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Safe and Sound
Don’t miss Philippa East’s gripping and suspenseful new novel, A GUILTY SECRET, available to pre-order now! ‘Tense’ Araminta Hall ‘Compelling’ Debbie Howells ‘Engrossing, twisty tale’ Nell Pattison But after three months go by without Sarah paying her rent, property manager Jenn enters the small London apartment to find a radio is playing, a small dining table set for three, and a decomposing body curled up on the sofa… How is it possible that almost a year went by before someone found Sarah? Who has been paying her rent? Who was she expecting for dinner the night she died? Jenn is determined to uncover the mystery but has demons of her own to contend with… A masterfully plotted, intelligent and emotionally riveting psychological thriller for fans of Sally Hepworth and Lisa Jewell. *************************************
Praise for SAFE AND SOUND
“[A]nother solid psychological thriller… Fully developed characters who behave realistically complement the twisty plot. East is a writer to watch.” – Publishers Weekly “An atmospheric, page-turning portrait of isolation and mental fragility combining heart-rending sensitivity with sock-it-to-'em twists.” – Helen Monks Takhar, author of Precious You “Taut, tantalizing suspense… Safe and Sound is gripping, spellbinding, and completely addictive.” – Samantha M. Bailey, author of USA Today and #1 national bestseller Woman on the Edge “Elegantly written with an effective blend of suspense and psychological insight. An extremely gripping read.” – Melanie Golding, author of Little Darlings “Such an original plot; a heart-breaking exploration of mental illness, loneliness and obsession, with characters who will stay with you long after you’ve read the final page.” – Jackie Kabler, USA Today bestselling author of The Perfect Couple What readers are saying about SAFE AND SOUND “Addictive and tense – one of the very best books I’ve read this year.” “This is the second novel I’ve read by this author, and they seem to get better every time.” “A remarkable novel… A deep and engrossing thriller that should be on everyone’s 2021 reading list.”
Praise for SAFE AND SOUND
“[A]nother solid psychological thriller… Fully developed characters who behave realistically complement the twisty plot. East is a writer to watch.” – Publishers Weekly “An atmospheric, page-turning portrait of isolation and mental fragility combining heart-rending sensitivity with sock-it-to-'em twists.” – Helen Monks Takhar, author of Precious You “Taut, tantalizing suspense… Safe and Sound is gripping, spellbinding, and completely addictive.” – Samantha M. Bailey, author of USA Today and #1 national bestseller Woman on the Edge “Elegantly written with an effective blend of suspense and psychological insight. An extremely gripping read.” – Melanie Golding, author of Little Darlings “Such an original plot; a heart-breaking exploration of mental illness, loneliness and obsession, with characters who will stay with you long after you’ve read the final page.” – Jackie Kabler, USA Today bestselling author of The Perfect Couple What readers are saying about SAFE AND SOUND “Addictive and tense – one of the very best books I’ve read this year.” “This is the second novel I’ve read by this author, and they seem to get better every time.” “A remarkable novel… A deep and engrossing thriller that should be on everyone’s 2021 reading list.”
352 pages, Paperback
First published February 18, 2021
174 people are currently reading
4032 people want to read
About the author
Philippa East
8 books194 followersPhilippa East is a fiction writer with HQ/HarperCollins and she also works as a clinical psychologist.
Philippa East grew up in Scotland before moving to Oxford and then London to train as a Clinical Psychologist. In 2015, she left the NHS to work in private practice and dedicate more hours to writing. The result was her debut LITTLE WHITE LIES, which was longlisted for The Guardian's Not-The-Booker Prize and shortlisted for the CWA "New Blood" Award for best debut of 2020.
Philippa’s has since released three further psychological thrillers: SAFE AND SOUND, I’LL NEVER TELL and A GUILTY SECRET. If you’ve read all of those, don’t worry! Philippa is already busy working on her next.
Philippa lives in the beautiful Lincolnshire countryside with her spouse and cat. She loves reading (of course!) and long country walks, and she also performs in a local folk duo called The Miracle Cure. Alongside her writing, Philippa continues to work as a psychologist and therapist.
You can find Philippa on Bluesky: @philippaeast.bluesky.social and on Facebook: @philippa_east_author. Also, don’t forget to click the “Follow” button on her Amazon Author page to keep up to date with Philippa’s book news and brand new releases.
Philippa East grew up in Scotland before moving to Oxford and then London to train as a Clinical Psychologist. In 2015, she left the NHS to work in private practice and dedicate more hours to writing. The result was her debut LITTLE WHITE LIES, which was longlisted for The Guardian's Not-The-Booker Prize and shortlisted for the CWA "New Blood" Award for best debut of 2020.
Philippa’s has since released three further psychological thrillers: SAFE AND SOUND, I’LL NEVER TELL and A GUILTY SECRET. If you’ve read all of those, don’t worry! Philippa is already busy working on her next.
Philippa lives in the beautiful Lincolnshire countryside with her spouse and cat. She loves reading (of course!) and long country walks, and she also performs in a local folk duo called The Miracle Cure. Alongside her writing, Philippa continues to work as a psychologist and therapist.
You can find Philippa on Bluesky: @philippaeast.bluesky.social and on Facebook: @philippa_east_author. Also, don’t forget to click the “Follow” button on her Amazon Author page to keep up to date with Philippa’s book news and brand new releases.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 245 reviews
April 8, 2021
In a small bedsit in Brixton a woman's body is found curled up on the couch, deceased. A table set for three and bottle of wine covered in dust sit on the table. The chain on the door is locked from the inside. It has taken 10 months to discover this woman.
Jenn is the woman that discovers her when her rent goes unpaid for more than three months.
Jenn has suffered from breakdowns in the past and after finding this woman she finds her anxiety and paranoia coming back. She becomes obsessed with finding out anything she can about this woman and why no family, no friends, no job ever noticed that she was missing.
Jenn is also a helicopter mom to her 8 year old son Charlie. She fears he is not developing the same as other kids his age. She worries constantly that there is something wrong with his brain. That he doesn't function the way he should be.
So what we have here is an unreliable narrator with memory issues and anxiety which means this is about 150-200 pages of her having panic attacks. Icy blood, blurred vision, dizzy head, churning stomach, and shivering limbs described on what seems like every page.
I was compelled enough to keep reading curious as I was to learn about the dead lonely woman and hoping for some kind of earth shattering twist but the grand reveals weren't very satisfying to me after wading through pages and pages of panic attacks. After turning the final page my first thought was...That's it? 2 stars!
Thanks to Edelweiss and HQ for my copy.
Jenn is the woman that discovers her when her rent goes unpaid for more than three months.
Jenn has suffered from breakdowns in the past and after finding this woman she finds her anxiety and paranoia coming back. She becomes obsessed with finding out anything she can about this woman and why no family, no friends, no job ever noticed that she was missing.
Jenn is also a helicopter mom to her 8 year old son Charlie. She fears he is not developing the same as other kids his age. She worries constantly that there is something wrong with his brain. That he doesn't function the way he should be.
