What do you think?
Rate this book
No Safe Place To Hide
A gripping noir thriller that exposes the dark heart of a nation in turmoil.
Journalist Martin Gillie has vanished, and his wife wants him found. It seems like a straightforward case for newly arrived Ash Carter. But in post-war Philippines, nothing is ever straightforward.
Carter follows a trail that leads from the smoky boxing rings of Manila to the rebel-haunted provinces. And as Carter digs, with each uncovered clue, the stakes rise higher. The police can't be trusted. The military has its own agenda.
Carter begins to Is Martin Gillie hiding from something—or someone? And if Carter finds him, will either of them live to tell the story?
Journalist Martin Gillie has vanished, and his wife wants him found. It seems like a straightforward case for newly arrived Ash Carter. But in post-war Philippines, nothing is ever straightforward.
Carter follows a trail that leads from the smoky boxing rings of Manila to the rebel-haunted provinces. And as Carter digs, with each uncovered clue, the stakes rise higher. The police can't be trusted. The military has its own agenda.
Carter begins to Is Martin Gillie hiding from something—or someone? And if Carter finds him, will either of them live to tell the story?
338 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 24, 2025
2 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
Murray Bailey
26 books289 followersMurray Bailey was always interested in writing and, at an early age, had articles published in newspapers, including the Times. Despite studying Physics and Mathematics and pursuing a very different career, he also edited a magazine for a year as well as a batch of technical books.
After 10 years of scribbling, in 2016 his first published novel was I Dare You. He went on to demonstrate his passion for ancient Egypt and puzzles in his novel Map of the Dead. However the Singapore series featuring the ex-military policeman Ash Carter was a labour of love and based on his first unpublished story that eventually became Singapore 52.
Born in Greater Manchester, England, he gradually moved south to reach the beautiful Dorset coast where he lives with his wife and family. Having young children and an all-consuming passion such as writing doesn’t leave much free time, but when he does take a break, he enjoys running, cycling, kayaking and building sandcastles with his children.
After 10 years of scribbling, in 2016 his first published novel was I Dare You. He went on to demonstrate his passion for ancient Egypt and puzzles in his novel Map of the Dead. However the Singapore series featuring the ex-military policeman Ash Carter was a labour of love and based on his first unpublished story that eventually became Singapore 52.
Born in Greater Manchester, England, he gradually moved south to reach the beautiful Dorset coast where he lives with his wife and family. Having young children and an all-consuming passion such as writing doesn’t leave much free time, but when he does take a break, he enjoys running, cycling, kayaking and building sandcastles with his children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 11, 2025
A new book and a whole new series to keep my addiction to Murray’s books fuelled! I am overjoyed that Ash Carter returns in a new series set in The Philippines.
An unplanned stopover in Manila is apparently fate as Ash reconnects with his old colleague and friend Bill Wolfe who now lives there and runs a bar. They rekindle their friendship as Ash tries to coax Bill out of retirement from his PI job.
Ash just can’t resist helping a woman whose husband, an investigative reporter, has gone missing. The search for the reporter, as well as following what he was investigating, takes Ash into dangerous territory. And there is also the case of a kidnapped and murdered baby to solve which is personal to Bill.
I am such a huge fan of Murray’s books, and am delighted to confirm this is another exciting, fast paced thriller full of action and intrigue. From the street gangs to the Mayor’s office, there is nowhere off limits to find the shocking truth.
An unplanned stopover in Manila is apparently fate as Ash reconnects with his old colleague and friend Bill Wolfe who now lives there and runs a bar. They rekindle their friendship as Ash tries to coax Bill out of retirement from his PI job.
Ash just can’t resist helping a woman whose husband, an investigative reporter, has gone missing. The search for the reporter, as well as following what he was investigating, takes Ash into dangerous territory. And there is also the case of a kidnapped and murdered baby to solve which is personal to Bill.
I am such a huge fan of Murray’s books, and am delighted to confirm this is another exciting, fast paced thriller full of action and intrigue. From the street gangs to the Mayor’s office, there is nowhere off limits to find the shocking truth.
