The Playdate

Longlisted for the CWA Twisted Dagger Award 2025



'Grips you with a stranglehold from the get-go' Edel Coffey

'Riveting … gripping’ The Irish Independent

‘An incredibly gripping and entertaining page-turner’ The Irish Times

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Two mothers. Two daughters. Two sides to the story.

When Sara leaves her high-flying London life to move to Dublin, her only concern is her nine-year-old daughter, Lexie. For Lexie's sake she tries to get to know other mothers at the school gates, but they appear uninterested - particularly their leader, the beautiful and charismatic Vanessa, whose daughter rules the playground.

After a simple misunderstanding between Vanessa and Sara, none of the other kids at school want anything to do with Lexie. Desperate to mend fences, Sara offers to look after Vanessa's daughter one afternoon. But when the playdate ends in catastrophe, Vanessa is convinced that what happened wasn't an accident.

With allegations flying in all directions, Sara is forced to ask herself what she has unleashed? And how far a mother will go to protect her daughter?

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'Engrossing psychological drama ... a real page-turner, with lots of suspense' Irish Examiner

'A finely plotted book, one to be read in a single sitting. There are some jaw-dropping twists, yet it feels plausible' Sue Leonard, Irish Examiner

'You cannot put it down . . . an absolute page-turner’ Claire Byrne, Today with Claire Byrne, RTÉ Radio