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Prieglobstis
Lėkdamas motociklu Robas Heilis patenka į avariją, atsipeikėja ligoninėje ir pirmiausia pagalvoja apie Leną, žavingą blondinę, kuri sėdėjo jam už nugaros. Tačiau gydytojai ir policininkai teigia, esą nelaimės vietoje jis buvo vienui vienas. Dėl avarijos metu patirto šoko vaizduotė, matyt, sukūrė Leną, juolab kad mergina labai primena neseniai žuvusią Robo seserį Lorą; Neabejodamas, kad Lena tikrai važiavo kartu, Robas suvienija jėgas su Rebeka Luis, privačia detektyve iš Londono, kuri yra mįslingais ryšiais susijusi su jo seserimi, ir pamažu išsiaiškina, kad pavojingos paslaptys, kurių neįmanoma saugoti amžinai, slypi netgi tokiose glaudžiose bendruomenėse, kokia gyvena Meno saloje.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published December 11, 2012
299 people are currently reading
3507 people want to read
About the author
Chris Ewan
26 books288 followersWriting as C.M. Ewan, my latest thriller is A WINDOW BREAKS.
I'm also the author of the popular GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO ... series of mysteries about globetrotting crime writer and thief-for-hire, Charlie Howard. The series has been praised as "crime writing at its best" (Sydney Morning Herald) and a "delightful series" (The Seattle Times) and comprises THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO AMSTERDAM (winner of the Long Barn Books First Novel Award), THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO PARIS, THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO VEGAS, THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO VENICE and THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO BERLIN.
To download your FREE copy of THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO MURDER, simply visit my website www.chrisewan.com and enter your email details.
I love to hear from readers and always respond to every email I receive.
You can contact me via:
my website www.chrisewan.com
on Twitter @chrisewan
or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/chrisewanauthor
My critically acclaimed standalone thrillers include the major bestseller SAFE HOUSE (which has sold more than 500,000 copies in the UK and was shortlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award), DEAD LINE, DARK TIDES (an Observer "Thriller of the Month") and LONG TIME LOST (a "masterful thriller" The Independent). I'm also the author of the Kindle Single story SCARLETT POINT which, like many of my thrillers, is set on the Isle of Man.
I was born in Taunton in 1976 and graduated from the University of Nottingham with a degree in American Studies with a minor in Canadian Literature, then later trained as a lawyer. After an eleven-year spell living on the Isle of Man, I now live in Somerset, England with my wife and two children, where I write full time.
I'm also the author of the popular GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO ... series of mysteries about globetrotting crime writer and thief-for-hire, Charlie Howard. The series has been praised as "crime writing at its best" (Sydney Morning Herald) and a "delightful series" (The Seattle Times) and comprises THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO AMSTERDAM (winner of the Long Barn Books First Novel Award), THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO PARIS, THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO VEGAS, THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO VENICE and THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO BERLIN.
To download your FREE copy of THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO MURDER, simply visit my website www.chrisewan.com and enter your email details.
I love to hear from readers and always respond to every email I receive.
You can contact me via:
my website www.chrisewan.com
on Twitter @chrisewan
or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/chrisewanauthor
My critically acclaimed standalone thrillers include the major bestseller SAFE HOUSE (which has sold more than 500,000 copies in the UK and was shortlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award), DEAD LINE, DARK TIDES (an Observer "Thriller of the Month") and LONG TIME LOST (a "masterful thriller" The Independent). I'm also the author of the Kindle Single story SCARLETT POINT which, like many of my thrillers, is set on the Isle of Man.
I was born in Taunton in 1976 and graduated from the University of Nottingham with a degree in American Studies with a minor in Canadian Literature, then later trained as a lawyer. After an eleven-year spell living on the Isle of Man, I now live in Somerset, England with my wife and two children, where I write full time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 473 reviews
October 14, 2025
This book could be thought of as a paper-and-ink version of a Vin Diesel movie. Lots of cars racing around, lots of shooting and hitting people with baseball bats. The plot was complicated but fully brought to heel by book’s end. Brainless fun, for the most part.
