The Safe Place: A completely addictive and gripping crime thriller Paperback – 4 Nov. 2021

This intense psychological thriller had me glued to the page. I was so scared for Jessie Lewis, I could hardly breathe. The revelation at the end was a total shock and throughout the book the threat of fire is a constant menace. I could almost feet its heat and smell the smoke. The small US town of Eagle Falls is a claustrophobic place full of people with secrets who will do anything to stop the truth coming out. I especially liked Weird Bill, an eccentric isolated character who sits on his roof and watches the wildfires burn. Amongst these people is an oh-so-creepy serial killer who uses fire to hide his murders. I highly recommend The Safe Place. It’s totally addictive!

Good strong story line

Great hard hitting thriller. Lots of twists and turns and surprises. Strong characters and an absorbing plot. Recommended.

I love it when I book makes me gasp and shout out loud. Read it you definitely won’t be sorry.

At least I only wasted 99 pence. Everyone was a stereotype, nothing original in any character. It was obvious who was the culprit. Why must we have to put up with women who don't apply commonsense. I read to the end getting madder and madder at the two women. The sacharine sweet ending only served to make me even more furious. It's not often it happens but this book left a nasty taste in my mouth. It's mysogany at its worse.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of The Safe Place, a thriller set in the fictional Washington town of Eagle Falls.Jessie Lewis has been unwelcome in town since she accused her popular boyfriend of domestic abuse and when an arsonist starts burning the houses and families of people associated with her she becomes the prime suspect. With nowhere to turn former FBI agent, Ruth Sullivan, who has recently moved to the town becomes her only friend.I thoroughly enjoyed The Safe Place, which is an exciting and engrossing thriller, full of incident and tension. The novel opens with the unnamed arsonist watching a fire burn, well, two fires, a home and the wild fire ravaging the local area, but quickly turns to a split narrative between Jessie and Ruth as they navigate murder, arson, distrust and outright distrust. It’s a heady brew, as neither they nor the reader know who to trust or how to separate fact from fiction. It becomes clear early on that the sheriff and his buddies are a good ole boys club and feel threatened by Jessie’s unwillingness to submit to them.The plot requires a certain suspension of disbelief given the high body count and level of violence and, I would like to say, the way the sheriff runs the town, but that, unfortunately, is all too believable. I just accepted events as they were presented and got involved in a high octane, tense and exciting read. There is something about fire, be it arson or natural that raises the anxiety level and the author uses it well, both as psychological intimidation and as a tension raiser when the characters fight against the clock. It’s hard to outrun fire.I like Jessie and Ruth, who are strong characters. As a victim of domestic abuse Jessie is cowed in the face of authority and blindsided by the accusations against her. She is initially helpless, but soon finds the courage to fight to clear her name. Ruth is physically damaged by a work related incident and has taken very early retirement. She is loyal and smart, but manipulated by what she wants to believe.The Safe Place is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

The safe place by L.A. Larkin.Jessie Lewis has been trying to rebuild her life ever since she accused her boyfriend of beating her and the whole town of Eagle Falls turned their backs. Hiding herself away in an isolated cabin in the woods, life is lonely, but she is safe. Until the Sheriff knocks at her door asking where she was the night an entire family was killed in their sleep. Jessie is innocent, but will anyone in this small town believe her? Days later, Jessie’s only friend is killed in another house fire, and all fingers point to Jessie once again when she is found unconscious at the scene. Devastated, and with no one to turn to, she tries to remember the face she saw seconds before everything went blank. Combing the ashes for answers, she catches sight of an inscription she hasn’t seen since the accident that killed her father and left her with no one. Jessie’s always had questions about the night her father died. Delving into the past, she finally learns the terrible secret her father was keeping about the town’s most trusted resident. If she’s right, nobody in Eagle Falls is safe. Can she catch this monster before any more innocent lives are taken?This was a very good read with some good characters. I liked Jessie and Ruth. 4*.

A good, fast paced story with plenty of action from the start.Jessie is a great, strong character who doesn't give up no matter what.There was plenty of twists to keep you guessing until the chilling climax.This is the first book I've read by this author and I'll look out for her books in future.