So what we have here is an unreliable narrator with memory issues and anxiety which means this is about 150-200 pages of her having panic attacks. Icy blood, blurred vision, dizzy head, churning stomach, and shivering limbs described on what seems like every page.
I was compelled enough to keep reading curious as I was to learn about the dead lonely woman and hoping for some kind of earth shattering twist but the grand reveals weren't very satisfying to me after wading through pages and pages of panic attacks. After turning the final page my first thought was...That's it? 2 stars!
Thanks to Edelweiss and HQ for my copy.
November 18, 2020
Jennifer Arden is the manager of a Housing Association. Along with two bailiffs she goes to evict a tenant,Sarah Jones, for non- payment of rent. They make a horrifying discovery. The story is told partly by Jen as she investigates and partly from the past.
Although this is very well written with a really interesting plot the first part is a bit slow with Jen’s thoughts going round and round. However, after a while this all makes sense and the novel becomes intriguing and keeps the attention. The author drops tantalising little nuggets into the narrative and characters back stories emerge a piece at a time and makes you think. You feel Jen’s isolation, panic and social awkwardness although for a long time you don’t really understand it. The tension builds and there are some unexpected shocks along the way as lies built on fantasies emerge. The story is multilayered covering mental health issues as well as dysfunctional family relationships. Added into this mix is the burden of guilt as well as progress on Jen’s investigations into Sarah.
Overall, this is a thoughtful slow burner of a novel which I really enjoyed. Philippa East has a lot of talent and I look forward to reading her next book!
With thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the arc in return for an honest review.
Although this is very well written with a really interesting plot the first part is a bit slow with Jen’s thoughts going round and round. However, after a while this all makes sense and the novel becomes intriguing and keeps the attention. The author drops tantalising little nuggets into the narrative and characters back stories emerge a piece at a time and makes you think. You feel Jen’s isolation, panic and social awkwardness although for a long time you don’t really understand it. The tension builds and there are some unexpected shocks along the way as lies built on fantasies emerge. The story is multilayered covering mental health issues as well as dysfunctional family relationships. Added into this mix is the burden of guilt as well as progress on Jen’s investigations into Sarah.
Overall, this is a thoughtful slow burner of a novel which I really enjoyed. Philippa East has a lot of talent and I look forward to reading her next book!
With thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the arc in return for an honest review.
May 13, 2022
Jennifer knows she should have checked in months ago on Sarah, the housing tenant, but didn’t as she had her own issues to deal with at the time. Now she goes in with the bailiffs after repeated notices have been ignored . She finds a body. The body has been left to decay over 10 months and no one seems to have noticed the woman's absence. Yet the table is still set for three people. What could have happened to Sarah? Why did no one miss her?. Jenn is determined to find out. From all reports Sarah was a popular friendly girl. So how could she have ended up so alone and no-one reporting her missing?
Meanwhile single parent Jenn is keeping a close eye on her eight, nearly nine, year old son Charlie. Is he all right? Or are there issues with him that spark the temper tantrums and other problems that crop up from time to time. Should she seek help or is she worrying needlessly? Hints are dropped throughout as to Charlie and why Jenn is concerned, but it takes a long while before the reader finds out exactly what happened. There is also another story of the children, Prin and her cousin Jane that the narrative slips back to at times.
It took me a while to settle into this book. At first I found it a rather slow, depressing read as Jenn finds well worn remains of Sarah, ponders her own life and hovers over Charlie.This became repetitive and Jenn was not a particularly likable character. However, after a while, it started to get me in to find out what was going on and it turned into an interesting read that was quite cleverly written. This was my first book by this author and I would be interested to read another.
Meanwhile single parent Jenn is keeping a close eye on her eight, nearly nine, year old son Charlie. Is he all right? Or are there issues with him that spark the temper tantrums and other problems that crop up from time to time. Should she seek help or is she worrying needlessly? Hints are dropped throughout as to Charlie and why Jenn is concerned, but it takes a long while before the reader finds out exactly what happened. There is also another story of the children, Prin and her cousin Jane that the narrative slips back to at times.
It took me a while to settle into this book. At first I found it a rather slow, depressing read as Jenn finds well worn remains of Sarah, ponders her own life and hovers over Charlie.This became repetitive and Jenn was not a particularly likable character. However, after a while, it started to get me in to find out what was going on and it turned into an interesting read that was quite cleverly written. This was my first book by this author and I would be interested to read another.
February 10, 2021
In a small London bedsit, a radio is playing. A small dining table is set for three. Curled up on the sofa is a body. Jenn is the one who discovers the woman along with the bailiffs. All indications show that the tennant, Sarah Jones, was pretty, charismatic and full of life. So how is it possible that her body has lain undiscovered for teen months?
Jenn works for a housing association in South London. When she visits a tenants bedsit, dhe finds the body of Sarah Jones curled up on the couch and Jenn takes it on herself to find out how this could happen. But Jenn suffers with anxiety and the discovery of the body has exacerbatef it. Interwoven seamlessly into the story from the past of two young girls, Prin and Jane. We learn of their connestion later on in the story. The book flips back and forth telling the two women's struggle with their mental health. At times it can be hard to read but it's also intriguing.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #HQ and the author #PhilippaEast for my ARC #SafeAndSound in exchange for an honest review.
Jenn works for a housing association in South London. When she visits a tenants bedsit, dhe finds the body of Sarah Jones curled up on the couch and Jenn takes it on herself to find out how this could happen. But Jenn suffers with anxiety and the discovery of the body has exacerbatef it. Interwoven seamlessly into the story from the past of two young girls, Prin and Jane. We learn of their connestion later on in the story. The book flips back and forth telling the two women's struggle with their mental health. At times it can be hard to read but it's also intriguing.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #HQ and the author #PhilippaEast for my ARC #SafeAndSound in exchange for an honest review.
June 12, 2022
An entertaining psychological mystery, with an initial premise that completely drew me in.
The idea that Jenn who works for a property management company is obsessed with finding out the fate of young Sarah Jane who's body was eventually discovered only because she had defaulted on her rent payments becomes even more interesting when the reader learns why she wasn't found sooner.
Jenn's guilt of having not undertaken the safe checks drives the story, whilst her body was found near a table set for Three people - it also raised the question on why wasn't she discovered sooner?
This was my first read by this author and found it easy to connect to all the characters, whilst the additional flashback scenes concerning two children also added an extra layer of intrigue as to how everything would play out.
It was a little different to many books in the genre and the slow burning nature might put some people off, but I was curious to know how it would end.
The idea that Jenn who works for a property management company is obsessed with finding out the fate of young Sarah Jane who's body was eventually discovered only because she had defaulted on her rent payments becomes even more interesting when the reader learns why she wasn't found sooner.
Jenn's guilt of having not undertaken the safe checks drives the story, whilst her body was found near a table set for Three people - it also raised the question on why wasn't she discovered sooner?