We spend most of our time on the Isle of Man, a place I’ve never visited in fiction before, and it was fun learning a little about it. Per this book, it only takes about half an hour to drive from one side to the other, but I can’t remember if that’s driving really fast, because somebody’s life is in danger, or driving really slow, because there’s a dead body in the back of the van and they don’t want to draw attention to themselves. I’m pretty sure baseball isn’t widely appreciated there, so there must have been some Americans involved somewhere along the line, smuggling in bats. Or maybe they just washed up on shore, floating in from Fenway.
Now that I think about it, though, I can’t really picture Diesel saying “chuffed” convincingly. Is there a British equivalent of Mr. Diesel? If I’m honest, there are so many bad copycats of Vin Diesel movies that the originals should be accorded some respect. Entertainment takes brains. In some regards, alas, the same cannot be said for this book. I’m always amazed at how many ordinary Joes in crime fiction are willing to endure being shot, stabbed, hit with bats etc., on the one hand, and being told to back off and let the cops handle it, on the other. Personally, after taking a couple bullets and a baseball bat to the kneecap, I’d probably agree that the police are better equipped than I am to handle a gang of professional killers. The other thing that might bug some readers is all the “good” women are blonde, and “hot”. The redhead is “hot-assed”. The lone brunette is neither hot nor hot-assed, but it serves her right for not being blonde. No opinions as to the hotness or hot-assedness of male characters are provided.
But the pacing is good and the writing has no obvious problem and there’s a nice golden retriever, so three stars.
We spend most of our time on the Isle of Man, a place I’ve never visited in fiction before, and it was fun learning a little about it. Per this book, it only takes about half an hour to drive from one side to the other, but I can’t remember if that’s driving really fast, because somebody’s life is in danger, or driving really slow, because there’s a dead body in the back of the van and they don’t want to draw attention to themselves. I’m pretty sure baseball isn’t widely appreciated there, so there must have been some Americans involved somewhere along the line, smuggling in bats. Or maybe they just washed up on shore, floating in from Fenway.
Now that I think about it, though, I can’t really picture Diesel saying “chuffed” convincingly. Is there a British equivalent of Mr. Diesel? If I’m honest, there are so many bad copycats of Vin Diesel movies that the originals should be accorded some respect. Entertainment takes brains. In some regards, alas, the same cannot be said for this book. I’m always amazed at how many ordinary Joes in crime fiction are willing to endure being shot, stabbed, hit with bats etc., on the one hand, and being told to back off and let the cops handle it, on the other. Personally, after taking a couple bullets and a baseball bat to the kneecap, I’d probably agree that the police are better equipped than I am to handle a gang of professional killers. The other thing that might bug some readers is all the “good” women are blonde, and “hot”. The redhead is “hot-assed”. The lone brunette is neither hot nor hot-assed, but it serves her right for not being blonde. No opinions as to the hotness or hot-assedness of male characters are provided.
But the pacing is good and the writing has no obvious problem and there’s a nice golden retriever, so three stars.
February 8, 2013
Local plumber is called out to a remote country house on the Isle of Man. An old boiler in need of repair is involved and a wrench from his van also makes an appearance. But all is not what it seems...
Yes, it really is more exciting than that! It's a well-written and sometimes intense thriller. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
(Not to be confused with the Denzel Washington movie of the same name, where you won't find a plumber at any cost. But then I suspect you knew that)
Yes, it really is more exciting than that! It's a well-written and sometimes intense thriller. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
(Not to be confused with the Denzel Washington movie of the same name, where you won't find a plumber at any cost. But then I suspect you knew that)
February 15, 2016
Meh. I was pretty turned off by this book. The main female protagonists are consistently described in terms of their appearance and hotness. I lost count of the number of times their long legs were described or their shirts hiked up to reveal skin when they were reaching for something. It felt like the author just imagined his ideal of an attractive women, described their appearances ad nauseam, but failed give them personalities at all. The only other woman introduced in any detail, a police detective, was also described in large part in relation to her appearance. Only she wasn't desirable to our narrator so she was given bad skin, greasy hair, and baggy clothes.
