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Dead Ends #3
Safe Space
When your memories are missing, how do you know you’re not the one to blame?
A year after a carbon monoxide accident left five people dead, Cassie O’Donnell wakes from a coma to find her life erased. She’s homeless, unemployed, and her mind is filled with shadowy memories she can’t trust.
Desperate for answers, Cassie joins a support group run by the survivors - a safe space where they can grieve and heal together. But then one member of the group dies of an apparent drugs overdose…
An ex-girlfriend begs DS Rob Joseph to investigate this latest death and he secretly joins the support group. But he soon discovers that the survivors are all carrying secrets.
Both Cassie and Rob begin to suspect that someone inside the group knows what really happened in that house on the night of the accident - and is willing to kill to keep the truth buried.
One tragedy. Five survivors. No one is safe.
A year after a carbon monoxide accident left five people dead, Cassie O’Donnell wakes from a coma to find her life erased. She’s homeless, unemployed, and her mind is filled with shadowy memories she can’t trust.
Desperate for answers, Cassie joins a support group run by the survivors - a safe space where they can grieve and heal together. But then one member of the group dies of an apparent drugs overdose…
An ex-girlfriend begs DS Rob Joseph to investigate this latest death and he secretly joins the support group. But he soon discovers that the survivors are all carrying secrets.
Both Cassie and Rob begin to suspect that someone inside the group knows what really happened in that house on the night of the accident - and is willing to kill to keep the truth buried.
One tragedy. Five survivors. No one is safe.
450 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 12, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 23, 2026
4.5*
The author really hits their stride with Book 3 of the Dead End Duncans series.
Heroine Cassie is just as annoying as the previous two but at least here she is self-aware enough to realise she is annoying.
Cassie wakes from a long coma to find her world, her body and her memory in tatters. Significant people in her life are dead. One of these is also significant to Operation Chainlink, and it's not long before the Duncans, Cassie and her surviving housemates, and DS Rob's ex are all starting to ask questions about whether the authorities have been too quick to assign the 'accident' label. DS Rob is even persuaded to sit in on the survivors' support group as an unofficial investigator.
Meanwhile Walker is distracted by the imminent birth, in prison, of his grandchild, and his determination to do the right thing.
I had my suspicions of some folks right from the start and I was right, and also wrong, and very impressed by the clever denouement.
Not much Scabbard this time round but maybe next time he'll be brought down!
The author really hits their stride with Book 3 of the Dead End Duncans series.
Heroine Cassie is just as annoying as the previous two but at least here she is self-aware enough to realise she is annoying.
Cassie wakes from a long coma to find her world, her body and her memory in tatters. Significant people in her life are dead. One of these is also significant to Operation Chainlink, and it's not long before the Duncans, Cassie and her surviving housemates, and DS Rob's ex are all starting to ask questions about whether the authorities have been too quick to assign the 'accident' label. DS Rob is even persuaded to sit in on the survivors' support group as an unofficial investigator.
Meanwhile Walker is distracted by the imminent birth, in prison, of his grandchild, and his determination to do the right thing.
I had my suspicions of some folks right from the start and I was right, and also wrong, and very impressed by the clever denouement.
Not much Scabbard this time round but maybe next time he'll be brought down!
June 25, 2026
I was excited to read this third instalment of the ‘Dead End Duncans’ series - I’ve loved getting to know the characters and they now feel familiar to me, so it’s lovely to hear how they are all coming along.
In this third series, the story starts with a young woman, Cassie O’Donnell, who wakes from a coma, following an carbon monoxide accident in her shared house that left five of her housemates dead.
Cassie wakes to find that life has moved on - she doesn’t have anywhere to live, she’s been let go in her job and she’s lost fragments of her memory of the months leading to the accident and the people she lived with. To help her, Cassie joins a support group for survivors of the accident and here, she starts to listen to people’s stories in order to try and put together her own.
