My Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

Before I get into the details, I should note that I received an ARC of this book. While reading, I noticed a few inconsistencies in the story, though these may have been resolved between my reading and the novel's final release. That being said, I pride myself on honest reviews, so I felt it was important to mention them in case other readers come across them after publication. I will address these things first so that we can then move on to the rest of the novel. Thankfully, there aren't many examples, and all of them came later in the book.

The first one I noticed was when Detective Field goes to visit Callum, she shows him a copy of his book and even references it, but then later on he asks her if she has read his book. Obviously she has if she knew enough about to point out its correlation to the events that were happening.

The second instance that really stood out to me was later on when Callum was back home with Lily. It had been mentioned previously that the police had boarded up his back door because it "kept opening", and they didn't want to the place robbed. Then when Callum is home again, it's suddenly banging open? He goes to the kitchen, closes the door and locks it (which made me question why the police hadn't done this in the first place, never mind the question of what happened to the steps they had taken to board it up). A few moments later Callum is moving something on front of the "broken back door" to keep him from easily opening it. So was it broken or not?"

NOW THAT I HAVE GOTTEN ALL OF THAT OUT OF THE WAY. LET ME MOVE ON TO A MORE IN DEPTH REVIEW OF THIS STORY AND ITS CHARACTERS.

To begin with Detective Elizabeth Field (forevermore known throughout this novel as Field because she hates her first name), is a very hard character to like. She gets angry easily, and what's more is that she lets that anger take over. At one point she is yelling what seems to be one of her only friends because her son reached out to said friend out of worry. Then she is yelling at her son, and throwing his old illness in his face. She even contemplates smacking a "snug smile" off a co-workers face, and this is AFTER she also debates throwing crime scene photos of the desk of a psychiatrist just because he had the audacity to disagree with her. Now, I may have tried to be a bit more understanding, had this character not been a grown woman in HER FIFTIES.

The secondary characters on her team (mainly Riley and Wilson) really needed to be called by their first names so that it was easier to remember who was who (Riley was a man and Wilson was a girl) because sometimes the back and forth got really confusing in terms of who was who.

That aside, parts of this novel came across as very stilted. The actions and conversations at times seemed more robotic than anything else, and the entire section that was dedicated to the "paper" written by the original victim came across as though the author was throwing in a lot of words that normal readers won't understand in an attempt to make the victim sound as smart as he was purported to be.

Also, and this is in no way me bashing the author or the story, but to my American friends who have a background in the medical field (specifically paramedics), you may have the same questions I did. Mainly the fact that we jumped from a team of medics loading the first victim into an ambulance, and then pages later having a different one (or maybe it was the same one but either way why were they still at the scene of the crime) telling Field that the victim was out of surgery. There was also Field asking if the medic had been "debriefed" because huh? In all of my years providing emergency medical care in a pre-hospital setting, not once have I ever been "debriefed", much less had an update on the status of a patient who had been transported to the hospital. Also, why were the police officers doing a "by the way your husband was attacked" house call on the wife when the hospital should have already notified her as his next of kin? Not necessarily important, but it contributed to the overall weird vibe this book gave me.

In the end, while I don't think I will intentionally seek out book number two in this series, if it happens to come across my radar, and it sounds interesting, I will most likely give it a read as I see a lot of potential within this author to expand these characters.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I really enjoyed the ‘old fashion’ policing in this especially Fields age was a lovely breath of fresh air will be ordering the paper back for my auntie when it’s released as she will love it!!
This had a lovely pace the ending definitely had me sitting up on the edge of my bed.
I enjoyed the character but I really loved Lily and Callum’s relationship.
I loved getting to know DCI Field and her team and can’t wait for me

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

DCI Field (or 'Field' as she is referred to throughout, since she hates her first name - which is Elizabeth) investigates the stabbing of David Moore, a well-respected psychologist. Then one of his former patients is also stabbed and is discovered by another second former patient.

I found the first chapters a little slow, but after that things picked up and I read the whole book in one sitting. David's speciality is the misdiagnosis of OCD in children and I thought this aspect was really interesting. I learnt a lot. The narrative moves at a good pace and the ending was excellent.

