Safe at Home: The gripping, twisty domestic thriller you won’t be able to put down

Safe at Home is the type of book that can easily be read in one sitting. This is the first book by Lauren North which I’ve read, and it certainly won’t be the last. The tension is there right from the first page, and it builds and builds as the story develops. This is one of the most gripping books I’ve read this year!There is so much intrigue in this book. The most fascinating character for me, was eleven-year-old Harrie. There is so much mystery surrounding her, and I wanted to get to the bottom of what was going on in her life. We know something is up, right at the very start, when on Halloween, Harrie doesn’t return from trick or treating. This creates panic, but before we find out what has happened to Harrie we’re taken back to ten days earlier. Ten days before Halloween Harrie’s mother, Anna has left her at home for what should be just a few moments. But they are caught in a devastating accident and something terrible happens at home.I thought both Harrie and Anna’s voice came through very strongly in the book. You can feel the tension in Anna’s voice as she speaks, and you can see just how anxious she is. This did very well in adding to the tension. Harrie doesn’t let on at all about what is bothering her, and you can see just how scared she is.My opinion of Harrie kept changing as I was reading. One moment I was feeling sorry for her and hoping that things would get better for her, but then I couldn’t believe how she was treating her mother. I thought at times that she was being selfish. I liked this as it kept me interested in Harrie and what she was going through.I really had no idea how things were going to pan out for Harrie and Anna. It’s what kept me hooked as I was reading. The plot is so well thought out and when Lauren North revealed what was really going on, I thought it was done in a very clever way. The final revelations were so shocking, and I could not believe what I was reading.This is psychological suspense at its very best. I flew through this book. Now I’m desperate to catch up on Lauren North’s previous novels. If you’re looking for a pacy, addictive thriller, then I highly recommend Safe at Home. I could not put it down!

This is a gripping and quick read. Some of the characters were a bit damp but overall, they were well written.The book is fast paced and engaging. There are some back and forth chapters between interviews and events which can be a little frustrating. However, I found it moved along enough to be ok.Some things are a bit unbelievable but it is a work of fiction after all!A great read and perfect to read on the beach for the summer!

Wow didn't expect that, really brilliant won't go into detail the ending is a surprise, loved it.

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Leaving your child at home by themselves for the first time is a difficult day, but for Anna it backfires when she returns to find Harrie covered in bruises and acting withdrawn. Something has happened and Anna needs to work out what, but nobody seems to be helping. Her kids aren’t talking, her husband is off the grid, her friend Dean isn’t answering his phone… and are her “friends” really all that genuine?I identified with Anna (our protagonist) on many levels; she’s my age raising three girls the same ages as mine. She’s the primary caregiver of those kids and she’s an anxious parent trying to juggle everything.Due to the way this book is written, with the chapters chopping and changing, the information being vague and drip-fed to the reader very gradually, the first half of the book is very confusing. You don’t know what’s going on, who’s hurt, whether a crime has even really taken place.There are also a lot of secondary characters to get your head around; I found it difficult to keep up (it turned out to not really matter that much in the end), but it added to the mounting confusion.The events take place over a period of ten days; from the initial night of the car accident, to the final climax on Halloween night 🎃 (add this to your October TBR!). As I finally started to find my feet with the storyline and begin to understand what was going on, I began to feel the climax was somewhat ANTIclimactic. The big boom of an ending didn’t provide much of a bang, and the motives left me feeling somewhat deflated. Some interesting information did come out of the epilogue, but I was left feeling a little frustrated with how it had all panned outTrigger Warning ⚠️ suicidal thoughts, violence

Anna's husband is working away, leaving her to look after the home and family single-handedly. Anna left her daughter, Harrie, alone at home while she took her other two daughters out in the car for an appointment. Something happens to Harrie , during the time Anna was away,(which was much longer than expected due to unforeseen circumstances).What has happened, why is Harrie so withdrawn, why has she clammed up, why is Harrie getting blamed for things she didn't do and what has happened to Rob, Anna's husband who is working away in Nigeria?Add to the mix a village mothers' friendship group that is not as friendly as it first appears. I thought that the dialogue via the Girlies' Group Chat was brilliant!Anna thinking about her daughter, Harrie:- 'I close my eyes for a moment and wish I could unzip her head and pull out her thoughts, her worries, and take them from her.' I remember wishing I could do this for my kids too when they were younger. Anna feels helpless and hopeless at the same time.I loved this. It kept me guessing all the way through. It was easy to read and full of tension right to the very last word.

God I love it when a book has me from the very first chapter...That sense of foreboding throughout...and the plot is jam packed but actually believable!Not that it needs to be, but I reckon this would also make for one hell of a tv series!Now hoping Lauren North has lots of other thrillers to read!

I was ready to give this book a 1-star rating until I read its last page.Apart from the ending, the story fell short to me. Whenever I read a thriller, I expect to feel heightened emotions, but this did not happen. The author could have been more synthetic for the story to flow a bit more.In addition, I don't think including fragments of the journalist's interviews randomly throughout the book made sense at all.