Jenn is the first to admit that she has struggled in the past and is scared she might slip into darker periods of her life again. It’s important that she stay on track for herself and her young son. Unfortunately it looks as if she has let some of her work slide and in doing so has inadvertently put someone else at harm.

The death of a young woman disrupts her fragile hold on her own mental stability, a woman she should have checked up on. Jenn becomes obsessed with finding out what happened and why.

There is a parallel between Jenn and her responsibility towards Sarah, and in turn the mental health services and their responsibility towards Jenn. It’s the core of story, who does carry responsibility and accountability and to what degree. The human element means human error, which is the variable no one can ever predict accurately.

I thought I had it sussed it within the first few chapters, but the author clearly plans for the deductive readers and gives this psychological thriller a bit more bite and mystery to keep them engaged. East gives an interesting insight into the world of mental health, both from the perspective of the person dealing with said issues and the support services surrounding them.

It’s clear that the system and the services are lacking due to overworked staff and underfunding, which is how people fall in between the cracks of the system. On the other side you have a woman battling with the stigma of mental health and the fear someone could notice a decline. The need to appear healthy to the outside world creates a vicious cycle of guilt, shame and desperation – a cycle that is detrimental to all involved.

If this book is any indication of what this author can bring to the table then this just the first of many riveting reads.

I read Philippa East’s debut novel Little White Lies with our book club last year and was bowled over, it was a desperately sad, yet a compelling read that was shocking and at times, an uncomfortable read that gripped from the start. As soon as I heard she had a second novel coming out I was desperate to get my hands on a copy and read.

Safe and Sound didn’t let me down, I was intrigued and compelled to read from the very first pages. The story centres around Jenn who is clearly a devoted mum to son Charlie and is efficient and organised in her job at a housing association. Or is she as together as she’s trying to portray?! Something is ‘off’’ about her from the very beginning and on finding a tenant dead in a flat she was responsible for we see Jenn begin to un-ravel.

The tenant Sarah Jones is dead and has been for some time, Jenn is clearly distressed, the anguish drips from the page - an awful scenario to be in but intensified because she believes she is partly to blame, she missed a routine flat inspection..... !

A chance email sends Jenn on a journey that will push her to the edge of reason as she begins an unhealthy obsession with finding out Sarah's past! She also appears to have an obsessional relationship with her son and a distant relationship with her parents - the author alludes to something that’s happened In the past but what.....? Every page I turned created questions, and then I was sent backwards in time to read about a family who have a daughter Prinn whose cousin comes to stay with them for the Summer - not an usual occurrence for them and with no explanation as to why now. A situation that felt odd from the start. Safe and Sound tracks back and forth between then and now with no clear correlation about why we are being told the story from the past - my brain was bombarded with questions, second guessing what I thought might be going on. The more I read the more anxious I felt - more than one of the characters was clearly suffering with mental health issues and there was huge amounts of un-written story that just felt off! I felt in a permanent state nervousness and anxiety, finding myself second guessing every single characters reasons and motives.

With Safe and Sound there is no time to absorb the story, my head was a whirl as the author dropped details like grenades one after the other onto the pages - reading it was like unravelling the worst ball of string you’ve ever come across. It took me up blind allies, second guessing and making assumptions, my heart pounding with fear and anxiety that when the strands were laid flat and the facts slotted into place I had to take a moment.

Such a cleverly plotted narrative that sensitively dealt with the reality and fragility of mental health, the obsessive behaviour and blindness to reality. The inability to see, to share and divulge, the inner voice and paranoia that walked a fine line between ‘make-believe’ and ‘reality, for both Jenn and Sarah. The need to see and listen on a deeper level. If something feels off it probably is, not to just accept everything at face value, sometimes it’s good to question. This really was an outstanding read that delivered everything I hoped for and more. Tense, dark, gripping and original another book I’ll be recommending to everyone I know.

Jennifer Arden manages a list of properties for the local Housing Association, and today is one of those days that she hates. Eviction is not an outcome anyone wanted, but the tenant has ignored all the letters sent in the past 3 months, so Jennifer attends with the bailiffs. The radio is on but no-one answers and when they try to gain access, post has built up behind the door and the chain is on. Jennifer calls the police and when they get into the flat, they find the body of the tenant, Sarah Jones, and she has obviously been dead for some time, and it turns out she was there for 10 months. How did her body lay undiscovered for so long, why did none of her neighbours enquire why the radio was on 24 hours a day, and why does Jennifer have the nagging feeling that she knew the deceased?

There are two timelines: the present-day view from Jennifer and the view of young Prin, whose cousin, Jane comes to stay one summer. It starts off slow but gradually builds, and the reader finds themselves wondering where and when the two stories will intersect. Jennifer is a very introspective character and she has severe anxiety about her son which, along with her obsession with Sarah's death, threatens her mental health with the feeling of spiralling out of control. I thought it was well written and the ending was in character with the rest of the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, HQ, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Jenn is a single mother who works as a housing officer - when she goes to a flat to evict a tenant for non-payment of rent, she discovers the body of a young woman inside the flat and it is clear that she has been dead for many months. Jenn embarks on a search to find out more about the woman and understand why she hasn't beeb missed but, dealing with her own mental health and anxiety issues, it becomes an obsession that threatens to derail her own life.