Recommended.

Chilling, twisty and original: I loved it! I can’t believe it’s a debut. The writing is so accomplished, the plot and characters are compelling, and it had a perfect ending: I didn’t see it coming but it felt exactly right. To be able to get into characters heads and make them so real and alive is a gift – to achieve that and tie it into a pacy, effective plot takes such skill. Write more of these, please! A definite 5⭐ from me.

No Safe Place is a mystery crime story about a group of kids that went to therapy in a study led by a psychologist to manage different types of their OCD. And a killer on the loose. It’s one of those books that keeps you on the edge of your seat, making you question who the murderer is. And the ending takes an unexpected turn that totally caught me off guard.

I received an early copy of this book from NetGalley.
I requested this book as the tag line and description sounded interesting. A nice whodunit mystery. But what I got was so much more.
The way this was written was intriguing and kept me guessing the entire way through. The novel is interspersed with pages from a diary with a dialogue. You only have the intials of those speaking and for a while, you do not know who it is. As you figure it out, it shifts what you think is happening.
No review of this novel is complete without talking about the underlying theme of OCD.
Most of the main characters were in a trial years earlier to study and treat their OCD which all manifested differently.
The way this is written forces an understanding of how debilitating OCD can be to individuals and how people not suffering from it, don't understand.
A satisfying ending to this novel, with a great twist. All in all an excellent book that keeps you unsure while teaching you a little as well.

I love a good police procedural, and this is a good police procedural!

This is a debut from Hannah Brennan, and marks what is (I presume) going to be a new detective series featuring Detective Liz Field.

In this book, Field is called in to investigate a brutal attack on a man who is stabbed multiple times and ends up with his life hanging in the balance. When a second attack happens with the same distinctive methods, Field has a murder investigation on her hands. Guided only by a page from an academic paper found with the victims, Field embarks on a race to understand the subjects of the paper a child psychologist's study on his young patients with OCD. Field has to race against time to find the group of ex-patients, while also considering that one of them could be a killer...

The OCD element of the story is managed really well - the writer has personal experience of this and it shows in her careful treatment of the issue. Several of the characters who take turns narrating the story have OCD, and it is interesting that Brennan explores the different aspects for each character, such as agoraphobia, intrusive thoughts or fear of causing harm. This was an intriguing addition to the expected murder mystery, and something I've not seen so sensitively handled or so well integrated into the plot. before.

The other aspect of the book that I loved was Field herself. She's an older character (in her fifties) and with a family connection to OCD herself, which makes this case more personal. I thought that the character was well developed, especially in her relationships with her son and her two (very competitive and warring) colleagues.

This was an enjoyable read with a bit more depth than some other books in this genre (not a criticism of other books - I love a mystery in pretty much any form!) because of the OCD element. I think that Field is an appealing central figure and look forward to more books in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy of this book.

Absolutely loved this gripping thriller which is also a sensitive exploration of the condition of OCD. The characters - police detectives, as well as the victims and suspects feel incredibly real and authentic. Hannah's writing is immersive and packed with detail about police procedure. No Safe Place that had me reading late into the night! Loved it and can't wait for the rest of this new series!

Reading this book was like watching the best kind of edge-of-the-seat police drama on telly. The way the scene is set and the characters painted made the whole story stand out in glorious 3D.

A really face paced plot with plenty to keep the brain guessing.

Using well researched knowledge and lived experience of OCD, Hannah Brennan took me into a world I knew very little about and opened my eyes without making me feel I was in a lecture theatre.
By giving her detective a son the same age as the young people at the centre of the case, Hannah has cleverly added an empathetic layer that gives a really interesting viewpoint.

I raced through this book, reading into the night in that glorious "just one more chapter" book fog!

No Safe Place is an accomplished debut novel, a good police procedural with some interesting plot elements. Lead detective DCI Liz Field is an interesting character, experienced but world weary and carrying her own baggage and suffering from police politics.