Separately, DS Rob Joseph, one of the ‘Duncans’ hears from his ex-girlfriend, who is trying to find answers in a family members death. She asks Rob to help investigate and he does so by joining the support group that Cassie is attending.
However, pretty soon, he realises that everyone is harbouring a secret and when another member dies in a freak accident, both soon start to suspect that someone in the group is doing more than just supporting each other through the tragic aftermath.
I’ve really loved this story and as with the other two books, I’ve really enjoyed this one too. Here, we hear Cassie’s backstory but we also get to revisit the wonderful partnership that is of the Duncans - Josie, Walker and Rob. All have great synergy, inject their own little personality into the overall story and all become a big part of the bigger policing story.
As I read through, I found that I didn’t really guess who the culprit was - I just simply let the story unfold - there’s definitely surprising twists and an ending I didn’t see coming, but having thought about it, it did make sense.
The ending finished a little abruptly as even though it was a natural end, I thought we might hear more from Walker’s story (as it was weaved throughout and referenced the previous book), so I do hope there will be more to this series!
All in all though, a very good read!
In this third series, the story starts with a young woman, Cassie O’Donnell, who wakes from a coma, following an carbon monoxide accident in her shared house that left five of her housemates dead.
Cassie wakes to find that life has moved on - she doesn’t have anywhere to live, she’s been let go in her job and she’s lost fragments of her memory of the months leading to the accident and the people she lived with. To help her, Cassie joins a support group for survivors of the accident and here, she starts to listen to people’s stories in order to try and put together her own.
Separately, DS Rob Joseph, one of the ‘Duncans’ hears from his ex-girlfriend, who is trying to find answers in a family members death. She asks Rob to help investigate and he does so by joining the support group that Cassie is attending.
However, pretty soon, he realises that everyone is harbouring a secret and when another member dies in a freak accident, both soon start to suspect that someone in the group is doing more than just supporting each other through the tragic aftermath.
I’ve really loved this story and as with the other two books, I’ve really enjoyed this one too. Here, we hear Cassie’s backstory but we also get to revisit the wonderful partnership that is of the Duncans - Josie, Walker and Rob. All have great synergy, inject their own little personality into the overall story and all become a big part of the bigger policing story.
As I read through, I found that I didn’t really guess who the culprit was - I just simply let the story unfold - there’s definitely surprising twists and an ending I didn’t see coming, but having thought about it, it did make sense.
The ending finished a little abruptly as even though it was a natural end, I thought we might hear more from Walker’s story (as it was weaved throughout and referenced the previous book), so I do hope there will be more to this series!
All in all though, a very good read!
June 8, 2026
4.5 stars from me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Having previously read and thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in the Dead End series, I was excited to dive into Safe Space, and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
Although this book can absolutely be read as a standalone, I personally loved already knowing some of the characters and their backstories. Having followed them through the previous books made it feel as though I was catching up with old acquaintances and continuing their journey, which added an extra layer of enjoyment for me.
For me, Safe Space started a little slower than the previous two books in the series. However, once the story began to gather momentum, I was completely hooked. Beck Lewis has a real talent for creating tension and drawing the reader deeper into the mystery with every chapter. Before long, I found myself constantly trying to work out who was involved, what had happened, and how all the pieces would fit together.
As the story unfolded, the suspense steadily built and by the final third of the book I genuinely struggled to put it down. I found myself eager to squeeze in just one more chapter, needing to know how everything was going to unravel.
I’m giving Safe Space a solid 4.5 stars. The only reason it’s not a full five stars is that I suspected fairly early on that one of the characters wasn’t quite as innocent as they were being portrayed, which took away a little of the surprise for me. That said, it didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the story and there were still plenty of twists and revelations along the way.
Beck Lewis is fast becoming one of my favourite thriller authors, and I’m already hoping there will be a fourth book in the Dead End series because I’d happily spend more time with these characters.
Having previously read and thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in the Dead End series, I was excited to dive into Safe Space, and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
Although this book can absolutely be read as a standalone, I personally loved already knowing some of the characters and their backstories. Having followed them through the previous books made it feel as though I was catching up with old acquaintances and continuing their journey, which added an extra layer of enjoyment for me.
