follow the clues, obvious and subtle because of her closeness to the other characters. She arrives at a solution. However, by the end of the novel Sam is as reluctant as the police to investigate any further.

Rather than the ending being a let down, it draws the reader into further understanding of French's depiction of the closeness of a parent-child relationship helps explain Sam's reaction to Danny's relationship with her throughout the novel and the resolution of the plot.

[Hannah Garden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicci French is a married couple's name for their shared mystery novels they write together, which I could not be more entranced by the dreaminess of and yet this book is insane.

I have liked several of their titles quite a bit! And a few others well enough. But this one is truly off the rails.

Still just feels really good to read a long grey mystery though.

[bdr0 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it in general. It had some nice plottwists... But for me it did feel like the first half of the book was very slow, I barely got through it. While the second half went extremely fast and was stuffed with twists and all kinds of things happening.

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to in audio format.

The Safe House was written by husband and wife team Nicci Gerrard and Sean French.

The Safe House began with the cleaner finding the dead bodies of Leo and Elizabeth McKenzie. Their daughter Finn had been stabbed in the neck and was barely clinging to life.

Psychiatrist Dr Sam Lachen and her daughter Elsie had recently moved from London to the country. Sam was due to start a new job in a hospital setting up a unit treating PTSD.

When Sam receives a call from her new employees asking her to take in Sam she is a little reluctant. Sam has a young daughter and is a little worried about taking in a trouble girl. After a hesitant start Finn becomes part of the family, she cannot be helpful enough and Elsie adores her.

Sam is shocked one day when her boyfriend Danny and Finn run away together. Later Danny's car is found burnt out with the bodies of Danny and Finn inside. Sam couldn't believe Danny would leave her and resolves to find out what happened.

This book was OK but I have read better books from Nikki French. I did not like Sam who was obviously a early version of Dr Frieda Klein. I found Sam very cold and clinical. Frieda is also cold on first impressions but she cares about her patients and is loyal to her friends.

I loved the beginning of The Safe House but I felt it lose it way midway through the story. I have given this book three stars because of the surprise revelation at the end of the book which I did not see coming.

I enjoy Nicci French's book but I cannot recommend this one. If you are new to this author I would suggest that Freida Klein series which are excellent.

[Vicky F · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Safe House was an unexpectedly good read, it was one of the books that was read due to a distinct lack of anything else grabbing my attention.
The language was simple and the plot easy to follow, a simple read for anyone interested in the murder mystery genre.
Not a page turner in the sense that its unputdownable, but an exciting read nonetheless.
Not the best read I've ever had but by no means the worst!
Worth a read!

[gem · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me by surprise. It wasn't what I imagined when I read the synopsis, but it was better. I saw character development in Sam, she was funny and courageous, and Elsie was damn right adorable. The twists and turns were ones I did not see coming and I loved the guessing game it had going on. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and I'd recommend it to anyone.