October 11, 2025
We’re back with another Ash Carter adventure, and this time the setting shifts to the Philippines. Ash’s journey begins when the boat he’s traveling on from Singapore to Hong Kong breaks down, leaving passengers stranded in Manila overnight.
While exploring Rosa’s Park, Ash stumbles upon a large protest. With signs in Spanish and Tagalog he can’t read, he has no idea what the demonstration is about. The crowd swells, tensions rise, and the police arrive in force. Swept along with the protestors, Ash steps in to protect a woman under attack, only to find himself arrested. Though he’s released with a fine and a warning to leave on his ship the next day, the local police are clear—they don’t need another former Military Police officer poking around.
Curious, Ash asks at his hotel, about other British MP in Manila and is directed to a local bar, Crazy Bear. There, he’s reunited with an old friend, Bill Wolfe, who is in a downward spiral of drinking and fighting. Determined to help Wolfe, Ash misses his boat and becomes further entangled in Manila’s mysteries.
A new case soon lands in his lap when a woman comes to the bar seeking a PI. Her husband, journalist Martin Gillis, has gone missing. Ash promises to investigate and hopes to involve Wolfe, though his friend is barely holding himself together. Suddenly, Ash has two missions: to find the missing reporter and to pull Wolfe back from self-destruction.
The search for Gillis is far from straightforward. Either he’s gone into hiding or he’s dead. With little more than fragments of information about a dangerous story Gillis had been working on, Ash teams up with fellow reporter Hilary Wigglesworth. Together, they chase leads—only to find themselves blocked at every turn. Slowly, they uncover threads pointing to a much bigger conspiracy.
Meanwhile, Wolfe reveals the case that broke him: his cleaner’s infant daughter was kidnapped. Despite Wolfe paying the ransom, the baby was found dead, leaving him consumed by guilt and drowning in alcohol. Ash vows to dig deeper into the tragedy and give his old friend closure.
The tension escalates when the Crazy Bear bar is set alight, leaving Wolfe hospitalized. A band of Wolfe’s old soldier friends rally for revenge, but Ash insists on a smarter, coordinated plan to uncover the truth behind Gillis’s disappearance. What follows is a daring mission, packed with danger, deception, and action at every turn.
Can Ash also help Wolfe find who was behind the baby kidnapping and bring closure to that as well? Or is it too late?
From start to finish, this story is a gripping adventure. The pace never lets up, the action is non-stop, and the mix of mystery, danger, and friendship keeps you hooked. Even if you haven’t read previous Ash Carter novels, this works perfectly as a standalone.
Highly recommended for fans of fast-paced, action-filled adventures—you’ll be engrossed right to the last page. And if you enjoy this, be sure to check out the author’s other books. You won’t be disappointed.
While exploring Rosa’s Park, Ash stumbles upon a large protest. With signs in Spanish and Tagalog he can’t read, he has no idea what the demonstration is about. The crowd swells, tensions rise, and the police arrive in force. Swept along with the protestors, Ash steps in to protect a woman under attack, only to find himself arrested. Though he’s released with a fine and a warning to leave on his ship the next day, the local police are clear—they don’t need another former Military Police officer poking around.
Curious, Ash asks at his hotel, about other British MP in Manila and is directed to a local bar, Crazy Bear. There, he’s reunited with an old friend, Bill Wolfe, who is in a downward spiral of drinking and fighting. Determined to help Wolfe, Ash misses his boat and becomes further entangled in Manila’s mysteries.
A new case soon lands in his lap when a woman comes to the bar seeking a PI. Her husband, journalist Martin Gillis, has gone missing. Ash promises to investigate and hopes to involve Wolfe, though his friend is barely holding himself together. Suddenly, Ash has two missions: to find the missing reporter and to pull Wolfe back from self-destruction.
The search for Gillis is far from straightforward. Either he’s gone into hiding or he’s dead. With little more than fragments of information about a dangerous story Gillis had been working on, Ash teams up with fellow reporter Hilary Wigglesworth. Together, they chase leads—only to find themselves blocked at every turn. Slowly, they uncover threads pointing to a much bigger conspiracy.
