I absolutely loved this book! So true to life and very relatable if you’ve ever had children at primary school and been subjected to the mummy mafia! It’s got everything you need for a great read-unlikable and untrustworthy characters, a mysterious past with flashbacks and a humdinger of a twist! I raced through The Playground in a day unable to put it down. Gripping and additive-it felt like I was listening to some salacious gossip in the playground myself at times, unable to tear myself away but feeling very uncomfortable! What a great read to be able to bring out such strong emotions in me!

I really enjoyed this book, as a school playground mum I can relate to the story. Maybe not so much the darker parts! Brilliant characters and villains, and a twist in the middle! I read this quickly because I needed to KNOW

“The playground “ is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into the dark underbelly of small-town politics and the lengths people will go to protect their own. The story revolves around Nancy and her daughter, who have just moved to the idyllic village of Willow Barn to start a new life. However, things take a sinister turn when they become embroiled in the harsh cliques that dominate the village, and the lies and betrayals that are happening behind closed doors.
Frances does an excellent job of setting the stage, and the story moves quickly, pulling the reader into the intense and unwelcoming world of Willow Barn. The plot is subtle and quiet, with whispers and sneaking around in the dark, keeping the reader hooked and reading into every detail, every rivalry, and relationship.
While the book has some bouts of info-dumping and the finale wasn't as explosive as it could have been, the overall story is a brilliantly devilish and dark tale that holds a mirror up to the reader and asks just how far they'd go to protect the ones they love. "The playground “is a must-read for fans of twisty thrillers that leave you questioning everything.

*3.5 stars*

Nancy and her daughter Lara move to the quaint and pretty Derbyshire village of Ripton. The house and surrounding land is beautiful, leading right down to a picturesque reservoir. This is to be a new start for both of them after a truly traumatic time

However, when Lara starts school, both herself and Nancy find themselves on the outside of certain cliques, and discover just how vicious playground politics can become, involving as they do, bullying tactics by offended or envious parents and their children, deliberately leaving out another’s child from play dates, birthday parties, playtime games - and garnering the support of their cliques to get others to do the same. Bad enough, but sometimes it’s elevated to an even higher level!

Queen Bee Imogen, and her daughter Rosie are the instigators of the bullying in this case, causing distress and suffering in their wake, the ripples of which ebb their way around the village, and together with WhatsApp gossips, bigoted whingers, illicit affairs, and dog poisonings, the events in Ripton reach a crescendo on the night of The Straw Bear Festival.
Really enjoyed this, but have one criticism - I found the ending was just too rushed.

I really enjoyed this book, this could be a real life story from many villages all over the country! Brilliantly written, the plot was easy to follow even with the multiple different lives being described. Well worth a read!

This was a quick read for me. Great thriller, and the women are written so well. I think this could be a great beach read.

#ThePlayground #NetGalley
A fun read. 4.5 ⭐
Looking to escape her old life, Nancy and her ten-year-old daughter Lara move to Ripton. A quiet, picturesque village in the rolling Derbyshire countryside, it seems like the perfect place to settle down. But when Nancy reaches the school gates, she learns that beneath the quaint village atmosphere is a minefield. And after her daughter clashes with her school friends, Nancy quickly finds herself outside the whispering circle of parents. As much as Nancy finds the playground politics absurd, they soon become impossible to ignore when Lara is accused of hurting another girl. Desperate to clear Lara's name, Nancy is about to learn just what lengths a parent will go to for their child
I loved her previous one called The Boyfriend so I had huge expectations from this one and I'm happy to say that I'm not disappointed with it.
Characters were awesome. The final twist was a killer.
Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me an advance copy of this book.

moving to a rural village and a playground of mothers. what on earth could go wrong with this combination?
apparently lots can.
I really enjoyed this read by Michelle Frances

Thank you to the author and @netgalley for allowing me to read and review this advanced copy read. I was fully immersed in the drama of Ripton village throughout this book and loved the addition of the Group WhatsApp sections which helped to amplify the story. Four stars from me as I loved the story so much but felt the ending was a bit rushed and left me wanting more!

