Safe: A boy’s survival against the odds

by Jack Chandler

It took a fractured wrist and two broken ribs for Fin to run away, but now he’s free, unprepared, alone, and thirteen.

Fin doesn’t remember his mother leaving. He doesn’t know if she said goodbye. For sure, his brother didn’t. After that, it was just Fin and his father. Fin hides when he can and takes the beatings when he can’t. As long as he has his best friend, he tells himself it’s OK.

But then everything goes horribly wrong.

Now he’s sleeping behind dumpsters and hasn’t eaten in days. His wrist is throbbing, his ribs are painful, and by the time George finds him, he’s barely conscious. When Fin wakes, he’s weak, disorientated, and in George’s home. George seems to want to help, but the only people Fin’s ever trusted have abandoned him or turned him away, and he doesn’t understand what this man wants from him, how much danger he’s in, or if he can leave.

Exclusively available from author's website.

Genres: Thriller

81 pages, ebook

Published April 29, 2025

About the author

Jack Chandler is a sleep-deprived parent, wife, author, and willing participant in an unbalanced cohabitation contract with a cat. She spends her time writing, playing strategic board games, doing puzzles, and turning the house and garden into a jungle.
Her first thriller, Ripped Into, became a Hot New Release within five days of publication, and a Bestseller on Amazon within two weeks.
Check out her website for a free story in the series.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly love the back story. It gave you a better understanding of what Fin went through growing up.

[Arlene Everingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gosh - I felt so afraid for Fin, but then when George found him and helped him it made me feel a lot better. This story really touched me with Jack's sensitive handling of the subject matter.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Dee-Marie Tansey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book captures your attention from the first page and doesn't let go of you until the final page. The characters are so vivid and come to life in front of your eyes. Fin, a 13 year old boy, is put through so much in such a short time that you are rooting for him to find a place, find a home he can belong in, that it just has your emotions all over the place. The man that takes him in is wise beyond words. You will want to race through this story to the end - and then be upset that the book is over. This book is awesome beyond words!

[Sue Archer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Safe is the free prequel novella to Jack Chandler’s excellent Stuart Finlay series of thrillers. We meet Fin, aged thirteen, learn of his traumatic and heart-wrenching childhood, and how he meets George, another main character in the series. It is an emotional, page-turner of a read, and the difficult subject matter is tastefully handled. It gives the reader a glimpse into Fin’s early life, and it left me wanting to know what happened between the end of Safe and the start of Ripped into. I highly recommend it, but I would also recommend reading Ripped Into first.