#BookReview-‘Safe House’ by Jo Jakeman

About the book…

She’s paid the price for giving her ex a false alibi, and now she’s moved to a seaside village to escape her past–but more than her lie follows her there in this chilling and twisty psychological thriller from the author of the acclaimed The Exes’ Revenge.

One day, a woman turns up in a remote coastal village. She’s bought a crumbling, long-vacant cottage and calls herself Charlie Miller. Charlie keeps to herself, reluctant to integrate with the locals. If they ever find out who she really is, and what she’s done, she’ll lose what little she has left.

Charlie served two years in prison for providing a false alibi for a murderer. It was the mistake of a woman in love, a woman who couldn’t believe her boyfriend was guilty–or lying to her. All she desperately wants now is a fresh start.

As Charlie slowly lets down her guard and becomes friendly with her neighbors, she can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching her, someone who knows what she did. When one of her new friends suddenly disappears, Charlie’s worst fears are confirmed. She must confront her past head-on, but as she knows all too well, everything is far more dangerous than how it appears.

Many thanks to Mia from Penguin Random House for the blogtour invite!

‘Safe House’ by Jo Jakeman is out on Halloween, (very appropriately!), in hardback,audiobook and ebook format.

It’s Jo Jakeman’s second psychological thriller and an epic of twisty plotting which will keep the keenest reader on their toes till the very last page.

Starting with an explosive police scene which intimates the death of someone who has warned the police that they were in danger, the narrative then goes on to explore a dual timeline of Steffi Finn, doctor’s receptionist/ Having provided an alibi to her partner, Lee, which was proved not to be true, she was arrested and imprisoned for perjury.

The details of her isolation from society and the abuse she suffered before and after being incarcerated plays with your notions of truth, punishment and honesty. Is telling someone what you believe to be the truth, actually a lie? And haven’t we all been guilty of reading newspapers and thinking,’How on earth could they not know they were sharing a house with a criminal?’ It is the trial by media, ‘guilt by association’ which is a really interesting concept to uncover.

As Steffi becomes Charlie and sets about rediscovering who she is and building a quiet new life in the furthermost, isolated corner of the country that she can find, you get such a real sense of her as a woman who has been used and betrayed by the man she thought loved her. Her process of recovery is heartbreakingly slow, she is so fragile and desperate to fly under the radar-descriptions of her anxiety about meeting her new neighbours ring so true, you really, really feel for her.

But as she sets about repairing her new home, simuntaneously trying to repair herself, it becomes clear that someone is looking for her, someone who does not believe that she has been punished enough. And with her ex still in prison, Steffi/Charlie is fair game….and this might not be the only person on her tail….

I genuinely was thrilled to bits to read this, Jo Jakeman is a brilliant writer who keeps you on the edge of your seat as you are emotionally invested in her characters. I remain grateful to the publishers,Harvill Secker, for having me on the blog tour and Jo for the experience of reading her book!

About the author…

Jo Jakeman was the winner of the Friday Night Live 2016 competition at the York Festival of Writing.

Born in Cyprus, she worked for many years in the City of London before moving to Derbyshire with her husband and twin boys. ‘Sticks and Stones’ was  her debut thriller.

Links-http://www.jojakeman.com/

Twitter @JoJakemanWrites

 @HarvillSecker