Things were described to death, whether the logo on a business card, or every characters' outfit. Sorry, I don't need to know that he completed his workout ensemble with white cotton socks. All in all: meh.
Things were described to death, whether the logo on a business card, or every characters' outfit. Sorry, I don't need to know that he completed his workout ensemble with white cotton socks. All in all: meh.
February 16, 2013
With conspiracy stories it helps to have something worthy of being uncovered by the main character. In this case, it was Who-cares?! The atmospheric setting could not overcome a poor choice for the voice of this story.
A dare devil, motorcycle-riding plumbing and heating serviceman.....ooohhh now that really is different. But his dog had more of a personality. And then the attractive female private detective brought in to assist, hates dogs. and the tension is established! Will she, won't she...come to like the dog?!
The premise of the book starts off fairly standard, a one-off meeting with a pretty girl, a risky date that ends with a crash and disappearance. Fine, but there was no Big Picture in my opinion that lent the plot any weight in pursuing this private investigation. For me to buy into a conspiracy type fantasy, there should be a greater risk / reward element that gives immediacy to following the clues.
This story did not have IT. Nice locale for a story setting though.
A dare devil, motorcycle-riding plumbing and heating serviceman.....ooohhh now that really is different. But his dog had more of a personality. And then the attractive female private detective brought in to assist, hates dogs. and the tension is established! Will she, won't she...come to like the dog?!
The premise of the book starts off fairly standard, a one-off meeting with a pretty girl, a risky date that ends with a crash and disappearance. Fine, but there was no Big Picture in my opinion that lent the plot any weight in pursuing this private investigation. For me to buy into a conspiracy type fantasy, there should be a greater risk / reward element that gives immediacy to following the clues.
This story did not have IT. Nice locale for a story setting though.
March 14, 2014
It is what it is, a solid crime story as a debut stand-a-lone thriller from Chris Ewan. Slightly better than most run-of-the-mill crime/thrillers but in reality a 3.5 rating I would give it. The characters are quite engaging, the plots decent & i quite like his style of writing & found myself reading a good 60-70 pgs at a time whilst i could bathed in glorious & no doubt harmfull gama-rays or some such new dangerous thing for mankind to be doing.....
I liked it.
I liked it.
January 8, 2013
First book read from my Kindle <3 That was an exciting experience. It was definitely the right choice of book to read; perhaps not very festive but pretty gripping nonetheless.
It was intense from the start, hooking you straight into the crazy story line and the adventure our hero was about to enbark on. The writing style was plain and simple, but i think this was an advantage; with such a heavy story line you want it to be an easy read, unlike a lot of other crime novels. Every character was complex, which i liked, giving it so much more bite, and i appreciated that Ewan gave us every perspective of the events as possible. This made for a fast pace novel that has hundreds of cliffhangers and kept me wanting to turn the page.
For me, the end let it down. I could not give this book 5 stars as i was greatly disappointed with the so-called "justice" that was served. Rebecca was right to say that she couldn't tell Rob what she had done at the end, i think she knew just how wrong it was - and to leave the story in such a way for me did not to justice to Laura and Alex's deaths, or to the struggle that all those involved went through during the book.
However, i would recommend to anyone who has never really tried crime novels before. I never really liked the genre but i have officially been converted.
It was intense from the start, hooking you straight into the crazy story line and the adventure our hero was about to enbark on. The writing style was plain and simple, but i think this was an advantage; with such a heavy story line you want it to be an easy read, unlike a lot of other crime novels. Every character was complex, which i liked, giving it so much more bite, and i appreciated that Ewan gave us every perspective of the events as possible. This made for a fast pace novel that has hundreds of cliffhangers and kept me wanting to turn the page.
