The Playdate by Victoria Jenkins
Genre: Domestic thriller, Psychological thriller, Suspense
Read: 21st May 2021
Published: 21st May 2021
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
Arranging the playdate was easy. Child’s play. Preparing the house was more difficult. It was only now she realised 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…
MY REVIEW:
I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Victoria Jenkins gripping new thriller THE PLAYDATE.
Victoria Jenkins has stepped into the foray of psychological and domestic thrillers after the success of her Detectives King and Lane series, with THE PLAYDATE being her fourth thriller thus far. I've always enjoyed her books and, although this one didn't hit the mark for me as much as her previous two, it was still an exciting and compelling read.
From the beginning we meet two very different mothers. Dani is a young single mother to screaming tantrum wielding Layla living with her own mother Caroline whilst training to be a hairstylist. Adele is an older woman living a much more affluent lifestyle - husband, perfect house - with 21 month old Ivy, a beautiful placid child. The children are as different as the mothers.
But both women are harbouring secrets.
Feeling isolated and lonely, Dani is thrilled when she meets Adele at playgroup held every Friday morning in the church hall and it isn't long before the two women become fast friends. She finds Adele easy to confide in, even if she is more her mother's age than her own, opening up about Layla's father and the recent troubles that have been plaguing her. It seems someone has begun a smear campaign against her from threatening mail to emails about detailing her past. And the only person Dani can think of to be behind it is her ex's wife. The wife she knew nothing about when she began seeing him. Who else would hate her this much? Added to that are her struggles with Layla. The child throws the most epic tantrums, screaming the place down if she doesn't get her own way. What is she doing wrong?
Adele is sympathetic to her new friend. It's not easy being a young single mother...particularly to a spirited willful child. And then to be faced with posters all over town with your photo on and emails revealing your past, she can't help but feel sorry for her...almost. For Adele has her own troubles at home where Callum is bitter and controlling. When he discovers she has taken Ivy out, he is livid. She knows the rules - she is NOT to go out with Ivy. But Adele needs those playgroup days. And so she asks Dani and Layla around for a playdate. But first, she must prepare the house, packing away the photos that are on display of the picture-perfect family - husband, wife and child. For it is all a lie. Then Dani sees the bruises on Adele's back before she has a chance to hide them. It seems Adele's life is not quite as perfect as it appears.
Then at the playground with Adele and Ivy one day, Dani has words with one of affluent mums from playgroup with whom she'd had run-ins with before. And it only takes a fraction of that minute for Layla to disappear...and for Dani's world to come crashing down.
There is honestly not much more I can say about this book without giving too much away. It is a cleverly written thriller of smoke and mirrors where nothing is as it seems.
THE PLAYDATE is told through the alternating perspectives of Dani and Adele. The reader knows that both women are keeping secrets but exactly what are those secrets? As the story unravels and the truth is revealed, do the pieces of the puzzle really fit together...or is it another illusion?
Beginning as a slow burn my interest never waned throughout and as the pace picked up I raced through the pages in an attempt to unravel the mystery. The closer I got, the truth was suddenly clear. But what was the endgame and how will it all turn out?
A domestic thriller with a clever twist, THE PLAYDATE is an addictive read from start to finish. Victoria Jenkins is certainly spreading her wings in this genre. Having read all four of her thrillers, I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next!
I would like to thank #VictoriaJenkins, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #ThePlaydate in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Victoria Jenkins is a Welsh author who has made a name for herself writing the highly popular Detective King and Lane series of novels. The first novel in the series was “The Girls In The Water” that Jenkins first published in 2017 and is an Amazon UK top 30 bestseller, and top 5 bestseller in the Amazon US chart., to much critical acclaim and popularity among crime fiction fans.
The series of novels features Detective Constable Chloe Lane and Detective Inspector Alex King, who are the lead investigative characters that solve some mysterious murders in their hometown.
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.
Victoria lives with her husband and daughter in South Wales, where her series of crime novels featuring Detectives King and Lane is based.
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