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The Playground

By: Michelle Frances
Narrated by: Kelly Hotten
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Publisher's summary

'I couldn’t put this one down' - Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal

Wry, twisting and suspenseful, bestselling author Michelle Frances tells a story of schoolyard sniping turning into something much uglier in The Playground, for fans of Liane Moriarty and Adele Parks.

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. At first.

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 . . .

©2023 Michelle Frances (P)2023 Macmillan Publishers International Limited
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Critic reviews

Taut, dark, and seriously addictive (Will Dean author of Dark Pines)
A slow burn, tense tale of the repercussions of both adult and child bullying and secret WhatsApp groups which almost any parent will relate to. Highly readable and horrifying. (Catherine Cooper, author of The Chalet)

What listeners say about The Playground

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oh my

I was on the fence about getting this, I am so glad I got it. I could not stop listening!!! So much more than just a mom gossip book. The characters are sensational, well written, and realistic. Narration is perfect!

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Overall a very good book!

Good book. Held my interest for sure but it wasn’t one of those books where it was SO good I’d spend every second I could to listen to it. Great narration and lots of twists ( they were too easy to be an actual “twist” as it was obvious about what was inevitably coming

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Wow!!

I absolutely loved this book, I didn’t want it to end!! I totally recommend it!

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So good!

Very entertaining! Couldn’t stop listening. People can be so cruel and will do whatever it takes to a part of the “in crowd”.

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Neither a domestic nor a psychological thriller

This book is so boring! Mom & 11 year old daughter move to small town. Girl is bullied at school. Moms gossip, complain, scheme. Mom of bullied girl reports bullying to school. Repeat. Over. And over, and over. For more than 10 hours. This is neither a domestic nor a psychological thriller. It is not a thriller in any way. NOTHING thrilling, suspenseful nor intriguing happens. Hard pass.

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DO NOT BUY

Honestly EXTREMBLY disapointed, the final act is VERY rush, there is no character growth, just descriptions ... the idea was good but it never evolve

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