No One Is Safe by Simon Kernick

 

Luke Jones is out walking with his wife and son when they hear a shout for help. What follows puts Luke in a nightmare situation. With his wife and son held captive by violent kidnappers, he must carry out their instructions if he is ever to see them alive again.

As soon as I picked up No One Is Safe by Simon Kernick, I just knew that I was in for a roller-coaster of a read. Having read a few of his previous novels, I was all set for nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat drama. What I wasn't expecting was how dark the actual tone of the story is. From the very opening pages, there is a level of brutality that left me feeling unsettled. I also had a sense of déjà vu, the kidnapping element of the story seemed extremely familiar. Checking back, I discovered that there are references to events that took place in an earlier novel, The First 48 Hours (you can read my review here). This is not a sequel, but there is a recurring character, Keith 'Fish' Fisher, who plays a major part in both books.

When Luke escaped from the kidnappers, he didn't realise that it was all part of a despicable plot to coerce him into carrying out their plan. You can feel Luke's terror as he doesn't know who he can trust, if he's being watched, and what will trigger the kidnappers to harm his family. Thankfully, Luke is able to contact one person he knows he can trust, Tina Boyd.

Even with Tina's assistance, things do not go smoothly for Luke as a result of constant surveillance. At every turn you are willing him to find some way of contacting the authorities, but it looks as if the criminals have thought of every possibility. The final objective is a despicable one, with the author basing the plot loosely on current events.

The action is non-stop, with danger lurking at every turn. As I read, I constantly worried about how characters could possibly survive the horrific situations they found themselves in. There are some epic stand-offs that will have you holding your breath. 

With time running out, it would appear that Luke has no option but to do as the captors want. His only hope is that by doing as he's told, he will save the lives of the people most precious to him. You'll just have to read the book for yourself to discover what happens.

No One is Safe by Simon Kernick will be published on 5th November 2026 in hardback, ebook, and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Headline for a review copy.

Author Details

Simon Kernick is a number one bestseller and one of the UK’s most popular thriller writers, with huge hits including KILL A STRANGER, GOOD COP BAD COP, RELENTLESS, THE LAST 10 SECONDS, SIEGE and the BONE FIELD series.