Playdate by Alex Dahl is a gripping psychological thriller that explores the dark side of parenthood and friendship.
The story follows Lisa, a successful lawyer and mother of two, who receives a disturbing phone call from her best friend's husband, who claims that his wife has gone missing and their daughter is in Lisa's care.
Lisa soon realizes that she has been dragged into a web of lies and secrets, and that her own family is in danger.
The book is full of twists and turns, and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat until the very end.
I highly recommend this book to fans of suspense, mystery, and domestic drama.

This book is a great Nordic noir book and I am fast becoming a big fan of this authors work. They are fantastic
The author really pulls the reader in on this book and the reader is pulled into every detail stents worst nightmare
I really enjoyed the book being told from a child’s perspective and the writer nailed the writing style to make it feel like it was truly being written from Lucia
The book was brilliant and so tense. Highly recommend

Took me quite a while to finish this book. And while I did finish it.....eventually it felt like a chore.

While the beginning was thrilling and fast paced I found around the 30% mark it really started to drag and did so for the rest of the book.

It felt like characters were added for no reason, we're given their points of view and they dont really add to the story.

Also I disliked the open ending.

2 stars- and the start of the book is the reason for the 2nd star.

A tense and absorbing thriller that'll keep you guessing.

This story is told from the points-of-view of 4 different people, each of whom has a different perspective on the abduction of a child during a playdate with a school friend. It appears to be a random event, but as the story unfolds it appears it's far from random.

Set in Norway and France, this is a story about love and the ties that bind a parent and child. It's also a story honesty and the tangled webs we weave, which eventually start to unravel.

Highly recommended for those who like police procedurals and are interested in the process behind solving this type of crime.

Thank you to Head of Zeus and Netgalley for the ARC of this very entertaining book. I would love to read more of the author's work. I nearly missed my train stop I was so absorbed!

Undoubtedly one of the best books I've read this year. Alex Dah is a talented writer with an engaging writing style.

Fredrik and Elisa live in Norway with their two children, Lucia and Lyder. When Lucia maks a new friend at school (Josephine), she is keen to go for her first sleepover. However, when Josephone's mother, Line, fails to bring her back home as agreed, it transpires that the house they were staying at as actually an air B n B, which was now empty. Who has taking ;Lucia and Why?

We are told te story from the perspective of Elisa and Selma, a reporter. Elisa is a complicated character. She's a loving mum but she has secrets she's not willing to share. I didn't feel as invested in Selma's character and I wasn't sure how I felt about her role in the revelations at the end. Since she lost her own mother at a young age, I would thought she would have been happy with the way things turned out.

It was a nice surprise to find chapters from Lucia's point of view. These were exceptionally well written. Thew best child narrator I personally have read since, Room by Emma Donoghue.

I thought all the characters were well painted, except Selma. The theme of child trafficking was sensitively handled.

I throughly enjoyed this read and will look out for more by this author.

Many thanks indeed to NetGalley and the publsher for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found the subject matter of this book very unsettling, which I always do when children are involved. A really though out and well-written book, very emotional.

Recommended with tissues.

This was a great read! It's a long time since I've found a 5 star read...but this one made the grade! Alex Dahl writes a complex, yet believable story, wrapped up neatly in a tight plot.
The story revolves around the Blix family, primarily mum Elisa, and daughter, Lucia.
One afternoon after school, Lucia is invited on her first playdate and subsequent sleepover with her new school friend Josie. When Elisa goes to collect her the next day, Lucia has vanished, along with Josie, and Josie's mum Line (otherwise known as Jacqueline).
Crime on this scale is rarely seen in Norway and a large scale police operation is launched to find the missing girl!
As the days turn into weeks, turn into months, with no sign of her daughter, Elisa is forced to face up to her past and the secrets that lie buried there if she is to find Lucia alive.
Told in turn from the perspectives of Elisa, Jacqueline, Lucia and a mysterious male called Marcus, events gradually unfold to reveal a shocking story of betrayal and revenge, and how the actions of our past can follow us into our future, with devastating consequences.

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.

4-5 stars! Let me start off by saying I normally am not a fan of missing children books, not just because I’m a mom, but they just are not my favs, but I’m glad I gave this a shot! It was really well written, absolutely chilling, and shocking! It had me so tense and needing to find the conclusion, I had a hard time putting it down! Was very fast paced, which I love! So, if you’re like me and don’t normally like the child abduction thrillers, do forget that dislike and give this one a shot!, as it’s really worth the read!

