THE PLAYDATE

 

SYNOPSIS

Arranging the playdate was easy. Child’s play. Preparing the house was more difficult. It was only now she realized how many photographs there were: the picture-perfect unit. Wife, husband, child. All of it a lie.

I made a new friend at playgroup today. She’s different from the other mothers. She feels like someone I can trust. Someone I can confide in.

But there are some things I can’t tell her. Things I can’t tell anyone.

Because I have a secret that no one else knows. One that still haunts my dreams, wakes me up in a cold sweat at night.

Even another mother would never understand. Unless, of course, she’s hiding something too.

Title: The play date

Author: Victoria Jenkins

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication date: May 21, 2021

Victoria Jenkins lives with her husband and daughter in South Wales, where her series of crime novels featuring Detectives King and Lane is based. Her debut novel The Girls in the Water is an Amazon UK top 30 bestseller, and top 5 bestseller in the Amazon US chart.

Her first psychological thriller, The Divorce, was published in July 2019. The second, The Argument, was published December 10th 2019 and The Accusation was published June 9th 2020. Her latest novel, The Playdate is out now.

 

Buy Links

Amazon: https://geni.us/B08XWFWZMHsocial

Apple: http://ow.ly/1l3v50DOGlR

Kobo: http://ow.ly/OonD50DOGim

Google: http://ow.ly/vEKn50DOGoU

Social Media Links

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/victoriajenkinswriter/

Twitter:      @vicwritescrime

https://twitter.com/vicwritescrime

 

REVIEW

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

There’s a Spanish saying that says that man is the only animal to stumble twice on the same stone (I don’t know what would be the English equivalent). Well, it must be true cause now I’ve “stumbled” thrice with Victoria Jenkins’ twists and have been caught completely unaware once again. Did I not learn anything after the shocking twist in The argument? Apparently not, cause halfway through The playdate I had one of those “Wait! What??!!” moments that forced me to go backwards and re-read some chapters. Well done once again with the misdirection! I’ve always thought that making the reader think one thing while actually reality is nothing like that must be terribly difficult.

I could not help but feel some sympathy for Dani. Yes, she might have done some not so great things in the past, but being a young single mum with so little support network must be overwhelming. I know I got overwhelmed when Dani’s daughter, Layla, had one of her tantrums. When she meets Adele at a playgroup it looks like she has finally found a friend, but Dani isn’t the only one with secrets.

Although the story took off at a slower pace I found myself completely engrossed from the beginning. Who is targeting Dani in that smear campaign? A little bit into the story the pace picked up and didn’t let go until the very end. The ending was satisfying although I would have liked to know a bit more about Adele’s background.

A really enjoyable domestic thriller, well written and with several turns you won’t see coming. You might think you have it all figured out but…wait for it! cause once the unexpected happens you will not be able to stop reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.