Meanwhile, Wolfe reveals the case that broke him: his cleaner’s infant daughter was kidnapped. Despite Wolfe paying the ransom, the baby was found dead, leaving him consumed by guilt and drowning in alcohol. Ash vows to dig deeper into the tragedy and give his old friend closure.
The tension escalates when the Crazy Bear bar is set alight, leaving Wolfe hospitalized. A band of Wolfe’s old soldier friends rally for revenge, but Ash insists on a smarter, coordinated plan to uncover the truth behind Gillis’s disappearance. What follows is a daring mission, packed with danger, deception, and action at every turn.
Can Ash also help Wolfe find who was behind the baby kidnapping and bring closure to that as well? Or is it too late?
From start to finish, this story is a gripping adventure. The pace never lets up, the action is non-stop, and the mix of mystery, danger, and friendship keeps you hooked. Even if you haven’t read previous Ash Carter novels, this works perfectly as a standalone.
Highly recommended for fans of fast-paced, action-filled adventures—you’ll be engrossed right to the last page. And if you enjoy this, be sure to check out the author’s other books. You won’t be disappointed.
October 14, 2025
It's January 1954 and Ash Carter is in the Philippines during a time of political unrest. He's surprised to discover his old friend and ex-military colleague, Bill Wolfe, living in Manila. But it seems Wolfe has fallen on hard times and the bar he owns is on the verge of closure.
Whilst trying to help Wolfe get back on his feet, Carter is asked to investigate the disappearance of a journalist in mysterious circumstances. It soon becomes apparent he was working on a big story which may have upset some very dangerous people. Once again, Carter is plunged into political intrigue which puts his life at risk.
Having read several Ash Carter books set in various locations, No Safe Place to Hide is the first to be based in the Philippines. I thought it was an excellent read with plenty of twists and turns that kept me fully engaged. Carter's investigative skills are founded on legwork and an unwavering commitment to justice. His tactics aren't always by the book but he gets results. This time bribery and corruption are at the forefront of the fast-paced plot. It was a great read with characters that stay with you long after the book is finished. I really enjoyed it.
Whilst trying to help Wolfe get back on his feet, Carter is asked to investigate the disappearance of a journalist in mysterious circumstances. It soon becomes apparent he was working on a big story which may have upset some very dangerous people. Once again, Carter is plunged into political intrigue which puts his life at risk.
Having read several Ash Carter books set in various locations, No Safe Place to Hide is the first to be based in the Philippines. I thought it was an excellent read with plenty of twists and turns that kept me fully engaged. Carter's investigative skills are founded on legwork and an unwavering commitment to justice. His tactics aren't always by the book but he gets results. This time bribery and corruption are at the forefront of the fast-paced plot. It was a great read with characters that stay with you long after the book is finished. I really enjoyed it.
October 15, 2025
Forced to flee Singapore for his own safety, after a betrayal he did not see coming, Private investigator Ash Carter is hoping for a new start in Hong Kong. But on an eventful layover in the Philippines, he bumps into an old compatriot from his military investigator days, Bill Wolfe, and decides to change his plans. Wolfe, now running a bar, is in a bad way after becoming involved with an investigation that went tragically awry. Carter is hopeful that he can help Wolfe find his way back to a steady path, if he can get him to open up about the events that haunt him.
Meanwhile, the opportunity to reprise his own role as a PI comes Carter's way when the wife of a missing journalist asks for his help in finding her husband. It seems like a straightforward job, but as Carter digs into the circumstances surrounding the journalist's disappearance, it dawns on him that he has taken on a much bigger case than he expected - one he will be lucky to survive...
Ash Carter is back with an explosive new mystery! I am a huge fan of the Ash Carter books having consumed the Singapore Mysteries, and the prequel series set in Cyprus/Palestine/Israel (as well as the compelling trilogy that follows Carter's most dangerous foe, BlackJack, in Hong Kong), so I am delighted that Bailey has taken up his pen to write more adventures for him - this time in the post-war chaos of the Philippine Islands.