This was my first read by this author and found it easy to connect to all the characters, whilst the additional flashback scenes concerning two children also added an extra layer of intrigue as to how everything would play out.
It was a little different to many books in the genre and the slow burning nature might put some people off, but I was curious to know how it would end.
January 21, 2021
This dark and twisty book was brilliantly written and at times I gasped at what I was reading as I couldn’t believe it. I just couldn’t put it down until I reached the end of the book. It was so so good I throughly enjoyed it and recommend it to everyone who enjoyed a thrilling read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
May 3, 2021
I read this book under false pretenses, believing it to be a work of crime fiction. After being disappointed, I went back over its listing on Amazon.com and found it advertised as a 'mystery' and a 'psychological thriller' as well a featuring a dead body, it does not actually claim to be a 'murder mystery'. There is a murder in the backstory, but it in no way figures in the plot of this book. I would classify it as a 'Bell Jar' - a story about a main character, the narrator, enduring psychological trauma. Jenn is a thirty-one year-old single mum (though she seems to evince the maturity of a teenager) obsessivly concerned with the welfare of her nine-year-old son Charlie. She is also a housing manager of some blocks of flats in south London, where one of tenants is discovered to have died unreported ten months ago. Jenn sets about finding out what happened to Sarah, whilst increasingly becoming more and more mentally disturbed herself. Frankly, I would have found the story contrived and unconvincing simply as a story about mental breakdown, but under the mistaken belief that it was a murder mystery, I felt that readers were cheated.
March 7, 2021
Jennifer Arden a manager of a Housing Association, goes to one of their property’s with two bailiffs. Tenant Sarah Jane has not paid her rent for several months and has ignored the final warnings she has been sent.
In the small flat they discover Sarah’s dead body on the sofa, it appears she has been dead for several months. As Jennifer looks around she sees the small table set with three places with wine and flowers laid out. How had this young woman not been missed by her family or friends!!
Jennifer a single mother to her son Charlie, suffers with anxiety and the discovery of Sarah’s body has exasperated it. Jennifer feels the need to find out more about the young woman and soon starts to piece together fragments of her life.
Interwoven into this book we meet two children who are cousins Prinn and Jane. We find out the connection to the main story later. Sounds intriguing? The timeline flips backwards and forwards.
This was such a great book. I loved how the two stories run parallel to each other but come together seamlessly at the end.
A gripping read that kept me turning the pages late into the night.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
In the small flat they discover Sarah’s dead body on the sofa, it appears she has been dead for several months. As Jennifer looks around she sees the small table set with three places with wine and flowers laid out. How had this young woman not been missed by her family or friends!!
Jennifer a single mother to her son Charlie, suffers with anxiety and the discovery of Sarah’s body has exasperated it. Jennifer feels the need to find out more about the young woman and soon starts to piece together fragments of her life.
Interwoven into this book we meet two children who are cousins Prinn and Jane. We find out the connection to the main story later. Sounds intriguing? The timeline flips backwards and forwards.
This was such a great book. I loved how the two stories run parallel to each other but come together seamlessly at the end.
A gripping read that kept me turning the pages late into the night.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
June 28, 2021
It's not often you hold your breath as you near the end of a book! I had no idea what was going to happen or who was who, especially when it seemed like no one was who they said they were. Eeeekkk.
Loved it.
I watched an interview with the author on Tamworth Book Club's Facebook page, which is how I found this book. And I'm so glad I did.
Definitely a 'whodunnit' more than a crime thriller, but definitely a psychological thriller - really messes with your head!
100% recommend.
Loved it.
I watched an interview with the author on Tamworth Book Club's Facebook page, which is how I found this book. And I'm so glad I did.
Definitely a 'whodunnit' more than a crime thriller, but definitely a psychological thriller - really messes with your head!
100% recommend.
October 25, 2021
This book was not the gritty crime thriller that I was anticipating. I did not experience any sense of tension or drama in this story, instead feeling like I was muddling through an awkward dream. The narrative did make me feel uncomfortable, but for all the wrong reasons.
The story begins with introducing the protagonist, Jenn. From the beginning, it is clear that she has a very unusual relationship with her son. I was questioning her behaviour and motives all throughout the story and came to the conclusion that it was her actions that made me feel so uncomfortable. The helicopter parenting that Jenn displays is painful to watch and I had anticipated that there was more to this than Jenn simply being protective. Her actions seem to have no boundaries, even going so far as to cause scenes at school, but at the same time she also displays a recklessness that I could not understand. It was this element of the plot that I disliked the most: Jenn’s erratic approach is a result of something deeper but, I was surprised that there had not been any intervention to dispel this.
Encountering a dead tenant at one of her company’s flats, Jenn takes it upon herself to investigate more about this person. With no friends or relatives attending the funeral, Jenn is shocked that someone departing this world could leave such little impact. Consequently, the story sees Jenn delving into this tenant’s connections and investigating more about them, as if she is trying to ease her own conscience. Despite readily meeting up with strangers, I found Jenn’s determination bordering on obsession and disliked how little thought was given to the consequences of her questions. It was a further irritation that I found towards the main character.
Over the story, the narrative switches back to a previous time frame where we see two little girls growing up together. Unfortunately, it didn’t take too much for me to piece together what was happening and how this connected to East’s main narrative. This significantly lessened the tension and the impact of the revelations as the novel reached its conclusion.
Yet, despite my misgivings, I felt I could not put this book down. I was drawn to Jenn as a character because she was so unpredictable. I wanted there to be more explanation for the estranged relationship she had with her parents, and I desired to see a more standard approach to her parenting. Therefore, I felt like I owed it to Jenn to finish the book to ensure that closure was reached at long last.
I was not bored with this story, merely disappointed. I think Jenn’s character dominated my attitude towards this book and, because I had such a dislike about many of her behaviours, this reduced my enjoyment of the novel. Not getting a feel for any gritty tension, I thought this story just plodded forwards, stumbling, like Jenn, on gradual answers about the mysterious tenant.
With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story begins with introducing the protagonist, Jenn. From the beginning, it is clear that she has a very unusual relationship with her son. I was questioning her behaviour and motives all throughout the story and came to the conclusion that it was her actions that made me feel so uncomfortable. The helicopter parenting that Jenn displays is painful to watch and I had anticipated that there was more to this than Jenn simply being protective. Her actions seem to have no boundaries, even going so far as to cause scenes at school, but at the same time she also displays a recklessness that I could not understand. It was this element of the plot that I disliked the most: Jenn’s erratic approach is a result of something deeper but, I was surprised that there had not been any intervention to dispel this.
Encountering a dead tenant at one of her company’s flats, Jenn takes it upon herself to investigate more about this person. With no friends or relatives attending the funeral, Jenn is shocked that someone departing this world could leave such little impact. Consequently, the story sees Jenn delving into this tenant’s connections and investigating more about them, as if she is trying to ease her own conscience. Despite readily meeting up with strangers, I found Jenn’s determination bordering on obsession and disliked how little thought was given to the consequences of her questions. It was a further irritation that I found towards the main character.