For me, the end let it down. I could not give this book 5 stars as i was greatly disappointed with the so-called "justice" that was served. Rebecca was right to say that she couldn't tell Rob what she had done at the end, i think she knew just how wrong it was - and to leave the story in such a way for me did not to justice to Laura and Alex's deaths, or to the struggle that all those involved went through during the book.
However, i would recommend to anyone who has never really tried crime novels before. I never really liked the genre but i have officially been converted.
May 5, 2012
“Safe House” is a rather convoluted mystery with an intriguing background and backdrop. Set on the Isle of Man-a location which is basically unknown to many readers, but delightful to discover-this novel hits the ground racing and doesn’t stop ever. Rob, a heating/plumbing small businessman, accepts a job in an isolated rural area. The cottage’s residents seem odd to him, but he dismisses that until one of them, a blond calling herself Lena, asks him to give her a scenic ride on his motorbike. Rob’s father had been a famous racer until the accident that nearly killed him, and Rob also races in junior category, hoping to become professional as was his dad. But the ride with Lena-which begins in near-secrecy-ends in a crash, injuring Rob, and disappearing Lena entirely. The police know nothing, and claim he is delusional from brain trauma. Rob knows better; and the London P.I. whom his folks have hired to investigate his sister’s recent “suicide” believes Rob may be speaking truth after all.
December 5, 2012
I don't know what I was expecting from this but £0.20 for my debut of a well-reviewed author seemed worthwhile. I wasn't disappointed, but nor was I very impressed. It seemed to be an average run-of-the-mill thriller, with clues so random only the main character would understand them but so obvious that a reader needn't bother thinking about them too much. The only real thing this one had going for it was its location, but even that was used - overused, in fact - to help the plot along. I wouldn't be picking another of these up unless I'd heard something really good about it...
December 13, 2018
2.5 stars. Definitely not my cup of tea. I used to like it when I was 20. But..now...erkk...
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Full Review Click Here
March 20, 2013
Synopsis: When Rob Hale wakes up in hospital after a motorcycle crash he is told that Lena, the woman he claims was travelling with him, doesn't exist. The woman he describes bears a striking resemblance to his recently deceased sister, Laura, but has he really only imagined her?
Rob sets out to find the answers to who Lena is and where she has gone. He is aided by Rebecca Lewis, a London-based PI, who has come to the Isle of Man at the behest of his parents to investigate his sister's suicide. But who is Rebecca really and how did she know his sister?
Together Rob and Rebecca follow the clues to discover who took Lena. In doing so they discover that even on an island where most people know each other, everyone hides a secret, and that sometimes your best option isn't to hide but to stay and fight.
REVIEW: To start with, I felt it was really odd that Rob kept banging on about the missing girl. He barely knew her, he was seriously injured and yet he went on about her like she was the love of his life. It was misplaced and unbelievable, in my opinion.
However, once you get over that, there is an intriguing story and parts of it are very engaging.
Other parts however are clumsy and so obviously inserted purely to tie in with something later on in the book - I won't list them so as not to spoil any of the plot but I really felt they stood out like the proverbial sore thumb.
Overall an ok book with some good (some awful) characters in it and in places it was great but mainly it was just ok.
Rob sets out to find the answers to who Lena is and where she has gone. He is aided by Rebecca Lewis, a London-based PI, who has come to the Isle of Man at the behest of his parents to investigate his sister's suicide. But who is Rebecca really and how did she know his sister?
Together Rob and Rebecca follow the clues to discover who took Lena. In doing so they discover that even on an island where most people know each other, everyone hides a secret, and that sometimes your best option isn't to hide but to stay and fight.
REVIEW: To start with, I felt it was really odd that Rob kept banging on about the missing girl. He barely knew her, he was seriously injured and yet he went on about her like she was the love of his life. It was misplaced and unbelievable, in my opinion.
However, once you get over that, there is an intriguing story and parts of it are very engaging.
Other parts however are clumsy and so obviously inserted purely to tie in with something later on in the book - I won't list them so as not to spoil any of the plot but I really felt they stood out like the proverbial sore thumb.