I have read several of Michelle Frances books so was looking forward to starting The Playground and I was not disappointed. The cover was enticing and being a mother myself I know very well what playgrounds and mothers and the clique can be like.
The story focusses on 10 year old Lara and single mother Nancy and their move to a new village and Lara to a new school.
The story focuses on bullying, jealousy and lies and I really felt for Lara and also Nancy as a somewhat helpless parent.
I would recommend this book as it was a fast paced, exciting read with an unexpected twist.
Thanks to Netgalley, Pan McMillan and Michelle Frances for the advanced copy in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

Sting In The Tale..
The move to rural life, to a seemingly idyllic village, seems the perfect one for Nancy and her daughter. What Nancy hadn’t anticipated was the vitriol that lay behind the school gates - a veritable battlefield. Things are about to get worse - much worse. Compelling and engaging suspense with a credible and well drawn cast of characters, an edgy narrative with a gradual burn of mounting tension, plenty of twists along the way and finally a real and, perhaps, unexpected sting in the tale.

The Playground is gripping and tense, and will force you to keep reading! i could not put this down and enjoyed every page of this

3.5 rounded up

Nancy buys Willow Barn in the quiet Derbyshire village of Ripton desperately needing a fresh start for herself and daughter Lara. However, it soon becomes clear that her reception in the playground is less than warm but it’s not clear why. When her daughter is accused of hurting another girl, Nancy and Lara become increasingly isolated and the subject of gossip. Nancy wants to clear Lara’s name but clearly more than one parent in Ripton will do whatever it takes for their child.

Take my advice - if you’re looking for peace and quiet avoid Ripton like the plague or maybe that should just be the playground coven of witchery, trickery and b******y. The author does a good job in conveying the malice of those unlikeable characters whose tittle tattle is so destructive and mean, raising animosity even if there’s little basis of truth. Some of these women and children, well one child in particular, are something else and maybe said offspring should be renamed Cruella de Vil. Your sympathies lie with Nancy although she doesn’t always respond sensibly. There’s a nasty bullying element that is also conveyed well although I’m not entirely sure I buy into all the drama but it does make for compelling reading especially one aspect of manipulation. There’s a lot going on in this small village, it sure is a lively place with dark undertones, deception and worse. The pace is mostly quick, it’s an easy to read, glide through book in a nice setting which is well described.

Although this is a diverting novel there is a lot of over explanation and unnecessary detail that halts the pace and gets in the way of the unfolding dramatic situation. Parts of the ending seem a bit rushed but the ultimate twist is so good! That takes me by surprise! Nicely played!

Overall, this is a take to the beach escapist read which is often just what’s needed!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan McMillan for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

An intriguing family thriller. It tries to lure you into security with the cosyness of school yards and PTA's. But the reality it scary and cut throat.
A reminder that a good thriller is based in the most ordinary of scenarios.

Phew! I really hope schoolground politics isn’t like this! From the start a clique of mum rail against a newcomer who seems to have everything some of them want, at any cost. Bullying, psychological and physical go hand in hand with rumour scaremongering, whats app vitriol and the eventual fallouts all played out not just through the adults but through their children. An engrossing if uncomfortable read but it has one or two stings in the tale. My only concern was the seemingly sudden winding up of events after a well paced story.

Realistic story taking playground politics to a new level. Believable characters and dialogue have an all too true ring about them with a growing sense of suspense as the final night unfolds. The surprise twists at the very end complete the story in unexpected ways.

I enjoyed this book. Nancy and her 10 year old daughter Lara have just moved to a beautiful house in a Derbyshire village after the death of her husband. She hopes a new start will be just what she needs. However, when Lara starts at the local primary, Nancy discovers that school gate politics are rife. When Lara is subjected to bullying , she finds herself dragged right into it. There are some great characters in the story, and lots of other goings on in the village! Thanks to NetGalley for preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

I enjoyed this book, some of the characters are horrible and make you cringe, but it is such a true story of playground bullies. children are worse than the adults

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Nancy and her daughter, Lara, move to the countryside in a huge new house, to restart their lives. Lara has asthma so Nancy wants to give the best care she can to Lara to reduce her symptoms and give her a more comfortable life. Lara starts at the new local school. And crosses paths with the other mums and kids. And this begins the start of the trouble. But the other parents are all keeping their own little secrets

This was a brilliant read. The author characterised each mum perfectly, and I’m pretty sure we’ve all come across each of them in the playground. This story made me angry on Nancy’s behalf, and I enjoyed the way the author tackled the issues raised as it’s very true to life in the way schools deal (or don’t deal) with bullying issues. I read this book very quickly as it was a complete page turner. My favourite read this year so far.

This is another great read by Michelle Frances. I’ve really enjoyed her other books and this didn’t disappoint.
It’s a great domestic thriller, that is strangely very relatable. The characters are mostly horrid, however they drew me in and I raced to the end.
A very good read and one that I’d recommend.