For me, Safe Space started a little slower than the previous two books in the series. However, once the story began to gather momentum, I was completely hooked. Beck Lewis has a real talent for creating tension and drawing the reader deeper into the mystery with every chapter. Before long, I found myself constantly trying to work out who was involved, what had happened, and how all the pieces would fit together.
As the story unfolded, the suspense steadily built and by the final third of the book I genuinely struggled to put it down. I found myself eager to squeeze in just one more chapter, needing to know how everything was going to unravel.
I’m giving Safe Space a solid 4.5 stars. The only reason it’s not a full five stars is that I suspected fairly early on that one of the characters wasn’t quite as innocent as they were being portrayed, which took away a little of the surprise for me. That said, it didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the story and there were still plenty of twists and revelations along the way.
Beck Lewis is fast becoming one of my favourite thriller authors, and I’m already hoping there will be a fourth book in the Dead End series because I’d happily spend more time with these characters.
Review of advance copy
It’s been a while since I have been so captivated by a suspense thriller but Safe Space completely consumed me. I was totally hooked from the very first, to the very last page.
This is a thriller written by an author who has that x factor talent to pull together a complex jungle of powerful, immersive plot and deliver it with prose that creates such intense, atmospheric tension yet still managing to add a healthy dose of dark humour to lighten the tone.
Defining the book is difficult because it encompasses psychological baiting of Cassie, a victim who survives a year in a coma after a carbon monoxide accident that took the lives of some of her flat mates and a foreboding that there was more to the incident than a simple chance occurrence. And then builds into a full-on cat and mouse whodunnit.
Whilst this is book 3 in the author’s Dead End Duncans series, it really stands alone. That said, having read books one and two, my enjoyment of Safe Space was further enhanced by some of the themes that were pulled into it. Very clever.
Beck Lewis is now officially one of my favorite authors. Highly recommend.
This is a thriller written by an author who has that x factor talent to pull together a complex jungle of powerful, immersive plot and deliver it with prose that creates such intense, atmospheric tension yet still managing to add a healthy dose of dark humour to lighten the tone.
Defining the book is difficult because it encompasses psychological baiting of Cassie, a victim who survives a year in a coma after a carbon monoxide accident that took the lives of some of her flat mates and a foreboding that there was more to the incident than a simple chance occurrence. And then builds into a full-on cat and mouse whodunnit.
Whilst this is book 3 in the author’s Dead End Duncans series, it really stands alone. That said, having read books one and two, my enjoyment of Safe Space was further enhanced by some of the themes that were pulled into it. Very clever.
Beck Lewis is now officially one of my favorite authors. Highly recommend.
June 11, 2026
I can’t decide whether this is weird as in quirky or weird as in not quite likeable. The jury is out but the overall experience was a worthy one so I guess there’s the answer.
It was certainly like nothing I’ve ever read before and nothing was as face value. I quite like the blurred lines of incomplete memory and the myth like status of someone emerging from a coma trying to join the dots to piece both their past and present lives together. It’s the fuzzy semi consciousness that we’re all vaguely aware of maybe that sleepy fugue when you’re not quite awake.
Anyway the main characters are engaging and full of personality and I quite liked them. I was never quite sure which direction the story was moving in and it did take me by surprise several times but also spur me on as I was intrigued as to where we would end up. I quite liked the neatness of the ending but also that there is a lot open to explore in a next chapter. Bring it on, I’d definitely read the next instalment.
It was certainly like nothing I’ve ever read before and nothing was as face value. I quite like the blurred lines of incomplete memory and the myth like status of someone emerging from a coma trying to join the dots to piece both their past and present lives together. It’s the fuzzy semi consciousness that we’re all vaguely aware of maybe that sleepy fugue when you’re not quite awake.
