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?

A startling and deliciously pitch-dark story from leafy suburbia

Praise for The Playdate

“An incredibly gripping and entertaining page-turner”

The Irish Times

“A riveting tale … gripping”

The Irish Independent

“You cannot put it down . . . an absolute page-turner”

Claire Byrne,Today with Claire Byrne, RTÉ Radio 1

“Engrossing psychological drama . . . a real page-turner with lots of suspense”

Irish Examiner

“Grips you with a stranglehold from the get-go”

Edel Coffey, The Gloss

“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

“A story that gets very dark indeed”

The Sunday Independent

“Grips you with a stranglehold from the get-go”

The Gloss

“Fiendishly plotted and immensely entertaining. Perfect for fans of Andrea Mara or Ashley Audrain”

Liz Nugent

“Original, dark, and brilliantly observed, The Playdate is utterly absorbing. A one-sitting read”

Andrea Mara

“The stuff of suburban nightmares. Dillon has written an expertly crafted book that is both compulsively readable and leaves you feeling uncomfortable, because of how close to reality it feels. With an ending you won’t see coming, it’ll have you glued to every page, tensely awaiting this tidy group of yummy-mummies to combust”

Disha Bose

“A terrifying, taut thrill-ride that'll have your heart thumping and your mind whirring – terrific!”

Gill Perdue