Over the story, the narrative switches back to a previous time frame where we see two little girls growing up together. Unfortunately, it didn’t take too much for me to piece together what was happening and how this connected to East’s main narrative. This significantly lessened the tension and the impact of the revelations as the novel reached its conclusion.
Yet, despite my misgivings, I felt I could not put this book down. I was drawn to Jenn as a character because she was so unpredictable. I wanted there to be more explanation for the estranged relationship she had with her parents, and I desired to see a more standard approach to her parenting. Therefore, I felt like I owed it to Jenn to finish the book to ensure that closure was reached at long last.
I was not bored with this story, merely disappointed. I think Jenn’s character dominated my attitude towards this book and, because I had such a dislike about many of her behaviours, this reduced my enjoyment of the novel. Not getting a feel for any gritty tension, I thought this story just plodded forwards, stumbling, like Jenn, on gradual answers about the mysterious tenant.
With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 19, 2021
There is nothing wrong with this book, but it didn’t grip me.
I listened to it as an audiobook and I always recognise that this can affect my rating rather than reading it in hard copy.
I felt a disconnection with the characters, each had their own troublesome pasts but I felt little relevance between the Jen, the main character and the deceased girl.
That’s not a spoiler, all psychological thrillers have a deceased person....
Jen is a housing manager and when she visits a property she finds the tenant dead, 10 months dead. The police don’t want to investigate it any further, but she feels a duty to find out what happened and why this girl had no one to find her.
I will say that I like the way it highlighted how traumatic events can change you. How the body and mind adapts and changes to manage, or try to forget about reality. A very poignant subject matter which is something that wouldn’t be thought about day to day.
I found the cause of death rather disappointing, a bit of an anti-climax. Not one of my favourites I’m afraid 🤷♀️
I listened to it as an audiobook and I always recognise that this can affect my rating rather than reading it in hard copy.
I felt a disconnection with the characters, each had their own troublesome pasts but I felt little relevance between the Jen, the main character and the deceased girl.
That’s not a spoiler, all psychological thrillers have a deceased person....
Jen is a housing manager and when she visits a property she finds the tenant dead, 10 months dead. The police don’t want to investigate it any further, but she feels a duty to find out what happened and why this girl had no one to find her.
I will say that I like the way it highlighted how traumatic events can change you. How the body and mind adapts and changes to manage, or try to forget about reality. A very poignant subject matter which is something that wouldn’t be thought about day to day.
I found the cause of death rather disappointing, a bit of an anti-climax. Not one of my favourites I’m afraid 🤷♀️
August 23, 2022
I didn’t realise before I started reading Safe And Sound that it was inspired by true events. This books is so incredibly well written I’m pretty sure I felt all the feels possible while reading.
Within the pages of this book there is kind of like 2 stories really, until the revelation when it all comes together leaving you 🤩🤯
The main story follows Jennifer, she’s a housing officer who has attended a property for a tenant who has fallen behind with rent. She doesn’t expect to find what she does, feeling upset and saddened by the situation she takes it upon herself to do a little investigating and find out what truly happened.
Don’t get me wrong, the story is so much more complex than I have given in my overview but I also don’t want to give anything away.
Along with the twists along the way, there is also a heavy mental health setting in this book which I found completely relevant, shocking but normal all at the same time. By the time I had finished reading this book, it really made me think about all the people I have known over the years, good friends and acquaintances who I no longer really speak to.
This story has a nice steady pace and is a really easy read, yet it is so enticing and keeps you needing to read just one more chapter – but the reality of it, is really, well, quite sad
This is definitely a book that I would recommend to just about anyone, regardless of their genre of choice.
Within the pages of this book there is kind of like 2 stories really, until the revelation when it all comes together leaving you 🤩🤯
The main story follows Jennifer, she’s a housing officer who has attended a property for a tenant who has fallen behind with rent. She doesn’t expect to find what she does, feeling upset and saddened by the situation she takes it upon herself to do a little investigating and find out what truly happened.
Don’t get me wrong, the story is so much more complex than I have given in my overview but I also don’t want to give anything away.
Along with the twists along the way, there is also a heavy mental health setting in this book which I found completely relevant, shocking but normal all at the same time. By the time I had finished reading this book, it really made me think about all the people I have known over the years, good friends and acquaintances who I no longer really speak to.
This story has a nice steady pace and is a really easy read, yet it is so enticing and keeps you needing to read just one more chapter – but the reality of it, is really, well, quite sad
This is definitely a book that I would recommend to just about anyone, regardless of their genre of choice.
March 12, 2021
I wasn't sure about this one. On the one hand, there's some glaring inaccuracies here - like protagonist Jenn, I work for a housing association and there's absolutely no way bailiffs are called in (without a court hearing!) for three months' unpaid rent. Neither can we enter flats at the drop of a hat, or access 'special registers' containing confidential information about random people. Relatives aren't liable for the outstanding rent of deceased tenants, and we don't take deposits, or have a mix of private and council tenants. On and on the inaccuracies go. This must be what a real-life see detective feels like when they watch a crime drama in TV. Just, no.
Housing association protocols aside, why is PC Delliers so informal? And wouldn't she be a detective? Why does a receptionist in a large hospital immediately know a member of staff, where to find him without checking, then direct a stranger to the children's ward where he works without so much as a by-your-leave? Why are teachers letting children go home with complete strangers? Was this book researched at all?
And while we're at it - why do so many major plot twists (indeed, the whole crux of the book) hinge on outlandish coincidence after outlandish coincidence? And why is the author so obsessed with body parts - saliva glands cramping, hearts pummelling, lungs being pressed, stomachs rumbling? Is it an attempt to inject a visceral urgency?
However. Underneath all that, there's a heartbreaking tale about loneliness (particularly in a big city, arguably one of the loneliest places of all). There's also an incredibly sympathetically written narrative about mental health and how fragile the mind is. Jenn's spiral into obsession is sensitively and deftly handled, powerful and affecting.
Safe and Sound isn't quite sure what it wants to be - there's a few capably rendered twists but it doesn't feel like a thriller, while it's not really dark enough to fall into domestic noir territory. Not that defying genre is necessarily a bad thing. Characters are a little thinly drawn - it's as if all the energy was taken creating Jenn and there wasn't much left for anyone else.
All in all, not a bad read. As long as you don't work in social housing.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Housing association protocols aside, why is PC Delliers so informal? And wouldn't she be a detective? Why does a receptionist in a large hospital immediately know a member of staff, where to find him without checking, then direct a stranger to the children's ward where he works without so much as a by-your-leave? Why are teachers letting children go home with complete strangers? Was this book researched at all?
And while we're at it - why do so many major plot twists (indeed, the whole crux of the book) hinge on outlandish coincidence after outlandish coincidence? And why is the author so obsessed with body parts - saliva glands cramping, hearts pummelling, lungs being pressed, stomachs rumbling? Is it an attempt to inject a visceral urgency?
