Cover Image: Safe and Sound

Safe and Sound

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Moments of tension but overall I think my days of enjoying novels like this have passed - either I guess what’s going to happen and lose interest or feel as though the author and I are playing a game of double bluff regarding potential twists and red herrings!

Was this review helpful?

This is very well written and has an interesting plot
The pace is a little slow at times
The story is multilayered.
This is a thoughtful slow burn of a book

Was this review helpful?

Well written psychological thriller with 2 stories running alongside each other. I enjoyed it. Recommended.

Was this review helpful?

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

Was this review helpful?

I couldn't get into this story. I thought I would like it from the cover description but it was not for me and so I didn't finish it.

Was this review helpful?

Safe and Sound by Philippa East is a riveting and unsettling story of one woman’s heartbreaking and isolated death. Sarah Jones had so much life to give and was admired by her neighbours, but in a split second, everything changed. In a story of neglect and loneliness, East tells an unvarnished and troubling tale of one woman who, despite the world seeming to keep moving, slowly faded away into obscurity.

With her expertly woven narrative, East slowly unravels the mystery surrounding Sarah’s disappearance and reveals the harrowing details of her slow decline. The harsh realities of London life and of the discrepancies between the wealthy and the poor are laid bare. We are exposed to a side of the capital that many don’t wish to acknowledge, a side of life so easily ignored but brought so startlingly to life by East.

An intense, gripping and shocking book, Safe and Sound gives us an all too familiar example of how easy it is to become forgotten and neglected. Philippa East reminds us that even in the hustle and bustle of city life, it can still be so incredibly easy to miss someone and remain oblivious to their plight. A thought-provoking, harrowing, yet powerful story that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

Was this review helpful?

This book had a great premise, a woman is found dead in her flat after 10 months with a table set for dinner and guests. How was she never found in those 10 long months, who were the guests and why wasn’t she reported missing.

Sadly however this book just didn’t do it for me. I think part of the problem was the main character. She just grew tiresome as the book went on. I can see what the author was trying to achieve but when you don’t connect with the MC it’s so hard to care.

The ending was neat and everything rounded up nicely but it took a long time to get there.

I had such high hopes but sadly it fell a little flat for me.

Thank you for Netgalley for a copy of the book in return for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

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.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed reading this book despite it being something I wouldn't normally read.
It was highly captivating and had me gripped throughout

Was this review helpful?

Safe And Sound Philippa East
I really enjoyed this book. It starts with a bang as a body is found in an apartment, and has been there for quite a while. Jenn discovers the body in the course of her work. We learn a lot about Jenn as the book progresses, she suffers from anxiety and this really comes through as you follow the story.
Well written and well paced.

Was this review helpful?

Safe and Sound, by Philippa East
Published:
Rating: 4/5
Safe and Sound was inspired by the true story of Joyce Carol Vincent. She died alone in her bedsit, and was only discovered three years later when the Housing Association attempted to repossesses her flat. She had no close family or friends, and so her death went entirely unnoticed. It is a tragic story, and East captures it beautifully. Jenn, a troubled housing officer, enters the flat and finds her tenant dead and almost entirely unrecognisable due to decomposition. The radio is still playing, and there are three places laid out on the table. It is harrowing. Jenn failed to do a check-in previously, and so feels partly responsible for what has happened. She makes it her mission to discover more about her mysterious tenant. She unearths a tragic family history, and a life that is full of heart-breaking contradictions. This book was quite distressing in places, but altogether brilliantly composed. Jenn suffers from her own mental instability, but she cannot give up on her tenant. I loved reading the juxtaposed glimpses into Sarah’s past, and trying to ascertain how her life had ended so tragically. I felt that Freya could have been more fleshed out in places, and I would have liked to see more of her, but the book itself was definitely a page turner. The pace is perfect, and each revelation hit like a punch. I loved it.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this book, had 2 quite haunting stories running along side each other that tied up nicely at the end.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this read but I don’t think it will be a memorable book. It was an ok book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

A great read. A housing association officer, Jen, finds a young woman dead in one of the flats, her table is set for three people and her radio is playing, It turns out that the woman has been dead for months and no-one appears to have reported her missing. Jen sets out on a quest to find out more about her to try to find family or friends. The author interlinks three stories in one and the reader is drawn carefully in right up the the end. The connection between the characters is cleverly constructed leading to a psychologically brilliant ending.
I would highly recommend this book.

Was this review helpful?

I was fortunate to receive a copy of this ARC from NetGalley.

I was expecting the bulk of the story to be made up of Sarah's back story, however it is about the life of the housing manager who has her own issues. I could really feel the anxiety coming through.

I was thrown by the flashbacks that cropped up every so often and it took me quite a awhile to work out who they referred to. I didn't find the psychologist believable as a character.

The ending was satisfying and really made me think about the butterfly effect.

My favourite quote:
"The truth always sitting like a mean dog between us, and always wondering who it would bite first."

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this, however I don’t think it will be a memorable book. It was just OK.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

this book has two great storys running in parallel that almost feels hard to see how they relate until the end,
With a woman found dead only due to her lack of paying her rent (a great argument for not having everything set up on direct debit) Jennifer feels like she needs to know more about this woman and why noone seemed to notice she was missing.
The books feels a little slow becasue of the detail, and that sometimes it feels like its going nowhere but then suddenly it all makes sense. patience definetly pays off.

Was this review helpful?

A story of a young woman Sarah who lay undiscovered for months. Jenn who finds her researches her history as she feels guilty - could she have changed the outcome. A vibrant, social girl. Why did no-one miss her. A good story with some twists along the way.

Was this review helpful?

I found the main character to be shallow and the writing repetitive. It didn't grip me so well at all. Not at all 'addictive' as the cover suggests. 2* rating.

Was this review helpful?

This was a psychological thriller which told a strong story. The characters took some getting used to but certainly supported the storyline

Was this review helpful?