Playdate

A chilling tale of friendship and abduction

Alex Dahl author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Published:1st Apr '21

Should be back in stock very soon

Playdate cover

A seemingly innocent sleepover turns into a nightmare when Lucia goes missing. Playdate explores the chilling aftermath of her abduction.

In Playdate, Lucia's innocent trip to a friend's house for a sleepover takes a dark turn when she disappears without a trace. After a seemingly normal evening with her friend Josie, Lucia's mother, Elisa, drops off her overnight belongings and shares a moment of camaraderie with Josie's mother. However, when Elisa returns the next morning, she finds the house empty—no furniture, no family, and most importantly, no Lucia. The shocking realization sets in: her daughter has vanished, leaving behind a chilling mystery.

As the search for Lucia unfolds, Playdate delves into the complexities of family dynamics and the façade of suburban life. Alex Dahl expertly explores the emotional turmoil faced by Elisa and the ripple effects of her daughter's abduction. The narrative raises unsettling questions about trust, friendship, and the hidden dangers that can lurk beneath the surface of everyday life. Who has taken Lucia, and what could be the motive behind such a heinous act?

This gripping tale not only captivates readers with its suspenseful plot but also invites them to reflect on the fragility of safety in seemingly ordinary situations. Playdate is a masterful blend of tension and psychological insight, making it a must-read for fans of thrillers and mysteries alike.

Deceptively simple and extremely clever, Playdate is a tense thriller that felt utterly real, with complex, flawed and relatable characters facing underlying fears and horrific possibilities -- Jane Shemilt
A tense, exhilarating read that explores every mother's greatest fear – and the consequences of desire. I couldn't put it down -- Rachael Blok
The storytelling is crisp [and] there's a terrifying simplicity about the ordinariness of the plot but particularly interesting are the very different responses of the two parents to their daughter's disappearance * Daily Mail *
Quickly exerts a grip... This is proof that Dahl is a writer to watch' * Financial Times *
Dahl plays with a scenario that is every parent's nightmare as she slowly reveals the truth in this fast-paced and unsettling read * Guardian, Thrillers of the Month *
A story with real heart, surprising and chilling but the novel is more than an entertainment. As the story unfolds Dahl's exploration of her characters allows readers to go deep into their psyche, an empathetic tale becomes a very compassionate one – who you have compassion for may surprise you – we can't condone what happens but can feel like we understand it and that is very satisfying... Atmospheric... An engaging and emotionally draining read, a superb psychological thriller' * NB Magazine *
A wonderfully creepy twisty tale that kept me guessing until the solution was under my nose -- Lesley Thomson
[It will] have your nerves jangling and your emotions twisting... A tough read for those of a nervous disposition and an outright scary one for parents for whom the fear of child abduction is always at the back of their minds' * Weekend Sport *
A lively page turner. And the real skill of the book is not so much in the twists of the story as the manner in which our sympathies for the key characters are shifted quite dramatically * Irish Examiner *
Harrowing and gripping * Heat *
Terrifying * Sunday Post *
Fast-paced, [a] very unsettling psychological thriller * Woman *

ISBN: 9781789544091

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

464 pages