Overall an ok book with some good (some awful) characters in it and in places it was great but mainly it was just ok.
March 2, 2022
3.5⭐
Šiam detektyviniam romanui mano nuomone trūko daugiau įtampos, nors veiksmo tikrai užtektinai. Vidutinis, ne itin įtraukiantis, toks vieną kartą perskaitei, užvertei paskutinį puslapį ir po kurio laiko net neprisiminsi, apie ką buvo rašoma .
Šiam detektyviniam romanui mano nuomone trūko daugiau įtampos, nors veiksmo tikrai užtektinai. Vidutinis, ne itin įtraukiantis, toks vieną kartą perskaitei, užvertei paskutinį puslapį ir po kurio laiko net neprisiminsi, apie ką buvo rašoma .
February 11, 2017
Had to keep reminding myself who was who throughout the book. I don't think this was through any fault or confusion brought on by the writing but more to do with the fact that this book just didn't do anything for me or hold my attention very well. 2.5-3 stars.
December 30, 2024
Complex mix of people, roles and plotting.
December 30, 2012
I was given an audio book version of Safe House to help me pass the time whilst recovering from major surgery. It certainly worked, as this book is very absorbing and all too plausible. I particularly liked how the author kept bringing the dog Rocky into it in significant ways. One minute I'm thinking "yuck, wet dog hair” and the next I realise the author’s cleverness and how I have been set up good and proper as a reader. Great attention to detail! The only negative I found was that due to the author’s skills at bringing things ‘alive’ the violent scenes are incredibly so. Not for the faint hearted. Having said that, I liked the audio version of Safe House as a whole so much that I ended up buying the kindle version so I could also enjoy the overall experience that comes from reading a book.
December 22, 2012
Did really enjoy this book, had a little trouble keeping track of who's on who's side though... I am on strong painkillers at the moment so could very well be that rather than the authors fault!
July 4, 2025
Alsoooo ich habe meinen tbr nach Ratings sortiert und das war das Buch, was am schlechtesten bewertet war… und ich fand es auch sehr schlecht :D also zuerst war es mir zu wenig Safe House, das wurde nämlich nur gefühlt auf 10 Seiten thematisiert. Und dann auch noch der Satz auf dem Cover: „When there is nowhere else to hide.“ Woher kommt dieser Satz, das hat alles nichts mit der Geschichte zu tun 🥲 das einzig gute ist, dass ich es aus dem Buchschrank habe und da kommt es jetzt auch wieder hin!
April 11, 2012
I would give it 3 out of 5 stars. I found it intriguing and well written and it kept my interest all the way through, I liked the characters and felt myself drawn to them and hating the BAD guys! willing the good guys to get even etc.
It is not a book I would rave about telling everyone I know that they MUST read it etc however but it is a good entertaining read and kept me going until the end. the last 155 pages were the most page turning to me and I read them in one sitting.
Hard to review any deeper without spoilers tbh. but I found some bits a little far fetched but I guess that's what you can expect from this sort of fiction.
I would read another by the same author if I came accross one but I wouldn't seek one out specially.
Thanks for allowing me to read it, I did recomend it to my hubby.
It is not a book I would rave about telling everyone I know that they MUST read it etc however but it is a good entertaining read and kept me going until the end. the last 155 pages were the most page turning to me and I read them in one sitting.
Hard to review any deeper without spoilers tbh. but I found some bits a little far fetched but I guess that's what you can expect from this sort of fiction.
I would read another by the same author if I came accross one but I wouldn't seek one out specially.
Thanks for allowing me to read it, I did recomend it to my hubby.
January 22, 2018
Gripping but it lacked the humour from the "Good Thief's Guide" series.
July 20, 2022
Quite good. I took off a star because after a while I started getting all the men's names mixed up! Clarke and Menser. Lukas and Anderson. I still don't know which were working for what group. Other than that confusion on my part, it was a good read.
Makes me want to learn more about the Isle of Man.