This new mystery picks up the thread following Carter's less than glorious departure from Singapore, where his life came crashing down in a delicious tangle of revelations that he has yet to come to terms with. Hong Kong is his destination, but fate intervenes to land him in Manila, where he reconnects with Bill Wolfe. Carter, being Carter, he cannot find it within him to abandon Wolfe in his hour of need, even if his old compatriot is determined to rebuff his kindly attentions, and soon he is up to the the kind of shenanigans that bring out the best in him.
The story unfurls with Carter travelling all over the Philippine islands trying to discover what the missing journalist was working on to have made rich and powerful enemies, finding unlikely allies along the way amongst a great new cast of characters. At the same time, he is determined to save Wolfe by getting to the bottom of the tragedy that has his friend on a self-destructive journey to alcohol-induced oblivion. And he has a lot of his own baggage to work through too.
Danger lurks on bustling street-corners and remote jungle roads; in smoky dive-bar environs and suspiciously helpful offices of authority; even in the vicinity of Manila's boxing circles as Carter returns to working out his frustrations on the canvas. Nowhere is safe from the unwanted attentions of criminal types who hide in plain sight, and those who employ respectable reputations to mask their murky machinations, and Bailey keeps the thrill level enjoyably set to the max as the plot thickens - before tying up the threads of more than one mystery in a very satisfying ending.
As is his forte, Bailey immerses you in time and place with rich settings that drip with well-researched historical detail, weaving gorgeous 1950's noir atmosphere into the proceedings, and he does an excellent job of getting to grips with the complicated political and societal situations that motivate his antagonists. I have learned so much about post-war history through Carter's eyes in Bailey's books, and this one is no exception.
This is a fine first instalment of a new era for Ash Carter, with real legs to run and run. I am already looking forward to the next one.
Meanwhile, the opportunity to reprise his own role as a PI comes Carter's way when the wife of a missing journalist asks for his help in finding her husband. It seems like a straightforward job, but as Carter digs into the circumstances surrounding the journalist's disappearance, it dawns on him that he has taken on a much bigger case than he expected - one he will be lucky to survive...
Ash Carter is back with an explosive new mystery! I am a huge fan of the Ash Carter books having consumed the Singapore Mysteries, and the prequel series set in Cyprus/Palestine/Israel (as well as the compelling trilogy that follows Carter's most dangerous foe, BlackJack, in Hong Kong), so I am delighted that Bailey has taken up his pen to write more adventures for him - this time in the post-war chaos of the Philippine Islands.
This new mystery picks up the thread following Carter's less than glorious departure from Singapore, where his life came crashing down in a delicious tangle of revelations that he has yet to come to terms with. Hong Kong is his destination, but fate intervenes to land him in Manila, where he reconnects with Bill Wolfe. Carter, being Carter, he cannot find it within him to abandon Wolfe in his hour of need, even if his old compatriot is determined to rebuff his kindly attentions, and soon he is up to the the kind of shenanigans that bring out the best in him.
The story unfurls with Carter travelling all over the Philippine islands trying to discover what the missing journalist was working on to have made rich and powerful enemies, finding unlikely allies along the way amongst a great new cast of characters. At the same time, he is determined to save Wolfe by getting to the bottom of the tragedy that has his friend on a self-destructive journey to alcohol-induced oblivion. And he has a lot of his own baggage to work through too.
Danger lurks on bustling street-corners and remote jungle roads; in smoky dive-bar environs and suspiciously helpful offices of authority; even in the vicinity of Manila's boxing circles as Carter returns to working out his frustrations on the canvas. Nowhere is safe from the unwanted attentions of criminal types who hide in plain sight, and those who employ respectable reputations to mask their murky machinations, and Bailey keeps the thrill level enjoyably set to the max as the plot thickens - before tying up the threads of more than one mystery in a very satisfying ending.
As is his forte, Bailey immerses you in time and place with rich settings that drip with well-researched historical detail, weaving gorgeous 1950's noir atmosphere into the proceedings, and he does an excellent job of getting to grips with the complicated political and societal situations that motivate his antagonists. I have learned so much about post-war history through Carter's eyes in Bailey's books, and this one is no exception.
