Home can be the most dangerous place…
In a small London bedsit, a radio is playing. A small dining table is set for three, and curled up on the sofa is a body…
Jenn is the one who discovers the woman, along with the bailiffs. All indications suggest that the tenant – Sarah Jones – was pretty, charismatic and full of life.
So how is it possible that her body has lain undiscovered for ten whole months?
Philippa East is a fiction writer with HQ/HarperCollins and she also works as a clinical psychologist.
Philippa grew up in Scotland before moving to Oxford and then London to complete her clinical psychology training. A few years ago, she left the NHS to set up her own part-time practice and dedicate more hours to writing. The result was her debut novel LITTLE WHITE LIES, which was longlisted for The Guardian’s Not-The-Booker Prize and shortlisted for the CWA “New Blood” Award 2020.
Philippa’s next book SAFE AND SOUND is another twisty and compelling tale. For a fun preview, check out the video trailer on Philippa’s Amazon Author page (best with sound on!). SAFE AND SOUND will be released in February 2021 and is available to pre-order now.
Philippa now lives in the beautiful Lincolnshire countryside with her husband and cat. She loves reading (of course!) and long country walks, and she also performs in a local folk duo called The Miracle Cure. Alongside her writing, Philippa continues to work as a psychologist and therapist.
My Review:
I love a dark book with interesting characters and unusual circumstances and Safe and Sound really ticks those boxes for me.
Set in Brixton, single mother Jenn is trying to juggle her work life and her family life caring for her young son Charlie as well as dealing with crippling anxiety.
Jenn works for the local council in the housing department and when she attempts to evict a tenant for non-payment of rent she discovers the body of a young women lying on the sofa, radio playing in the background and the table set for 3. Shaken by this discovery and then horrified when she learns the victim has been dead for 10 months, Jenn starts a personal investigation to try to discover how this situation could possibly happen.
Jenn has issues herself, anxiety, panic attacks, constant concerns about her son’s health, a dysfunctional family and this situation tips her over the edge. Following Jenn’s journey to find out more about the young woman, Jenn puts herself in potential danger and difficult situations when her obsession becomes out of control. This is a very claustrophobic tale, written beautifully about mental health issues, obsession and isolation.
Safe and Sound is, in my opinion, a stunning book and I highly recommend it. Out on 18th February 2021.
