Initial days at a fresh school always pose challenges – picking friends, understanding the ones to steer clear from, selecting the right outfit – and this is just relatable to the anxieties of the parents. On the day that Lexie, Sara’s daughter, begins her journey in a Dublin-based school, Sara takes the initiative to make the process smoother by becoming friendly with the popular mothers. However, penetrating a spy cell appears less complicated than securing an invitation to the coffee mornings of the “Beautiful Mothers” (BMs’). An unexpected chance arises when Vanessa, the top-notch queen bee, needs someone to care for her daughter Polly, and Sarah grabs the opportunity. Chaos ensues when Polly is discovered breathless in Sara’s back garden.
This incident forms the basis of Irish anaesthetist Clara Dillon’s first novel, “The Playdate”. The narrative takes a step back in time from this spine-chilling beginning as Sara recounts how events unfolded to reach this disastrous point. The storytelling is relayed in the second person, with the narrative directed towards her husband, Adam. Adam’s time is split between Dublin and London, their prior residence, as he works to establish his new business venture. Dillon skilfully uses this weighty mechanism to heighten the sense of ambiguity and fear.
Dillon’s character, Sara, introduces an element of unpredictability to the story as readers grapple with whether her perceptions are resultant of paranoia or reasonable concerns. Simultaneously, fractions of Adam’s London experiences are intermixed with the principal plot to further stir the pot of reader’s allegiances, resulting in an increasing level of suspense. The tension in the storyline is so immense at times that it is distressing; I found it hard to unwind until I reached the startling yet thrilling climax, prompting me to read the entire thing in one go. The narrative is reminiscent of Zoe Heller’s Notes On A Scandal, with hints of Harlan Coben and Patricia Highsmith.
While “The Playdate” is a captivating and entertaining page-flipper, it raises some complex queries, like the extend a parent would go to safeguard their child or the extended harm inflicted by bullies and cliques. Sara, a memorable protagonist of this novel, is what sets it apart from the abundance of school-gate novels – her chilled and compelling character challenges our concept of femininity and motherhood, causing you to reconsider before accepting your subsequent playdate invitation.