However. Underneath all that, there's a heartbreaking tale about loneliness (particularly in a big city, arguably one of the loneliest places of all). There's also an incredibly sympathetically written narrative about mental health and how fragile the mind is. Jenn's spiral into obsession is sensitively and deftly handled, powerful and affecting.
Safe and Sound isn't quite sure what it wants to be - there's a few capably rendered twists but it doesn't feel like a thriller, while it's not really dark enough to fall into domestic noir territory. Not that defying genre is necessarily a bad thing. Characters are a little thinly drawn - it's as if all the energy was taken creating Jenn and there wasn't much left for anyone else.
All in all, not a bad read. As long as you don't work in social housing.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 29, 2021
3-3.5 Stars
This story is about Jenn, who is a housing manager for the housing association in London? I think it was London. One day, in doing her typical work stuff, she goes to the apartment of Sarah Jones whom they haven’t received rent payment from in 3 months. When they enter the apartment, they don’t find what they are expecting, instead what they find is a dead body. And not a 3-month old dead body but rather a 10-month old dead body. How did no one know that Sarah had died? What happened to her? She seemed to be young and happy so no one can understand why no family or next of kin can be found. Especially considering when they went into Sarah’s apartment, they found a completely fully set table for 3.
The story that occurs from there takes turns from being in Jenn’s POV and a young about 8-year old girl named Prin. For most of the story we aren’t told how these POVs are related. I can’t say I figured it out immediately, but I did figure it out prior to the reveal. Jenn’s head was extremely difficult to be inside of. Jenn has some pretty severe anxiety disorders, mostly revolving around her son Charlie and an incident that occurred when he was just a baby. Having extreme anxiety of my own it was really difficult dealing with Jenn’s irrational feelings and fears throughout because it triggered my own anxiety. Not necessarily anxiety over the things she was freaking out about, but just that her as a person was giving me anxiety. I think that may have been one of the main reasons I just couldn’t fully get into this book. I just wanted it to be over most of the time, so much did I dislike Jenn. I think I also anticipated this book being more of a mystery than it was. As it were, it seemed to me to be more of a character study whereby the mystery is just a catalyst for us to experience Jenn’s life and her troubles.
All in all it wasn’t bad, but isn’t something I would come back to.
ARC from HQ via Edelweiss
This story is about Jenn, who is a housing manager for the housing association in London? I think it was London. One day, in doing her typical work stuff, she goes to the apartment of Sarah Jones whom they haven’t received rent payment from in 3 months. When they enter the apartment, they don’t find what they are expecting, instead what they find is a dead body. And not a 3-month old dead body but rather a 10-month old dead body. How did no one know that Sarah had died? What happened to her? She seemed to be young and happy so no one can understand why no family or next of kin can be found. Especially considering when they went into Sarah’s apartment, they found a completely fully set table for 3.
The story that occurs from there takes turns from being in Jenn’s POV and a young about 8-year old girl named Prin. For most of the story we aren’t told how these POVs are related. I can’t say I figured it out immediately, but I did figure it out prior to the reveal. Jenn’s head was extremely difficult to be inside of. Jenn has some pretty severe anxiety disorders, mostly revolving around her son Charlie and an incident that occurred when he was just a baby. Having extreme anxiety of my own it was really difficult dealing with Jenn’s irrational feelings and fears throughout because it triggered my own anxiety. Not necessarily anxiety over the things she was freaking out about, but just that her as a person was giving me anxiety. I think that may have been one of the main reasons I just couldn’t fully get into this book. I just wanted it to be over most of the time, so much did I dislike Jenn. I think I also anticipated this book being more of a mystery than it was. As it were, it seemed to me to be more of a character study whereby the mystery is just a catalyst for us to experience Jenn’s life and her troubles.
All in all it wasn’t bad, but isn’t something I would come back to.
ARC from HQ via Edelweiss
September 6, 2021
The protagonist, Jenn, is a wholly unlikeable, unreliable narrator who’s hell-bent on getting involved in the death of one of her tenants (who, by the way, she never did a mandated inspection for when she was having yet another mental breakdown). It becomes clear through the book that she is mentally ill, perpetrated some sort of abuse on her son when he was younger (that she rightfully worries resulted in permanent effects) and continues to mentally abuse him (purposefully setting him off, at one point DRUGGING HIM ALL WEEKEND after she makes an ass out of herself at the birthday party her child is attending).
The most disturbing thing to me is that she never actually gets treatment and somehow all of her problems are magically solved at the end of the book. As a former therapist, there’s no way someone with issues of that severity would just be fine without some serious therapy and likely some medication. She would also benefit from some parenting classes.
If you can’t tell, I’m not a fan of this book. It was so slow…didn’t have too much of a story, and the main character was completely unreliable.
The most disturbing thing to me is that she never actually gets treatment and somehow all of her problems are magically solved at the end of the book. As a former therapist, there’s no way someone with issues of that severity would just be fine without some serious therapy and likely some medication. She would also benefit from some parenting classes.
If you can’t tell, I’m not a fan of this book. It was so slow…didn’t have too much of a story, and the main character was completely unreliable.
October 31, 2020
Philippa East’s second novel was a hugely enjoyable read, right up my street.
Single mother Jenn is clearly suffering from anxiety issues in regard to her son Charlie, and struggling with life in general. When, in her job as a housing manager, she finds the body of a young woman who has lain undiscovered for months, it hits her understandably hard. Jenn just can’t understand how Sarah’s life can have ended in this way, with apparently no-one to miss her or even notice her absence, and sets out to learn more.
Meanwhile we also hear about two young girls, Prin and Jane, whose real identities are opaque for most of the story.
There’s a lot of themes in this book - mental health, grief, loneliness, toxic family relationships. In addition, I always enjoy stories where someone (whether it’s the police, a PI or, as in this case, an ordinary person) is investigating and digging into something, maybe because it’s a bit like my day job! All in all a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I look forward to Philippa’s next book.
Single mother Jenn is clearly suffering from anxiety issues in regard to her son Charlie, and struggling with life in general. When, in her job as a housing manager, she finds the body of a young woman who has lain undiscovered for months, it hits her understandably hard. Jenn just can’t understand how Sarah’s life can have ended in this way, with apparently no-one to miss her or even notice her absence, and sets out to learn more.
Meanwhile we also hear about two young girls, Prin and Jane, whose real identities are opaque for most of the story.
There’s a lot of themes in this book - mental health, grief, loneliness, toxic family relationships. In addition, I always enjoy stories where someone (whether it’s the police, a PI or, as in this case, an ordinary person) is investigating and digging into something, maybe because it’s a bit like my day job! All in all a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I look forward to Philippa’s next book.
July 1, 2021
At first, I found the story hard to get into but after the first 100 pages or so I just wanted to find out what happened. The book is told in duel perspective and I enjoyed Prin’s pov more than I did Jenn’s. I wish I had more scenes with Prin and Jane and got to see more of their relationship. I did like the storyline of Jenn and her son Charlie, it added an aspect to the story that made me want to keep reading compared the mystery of the body found in the flat.
