The Safe House is a psychological thriller that delves deep into the characters of the two main women in this hard to put down book.
Esther has spent the last sixteen years in a bunker, she has seen no one from the outside since she was five years old apart from her mother, Hannah. This has been done to protect her from the air that makes her asthma chronic, with special air filtration in the bunker this ensures Esther is kept as safe as can be until Hannah goes on the once yearly shopping trip and Esther hears a man’s voice outside the door, she has to go outside to help rescue him but he knows her name, how does he? Esther isn’t sure about Tom but he’s going to prove that she is as safe outside the house as she is in it.
This book had a very good plot line and I enjoyed it, it shows the lengths people will go to, to keep ones they love safe even if it’s not for the best. I would have liked a bit more of an ending than what there was but loose ends were tied up I just wanted a bit more of the after life.
I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ, HQ Digital for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Gripping story of Esther who for sixteen years her mother has kept her in a house set in the hills with a bunker and not allowed out or see anyone else. Esther was told her father had died but when a man shows up at the door her world is blown apart.
What follows is a psychological story of how Esther tries to find the truth and the effects of what her mother has put her through and the lies she has been told.
Highly recommend and look forward to reading more books by Louise Mumford.
Thanks to NetGalley & HQ for a advanced copy.

Gripping, chilling - a claustrophobic read that frustrated me and thrilled me at the same time. Esther has just turned 21 and for 16 of these years all she has known is "the house" - a bunker built into the hillside where she lives enclosed with her mother, who has told her that the air outside isn't safe and will kill her. Until one day, someone finds them and Esther's world is blown apart. How many secrets are hidden in The House? What is the truth? And what is Esther's future. I was hooked. #netgalley #thesafehouse

A slow burner with some potential and a good build up, but the ending left me a little underwhelmed. A good premise but became a little far fetched for me. I am sure that others would enjoy but unfortunately, it didn't keep me gripped.

I really enjoyed reading this one. It was a bit different and explored really well the nature of motherhood and wanting to protect your child - at any cost. I thought the story flowed well and I enjoyed the exploration of life and relationships 'outside' as much as those between mother and daughter.

Thank you to #NetGalley for my advance copy of #TheSafeHouse by #LouiseMumford

I found this book very hard going and before I was a third of the way through I’d skipped and read the ending. .
I couldn’t find the characters likeable or interesting and lost interest very quickly.
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow this was a great book! Such an unusual premise to the story. A girl and her mum go to live in a bunker in the woods as far away from "normal life" as the mum worries about the effects of pollution on the health of her daughter. Esther has never left the bunker since their arrival and she is now 16. Whilst her mother has gone out for supplies Esther receives a visit from a stranger and things can't ever be the same again. Esther starts to question her reasons for staying in the bunker and the strange man who visited is the only way she can find out the truth.
I enjoyed this book-it was easy to read, held my imagination and was very different to other books I've read.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC that was released on the 12th of May.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read by this author, it won't be the last. A gripping psychological book. Good use of the extended metaphor, great plot, and good characters kept my interest throughout. A recommended read.

The premise of this book gripped me from the start: a girl and her mother living off-grid in a bunker for 16 years to keep the girl safe from the effects of pollution. The first half of the book, which set the scene in the house and the events that led up to them living this lifestyle was really gripping. Unfortunately I felt that the second half of the book, in the ‘Out There’ lacked in interest. The twists weren’t particularly shocking or intriguing and I found myself getting bored at points.

I did think the mother-daughter relationship was well developed though. It had me in tears at points which shows how well the author had crafted it.

All in all, a fairly good read. Ideal for a holiday read, I think.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this title. This novel by Louise Mumford revolves around Esther who, together with her mother, lives totally off the grid in the house of the title. For sixteen years Esther has been kept in the house - her mother believing that the outside world will exacerbate her health problems. However, one day , whilst her mother is out, a mysterious stranger shows up. This sets in train a series of events whereby Esther has to come to terms with an outside world she has no knowledge of. With only Mr Wiffles, a toy whale, to keep her company she has to come to terms with deception and knowing whom to trust. A good read - recommended.

A story full of twists and turns, everything is not what it seems and a surprise is round every corner. Esther has been kept safe in an underground bunker for sixteen years by her mother in an attempt to protect her from the polluted outside world. One day someone is calling her name outside, who are they and what do they want? Where is her father? Who can she trust. Gripping to the end!

Great novel. Thanks for the opportunity to read. Really enjoyed following Esther as she grew throughout. Lots of twists and turns to keep my interest

The book has a very original plot and kept my interest going. Overall, it was an interesting read that I would recommend. Thanks for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I thought this blurb had a unique theme that hasn’t been done to death so it caught my attention. I don’t like to be negative about a book as it’s someone’s work but it’s nearly taken me 2 weeks to trudge through it. I just didn’t find myself wanting to pick it up. To begin with I thought I needed to give it a chance to grip me but it never really happened and I was just so bored and I found myself skimming it just to finish it. For me there wasn’t a-lot going on and it was like going through the motions. I wasn’t overly endeared to the characters if anything I found them annoying and not overly likeable. It was an interesting storyline but that’s where it ended. Just wasn’t for me unfortunately.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ Digital for the opportunity to read and review this ARC that was released on the 12th of May.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an unbiased review.
Liked the description of this book and looked forward to reading it.
Afraid however it just didn't capture my imagination nor did it keep my attention.
I only read about a third of it and decided I could continue.
Little doubt it will be to the liking of plenty of other readers, but sorry, this one wasn't for me.

So clever! the book outlines a dystopian world where the air quality is so bad that Esther and her mum have retreated to a safe house, underground and with its own purified air supply. Esther can hardly remember life outside the house, or her father who was killed in an explosion at the gas works but things do not quite seem to add up and as she grows up and questions her situation more things start to unravel for her mother and Esther has to decide whether to find out the truth for herself.
Some excellent plot twists and wonderful characters that manage to be complex and intricate as if they had always been alive rather than the product of a novel this is a brilliant read.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review. I loved Louise’s debut last year so was looking forward to reading this.

As a parent we want to protect our kids and whatever that costs. But how far Is too far?

What happens when the truth is revealed and you are forced to question everything including your childhood.

Chilling and unnerving .

Full of suspense and secrets. Compelling and unpredictable.

Published 12th May

An enjoyable read that sometimes stretches the imagination a little too much. However, a great story with some complex characters.

“The house keeps us safe,” she says. “There’s nothing left for us outside.”
Esther is safe in the house. For sixteen years, she and her mother have lived off the grid, protected from the dangers of the outside world. For sixteen years, Esther has never seen another single soul.
Until today.
Today there’s a man outside the house. A man who knows Esther’s name, and who proves that her mother’s claims about the outside world are false. A man who is telling Esther that she’s been living a lie.
Is her mother keeping Esther safe – or keeping her prisoner?

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own hone\st voluntary review.

I can’t wait to read more by Louise. This was intriguing, engaging and thrilling. The plot was cleverly unravelled as the story progressed.