For struggling actress Emily Proudman, life in London is not working out as planned – in fact, it's falling apart. So when she is offered a live-in job working for a wealthy family on their luxurious coastal property in France, she jumps at the opportunity to start over. The estate is picture-perfect, and its owners exude charisma and sophistication. But as Emily gets to know the family, their masks begin to slip, and what at first appears to be a dream come true turns out to be a prison from which none of them will ever escape – unless Emily can find a way to set them all free. Superbly tense and oozing with atmosphere, The Safe Place combines the modern suspense of The Girl on the Train with the gothic mind-games of Rebecca. 'Creepy and addictive, The Safe Place is a slick modern thriller with the perfect amount of old- fashioned twists.' SARAH BAILEY 'I was totally enchanted by the world Downes created, that swooning place ... But what I loved most of all was her prose. It is so rich, alive, affecting.' LEE KOFMAN