Anyway the main characters are engaging and full of personality and I quite liked them. I was never quite sure which direction the story was moving in and it did take me by surprise several times but also spur me on as I was intrigued as to where we would end up. I quite liked the neatness of the ending but also that there is a lot open to explore in a next chapter. Bring it on, I’d definitely read the next instalment.
June 15, 2026
The third book in the series, and they just keep getting better and better. In this one, we follow Cassie as she wakes up from a coma six months after being poisoned by carbon monoxide in an incident where several others in the house died. Her memory is faulty and she's struggling to get her life back.
In the process, she joins a support group for survivors and relatives of those who died, and finds her memories stirring.
The Dead End Duncans, a set of police officers who have been sidelined for various reasons, also become involved when investigating someone else involved in the original incident, and Rob starts to attend the support group.
It took a while to figure out what was going on, but that suited the book well because Cassie herself was unsure.
While the book would work as a standalone, it also works very well as a follow-up to previous books, and I find I'm equally engrossed by the through arc and the main crime story.
Hard to put down.
In the process, she joins a support group for survivors and relatives of those who died, and finds her memories stirring.
The Dead End Duncans, a set of police officers who have been sidelined for various reasons, also become involved when investigating someone else involved in the original incident, and Rob starts to attend the support group.
It took a while to figure out what was going on, but that suited the book well because Cassie herself was unsure.
While the book would work as a standalone, it also works very well as a follow-up to previous books, and I find I'm equally engrossed by the through arc and the main crime story.
Hard to put down.
June 28, 2026
Safe Space by Beck Lewis is a fantastic third instalment in the Dead Ends series, and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
This time the spotlight falls mainly on Rob, although it was great to catch up with the rest of the team too. Walker has plenty on his mind with the imminent arrival of a grandchild he never expected, while Josie is as determined as ever. Scabbard doesn’t feature quite as much this time, but I’m still hoping the Dead Ends finally bring him down in a future book!
The story centres on Cassie O’Donnell, who has been in a coma for a year following a carbon monoxide incident that claimed the lives of five of her housemates. The survivors meet regularly in what they believe is their safe space, but as the truth slowly begins to emerge, it becomes clear that not everything is as it seems.
The characters continue to grow with every book, and the mystery kept me hooked from beginning to end. I can’t wait to see where Beck Lewis takes this brilliant series next.
This time the spotlight falls mainly on Rob, although it was great to catch up with the rest of the team too. Walker has plenty on his mind with the imminent arrival of a grandchild he never expected, while Josie is as determined as ever. Scabbard doesn’t feature quite as much this time, but I’m still hoping the Dead Ends finally bring him down in a future book!
The story centres on Cassie O’Donnell, who has been in a coma for a year following a carbon monoxide incident that claimed the lives of five of her housemates. The survivors meet regularly in what they believe is their safe space, but as the truth slowly begins to emerge, it becomes clear that not everything is as it seems.
The characters continue to grow with every book, and the mystery kept me hooked from beginning to end. I can’t wait to see where Beck Lewis takes this brilliant series next.
August 2, 2026
When Cassie O’Donnell wakes from a coma a year after a carbon monoxide accident, most of her memories have been wiped away. She discovers that five people died in the accident that put her in a coma, but she has no memory of anything that happened before. Over the next few weeks and months she starts to remember her former housemates.
She needs to know more so joins a survivor’s support group but it becomes apparent that not everyone is what they appear to be. Another survivor dies and soon DS Rob Joseph begins to investigate and he secretly joins the support group too.
Beck Lewis has delivered another winner where the Dead End Duncans investigate and the story keeps you racing through. I suspected everyone and no one and the ending didn’t disappoint. Five stars for another great read in the Dead End series.
She needs to know more so joins a survivor’s support group but it becomes apparent that not everyone is what they appear to be. Another survivor dies and soon DS Rob Joseph begins to investigate and he secretly joins the support group too.
Beck Lewis has delivered another winner where the Dead End Duncans investigate and the story keeps you racing through. I suspected everyone and no one and the ending didn’t disappoint. Five stars for another great read in the Dead End series.
