The Safe Room

A Short Story

De: Lisa Unger

Narrado por: Vivienne Leheny

Private investigator Rae Donovan’s relationship with her father is distant to the point of estrangement. But when she learns he’s dying in hospice, she drops everything to be at his side. By the time she arrives, he’s already too far gone to speak, and a doctor says his death is consistent with poisoning.

As she scours his isolated Adirondack home for clues, she discovers a hidden room filled with surveillance equipment, weapons, and a safe full of cash—maybe her father wasn’t the unassuming retiree she’d imagined. Rae must decide whether knowing the full truth about her family is worth the danger of tracking it down.

©2026 Lisa Unger (P)2026 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Draws you in & keeps you there

The vocal artist and the story were so well suited and kept me focused and intrigued throughout.
Excellently written!

Gooood read.

Great short story as so dependably usual from Lisa Unger as she builds a tense tale of what a distant daughter finds upon the death of her mysterious father. Vivienne Leheny as narrator well fit the mood.

A quick and easy read/listen

This was another "new to me" author and I went into this book completely blind.

The story starts off introducing private investigator Rae Donovan who is at her father's home after being notified of his death. We learn that the two were estranged and hadn't talked to one another in a fairly long while. Rae begins to realize that she didn't know anything about her father's life and as she tries to begin the process of sorting through his things, she discovers a secret room. The existence and contents of the room shows that there was more to her father than she ever knew.

As Rae begins to unravel her father's life, the hospital informs her that his death was not natural and his body shows signs of poisoning. This starts the ball rolling as she cannot stop her curiosity, both to learn more about her father's life and mostly to try to solve the mystery of WHY he was killed.

This book is a novella or short story length that is very fast paced and goes by quickly. It takes us quickly through the case and for the most part wraps everything up.

The story was narrated by Vivienne Leheny whose performance did a wonderful job with the execution of the storyline.

Quick good read

More of the story would have been welcome and the Fast pace was captivating and enjoyable

A Very Good Short Read

Normally I don't leave reviews for short reads, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Vivienne Leheny, as the Narrator, was terrific and I will look for her voice in future audible books. Lisa Unger, the Author, has written a short, enjoyable, mystery without all of the lengthening tactics to make it a longer read (such as lots of repetition). The characters were well-developed, the storyline easy to follow, and the ending satisfying.