Overall, I liked the story but I finished wanting more and feeling unsatisfied with how it all wrapped up.
Overall, I liked the story but I finished wanting more and feeling unsatisfied with how it all wrapped up.
June 18, 2022
Overall a good read. The storyline didn’t blow me away but I did want to continue reading to find out what happens. I like that there is also an element of it when the girls were children and that helped to keep the plot going for me.
February 18, 2021
Wow this book left me utterly breathless, the speed in which I read it shocked me, I just wanted to find out what had happened. This is a very engaging story that left me shocked by the ending. It was an absolutely brilliant story line and the characters were all brilliant, it kept me guessing till the end and the ending made me say oh my god. I liked how it felt as though two stories were running alongside each other, Jenn's story but also Sarah's story. It was an intriguing tale that I just didn't want to put down. I feel as though this book is going to be a major hit next year. It would make a good film.
February 19, 2021
‘Safe and Sound’ -Phillipa East
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️ Detailed descriptions of the feelings associated with Anxiety, Postnatal depression, and Thanatophobia ⚠️
“I shiver. A cloud passes over the sun, and sunlight and shade blur in its shadow. How easily it can happen, I think. To layer one reality over another. How powerful the mind is. How fragile.”
Delicately, East explores the dichotomy of the autonomy our brain function has over us and how, in particular, it can respond to trauma; both equally powerful and fragile in its own right. How do we, as humans actively begin the process to heal from trauma?
For Jen, discovering the deceased body of tenant Sarah, sparks an obsession with solving her murder. Jen’s negligence didn’t cause the death but the guilt drives her to the brink of sanity. This novel explores the trials and tribulations of mental health and how this can deteriorate at a moments notice, without prejudice.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for this ARC.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️ Detailed descriptions of the feelings associated with Anxiety, Postnatal depression, and Thanatophobia ⚠️
“I shiver. A cloud passes over the sun, and sunlight and shade blur in its shadow. How easily it can happen, I think. To layer one reality over another. How powerful the mind is. How fragile.”
Delicately, East explores the dichotomy of the autonomy our brain function has over us and how, in particular, it can respond to trauma; both equally powerful and fragile in its own right. How do we, as humans actively begin the process to heal from trauma?
For Jen, discovering the deceased body of tenant Sarah, sparks an obsession with solving her murder. Jen’s negligence didn’t cause the death but the guilt drives her to the brink of sanity. This novel explores the trials and tribulations of mental health and how this can deteriorate at a moments notice, without prejudice.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for this ARC.
February 11, 2021
At the beginning of Safe and Sound, Jennifer discovers the body of a young woman in a flat she manages. The woman has laid there undiscovered for almost a year and Jennifer soon discovers a lie she told last summer has caused Sarah, the deceased woman, to lay undiscovered for so long. Fuelled by guilt, Jennifer is determined to find out what happened to Sarah.
Safe and sound is a book which draws the reader in immediately as you wonder how a woman so young and popular could go unmissed for almost a year. The story unfolds with two narratives - Jennifer who is trying to find out more about Sarah’s life and then chapters set in the past which feature Prin and Jane, two young girls on their school summer holidays.
In each narrative there is plenty on intrigue to begin with, with hints of secrets and past trauma. These hints are repeatedly given throughout the book but you actually learn very little until you are at the end of the book, which was really frustrating.
Jennifer is not a likeable character. She becomes obsessed with finding all she can about Sarah’s life and the actions she takes are often uncomfortable and cringeworthy reading. Her decline in mental health is written well and means that I suspected both her and every other character in the book in having a hand in Sarah’s death.
Despite the slow pace in the middle and the unreliable, irritating main character, I really wanted to know what happened to Sarah and how the two narratives would be linked, so I read into the early hours to finish the book.
I am afraid to say the ending was not worth the wait. The answers to the mystery seemed far fetched and flimsy and I feel there were unanswered questions about the plot too.
This is less a murder mystery and more about women who are lonely and the impact it has on their health. It’s a great concept for a story but it fell flat for me.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley and HQ publishing for the opportunity to review and advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion.
Safe and sound is a book which draws the reader in immediately as you wonder how a woman so young and popular could go unmissed for almost a year. The story unfolds with two narratives - Jennifer who is trying to find out more about Sarah’s life and then chapters set in the past which feature Prin and Jane, two young girls on their school summer holidays.
In each narrative there is plenty on intrigue to begin with, with hints of secrets and past trauma. These hints are repeatedly given throughout the book but you actually learn very little until you are at the end of the book, which was really frustrating.
Jennifer is not a likeable character. She becomes obsessed with finding all she can about Sarah’s life and the actions she takes are often uncomfortable and cringeworthy reading. Her decline in mental health is written well and means that I suspected both her and every other character in the book in having a hand in Sarah’s death.
Despite the slow pace in the middle and the unreliable, irritating main character, I really wanted to know what happened to Sarah and how the two narratives would be linked, so I read into the early hours to finish the book.
I am afraid to say the ending was not worth the wait. The answers to the mystery seemed far fetched and flimsy and I feel there were unanswered questions about the plot too.
This is less a murder mystery and more about women who are lonely and the impact it has on their health. It’s a great concept for a story but it fell flat for me.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley and HQ publishing for the opportunity to review and advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion.
December 26, 2020
In Philippa East’s second novel based in Brixton, Jennifer Arden is a housing manager who is due to evict a tenant for non payment of rent. Alarm bells start ringing when together with the bailiffs, Jenn is unable to gain entry into the property despite their belief the tenant is inside. With the help of the police a shocking discovery is made, the nature of which disturbs Jenn’s fragile equilibrium, setting her off on a path to determine how a young woman could end up so isolated and alone, apparently no one concerned for her whereabouts. In a bid to assuage her guilt over her own role in this discovery , Jenn’s rush to uncover the mystery surrounding the life of Sarah causes her to confront her own state of mind potentially triggering a decline in her own wellbeing.
I was immediately hooked by the opening pages, wondering what the possibly unreliable narrator, Jennifer Arden is hiding and what is causing her so much anxiety and tension. I didn’t trust her from the outset concerned by the allusions to trouble in her personal life that has interfered with her professional conduct. I questioned how the discovery of a dead tenant would impact on this seemingly fragile character and its relevance and potential connection to another storyline, belonging to the past, which unfolds alongside the current one. As for her son Charlie, I was constantly trying to understand why his mother is intent on wrapping him up in cotton wool to the extent I feared for his welfare. Is Jennifer a doting if anxious single mother with Charlie’s best interests at heart or does her overly cautious protection hide another side to her?
