ThePlayground

The Playground is taut, dark, and seriously addictiveA brilliant thrillerA thriller that will have you grippedThere’s something more sinister than sibling rivalry lurking in Sisters and I tore through the pages, desperate to discover the terrible secret that separates Abby and Ellie. This high-speed chase of a novel is a perfect summer readTerrific . . . Twisted, fraught with suspense, a proper summer page-turnerToxic family relationships, sultry European settings and an intricate plot which leaves you never knowing who to trust - an ideal read for the beachFans of BBC drama The Replacement will lap up this taut and suspenseful taleI was blown away. The Girlfriend is the most marvellous psychological thriller . . . I couldn’t put it down and kept sneaking upstairs to read another few pages . . . Michelle Frances is a writer we’re going to hear a great deal about. Please read this genuinely exciting novelMichelle Frances manages to bring fresh energy to this age-old theme of sibling rivalry and family secrets . . . The finale doesn't disappointThe only thing more unkind than children are their mothers . . . A brilliant domestic suspense that any parent will relate to, from the bestselling author of The Girlfriend.

'Michelle Frances is an author we're going to hear a great deal about' JILLY COOPER

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 . . .

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

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PRAISE FOR THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR MICHELLE FRANCES

‘I tore through the pages . . . A high-speed chase of a novel’ Louise Candlish

‘Michelle Frances manages to bring fresh energy to this age-old theme of family secrets . . . The finale doesn't disappoint’ Daily Mail

‘Toxic family relationships, sultry European settings and an intricate plot which leaves you never knowing who to trust’ Catherine Cooper, author of The Chalet

Michelle Frances has worked in television drama as a producer and script editor for many years, both for the independent sector and the BBC. She is the number one bestselling author of The Girlfriend. The Playground is her sixth novel.