Gripping, I couldn't put it down! Some really good twists too. Looking forward to reading more from the author.

Loved this book, a gripping read and one that has you from page one, it didn’t let up, a fast paced book with a fair few twists and turns, what more could you want!!!! Defo a must read!

A story to intrigue and keep you guessing right until the end! This was the first book I had read by this author but it won't be the last.

A gripping read that kept me really engrossed - I needed to find out what happens next! Great characters and a story with lots of twists and turns. Highly recommended.

A psychological thriller that preys on the fear that every parent has when their child is out of their sight - that something terrible might happen. Anna is bringing up three daughters in what appears to be a sleepy rural village and close-knit community. Her husband is working away and her attempts to juggle the inevitable extra-curricular activities result in one of her daughters being left home alone. Something has clearly happened to her, as evidenced by unexplained bruising and change in behaviour, but there are no other clues. What then unfolds is a web of secrecy and deceit as nothing is as it appears to be in this small community. A fair but very dark depiction of life in small communities and the lengths people will go to when protecting their secrets.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free advance copy to review.

Heart pounding gripping read. I could not put this book down. I never liked being on my own at home before but this book has definitely given me the jitters now when I am left on my own. Brilliant read!

Another five star read from this author who is becoming a favourite. While the twist at the very end wasn’t a surprise it was still a Woah! moment.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

I really enjoyed this book - Lauren North is one of my new favourites! Found the story so gripping, and I was definitely surprised by the ending! Will be recommending this to my followers. Thank you!

Just finished an arc from @netgalley of the book Safe at Home by Lauren North. This was an ok thriller but for me, it was very long winded. It had a promising start with good pace but it really slowed around 40% in. I think readers will probably enjoy this thriller but there wasn’t enough character development or suspense for me, which made it just average. 3/5 ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ Thanks to @netgalley for the arc. #netgalley #safeathome #ebook #kindle #netgalleynovember

A tense, dark psychological thriller, set at Halloween, when Harrie, an 11 year old girl goes missing whilst trick or treating. As the plot unfolds, told from both Harrie's and her mother's perspectives, the details become darker and more sinister and as a reader, I really worried what Harrie had got involved in. It's a book filled with anxiety and tension and about relationships- between mother and daughter, husbands and wives, female friends and between twins. The final plot twist was genius.
5 stars.

I really enjoyed this thriller which was full of suspense and intrigue. Right from the beginning I was gripped by the story. This was a book I didn’t want to put down as I just wanted to find out what was going on.

This is my first book by Lauren North and I read it with several other members of THE Book Club as a readalong.

The book is narrated by Anna, a lovely mother of 3 girls (twins and a younger child), who is currently raising her family alone in a new village whilst her husband works overseas. She appears at first quite anxious and overly-protective and despite her gut instinct, agrees to leave one of the twins (11 year old Harrie) home alone for an hour whilst she collects the other twin. However due to a tragic car crash, she is stuck in traffic for hours, unable to contact Harrie and fearing the worst.

When they eventually get home, Harrie is sound asleep, Anna is relieved but this is shortlived as in the morning Harrie has unexplained bruises and becomes sullen, withdrawn and aggressive.

As a mother, the opening few chapters really grabbed my attention and I was immediately faced with what I would do in this situation. As parents it’s our responsibility to protect our children to the best of our ability and I really felt for Anna. She was confused, worried, scared, concerned and felt alone in dealing with Harrie.

As the story unfolds, the sleepy village that Anna has called home for the last few years, starts to show some cracks, the school mums start to close ranks and gossip starts circulating.

This book really captures the feelings of a small village with the neighbours determined to protect themselves and any guilty secrets they are hiding and a loving parent who just wants her daughter to be happy and safe.

Throughout the book I was trying to work out what really did happen to Harrie during those few hours and I was constantly changing my mind the more the story unravelled. If you like twisty, fast paced and gripping thrillers, then you should definitely read Safe At Home.

A good read
You will not want to put it down
It will keep you guessing till the end
Can’t wait for Lauren’s next book
Thanks NetGalley

📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚

Safe At Home By Lauren North
Publication Date - 30th September 2021

Anna has 12 year old twins and a younger daughter also. Anna is having to manage the girls herself, as her husband is working away every few months and home for 2 weeks. They have moved to the village and things are really tight money wise. We get to know why they had to leave london and their previous home.
One night Anna decides to give in and allow Harrie to stay home while taking her other daughter to gymnastics. There is an accident that causes them to be late home. Harrie hasn’t been the same since that night ..... she is withdrawn and Anna doesn’t know why?!

Really enjoyed this book and the storyline. I felt Anna was relatable. Any of us could have been in the same situation as she found herself, trying to bring up the kids alone.
But THAT ending ......: wait what?! WHERE did THAT come from !! Brilliant!!

Many thanks #netgalley #laurennorth #safeathome #

This was an enjoyable easy to read mystery thriller. I enjoyed the format of it going back and forward to events leading up to the current day. It was easy to follow and kept me hooked. I have never read anything by this author before but I certainly will look out for more by her in the future.

Anna James lives in the quiet village of Barton St Martin with her eleven-year-old twin daughters, Harrie and Elise, her youngest, Molly and Rob, her husband. Rob works on the oil rigs off the coast of Nigeria and is regularly away. When Anna has to leave Harrie home alone one October evening to collect Elise from extra gymnastics coaching she witnesses a car crash on the road ahead of her and is delayed. When she eventually arrives home, very late, Harrie is in bed apparently asleep. As she prepares to turn in herself, Anna notices that her messages to Harrie have been listened to but not answered and a muddy footprint on the floor near the back door...

This book has all of the qualities of the perfect psychological thriller. Deftly layered with emotion and suspense it starts off with plenty of intrigue, and the tension builds straightaway. The reader hears from Anna and Harrie in the lead up to Halloween and going back to the time of the road accident. Interview transcripts and WhatsApp messages give teasers of a dreadful occurrence. Safe at Home is an incredibly emotionally charged book, well written and beautifully plotted and so cleverly constructed to help maximise the tension in the natural progression of the story. From the beginning, it is an absorbing and riveting novel as well as being massively addictive. Highly recommended, this is a taut story with a shocking, brilliant finish. Lauren North’s writing is just exquisite and I will be looking out for her next offering.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Random House UK, Transworld Publishers/ Corgi via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I was hooked right from the very beginning of this book. There are so many twist and turns. I couldnt recommend this book highly enough.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC

I loved Lauren North’s first novel so am always keen to read anything new by her and I’m so pleased to say that I enjoyed this one. Safe at Home follows Anna who is a very anxious mother. One evening she leaves her eleven year old daughter home alone for a short period but she gets held up. When she gets back her daughter has unexplained bruising but won’t talk about it. The next day a businessman is reported missing. I found this novel to be very gripping. I was immediately curious about why Anna was so anxious and over-protective and wanted to know what could have happened to her daughter. Throughout the novel we see snippets of the local mums' whatsapp group, which I loved as we see the way they appear nice and supportive and then the way they talk behind other mums' backs. The gradual reveals of what has happened were really good and this novel definitely kept me on my toes. I didn’t see the ending coming and I love that it shocked me. I recommend this one!

You have to read this book with the realisation at the front of your mind that 11 year old girls are very gullible. If you can keep that thought then it’s a great story.I did get a bit frustrated with how Anna was able to compartmentalise all her different problems but if the story went along my logical way it would have been very boring. It was a clever plot and very original.

Wow utterly gripping I just HAD to know what was going to happen next it was amazing!!!! The author is a fantastic writer and has the ability to leave you NEEDING more