The story is told in dual timelines - that of the present day following Jenn, and the past, where we learn about a girl called Prin and her family. The connection between the two is not obvious, and this keeps you hooked as you try to understand how the two are connected. The book does start quite slowly, with the focus on Jenn's internal dialogue as she goes round and round in her head with things, but this ultimately builds the tension in the book as you begin to question whether Jenn is a reliable narrator. as you really begin to feel her anxiety and she appears to start spinning out of control. The pace picks up throughout the book and there are plenty of twists, and secrets revealed with the reader left wondering who to trust and who is telling the truth.

East does an excellent job of combining an immersive plot with a real sense of tension that keeps you guessing right until the end, whilst at the same time handling the difficult issues of mental health and anxiety with sensitivity. It is not an easy read but it is extremely well written and ultimately rewarding.

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.

I read this book in two days because I couldn't put it down! It's a very good portrayal of how the way people's lives appear on the surface can be dramatically different from the reality, and also of how mental health problems can destroy lives.

The main character, Jenn, is a housing worker in Brixton. She lives with her young son and it's quickly apparent that she is extremely anxious about whether he is functioning ok and if there are any problems with his development. We don't learn the reason for this anxiety until much later in the book. This helps draw us into Jenn's way of looking at things - is she really over reacting or is there actually a problem?

The blurb for the book focuses on the body of a woman found in a flat after some time, and how 'home isn't always the safest place'. But the first problem family we encounter is that of Jenn. Her story unfolds alongside that of the dead woman she unfortunately discovers.

I very much liked the character of Jenn and think that, even if readers haven't suffered similar mental health issues as she has, there is lots to empathise with her. She has a difficult relationship with her parents and there seems to be open hostility to her from her mother. She is constantly worrying about the image she projects of herself, wanting to appear in control and organised while inside she feels she is breaking apart.

The story is well-written. Because of Jenn's anxiety, we never know whether we can trust various people she comes into contact with, which adds an edge to the novel. I also liked that it feels that Jenn has some resolution at the end, and it seems that while her anxiety issues will not simply disappear she will be better equipped to deal with them.

The story of the body in the flat is a whole other tale, and it's really well written by way of flashbacks to the past and gradually unfolding details of the present. For a long time, it isn't clear who the people in the flashbacks are, which adds to the mystery.

I will look to read Philippa East's first novel now, and definitely recommend this one.

‘Safe and Sound’ -Phillipa East
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 PUBLICATION DAY 📖
⚠️ 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.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for the arc of Safe and Sound by Phillipa East.

4 Star Read- This is set in Brixton and Follows Jennifer Arden whom is a manager of an Housing Association, Her and two baliffs go with her to go and evict a tenant whom is called Sarah Jones for no payment of rent! They go there and then unfortunately have a shocking and horrifying discovery... that she has actually been dead for 10 MONTHS!! this is told through parltly the POV of Jennifer as she investigates what went on.. this was a hooking and thrilling read, it starts off slow but then really starts to pick up it is well written and very intriguing and I highly recommend this!

4 stars - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I loved this book! I had so much empathy for the main character right from the start. The story is well written and mostly focuses on current events but also dips into the past. I found this a really good way for the plot to unfold and oh my, what a plot! Definitely recommend this book and will be looking out for more from this author. Thank you #netgalley

An absolute nail-biter. I'm not the biggest fan of domestic dramas but given this one is told from an outsider's perspective, it really worked for me.

I really enjoyed this book even though it has sadness running through it. It is a story about a lady called Jenn (Jennifer) who has a little boy called Charlie. Jenn moves from Brighton to Brixton to start a new life away from her parents who are quite dominating especially the mother. Something happened to Charlie when he was a baby (no father on the scene) which landed him in hospital. Jenn’s mom told a story about how the injury happened but made up the story to, she says, to protect her daughter who was obviously suffering from postnatal depression. Jenn has a job as a housing officer and one of her tasks is to check on the tenants once a year but she has been going through drama with her son who she is convinced has something wrong with him. When she gets round to going round to a basement flat she is met with a scene which will not leave her and this causes more and more anxiety. She decides she needs to get to the bottom of the cause of what she witnessed and becomes a woman on a mission to make good the time that elapsed since the finding. Her sleuthing causes many issues along the way mainly to her mental health but as she gets nearer to the truth she feels that it is probably worth it and with the help of the people she has met through her enquiries she has made peace albeit not great with her parents and is more relaxed with Charlie. Definitely worth a read – I even read a little during the day which is unusual for me being a morning and evening reader

When you read a book of fiction, watch a film, or even listen to music you can transport yourself to a land of make-believe. As a child you may jump into a puddle and imagine you are diving into an underworld cavern, you may hold an umbrella and wish you could fly like Mary Poppins and then when you become adult you can travel to any country in the world, or even other worlds, visit and become involved in any environment or situation - past, present or future - without leaving your comfortable bed or armchair. And then along came social media where you can be whoever you want to be. You are able to convince your friends and family that you are living a far more positive, productive and happy lives than they ever could whilst in reality the biggest trip you ever make may be to the bathroom or bedroom. Then you step away and continue with your everyday life. But what happens when severe anxiety or mental illness takes over and you start to live that life of make-believe?

