The day that Emily loses her temp job as a receptionist isn’t her lowest moment. She liked the company, but it was just a temp job. Then she learns she’s getting evicted from her apartment. But it’s still okay. She has an audition set up, and if she nails it, she still has her acting career. She stops by her agent’s office on the way to the audition, for a little inspiration. And that’s when she learns that her agent is leaving London and the other agents aren’t absorbing her list.

Emily has no job, no home, no hope. And then she’s almost hit by a bus. That’s when she sees an angel. Scott, the owner of the company where she’d been a receptionist, appears before her. He rescues her from the street where she fell and ends up offering her a job.. He says it was a mistake that she got fired and offers her a new opportunity. His wife and daughter live in France. They bought an estate on the ocean, and they’re fixing it up. But his wife Nina is overwhelmed with everything that needs to be done and needs some help. Would Emily be interested in living on a French estate and being a housekeeper/grounds keeper/assistant to help Scott’s wife with whatever she needs?

Of course Emily says yes and goes to France. Instead of her tiny, dirty apartment in London, she spends her days at a beautiful French estate with lush gardens and a pool. Instead of temping or going on auditions for a role as an onion in a commercial, Emily spends her days cleaning and painting, learning to cook, and getting to know Emily and her daughter Aurelia. Aurelia is a sensitive child. Her skin reacts badly to sunlight, so they’re careful to keep her in long sleeves and floppy hats, making sure she wears sunscreen and takes her medicine.

There’s no Wi-Fi, but there’s a beautiful ocean right outside. Emily can’t get service on her phone, but she has the entire guesthouse all to herself. But as the days go by, she starts to feel like something isn’t quite right. Nina can be secretive, and Emily isn’t sure why. Scott never visits, so she can’t ask him. Emily is on her own to figure out what’s really going on, and to figure out if she’s in danger.

The Safe Place is a beautiful slow-burn thriller that gets under your skin and won’t let you go until you get to the end. Author Anna Downes has created a world where characters dance between truth and lies, between friendship and isolation, between fantasy and reality.

I loved The Safe Place. I couldn’t get enough of this novel. I loved these characters, and as the backstory slowly unfolded and everything started falling into place, I couldn’t put the book down until I knew how all the pieces came together. This is a wonderful thriller, and I highly recommend it.

E-galleys for The Safe Place were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.