This is a fine first instalment of a new era for Ash Carter, with real legs to run and run. I am already looking forward to the next one.
October 6, 2025
The start of a new series featuring Ash Carter, based in the Philippines. It is January 1954 and Carter finds himself in Manila when his ship, travelling from Singapore to Hong Kong, suffered engine trouble and docked there for repairs. Post war the Philippines is a dangerous place with economic instability and high level fraud, crime and profiteering.
Briefly, Carter being Carter he soon runs into trouble finding himself having to deal with the disappearance of Martin Gillie, an old friend, a kidnapped baby subsequently found dead and corruption in high places involving land deals.
As ever, violence is never far away and in a fast and adrenaline fuelled read you wonder just how many more dead bodies there will be! A good exciting read and it appears Ash is going to be staying in Manila for the foreseeable future. Looking forward to book 2.
Briefly, Carter being Carter he soon runs into trouble finding himself having to deal with the disappearance of Martin Gillie, an old friend, a kidnapped baby subsequently found dead and corruption in high places involving land deals.
As ever, violence is never far away and in a fast and adrenaline fuelled read you wonder just how many more dead bodies there will be! A good exciting read and it appears Ash is going to be staying in Manila for the foreseeable future. Looking forward to book 2.
October 20, 2025
I love Ash Carter, the author has a way of bringing him to life no matter the setting or the experiences he puts him through. This is the start of a new series based in the Philippines during the mid 1950s.
Carter is travelling from Singapore to Hong Kong when his ship develops engine trouble. He finds himself in Manila & soon discovers that it is not a particularly stable place to be. Against advice, he undertakes investigating the disappearance of a local journalist at the request of the missing man’s wife.
An exciting read full of political shenanigans, where Carter is pummelled metaphorically & physically on more than one occasion. How long he will stay in Manila, who knows? But I’m certainly looking forward to book 2.
Carter is travelling from Singapore to Hong Kong when his ship develops engine trouble. He finds himself in Manila & soon discovers that it is not a particularly stable place to be. Against advice, he undertakes investigating the disappearance of a local journalist at the request of the missing man’s wife.
An exciting read full of political shenanigans, where Carter is pummelled metaphorically & physically on more than one occasion. How long he will stay in Manila, who knows? But I’m certainly looking forward to book 2.
October 19, 2025
This is my favourite book by Murray Bailey so far. Ash Carter is in the Philippines with problems to solve and people to deal with. A top class thriller with characters I love and a fast-paced storyline that kept me on my toes. investigative and dramatic, this is a book that is definitely worth reading.
October 14, 2025
https://montysbookreviews.blogspot.co...
A missing husband, a reunion with an old friend and a heartbreaking cold case thrust Ash Carter into a deadly battle for survival. Mystery thriller writing at it's very best.
Great characters pitched into a gripping detective thriller with all the necessary suspects and misdirection I've come to expect from the author. Throw in some meticulously researched historical and geographical details of the Philippines in the post world war two era and you've got yourself an explosive novel that begs to be finished in just the one sitting.
Reminiscent of the classic gumshoe era of detective novels, this hits all the spots to make it a well earned 5 stars.
If you're looking for a well rounded, slightly flawed, private detective with a big heart then you can't go wrong with Ash Carter.
A missing husband, a reunion with an old friend and a heartbreaking cold case thrust Ash Carter into a deadly battle for survival. Mystery thriller writing at it's very best.
Great characters pitched into a gripping detective thriller with all the necessary suspects and misdirection I've come to expect from the author. Throw in some meticulously researched historical and geographical details of the Philippines in the post world war two era and you've got yourself an explosive novel that begs to be finished in just the one sitting.
Reminiscent of the classic gumshoe era of detective novels, this hits all the spots to make it a well earned 5 stars.
If you're looking for a well rounded, slightly flawed, private detective with a big heart then you can't go wrong with Ash Carter.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews