Safe

A Novel

By: S. K. Barnett

Narrated by: Brittany Pressley

A kidnapped girl survived twelve nightmarish years.
Now she's safely back home . . . or is she?

Jenny Kristal was six years old when she was snatched off the sidewalk from her quiet suburban neighborhood. Twelve years later, she's miraculously returned home after escaping her kidnappers—but as her parents and older brother welcome her back, the questions begin to mount. Where has she been all these years? Why is she back now? And is home really the safest place for her . . . or for any of them?

"Fantastically good—dark yet compellingly upbeat, and insanely suspenseful ... Even the twists have twists." —Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Dark, compulsive, full of OMG moments. If you think you know where it’s going … YOU DON’T. This is one you won’t forget in a hurry." —Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author of Then She Was Gone

Critic reviews

Praise for Safe
“Fantastically good—dark yet compellingly upbeat, and insanely suspenseful . . . Even the twists have twists.”—Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Dark, compulsive, full of OMG moments. If you think you know where it’s going . . . YOU DON’T. This is one you won’t forget in a hurry.”—Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author of Then She Was Gone

“Safe is an absolutely first-rate psychological thriller, with a serpentine plot and complex, fully realized characters. I picked it up before bedtime—an amateur mistake, in retrospect—and kept whispering ‘just one more chapter’ to myself until I'd finished the whole damn thing.”—Cristina Alger, New York Times bestselling author of Girls Like Us

“Safe is everything you want out of a thriller and then some. Emotionally fraught storytelling with crisp prose and perfect pacing in service of one hell of a twisting journey home.”—Michael Koryta, New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Wish Me Dead and If She Wakes

“All I can say is WOW. This is the very definition of a page-turner. Compulsively readable from the beginning and then as you get past that first twist, absolutely riveting. The kind of ‘pull the carpet out from under you’ blockbuster that made The Girl on the Train and The Woman in the Window such huge hits. What a diabolical read! Should be a #1 bestseller!”—Christopher Reich, New York Times bestselling author of The Take and Numbered Account

“Safe is a fast-moving, perfectly paced book about what happens when a missing child returns home twelve years later. Intense, dark, and full of unpredictable twists. Don’t miss this one.”–Samantha Downing, USA Today bestselling author of My Lovely Wife

“The pseudonymous Barnett takes an all-too-common premise and winds it into a twisty and tense exploration of family secrets, survival, and the often blurred lines between fantasy and reality and predator and prey. . . . Readers will likely think they know where this runaway train is headed, making the final twists that much more surprising. . . . A creepy and darkly addictive thriller.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A thought-provoking premise, excellently executed and featuring the incredibly believable voice of a cynical teenager who’s seen way too much.”—Booklist

“Beautifully crafted... it piles revelation upon revelation with devastating effect leaving the reader gasping. If you think you can predict what’s going to happen, think again. It’s that good.”—Daily Mail, UK

What a awesome thrilling ride!

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. Just one shot right up onto my must buy list! I never expected some of the twists and turns at the very end. Yes, I thought I had it figured out but I was wrong! The characters are well rounded and just enough edgy to make you question each one. That is what makes a great thriller! If you like B.A. Paris, or Sherry Lupino, then you will definitely like this book. Give it a try because it is worth the credit! Now I have to wait until next year for the next book!

worth the credit!

it has been quite sometime since I have been able to finish an audio. I return many bc reviews are mostly bogus. but this story kept me going till the very end! kept me guessing to the very end!

Kept me guessing

Some heavy stuff, but not in a way that made me feel gross for listening. Loved the plot and narrators performance.

Best Book of 2020

This was by far the best book I have read all year, possibly more than that! Never a dull moment! Even though I pretty much had it figured out by the 30% point, I didn't know it all and it was worth the ride to the end to see how it all played out. There were definitely twists that were unexpected. Excellent storyline, character development, and narration as always by Brittany Presley.

Mediocre

Interesting premise, although somewhat convoluted and confusing in the beginning. No shocking twists or turns - I saw them coming and was disappointed to have my suspicions confirmed.

Narration was good in that voices were well differentiated, not-so-good in all its overly dramatic acting.

I did listen to the end, so that makes it a 3 star.