Makes me want to learn more about the Isle of Man.
September 9, 2019
It's not very often that I've enjoyed a book like this, and I can't really explain why, but I just loved it. Simple. The writing style was catching and engaging, the plot was great and characters superb, 10/10
April 1, 2023
Temiz, güzel bir polisiye kurgu. Merak unsurları sonuna kadar korunuyor ve güzel bir final ile kitap nihayete eriyor. Karakter kurgusu, olay kurgusu ve finali ile güzel bir bütünlük içindeydi. Bu nedenle beğendim.
July 28, 2025
This was a good book it took me a while to finish because I think the author is a bit wordy and over describes. It was a good plot, liked the characters, and it ended as I expected. I would read more by this author.
December 15, 2018
Great book with a few unexpected twists. Took a while for me to get into it, but thoroughly enjoyed the investigation and the brutal fight scene descriptions ☺️
August 23, 2022
I liked this book. Yes, some of it was a little predictable but most of it wasn't. I'd think I knew what was coming next more than once and end up surprised because I was way off base. Will definitely look for other books by this author
June 29, 2023
Really enjoyed this book. Very creative but am a bit puzzled by the ending as I still have questions
September 28, 2022
Dull. Not much else to add.
November 3, 2014
Best known for his 'Good Thief's Guide To...' series of comedy/crime novels, Chris Ewan turns his hand to the more serious end of crime fiction with his newest novel, 'Safe House'.
Rob Hale is a plumber on the Isle of Man, called out to repair a boiler in a remote cottage by two mysterious looking men, and a more talkative young woman named Lena. The next day, he takes Lena on a motorcycle ride, which ends in a crash. Waking up in hospital, Rob asks about the woman travelling with him, only to be told she doesn't exist. Rob is discharged from hospital, intent on finding out who the woman was, and how she disappeared. He is aided by Rebecca, a private investigator hired by Rob's parents to look into the suicide of his sister, just weeks previous. However, as they follow the clues and begin to uncover the mystery, Rob starts to wonder who Rebecca is really, and how she knew his sister.
As a huge fan of his earlier work, this change in direction and genre from Chris Ewan immediately piqued my interest. Would a writer more well known for his humorous comedy crime capers, be able to tackle a serious thriller?
Of course he would!
What Ewan accomplishes with his first foray into the world of thriller writing, is nothing short of remarkable. Safe House begins with a great hook...what would you do if you woke up in hospital after an accident, and everyone around you denied the existence of the person you were travelling with?
From there, Safe House travels at high speed throughout. It's a breathless, exciting read, which had me turning the page well into the late nights. That initial hook takes you on a journey into action thriller territory, which is up there with the best writing in the genre.
Ewan also hasn't lost that humorous edge which came with his previous series of books. There are some fantastic dead-pan lines delivered by Rob, but Ewan saves his best work for the character of Rebecca. An incredibly sardonic and tough female character.
You know...tough is the wrong word to use here.
The character of Rebecca is an example of something sadly missing from this genre in some instances. A female character from the pen (or keystroke) of a male writer, which isn't over-thought out. Ewan gives the impression he's created her as he would any other character, giving her aspects of personality which would fit within any other character. In other instances, the opposite can sometimes be true, so this was a refreshing read. I dearly hope this character isn't left behind...
An exciting start, to what promises to be an excellent addition to the genre of thriller reads, Ewan has with Safe House created a fast-paced, excellently written, and superbly plotted novel. With characters which burst off the page from the start, and a new setting in the Isle of Man which I cannot wait to see explored further.
Rob Hale is a plumber on the Isle of Man, called out to repair a boiler in a remote cottage by two mysterious looking men, and a more talkative young woman named Lena. The next day, he takes Lena on a motorcycle ride, which ends in a crash. Waking up in hospital, Rob asks about the woman travelling with him, only to be told she doesn't exist. Rob is discharged from hospital, intent on finding out who the woman was, and how she disappeared. He is aided by Rebecca, a private investigator hired by Rob's parents to look into the suicide of his sister, just weeks previous. However, as they follow the clues and begin to uncover the mystery, Rob starts to wonder who Rebecca is really, and how she knew his sister.