The format is unoriginal in the way it switches between the past and the present but my impression is that it’s well executed and I was equally invested in how the events in this dual timeline are connected. This is a clever storyline in which the lines between fantasy and reality are well and truly blurred. I simply did not know who or what to believe, convinced there are numerous characters suffering from the same problem. Who is the fantasist here? Or is there more than one individual who prefers to live in the land of make believe? This novel is definitely one to give your brain cells a rigorous workout! I felt I was on a merry go round spinning faster and faster, the author’s attempts to disorientate me entirely successful. Just like the zoetrope in which images blur into an alternative reality, details of Jennifer Arden’s life in the present and those of Prin and Jane in the past become so entwined as to become indistinguishable. The relevance of this toy to both the past and the present is quite intriguing and an ingenious way to explore the complexities of minds that can be both powerful and fragile at the same time. With the introduction of every new character, I questioned their motives towards helping Jenn and their relationship to the deceased,unable to distinguish between who is friend and who is foe. I certainly never anticipated the twist towards the end!
Having read this author’s debut novel Little White Lies I was expecting great things from this author and I wasn’t disappointed. Safe and Sound is suspenseful and I sped through it desperate to make sense of the two presumably related storylines, patiently awaiting the reveals that would explain the connection and satisfy my curiosity. I thoroughly enjoyed revelling in the complexities of this storyline where madness and paranoia are waiting to ambush those unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Highly recommend. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.
I was immediately hooked by the opening pages, wondering what the possibly unreliable narrator, Jennifer Arden is hiding and what is causing her so much anxiety and tension. I didn’t trust her from the outset concerned by the allusions to trouble in her personal life that has interfered with her professional conduct. I questioned how the discovery of a dead tenant would impact on this seemingly fragile character and its relevance and potential connection to another storyline, belonging to the past, which unfolds alongside the current one. As for her son Charlie, I was constantly trying to understand why his mother is intent on wrapping him up in cotton wool to the extent I feared for his welfare. Is Jennifer a doting if anxious single mother with Charlie’s best interests at heart or does her overly cautious protection hide another side to her?
The format is unoriginal in the way it switches between the past and the present but my impression is that it’s well executed and I was equally invested in how the events in this dual timeline are connected. This is a clever storyline in which the lines between fantasy and reality are well and truly blurred. I simply did not know who or what to believe, convinced there are numerous characters suffering from the same problem. Who is the fantasist here? Or is there more than one individual who prefers to live in the land of make believe? This novel is definitely one to give your brain cells a rigorous workout! I felt I was on a merry go round spinning faster and faster, the author’s attempts to disorientate me entirely successful. Just like the zoetrope in which images blur into an alternative reality, details of Jennifer Arden’s life in the present and those of Prin and Jane in the past become so entwined as to become indistinguishable. The relevance of this toy to both the past and the present is quite intriguing and an ingenious way to explore the complexities of minds that can be both powerful and fragile at the same time. With the introduction of every new character, I questioned their motives towards helping Jenn and their relationship to the deceased,unable to distinguish between who is friend and who is foe. I certainly never anticipated the twist towards the end!
Having read this author’s debut novel Little White Lies I was expecting great things from this author and I wasn’t disappointed. Safe and Sound is suspenseful and I sped through it desperate to make sense of the two presumably related storylines, patiently awaiting the reveals that would explain the connection and satisfy my curiosity. I thoroughly enjoyed revelling in the complexities of this storyline where madness and paranoia are waiting to ambush those unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Highly recommend. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.
May 22, 2021
A painful and disturbing story inspired by a true-life incident, this book was hard to read and hard to put down.
Jennifer Arden, mother of eight-year old Charlie and manager of a housing association, is shocked beyond words to find the body of one of the tenants, Sarah Jones, when she goes to evict her, for not having paid rent for a couple of months. What is worse, Sarah has been dead for almost a year and was left undiscovered all this time. An introvert prone to severe anxiety attacks, Jennifer is beside herself, considering her own negligence that contributed to the body going unnoticed for this long. Jennifer is baffled that the vivacious and outgoing Sarah's presence was not missed. Where were her friends and family? Who were the dinner guests that Sarah was expecting? Jennifer steps out of her own comfort zone in a bid to find answers to all these questions plaguing her, in the process upping the ante of her anxiety levels.
The story is narrated from Jennifer's POV with occassional flashbacks of a nine-year-old child, Prin and her cousin, Jane. Though at first it is unclear how they are related, the two stories converge towards the end. I believe this plot was less psychological thriller and more of a tribute to mental health awareness. Jennifer's loneliness, paranoia and anxiety leaps out at you from the pages.
The writing style was pretty intense, so much so that it should come with a trigger warning. Issues such as depression, anxiety, delusions etc are addressed in an empathetic manner, without sounding too preachy. It drives home the point on how important it is to look out for and reach out to our fellow man, especially during these times of social distancing, because you never know what personal struggle each person is battling in their own mind.
Overall, a well-written book that was unfortunately too depressing because of the subject matter; nevertheless a story that needs telling, if only to break the stigma that surrounds it even at this day and age.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Jennifer Arden, mother of eight-year old Charlie and manager of a housing association, is shocked beyond words to find the body of one of the tenants, Sarah Jones, when she goes to evict her, for not having paid rent for a couple of months. What is worse, Sarah has been dead for almost a year and was left undiscovered all this time. An introvert prone to severe anxiety attacks, Jennifer is beside herself, considering her own negligence that contributed to the body going unnoticed for this long. Jennifer is baffled that the vivacious and outgoing Sarah's presence was not missed. Where were her friends and family? Who were the dinner guests that Sarah was expecting? Jennifer steps out of her own comfort zone in a bid to find answers to all these questions plaguing her, in the process upping the ante of her anxiety levels.
The story is narrated from Jennifer's POV with occassional flashbacks of a nine-year-old child, Prin and her cousin, Jane. Though at first it is unclear how they are related, the two stories converge towards the end. I believe this plot was less psychological thriller and more of a tribute to mental health awareness. Jennifer's loneliness, paranoia and anxiety leaps out at you from the pages.
The writing style was pretty intense, so much so that it should come with a trigger warning. Issues such as depression, anxiety, delusions etc are addressed in an empathetic manner, without sounding too preachy. It drives home the point on how important it is to look out for and reach out to our fellow man, especially during these times of social distancing, because you never know what personal struggle each person is battling in their own mind.
Overall, a well-written book that was unfortunately too depressing because of the subject matter; nevertheless a story that needs telling, if only to break the stigma that surrounds it even at this day and age.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 23, 2021
Safe and Sound by Philippa East is a beautifully written and totally captivating story and I was transfixed from the outset.
Housing Association manager Jennifer Arden, along with two bailiffs, is on her way to evict a tenant, Sarah Jones from a bedsit in Brixton, south London. Sarah hasn't been paying her rent, but when they arrive at the property, they can't gain access, even though they believe Sarah is inside as a radio is playing. The police are called and Jenn makes a shocking discovery, one which sets off her anxiety, forcing her to look into how an apparently popular and cheerful woman can lay dead in a flat, undiscovered for ten months.
