Stephanie Carty
What if your whole life was a lie?
What happens when your home becomes your prison?
Twelve-year-old Cate has never left her village. She’s never had a friend. She’s never even hugged her mother.
Imogen, Cate’s mum, spent her youth travelling the country with her father. He believed she had a gift and used her for his own gain. With her innocence snatched away, Imogen vowed to build an idyllic and safe childhood for her daughter.
But Cate soon becomes curious about life outside their home, and Imogen begins to wonder if the decision to close them off from society was the right one. Then when Zach, Imogen’s enigmatic ex-lover, returns to the village, years of deception come to light.
Why has Imogen never touched her daughter? Is Zach responsible for a heinous crime? And what is Cate truly capable of?
My Review of A Safe Place
Rarely does a book challenge the boundaries of the thriller genre as profoundly as this one. A Safe Place takes readers on a masterful, unsettling journey into the darkness of parental protection, layered with psychological depth that leaves you breathless.
From the very first page, I was captivated by the eerie, claustrophobic world Imogen has built for her daughter, Cate. Driven by an unrelenting desire to shield them from the outside world, Imogen has isolated them both, creating a life where safety comes at the ultimate cost of freedom. Cate’s world is so meticulously controlled that she has never ventured beyond their secluded village of Halham.
The dual perspective between Imogen and Cate pulled me completely into their reality. Through Cate’s innocent yet deeply perceptive eyes, I found myself grappling alongside her as she tried to make sense of her existence. Imogen’s damaged past looms heavily over every page, with the layers of her trauma slowly peeling back to reveal the true extent of her need to protect Cate at all costs.
As the story unfolds, the fragile bond between mother and daughter emerges – rooted in love but shadowed by pain. The writing was so vivid and immersive that I often forgot it was fiction, completely drawn into this strange, tightly controlled world. A place that felt both unsettling and, strangely, comforting in its own way.
The author’s ability to build psychological tension kept me reading late into the night. At times, it was deeply uncomfortable, but I couldn’t look away, compelled to see just how far Imogen’s “protection” would go. I was somewhat relieved to discover that the author is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, bringing real expertise to the story rather than simply having a very vivid (and unsettling) imagination!
A Safe Place left me with lingering thoughts – a powerful reminder that even the best intentions can become cages. The lines between abuse and protection aren’t always clear, and what feels normal in one family might be profoundly damaging in another. This novel is utterly original, completely immersive, and profoundly satisfying. Highly, highly recommended for anyone seeking a thrilling, thought-provoking, and unforgettable read.
The Author
Stephanie Carty is a writer and Consultant Clinical Psychologist / NHS Head of Psychology in the UK.
Her short fiction is widely published. She has been placed and shortlisted for many competitions including the Bristol Short Story Prize, Bath Short Story Award, Aesthetica Creative Writing Award and Bridport Prize. Her novella-in-flash Three Sisters of Stone won Best Novella in the Saboteur Awards 2019 and her short fiction collection The Peculiarities of Yearning won its category in the Eyelands Book Prize.Stephanie’s writers’ craft book Inside Fictional Minds: Tips from Psychology for Creating Characters was published in 2021 and a writers’ guide to analysing your own writing to better understand yourself The Writing Mirror was published early 2024.
Her debut psychological thriller Shattered was published in February 2023.
The above text is taken from the website of Dr Stephanie Carty stephaniecarty.com where you can learn about the person behind the author. You will also find Stephanie on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and linktree too!
The Book
- Title: A Safe Place
- Author: Stephanie Carty
- Publisher: Bloodhound Books
- Publication date: 12 November 2024 (paperback) 26 November 2024 (digital)
- Genre: Family Drama / Thriller
The Review
I’m excited to share my review of this fantastic read as part of the Love Books Tours Virtual Book Tour, running from 25 – 29 November 2024. A big thank you to Love Books Tours, Bloodhound Books and Stephanie Carty for providing the digital advanced reader copy of this novel and for the opportunity to be part of the Virtual Book Tour. I’m also grateful for being introduced to a new author who has definitely earned a place on my radar – looking forward to exploring more of their work in the future! I have purchased a copy of the paperback edition to read again as I cannot stop thinking about it.
All views expressed are my own. This review, or parts thereof, may also be published on my social medial channels – find me everywhere as momobookdiary – and book websites such as Goodreads, StoryGraph, Google Play, Apple Books, Kobo, and of course Amazon and Waterstones. All links are correct at the time of publication.
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Please take a moment to visit the other readers involved in this Virtual Book Tour and see what they had to say about this book!
MoMoBookDiary 