It is an ordinary September morning when I nearly lose my little girl. My mouth is dry, my hands shake when I see that she has darted unexpectedly into the playground...
The place where my own childhood ended.
Where I can't set foot inside.
As she wobbles on top of the climbing frame about to fall, a silent scream freezes in my throat. So when a stranger hears her cries and rushes to help, I feel weak with relief.
I thank him as my daughter presses her tear-stained face into my skirt. Looking into his warm brown eyes and gentle smile, I feel an instant connection. When our paths cross again, I invite him for dinner. I've been so lonely since the breakdown of my marriage. What harm could come of it?
Soon we are seeing each other daily and I feel a spark grow between us. But then he says something that makes my heartbeat fast in my chest. Something that makes me think he knows my secret.
That he knows what really happened at the playground all those years ago.
And if he knows that, he could destroy my precious family in a second...
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A hefty shove from behind sends me sprawling forward against my will.- PROLOGUE
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(@Bookouture, 26 September 2023, e-galley, 288 pages, #ARC from the publisher via @NetGalley, #BlogTour 27 September)
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I really enjoyed The Playground. This is the kind of twisty thriller I like with multiple unreliable narrators and twists and turns. I like the fact that different characters narrate the chapters, so you don't get the full story until much later in the book and constantly ask questions. I also liked the way the author gradually reveals what's going on and what Billy's true motivations are. I never saw the truth coming. I knew from the moment he 'saves' Beth's daughter that there was something off about him but I had no idea what. This is a gripping, pacy thriller.