This book is written with feeling, compassion and love, you can feel it coming from the author. It will not be an easy read for anyone that is suffering from anxiety as it does deal with a lot of complex issues and it does feel so real. I could feel myself telling Jennifer to relax and breathe and could feel the anxiety she was feeling. The book will may you think about many issues we come across in real life but what a story with lots of twist and turns. Have a box of tissues and a large glass of alcohol nearby as I feel you may well need both!

Many thanks to NetGalley, HQ Books and Philippa East for providing me with an electronic advanced review copy of this book in return for a honest, unbiased review.

The book is published on 18th February 2021

After a slightly slow start, I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy this book but by the end I just couldn’t put it down.

Jennifer Arden is a single mum, suffering with anxiety, trying to hold down a job while keeping her son safe. In her job as a housing officer she sometimes has to evict tenants but when she discovers one of those tenants has died and no-one has noticed, Jenn’s life starts to unravel.

Who do you trust when your brain tells you to trust nobody?

Interesting book, I really wasn't sure which direction it was going in. ,it did pique my interest, although as an impatient reader I found it a little on the slow side. I still think it is well worth a read though.

An insightful well thought out written story. (thought provoking)

Jenn is a complex but likeable character whose struggles with mental health are brought to life in this intense emotional compelling story.

I enjoyed the start of this book, when Jennifer, who works for a housing association, finds one of the tenants dead in their flat, and the repercussions of this. It is obvious Jennifer has had some recent issues with her mental health and these are gradually revealed along with the unfolding story of Prin and Jane.
It felt a very well researched book, and the story held my attention, but some of the things that happened seemed very contrived, and the middle felt quite tedious. I also wasn't sure quite what point the author was making about makebelieve and whether discussions around mental health were a good fit with the rest of the book
Thank you to netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of this book

Safe and Sound is an engrossing, powerful novel about Jennifer, a Housing Association manager, who finds a woman dead in one of the flats she manages – and the body has been there a while, by the looks of it. But why was this woman, who was known to have a lot of friends and a loving family, not found for months on end? Jennifer becomes obsessed with finding out the truth…

We are given snippets of Jennifer’s own past peppered amongst the other clues and information in this story. We know that something awful happened a while ago that has made her paranoid about her young son’s development, and led to a tricky period where her life started to fall apart. As the book continues, we find out more about her background, and through this we can start to piece together why Jennifer behaves the way she does at times. We get an insight into her whirling, paranoid and seemingly unstable mind, and this leads the reader to wonder if we can trust her. Is she a reliable narrator?

I often really enjoy books where this question becomes more and more pertinent.

The novel is fairly slow in parts, especially at the start where the scene is set and we start to see Jennifer unravel. But it’s all there for a good reason – the intensity builds and we start to question Jennifer’s choices and judgements. As the present day narrative continues, we also get an insight into a mysterious past storyline with characters who are only children. In these scenes we can feel that something bad is coming, but are unsure what – who are these people in the past storylines? How do they relate to the present-day storyline… if at all? I really enjoyed the build up and the tension that eminates from these pages.

Safe and Sound is an intriguing, well-written read. I didn’t feel like it had unnecessary drama where it wasn’t needed; instead it’s a very well crafted, intense study of a woman teetering closer to the edge as she tries to uncover the truth. I really felt for Jennifer at times and it portrays the way mental health can suddenly deteriorate in a raw and, I felt, honest way. Definitely recommended.

Jennifer is a housing association manager and single mother to her son Charlie. When she discovers one of her tenants has died alone in her flat, undiscovered for months, she quickly becomes obsessed with finding out more about the woman, but as she does so her mental health takes a turn for the worst.

This was a good and enjoyable read that kept me steadily hooked.
The story kept me wondering what direction the plot would take, and whenever I thought I got it, it turned out that I was wrong. I enjoyed trying to guess which of the characters Prim would turn out to be.
The twist was definitely surprising.
However, I found the ending a bit confusing, and the story, on the whole despite being gripping, lacked the wow factor.
Still, it was an enjoyable book, and I'm looking forward to reading the author's previous book, which I have on my tbr shelf.

I was so pleased to receive a digital copy of this new title, having read Philippa East's debut novel, Little White Lies and loved it.
Yet again this is a well written, insightful novel - this time dealing with the problems of mental health. Jenn is obviously a very good mother who will do anything to protect her son, Charlie. She is quite a fragile character, an outsider, and when, in the execution of her duties she finds the body of a young woman who has been dead for some time she begins to lose control.
This is very cleverly put together and keeps the reader guessing as to what is happening.
Another compelling, successful tale.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Philippa East/HQ for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed the way the story was written and felt like I really couldn't put this book down. Absolutely brilliant and I would definitely read more from this author.