As a huge fan of his earlier work, this change in direction and genre from Chris Ewan immediately piqued my interest. Would a writer more well known for his humorous comedy crime capers, be able to tackle a serious thriller?
Of course he would!
What Ewan accomplishes with his first foray into the world of thriller writing, is nothing short of remarkable. Safe House begins with a great hook...what would you do if you woke up in hospital after an accident, and everyone around you denied the existence of the person you were travelling with?
From there, Safe House travels at high speed throughout. It's a breathless, exciting read, which had me turning the page well into the late nights. That initial hook takes you on a journey into action thriller territory, which is up there with the best writing in the genre.
Ewan also hasn't lost that humorous edge which came with his previous series of books. There are some fantastic dead-pan lines delivered by Rob, but Ewan saves his best work for the character of Rebecca. An incredibly sardonic and tough female character.
You know...tough is the wrong word to use here.
The character of Rebecca is an example of something sadly missing from this genre in some instances. A female character from the pen (or keystroke) of a male writer, which isn't over-thought out. Ewan gives the impression he's created her as he would any other character, giving her aspects of personality which would fit within any other character. In other instances, the opposite can sometimes be true, so this was a refreshing read. I dearly hope this character isn't left behind...
An exciting start, to what promises to be an excellent addition to the genre of thriller reads, Ewan has with Safe House created a fast-paced, excellently written, and superbly plotted novel. With characters which burst off the page from the start, and a new setting in the Isle of Man which I cannot wait to see explored further.
February 16, 2013
An intriguing premise and a reader that I really like = one good listen. That was the winning combination with Chris Ewan's book Safe House and Simon Vance's narration.
Safe House opens up with a great opening gambit. Plumber Rob Hale is doing some heating work at an isolated house. Lena - the young woman staying there - asks to go for a ride on his motorcycle. But, they crash. Rob wakes up in the hospital and one of his first questions is 'How is Lena '? And the answer is unexpected - there was no girl - he was found alone. But he knows that can't be true.....he remembers....or does he.....Rob is determined to track the girl down. His family is more concerned with his mental health - the family has suffered a recent tragedy.
Ewan weaves a tangled web of lies and deceit in Safe House. The plot went in directions I did not see coming at all - from environmental activists to a multinational oil conglomerate to the British Security Services, private investigators and more. Ewan definitely held my interest with this inventive plotline.
I quite enjoyed the character of Rob (and Rocky the dog!) Vance does a fantastic job bringing this character to life - the voice he used was 'real'. Rob came across as an honest everyman trying to make sense of a crazy situation. He just sounded trustworthy. There are plenty of players, but Simon Vance does an admirable job with creating a voice for every character, making each immediately identifiable. His accents are believable. Vance's voice is rich and resonant and easily communicates the action and tension of the story. He truly is one of my favourite readers.
Chris Ewan makes his home on the Isle of Man and uses this as the unique setting for Safe House. I was quite fascinated with the description of the island, the motorcycle races and that this is where the Manx cat originated.
This was a great introduction to a new to me author and a really entertaining listen.
Safe House opens up with a great opening gambit. Plumber Rob Hale is doing some heating work at an isolated house. Lena - the young woman staying there - asks to go for a ride on his motorcycle. But, they crash. Rob wakes up in the hospital and one of his first questions is 'How is Lena '? And the answer is unexpected - there was no girl - he was found alone. But he knows that can't be true.....he remembers....or does he.....Rob is determined to track the girl down. His family is more concerned with his mental health - the family has suffered a recent tragedy.
Ewan weaves a tangled web of lies and deceit in Safe House. The plot went in directions I did not see coming at all - from environmental activists to a multinational oil conglomerate to the British Security Services, private investigators and more. Ewan definitely held my interest with this inventive plotline.
