Safe House

The narrator, Simon Vance, gives a STELLAR performance as always.

Absolutely. This story is action packed, with plenty of attention paid to character development. I couldn't stop listening...I had to take my phone into the office with me to finish!

Simon Vance is an audiobook rockstar. He could read the phonebook and I would listen. He is hands down my favorite narrator. Every performance he gives is as close to perfection as it gets...and this one is no different.

I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book...no tears, but definitely cringed a few times during some of the description of the more violent scenes ( which are limited and integral to the character development). Also smiled a little during the parts with Grampa and Rocky. Great great story.

This is my first Chris Ewan book, but it won't be my last. He's got the goods. And Simon Vance just nails it. He IS every character...male , female, young, old,.....and the accents!! Spot On!!

At the top for sure - this mystery/thriller is up there with any great mystery writer, and maybe even a touch better, as it's smarter, more layered. Super story, perfect narrator for the work.

Well obviously Rob, the main character. There are puzzles at every turn, and he manages to somehow figure them all out without going nuts. He's just a regular guy, suddenly in the midst of unusal circumstances with something personal at stake.

Kind of cool that it's set on Isle of Man....which I had to look up on a map. It's a self-contained little island, which lends itself to being an important "character" in this book.

I really enjoy Simon Vance's narrations. He did Chris Ewan's other books, Good Thief's Guides. This time it's a different character (of course) and he alters his presentation accordingly. I'm always amazed at how good narrators are at conveying different characters, moods, even places through their delivery. This is no exception!

Uh, no I didn't laugh or cry - I'm not sure that would've been appropriate - but I was intrigued and had to keep listening to find out the end!

LOVE IT. You'll become a Chris Ewan fan.

Just discovered this author and, after listening to his stories of the writer/ thief, with their quirky twists, nice to try something with a different approach. Hope for more of both. And keep the narrator ... He does an excellent job.

Middle to high

Once you get to 2nd half you can't stop listening

The barn fight

Female hero

Rebecca best part

I enjoyed "Safe House" and especially liked Simon Vance. To help with the setting I downloaded a map of the Isle of Man and had it at my elbow as I listened to the story. Rob Hale is an unlikely hero, a plumber and a serious cyclist (Isle of Man is the home of TT motorcycle races). Like the TT races, the story is full of dramatic twists and turns; the book keeps you guessing. For this reason you have to be quite attentive listening to this audio book; scenes change and a few times I had to hit the rewind button. I should add that this does not mean it is a superficial tale; Ewan through Vance's voice paints a very detailed picture of the surroundings, the characters and the events.
This is my first Chris Ewan and I will check out his offering offerings.

Every new chapter was more engrossing than the last, and what a ride! Once I began reading, it was nearly impossible to put down. This is a clever, brilliantly-crafted thriller with great characters and more than a few twists. Two enthusiastic thumbs-up!

It has a wonderful story line.

Oh yes. I never quite knew which character was the bad guy.

Yes, all the Sieg Larrsen books. His narration is the best.

It was very suspenseful

Chris Ewan is a clever and articulate author; and, coupled with the fabulous Simon Vance, can't go very far wrong. I have listened to all his "Good Thief's Guides" and find the deadpan, comically self-effacing protagonist irresistible and fun. The slightly arrogant thief, characterized perfectly by Vance, is entertaining in any and all books.

Ewan clearly is trying to break away from that niche with this more serious book. While Vance is a delight to hear as Charlie the thief, in this book when he assumes a humorless and less articulate Isle of Man accent and character it is far less entertaining. The lack of cleverness and humor is sorely missed. It starts off slowly, but does capture the reader's attention with a typically convoluted, but perhaps more confusing plot than usual. There does not seem to be as much intimate depth of character (we know all of Charlie's flaws and shortcomings--but not so here), and the characters are less sympathetic.

All in all, it is quite a good read, and I would listen to anything written by Ewan if narrated by Vance. But, I would prefer he stick to the rascal thief character, with his hilarious predicaments.

Although the ratings weren't as high as most of the books I read, I wanted to give it a chance. I wanted to like it. The premise is fascinating. Many aspects of the plot are interesting, but it doesn't fit together.

I wanted to like this story and as I listened it kept my attention and I liked the characters and desperately wanted to know who done it. Simon Vance's narration was flawless as usual. As we neared the end, however, I started to think that someone should have explained the theory of Occam's Razor to some of characters. I'll try to not have any real spoilers here, but come on, the plot to cover up this, fake that, kidnap her, implicate them, steal this, destroy that, involve this person and that person AND the other person, all with little tiny bits of information pertaining to a huge convoluted plot. Yikes. No wonder all of the three principle blonde's plots failed so spectacularly. Rocky was cool tho.