Book Review - Safe at Home by Lauren North

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Title: Safe at Home

Author: Lauren North

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Transworld Digital

Publication Date: 9th September 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

What if you left your child alone, and something terrible happened?

Anna James is an anxious mother. So when she has to leave eleven-year-old Harrie home alone one evening, she can't stop worrying about her daughter. But nothing bad ever happens in the sleepy village of Barton St Martin.

Except something goes wrong that night, and Anna returns to find Harrie with bruises she won't explain. The next morning a local businessman is reported missing and the village is sparking with gossip.

Anna is convinced there's a connection and that Harrie is in trouble. But how can she protect her daughter if she doesn't know where the danger is coming from?

What an addictive read this is, I was hooked from the first few pages and really wasn't sure what to think at times. 

I mean we quite early on realise something terrible happened to Harrie the only night she was allowed stay home alone for what was meant to be 20 mins.  We know there is a missing person, and there are other things being hinted at - with the various interviews we see transcripts of. 

But everything is revealed rather slowly, as a way to tantalise into reading further and it worked, as while I wasn't sure what the real truth was for a large amount of the book and even then there are revelations right up to the last possible moment - I had a million and one theories running through my head at all times. 

I wasn't even 100% convinced if our main characters would still be alive by the end of the book - and I'm not telling you whether they are or not! 

The narrative is split between Anna and Harrie, as was discover just what happened in the run up to Halloween and just after it.  I was terrified for Harrie even without initially knowing why, just due to the immense change in character.  

This had me on the edge of my seat and it was a wrench at 4am to leave the last 20% until I was awake, as I really didn't want to put it down!

This is another fabulously gripping story from Lauren North, who is becoming a force to be reckoned with when it comes to these psychological dramas. 

Thank you to Transworld and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.