I quite enjoyed the character of Rob (and Rocky the dog!) Vance does a fantastic job bringing this character to life - the voice he used was 'real'. Rob came across as an honest everyman trying to make sense of a crazy situation. He just sounded trustworthy. There are plenty of players, but Simon Vance does an admirable job with creating a voice for every character, making each immediately identifiable. His accents are believable. Vance's voice is rich and resonant and easily communicates the action and tension of the story. He truly is one of my favourite readers.
Chris Ewan makes his home on the Isle of Man and uses this as the unique setting for Safe House. I was quite fascinated with the description of the island, the motorcycle races and that this is where the Manx cat originated.
This was a great introduction to a new to me author and a really entertaining listen.
June 19, 2019
When I reached to 37th chapter I was honestly trying to like it. Since it's a debut novel I wanted to give the benefit of doubt to the author. But even with that I couldn't help to think that this is actually a Nancy Drew mystery. If I read this when I was a teenager I would have loved the story. But now it feels so predictable and dull. I could guess lot of things after I read couple of pages. Like his sister being a spy. Also the man claming to be Lena's father is filthy rich but he hire an amateur IT guy and a tattooed muscle guy who give up within seconds into the attack. The author thinks when he describes a person with tattoos and muscles we are ought to feel intimidated but I never felt that. Also the larky guy hiding in the mini bus with Rob and Rocky while not being discovered by them is hilarious. A dog can sniff and I feel really insulted to know that Rocky couldn't smell the man half a mile away. That's just an insult to all the golden retrievers. Also I can't think any damm good reason for Rebecca dialing the 999 caller and handing over all the information basically on a platter to the kidnappers. I thought she was supposed to Intelligent being an ex British Intelligence.
While reaching to the end of the story I was hoping for something make my time worthy. No it didn't get better. I think the twist was so mysterious I totally missed it. Anyway I felt the author wanted to give a thriller with speed and violence. With all the cool actions but he failed miserably. But since it's a debut novel I'll give him 2/5 to encourage him to write better novels. After all dead police woman (whose name I can't remember)was right about one thing. This is definitely a Nandy Drew adult version.
While reaching to the end of the story I was hoping for something make my time worthy. No it didn't get better. I think the twist was so mysterious I totally missed it. Anyway I felt the author wanted to give a thriller with speed and violence. With all the cool actions but he failed miserably. But since it's a debut novel I'll give him 2/5 to encourage him to write better novels. After all dead police woman (whose name I can't remember)was right about one thing. This is definitely a Nandy Drew adult version.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2012
Thriller based in the Isle of Man which reminded me of Linwood Barclay's books. Lots of twists and turns and gripping in parts.
''When Rob Hale wakes up in hospital after a motorcycle crash he is told that Lena, the woman he claims was travelling with him, doesn't exist. The woman he describes bears a striking resemblance to his recently deceased sister, Laura, but has he really only imagined her? Rob sets out to find the answers to who Lena is and where she has gone. He is aided by Rebecca Lewis, a London-based PI, who has come to the Isle of Man at the behest of his parents to investigate his sister's suicide. But who is Rebecca really and how did she know his sister? Together Rob and Rebecca follow the clues to discover who took Lena. In doing so they discover that even on an island where most people know each other, everyone hides a secret, and that sometimes your best option isn't to hide but to stay and fight.''
''When Rob Hale wakes up in hospital after a motorcycle crash he is told that Lena, the woman he claims was travelling with him, doesn't exist. The woman he describes bears a striking resemblance to his recently deceased sister, Laura, but has he really only imagined her? Rob sets out to find the answers to who Lena is and where she has gone. He is aided by Rebecca Lewis, a London-based PI, who has come to the Isle of Man at the behest of his parents to investigate his sister's suicide. But who is Rebecca really and how did she know his sister? Together Rob and Rebecca follow the clues to discover who took Lena. In doing so they discover that even on an island where most people know each other, everyone hides a secret, and that sometimes your best option isn't to hide but to stay and fight.''
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