This delightfully compelling story alternates between past and present and is told entirely from Jenn's perspective. The reader is provided with the opportunity to get right inside Jenn's head as she interprets events while running from her own past. As her thoughts churn around and around, my own contemplations and attention are kept focused with Philippa East's soupçons of information dropped into the narrative, hither and thither. The author has written this cleverly constructed tale complete with realistic and believable characters, and a winsome plot. Anxiety-sufferer Jenn has an eight-year-old son Charlie and they live an insular life. Philippa East's portrayal of Jenn made for a claustrophobic, tense but engrossing read.
Safe and Sound is a cracking novel and the author continues to wow me with her tremendous talent. I'm tickled pink that I had an opportunity to read this book, and I will certainly be keeping an eye out for future releases from Philippa East. I recommend this family-drama-style, emotional thriller with confidence.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from HQ via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
Housing Association manager Jennifer Arden, along with two bailiffs, is on her way to evict a tenant, Sarah Jones from a bedsit in Brixton, south London. Sarah hasn't been paying her rent, but when they arrive at the property, they can't gain access, even though they believe Sarah is inside as a radio is playing. The police are called and Jenn makes a shocking discovery, one which sets off her anxiety, forcing her to look into how an apparently popular and cheerful woman can lay dead in a flat, undiscovered for ten months.
This delightfully compelling story alternates between past and present and is told entirely from Jenn's perspective. The reader is provided with the opportunity to get right inside Jenn's head as she interprets events while running from her own past. As her thoughts churn around and around, my own contemplations and attention are kept focused with Philippa East's soupçons of information dropped into the narrative, hither and thither. The author has written this cleverly constructed tale complete with realistic and believable characters, and a winsome plot. Anxiety-sufferer Jenn has an eight-year-old son Charlie and they live an insular life. Philippa East's portrayal of Jenn made for a claustrophobic, tense but engrossing read.
Safe and Sound is a cracking novel and the author continues to wow me with her tremendous talent. I'm tickled pink that I had an opportunity to read this book, and I will certainly be keeping an eye out for future releases from Philippa East. I recommend this family-drama-style, emotional thriller with confidence.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from HQ via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
February 20, 2021
Home can be the most dangerous place…
Jenn is the Housing Manager for her local council in Brixton, London, she is also a single parent to Charlie who is nine years old. She has been tasked with evicting one of the Association's tenants who hasn't paid rent for the last few months, but on arrival at the flat, with the bailiffs, she makes a gruesome discovery. Sarah Jones appeared to live a happy and sociable life, so why had her body not been discovered before now? Jenn decides to investigate further, determined to unearth what happened, but it takes its toll when she's dealing with her own issues at the same time.
Safe and Sound is a slow burner, told across two timelines, with well portrayed characters that are struggling due to issues with mental health, isolation and dysfunctional families. It's an intriguing tale with many twists and once it got going and the clues began to slot together it was a thoroughly enjoyable read.
I'd like to thank HQ and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads and Amazon.
Jenn is the Housing Manager for her local council in Brixton, London, she is also a single parent to Charlie who is nine years old. She has been tasked with evicting one of the Association's tenants who hasn't paid rent for the last few months, but on arrival at the flat, with the bailiffs, she makes a gruesome discovery. Sarah Jones appeared to live a happy and sociable life, so why had her body not been discovered before now? Jenn decides to investigate further, determined to unearth what happened, but it takes its toll when she's dealing with her own issues at the same time.
Safe and Sound is a slow burner, told across two timelines, with well portrayed characters that are struggling due to issues with mental health, isolation and dysfunctional families. It's an intriguing tale with many twists and once it got going and the clues began to slot together it was a thoroughly enjoyable read.
I'd like to thank HQ and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads and Amazon.
May 16, 2022
Haunting
August 31, 2022
Having read and loved Philippa East's debut novel, Little White Lies, I was so looking forward to reading Safe and Sound. I loved it even more! As a psychologist, East is a master at weaving stories of the psyche - something I am fascinated in. In this compelling novel, as more and more of protagonist Jenn's life and fragile mind is revealed, the tension continuously ratchets up as we learn more and more about her own life and that of the woman, Sarah Jones, whose body is found alone in her flat months after she died. This is a page-turning thriller, but also much more than that. It is a fascinating story of loneliness, the fragility of the human mind and complexity of relationships. I find myself thinking of it long after I finished reading it and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys thought-provoking thrillers.
June 3, 2021
I struggled with this book and started it a while ago but couldnt get into it as it was quite a slow burn to start with. Finally got back into it and I am glad I finished it as it was quite interesting and got better.
I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.
I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.
March 24, 2021
Jenn is a housing manager who discovers one of her tenants has lain dead in her flat for 10 months and nobody missed her. The woman, Sarah Jones, seemed to be a happy and sociable young woman and so Jenn decides to try to find out what happened, whilst also dealing with her own issues.
This is a slow burner which grew on me throughout the book. It is beautifully written on two timelines with two different stories, and it isn't until the very end of the book that we discover how the two stories are linked. The book deals with the difficult subject of mental health, and how quickly it can deteriorate with catastrophic consequences. This is a gripping and heartbreaking thriller that deserves a read or listen.
I really enjoyed the narration by Josephine Arden.
This is a slow burner which grew on me throughout the book. It is beautifully written on two timelines with two different stories, and it isn't until the very end of the book that we discover how the two stories are linked. The book deals with the difficult subject of mental health, and how quickly it can deteriorate with catastrophic consequences. This is a gripping and heartbreaking thriller that deserves a read or listen.
I really enjoyed the narration by Josephine Arden.
July 2, 2021
Ugh.
Okay, so I read this one really quickly because I wanted it over and done with.
The story is about a woman who lives alone with her almost 9 year old son. One of the tenants that she looks after is about to be evicted, only when they go to evict the tenant they find her dead... and dead for a while too.
The story seemed really familiar to me, and I was sure I had read this before but it just turned out to be predictable!
Anyway, as I said I rushed through it because I wanted to get it over and done with. The whole book left a little to be desired, not enough was given to keep me interested, but at the same time too much was given to make me care about the characters and only encouraged my distrust of the main character to the point where I was sure she was hurting her child.
Anyway, another convenient ending where everyone got a happyish ending and nobody had any real consequences for their actions.
Okay, so I read this one really quickly because I wanted it over and done with.
The story is about a woman who lives alone with her almost 9 year old son. One of the tenants that she looks after is about to be evicted, only when they go to evict the tenant they find her dead... and dead for a while too.
The story seemed really familiar to me, and I was sure I had read this before but it just turned out to be predictable!
Anyway, as I said I rushed through it because I wanted to get it over and done with. The whole book left a little to be desired, not enough was given to keep me interested, but at the same time too much was given to make me care about the characters and only encouraged my distrust of the main character to the point where I was sure she was hurting her child.
Anyway, another convenient ending where everyone got a happyish ending and nobody had any real consequences for their actions.
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