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The Playground: A Novel

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Arrives Saturday, Jun 21
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Description

"Beautifully written and suffused with dread. Jane Shemilt's domestic settings are seductively vivid, and the final outcome is profoundly shocking and terrifying." — Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of The Nanny Big Little Lies meets Lord of The Flies in this electrifyingly twisty psychological thriller, follow-up to Jane Shemilt’s breakout debut The Daughter. Over the course of a long, hot summer in London, the lives of three very different married couples collide when their children join the same tutoring circle, resulting in illicit relationships, shocking violence, and unimaginable fallout. There’s Eve, a bougie earth mother with a well-stocked trust fund; she has three little ones, a blue-collar husband and is obsessed with her Instagrammable recipes and lifestyle. And Melissa, a successful interior designer whose casually cruel banker husband is careful not to leave visible bruises; she curates her perfectly thin body so closely she misses everything their teenage daughter is hiding. Then there’s Grace, a young Zimbabwean immigrant, who lives in high-rise housing project with her two children and their English father Martin, an award-winning but chronically broke novelist; she does far more for her family than she should have to. As the weeks go by, the couples become very close; there are barbecues, garden parties, a holiday at a country villa in Greece. Resentments flare. An affair begins. Unnoticed, the children run wild. The couples are busily watching each other, so distracted and self-absorbed that they forget to watch their children. No one sees the five children at their secret games or realize how much their family dynamics are changing until tragedy strikes.The story twists and then twists again while the three families desperately search for answers. It’s only as they begin to unravel the truth of what happened over the summer that they realize evil has crept quietly into their world. But has this knowledge come too late?"Countless psychological thrillers get compared to Big Little Lies; Shelmilt's is the real deal." — People Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow Paperbacks (December 30, 2019)


Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 30, 2019


Language ‏ : ‎ English


File size ‏ : ‎ 3.9 MB


Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled


Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported


Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled


X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled


Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled


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If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Saturday, Jun 21

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Top Amazon Reviews


  • Scary and intriguing!
I loved this book because it was fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat. The author did a very good job developing the characters. She captured the settings with her descriptions and I could imagine myself in Greece. Izzys character was very well written. The book was realistic as well, as many adults don’t really see what’s happening with their children, even if the children are right in front of the adults. I didn’t like that the part between Melissa and her husband got wrapped up nicely. I would have liked a little more depth with that story. Overall a great thriller, sad, but true. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2020 by Penelope

  • Disturbing *mild spoilers*
This book is very intriguing and well-written. Maybe it's just the self-isolation getting to me but I found the violence and the multiple twists and the ending so disturbing it was difficult to get out of my head. Great book and I highly recommend if you are in the mood for a twisty psychological thriller but not for the faint of heart, especially if you find sexual violence, domestic violence, and any form of child abuse especially difficult to shake off. I was expecting children in some messed up situations - similar to Truly, Madly, Guilty - but nothing like this. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2020 by Jenn

  • Good drama, kept my interest
Very few books hold my interest until the end, but this book was a good escape and there were no dull moments. I thought it was more of a drama/mystery than a suspense story. It formed some heavy questions that I couldn't wait to uncover, but it never "kept me up at night" or gave me that jumpy type of scared feeling that a horror or heavy suspense story would have, which is fine. I gave it three stars only because I measure it against just a handful of books that I've read several times over and have kept, as opposed to donating when I'm done. This was worth the read, a detailed, atmospheric story, and I don't regret buying it. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2021 by Barnwood1824

  • Best book I’ve read in a long time
Parents: listen to your children! Three women, three families, all different from each other, cross paths. May twists and turns. A psychological thriller that’s worthy of five stars.
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2020 by JoCee

  • A cross between Truly Madly Guilty and Lord of the Flies
The Playground is an unsettling domestic thriller which examines three dysfunctional marriages. Eve is a trust fund baby married to a landscaper. She hopes to give their three children all the freedom that was lacking in her upbringing. Her husband is a man of few words and Eve acutely feels the silence in their uncommunicative marriage. Melissa is an interior designer who is married to a wealthy but abusive husband. Grace is an immigrant from Zimbabwe, who is the sole provider for the family. Years ago her husband was a Booker winner, but future novels and money have long run out and they live in a dangerous housing project. What connects all three families together is dyslexia. Eve, a teacher runs a Sunday tutoring class in which her daughter and Melissa’s daughter, as well as Grace’s son attend and subsequently bring their families together. The Playground also depicts what happens to the children, when their parents are too entwined in their own unhappiness to properly supervise. While The Playground lacks Liane Moriarty’s complexity of characterizations and her trademark humor….. I would still recommend. It is a quick read, told through multiple perspectives…. Eve, Grace and Melissa. Clues are given and the ample foreshadowing makes it clear from the beginning that these are circumstances ripe for disaster. Some of the plot points are predictable and there is no surprise when this domestic tale springs into Lord of the Flies territory. Seemingly everyday people with a serious lack of self-awareness, when they are pitted against the forces of human nature, that bring out our basest selves. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2020 by Nitty's Mom

  • Very surprise ending!
I loved the story. It held me in suspense through to the very last page! I had a feeling as I read that Paul didn't do it but never guessed the ending!
Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2021 by Carol Anne

  • Only one word to describe it, WOW!
I certainly didn't expect it. I was unable to put it down, had to continue reading until I finished. This is a book that is very hard to put. You just need to read this book to understand.
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2021 by Kindle Customer

  • Creepy
The playground was not easy for me to figure out. It was quite shocking and even up to the last few pages there were twists. It was creepy in an Alfred Hitchcock sort of way. I didn't want to know what bad news was around tge corner yet I had to know.
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2022 by Monroesy

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