The murder of a child psychologist leads Field and her team to an OCD clinical trial from several years before involving five young people. ANd when one of them becomes the second victim, they know they are on the right track. The characters are realistic and the effects of their condition manifest in different ways. All are well described without making the characters one dimensional.

The solution escapes the detectives for perhaps too long - the clues were there. But the ending is well written and provides a good final twist. Perhaps we will see more of DCI Field in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Hannah Brennan and Harper Collin’s publishing. For a debut novel it was okay. I didn’t find it overly thrilling or anything that kept me on the edge of my seat. I think it would have held my attention much more had the author gave us more details from when the kids were in treatment with David. Perhaps even some background on how they were behaving and the impact it was having on their families prior to treatment. It almost felt like I had just jumped into a second book having missed the entire first part that brought each character to where they were in life. I don’t really feel that much happened. Yes, people died and they find the killer but it was just a boring storyline. I also feel if we had more background like in depth details surrounding Toby and his diagnosis that perhaps the main characters referral to her son would have held a greater impact.

Overall, 3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Detective Liz Field will be in charge of the investigation of a series of murders with victims closely linked as doctor and patient, years ago.
We enter the whole police process to catch the murderer and see how the case affects the detective in a very personal way.
We also have the point of view of the potential victims with all the difficulties and problems that their illness entails.
With very human characters and an interesting plot we have a tremendously attractive reading.

Review of ‘No Safe Place’ by Hannah Brennan, due to be published on 31 July 2025 by Avon Books UK.

The first in the Detective Field series, a man is brutally stabbed, a young woman is killed. Both are known to each other, a Child Psychologist and his former patient.

With a strong female protagonist, Detective Field must work to find out why they have been targeted after so long and why they were killed.

A great debut police thriller with plenty of twists and suspense.

Recommended read.

WOW!!! This book was an incredible debut novel, full of factual information AND plenty of twists and turns along the way.

Lily and Callum battle OCD, but got better courtesy of their doctor. Years later, the trial they were in comes back to haunt them. The doctor was murdered and it doesn't stop there. Why? Why would anyone want to murder someone who helped people? Did he hurt them? Follow the journey and how OCD is a truly crippling diagnosis that hinders many of the characters.

An ending you don't see coming and was brilliantly woven into the story! 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is a fast paced and gritty police procedural with a clever exploration of OCD as a theme. The procedural details felt real and well written. It was utterly convincing. The subject matter was sensitively and intelligently handled.
The police protagonist was strong and relatable and the scene setting of SE London worked for me. The writing was high quality throughout with convincing dialogue
This is a well crafted and elevated thriller. An amazing debut which I loved. I read this in a day. I'm looking forward to more.

Great writer but I really could not get into this story. Thanks for the opportunity to read but it was just not for me. Good Luck with the boo.

A fast page-turner with a good plot I can’t wait to read next book by this author! WOW! Just WOW! This kept me wondering and guessing until the very end! I read this book in a few hours on the sofa as I couldn’t bear to put it down I loved it!

This heart pounding nail bitting police thriller is stunning! The unexpected twists and turns were perfect. This book had a bit of everything I was glued to my Kindle!

I’d highly recommend this book a solid 5 stars and it’s definitely a must read when it comes out!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars!

It was the relationship between Lily and Callum that pulled me in. I couldn't work it out for a long while. Whilst I was still puzzling that one I got caught up in Fields life and everything that came with it.
These characters are so believable human. Not once did I roll my eyes and think "as if".
The murders are interesting and puzzling, who, and more importantly "why now?"
The Old side of things added an extra layer to the book, the limitations an illness can bring to your life.
A very good read in my opinion.

There’s no one more deadly than the killer you know. A man is found brutally stabbed and left for dead. A young woman is killed in a frenzied attack in the middle of the night on a quiet residential road. Detective Liz Field is brought in to lead the investigation. The first victim was a well-respected child psychologist. The second victim was once his patient. But that was fifteen years ago. Why is someone targeting them now?! Great read!! This book had chilling suspense, gruesome murders, mystery, intriguing, action, and a few shocking twists! The story was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!