June 16, 2026
This is the first book by this author to which I haven't awarded 5 stars. It was just a bit slow and, unlike the previous two in the series, one of the protagonists was slightly too well advertised. It sort of redeemed itself later on however (I can't tell you about that, it'll spoil it). Whilst being the third book in the Dead Ends series, it's OK to read as a standalone. Don't let the pace of this book put you off, the previous two books are amazing. The event that is at the centre of the story actually occurred before the first book in the series, although this book is correctly placed, chronologically speaking, after the previous two books. Clever huh!
Beck Lewis is still, in my humble opinion, one of the best new police procedural authors on the scene.
Beck Lewis is still, in my humble opinion, one of the best new police procedural authors on the scene.
June 21, 2026
Book 3 of the Dead End Duncan’s. This book is a bit slower than the other two but there is a huge list of characters. Cass O’Donnell has survived a carbon monoxide poisoning at her home. However there were several who died in the various apartments. Cass is in a coma for 6 months and when she wakes up we go on her journey trying to piece together her life before the tragedy. I did guess fairly early on who the killer was but this didn’t spoil the story for me at all. I enjoyed getting to know more about the dead end Duncan’s and all the neighbours from Cass O’Donnells house. Brilliantly written kept me going to the very end because whilst I guessed who the baddie was I couldn’t see the reason. I do hope there will be a fourth book. Love this author.
June 11, 2026
I havent read the first 2 books in the series but it didnt spoil this book for me.
I didnt suspect the one that was involed.
Cassie was in a coma for 6 months and life is not the same. She lived in a share house with others and some died on the night that put cassie in a coma.
Rob and Walker and josie are back to solve multiple cases.
As cassie trys to rember her life from when she was in a coma and what happened that night.
Really liked the way you was pulled along to unravel the story and the twists where great.
Need to read book 1 and 2 now if they are as good as this one i am in for a wild ride.
I didnt suspect the one that was involed.
Cassie was in a coma for 6 months and life is not the same. She lived in a share house with others and some died on the night that put cassie in a coma.
Rob and Walker and josie are back to solve multiple cases.
As cassie trys to rember her life from when she was in a coma and what happened that night.
Really liked the way you was pulled along to unravel the story and the twists where great.
Need to read book 1 and 2 now if they are as good as this one i am in for a wild ride.
July 22, 2026
A solid 4.5 for this one
Cassie wakes up from a year long coma to find her memories are missing, she’s lost her job, lost her home and five people from her house have died. Desperate for answers she joins a support group run by some of the survivors from the carbon monoxide poisoning at their shared home. But with searching for answers comes even more questions. Can she trust everything people are telling her?
This is the first book of the Dead End series and it was nice to see some familiar characters again. I did have part of the ending worked out early on in the book, however it is still full of shocking twists and turns that kept me hooked
Cassie wakes up from a year long coma to find her memories are missing, she’s lost her job, lost her home and five people from her house have died. Desperate for answers she joins a support group run by some of the survivors from the carbon monoxide poisoning at their shared home. But with searching for answers comes even more questions. Can she trust everything people are telling her?
This is the first book of the Dead End series and it was nice to see some familiar characters again. I did have part of the ending worked out early on in the book, however it is still full of shocking twists and turns that kept me hooked
June 24, 2026
Wow this is a good book . This is book 3 in the series and I found that the series just gets better. In this book Cassie is just as annoying as in the previous books . Cassie wakes from a coma after the carbon monoxide accident to find her life before has been erased. She is now homeless and down on her luck when she joins a support group and one of the members ends up dead.
When the story unfolds you get drawn in with lots of tension of how and why. A great suspense story . I would recommend this series and this author.
When the story unfolds you get drawn in with lots of tension of how and why. A great suspense story . I would recommend this series and this author.
