Safe With You by RM Ward
It used to be more of a community round here. I was going to say something like this wouldn’t have happened then, but it would, wouldn’t it? Maybe a lot of it was kept quiet. But was it really any safer? Is anywhere safe?
Kath has lived on the same London estate for decades. Lately she’s become friendly with the little girl next door, who is often left alone for hours at a time while her mum is at work.
They have a system. When Mina gets home from school to the empty flat, she knocks on the wall three times. Knock, knock, knock. I’m home safe and sound.
But one day Mina’s knock doesn’t come. Kath raises the alarm and the police begin the search. Kath was the only person looking out for Mina – now she might be the only one who can bring her home.
My Review
I know I’m always talking about red herrings, but Safe With You had so many and every single one a real possibility. And it’s one of the first books I have read where we can sympathise with characters who appear to have done some awful things.
Take Mina’s mum Sandy for instance. What a terrible mother! Lives in a tip, leaves her 11-year-old daughter alone for hours after school, never feeds her properly and then even stays out all night so she can have sex with her boss. How could we possibly feel sorry for her? But thanks to some clever writing we do.
Then we have Den from the cafe. Bullied by his father for being a wimp, forced to leave university under a cloud (we find out why eventually), an obvious suspect when it comes to Mina’s disappearance, but again we root for him because we can see his vulnerability.
The characters make mistakes – often dreadful ones – but that’s because they are human and we have to believe that almost everyone can be redeemed. They just need to atone, and I don’t mean in a religious way.
But eighty-something Kath is the main protagonist here and our narrator. She lives opposite Sandy and Mina in the same block of flats where she has lived for decades. Lately she’s become friendly with Mina, who is often left alone for hours at a time while her mum is at work. They have devised a system. When Mina gets home from school, she knocks on the wall three times. Knock, knock, knock. And Kath knocks back in reply. Until one day Mina doesn’t and Kath becomes worried.
And so we have the premise for the whole story. Where is Mina? Did she run away or was she taken? And if so who took her? Everyone is a suspect, and who can we believe?
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, the author, and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.
About the Author
R.M. Ward was born in Surrey and now lives in Bath with her husband and two dogs. She has two grown up children. She worked in local government for years before writing full-time. Her debut YA thriller, Numbers, published under Rachel Ward, won many regional awards in the UK and Europe, was released in 26 countries and is currently optioned for film. She has also written a cosy crime series, the Ant and Bea Mysteries, starting with The Cost of Living, set in and around a supermarket. Safe With You is her first psychological thriller with HQ Digital.
