The Playground: A Novel

I have a terrible confession to get off my chest. I got so confused by the characters in this book that I just gave up trying to remember who belonged to who and just let it all wash over me. I got that there were three married couples and a passel of children, but as for who was whose kid, I still don't know. It's made worse by the fact that names pop up that you think must be children but turn out to be pets or servants.

Actually, I must report that it didn't really seem to matter much. I got the point, anyway. These people live in Dulwich, which is an enclave of poshness in the vast working-class continent that is London south of the river. One couple has a holiday retreat in the Peloponnese, whither they all repair for a hot summer vacation. The kids are not supervised closely enough—not supervised at all, quite often—and they play spooky and dangerous games.

It's when the spooky games turn all too serious that the book goes all dark and becomes, first a whodunnit, then a twodunnit. The writing is pretty good if you ignore the names confusion. There's a bit too much domestic detail for my taste ("Eve checks the fridge ... She pulls butter from the middle shelf, strawberry jam from inside the door, and lathers both on a warm croissant with a knife") and the final ending was way too enigmatic for me.

I must be an idiot. I figured out who the murderer was very early into the book. I don't, however, know who the two men at the end were and the significance of the last chapter. Can someone help me out with this?

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.

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?

My Thoughts: Meeting the characters of The Playground happened almost immediately, and the narrative alternated between the women. They were wives and mothers who struggled with their marriages, their parenting duties, and their careers.

Their get-togethers revolved around their tutoring circle connections, and while they seemed to be enjoying themselves, it didn’t take long to notice that the children were up to something. They ran wild, primarily, which worried me. I knew that nothing good would come of the games they were playing, games that went unnoticed by the parents.

What ultimately happened stemmed from their inability to keep track of their children and their activities, but also sprang from their own marital issues. Domestic abuse was another theme that would become crucial to the events that unfolded.

When tragedy struck, the spotlight turned to one of the men and ignored the signs that I could see all along. I had figured out what happened long before the end, but I enjoyed watching how the truth was finally discovered. 5 stars.

Who are the two men in the last chapter?

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.

I didn’t like an evil child doing vile things to vulnerable children

The Playground by Jane Shemilt is a riveting mystery and fascinating character study.

Eve Kershaw is a stay at home mum to daughters Poppy and Sorrel and three year old Ash. She and her husband Eric live in her family home on a sprawling estate surrounded by dense woods. Eve provides minimal supervision as their children spend their days playing outdoors. She is excited to begin tutoring children with dyslexia and Eve is delighted by the unexpected friendships that form amongst both the children and their parents. But what will happen to their families and friendships after tragedy strikes?

Despite a few reservations, Grace is hopeful the sessions will be beneficial for her eleven year old son Blake. Although her nine year old daughter Charley does not need any extra help, Grace is pleased when Eve invites her daughter to join them. Since Grace is the family’s only source of income and works long hours, her husband Martin is responsible for the children’s daily drop offs and pick-ups. Grace is surprised but unconcerned to discover that Eve and Martin have become somewhat close friends.

Interior designer Melissa and her architect husband Paul Chorley-Smith have also signed up their thirteen year old daughter Izzy for Eve’s tutoring sessions. Melissa has no choice but to allow Paul to closely monitor Izzy’s lessons but she has no reason to believe her daughter is not thriving under Eve’s tutelage. She is also thrilled to see that Izzy has become close friends with the other children. Melissa is quite reserved and a little distant but she is soon an integral part of the circle of friends.

Over the summer, the three couples are soon spending lots of time in each other’s company at the Kershaw’s home and take a vacation together. With wine flowing freely, they enjoy raucous dinners while the children are largely unsupervised for large swaths of time. While the adults are absorbed with their own secrets, the kids are playing troubling games. After a tragic accident, the friendships deepen but it takes another shocking event for them to realize something quite horrific is occurring in one of their homes.

The Playground is a spellbinding mystery that also serves as a bit of a cautionary tale for “free-range” parenting. The characters are multi-faceted and each of the couples is dealing with a variety of issues behind closed doors. The plot is well-developed and easily captures readers’ attention. With a stunning series of stunning twists and turns, Jane Shemilt brings this suspenseful domestic mystery to a tense conclusion. Fans of the genre do not want to miss this enthralling mystery.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

I enjoyed the book but I found it left you wondering about quite a bit. I felt you never new what happened in certain areas. I wouldn't recommend this book unless you like unfinished puzzles.

Three families and their children become close over the course of a summer. The parents become too focused on their selves and leave the children too much freedom. When bad things start to happen the parents are devastated. The truth is much worse than they originally thought. This was a good thriller but at times, the story doesn't make as much sense as it should. Some of the characters actions are very questionable. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.