June 27, 2026
When Cassie wakes from a coma after a carbon monoxide incident she realises she has lost a year of her life and her memory. After talking to her best friend Erin she finds out five people died in the house where they all lived. But how and why did this happen? She needs answers to what happened in the missing year.
This is book number three in the series and just as good as the previous ones. It also revisits the dead end Duncan's a police team consisting of Rob, Walker & Josie who have all got on the wrong side of their boss. A twisty enjoyable read highly recommend.
This is book number three in the series and just as good as the previous ones. It also revisits the dead end Duncan's a police team consisting of Rob, Walker & Josie who have all got on the wrong side of their boss. A twisty enjoyable read highly recommend.
June 27, 2026
The story begins with a tragic event where several people died. Cassie survives but is in a coma. When she finally awakes, her memories are gone and she tries to piece everything together from that night.
This book did start a little slow but it did get better as the story progresed.
Although I haven't read the previous two books in this series, I felt that I could read this third book as a stand alone.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and I'd now like to read the rest of the series.
This book did start a little slow but it did get better as the story progresed.
Although I haven't read the previous two books in this series, I felt that I could read this third book as a stand alone.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and I'd now like to read the rest of the series.
July 4, 2026
This is the third instalment of the Dead End series. This was a bit slower to get into than the first two books but I still enjoyed it. It’s mainly based around Cassie who wakes up from being in a coma after carbon monoxide poisoning and has to piece her life back together again. It kept me guessing and I certainly didn’t expect the twist at the end! It was well written and I look forward to the next instalment.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The third book in this series begins with a carbon monoxide leak, several dead, and a point of view character who's just waking up from a related coma.
As Cassie O'Donnell awakens, she discovers she can't remember key details from around that time, or even some of the people she shared a house with. But her good friend visits a survivor's group full of people who were there or are related to the dead. She takes Cassie along, and now she can finally begin to untangle what really happened...
As always, my favourite parts of the book are the 'dead end' underdog coppers of the series title. They add a touch of realism, whereas the victim/non-police characters tend to pull at the edges of believability just a little.
I found Cassie a sympathetic lead and was eager for her to make it out of the book alive, and find a way to regain her independence. An enjoyable entry in this series.
As Cassie O'Donnell awakens, she discovers she can't remember key details from around that time, or even some of the people she shared a house with. But her good friend visits a survivor's group full of people who were there or are related to the dead. She takes Cassie along, and now she can finally begin to untangle what really happened...
As always, my favourite parts of the book are the 'dead end' underdog coppers of the series title. They add a touch of realism, whereas the victim/non-police characters tend to pull at the edges of believability just a little.
I found Cassie a sympathetic lead and was eager for her to make it out of the book alive, and find a way to regain her independence. An enjoyable entry in this series.
Review of advance copy received from Author
3rd in the series and what a ride this book was. After waking up from a coma after 6 months cassie life is very different, nothing is the same and her memories are all gone.
Rob, Walker and josie are also back to solve multiple cases that seem to link to Cassie. Really enjoyed the twists and my suspions about certain characters were correct just not in the way I originally thought
Rob, Walker and josie are also back to solve multiple cases that seem to link to Cassie. Really enjoyed the twists and my suspions about certain characters were correct just not in the way I originally thought
June 15, 2026
Another enjoyable outing from Beck Lewis, I like how Rob was in this one again as he’s one of my favourite characters and Cassie was well written and believable.
A dark premise and tense until the very end.
Can’t wait for the next book in the series.
A dark premise and tense until the very end.
Can’t wait for the next book in the series.
July 5, 2026
The Dead End Duncans on the case again. I enjoyed the story, these characters are definitely not your regular police at work. I did find some of the twists a little over the top, but still enjoyed the ride. Cassie and her memory loss lead to lots of questions and those lead to more questions.
July 29, 2026
This is the best of the series so far. Beck Lewis is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.
I love Cassie’s character. She’s sassy and clever. The story moves at a good pace. I look forward to more.
I love Cassie’s character. She’s sassy and clever. The story moves at a good pace. I look forward to more.
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