Will make sure to buzz it around and use lower Amazon reviewer number on release date.

This was a great story, it was really exciting and I was desperate to know what was gonna happen! I wasn't particuarly fond of any of the characters, but then I don't think I was meant to be! I did like the little girls, I thought they were cute....but the adults all made stupid choices that led to disaster...but it made for an exciting read! It sometimes felt a little long in places but that was because of the scene setting and needed to be there....overall it was a fab read and I have 2 other books by this author and will definitely be getting to them soon!

Secrets galore in this brilliant psychological thriller!

Wow . . . I just adore psychological thrillers like this, set in Norway, full of secrets galore from practically all of the characters. From the outset, something made me feel so tingly down my spine. Something wasn’t right when Lucia, age seven, was so excited to go on a playdate with Josie, her new best friend. Somehow this did not feel right at all, and it made me go into red alert mode!

The plot is certainly a page-turner with most of the characters gradually narrating their points of view, so cleverly written by Alex Dahl. The tension steadily mounts as more is revealed. I really don’t wish to say too much because I loath spoilers, which could detract from the rollercoaster ride.

Look out for Lucia’s parents Elisa and Fredrik, an interesting journalist Selma, Jacqueline intent on revenge, Marcus a rather unlikely prisoner, plus some ruthless men involved in trafficking. All is not as it seems!

Everything is so beautifully captured by the author, from where the chase begins, until all is revealed at the finale. Thank you, Alex Dahl, for such compelling reading and the twists and turns along the way. I’ll definitely lookout for more of your novels.

Galadriel.

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of this book to review.

Playdate by Alex Dahl is a suspense filled thriller that keeps you guessing throughout. It’s a difficult book to review without giving away spoilers, but suffice to say I was drawn into the mystery of what happened to missing schoolgirl, Lucia, from the very first page. I do, however, feel the story lost its way a little at about the half way point, but the strength of both the writing and the ending more than made up for that slight dip in the middle, so I’m very happy I stuck with it as it became a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging read.

Lucia Blix went home from school for an overnight playdate with her new school friend, Josie. But the following morning, when her father went to pick her up, the house was empty. No sign of Josie, her family… or Lucia. Where have the family gone? And why would they abduct Lucia?

What follows is a gripping and suspense filled psychological thriller that is very much a character driven story, with the main characters being Lucia and her mother, Elisa, interlinked with the points of view of several other characters, including a journalist named Selma. With short, punchy chapters that keep you wanting to turn the pages, the pieces of the puzzle are slowly revealed, slotting into place as we move forward to the final, thrilling denouement.

There is no doubt that Alex Dahl is a very capable writer and I look forward to reading more from her in the future. With Playdate, she has written an easy and engaging read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Recommended. 3.5 stars.

A brilliant read that had me hooked from the very first page. I will be looking out for more books by this author. 5 massive stars.

I went back and forth on this book, sometimes I found it very gripping and interesting, then at other times it just kind of trailed off.
None of the characters were likeable in my opinion, I'm not entirely sure whether they were unlikeable on purpose...
I would read another book by Alex Dahl though.

Playdate is an incredibly emotional story of a child abduction from what seemed to be a completely safe environment. It is also a story of mother’s love, grief, revenge, mistrust, deep secrets and horrible consequences of a single mistake.

As always Alex Dahl’s writing is delightful for me to read. I am a big fan of her novels and the newest addition did not disappoint me. Unlikeable, compelling characters, horrifying atmosphere of kidnapping and a chilling plot make Playdate an extremely well written thriller. The book is an excellent study of a human behaviour and psychology insight into the choice of actions.

Well paced, full of twists and hard breaking story that I had no idea were it was heading. Brilliant read I would definitely recommend.

I am a huge fan of Alex Dahl but must admit Playdate is my favourite so far.

Very exciting book to read. I literally couldn’t put the book down. It had me hooked from the beginning. It was fast paced. Exciting. A thrill to read. I couldn’t get enough

I have read and LOVED all of Alex Dahl‘s previous novels so I was thrilled to read this novel.

This book was a heart-pounding, pulse-racing, edge-of-your-seat, nail-biting thriller that I loved every single moment of. Playdate is full of intriguing and complex characters and it was interesting to read the book from various perspectives and point of views as you red through the chapters and gather more information as the plot unfolds. The characters were interesting, and each came with their own share of flaws, secrets, and back story.

Imagine letting your child go to a friend‘s house for a sleepover, an event that is supposed to be happy, joyous, and full of memory-making fun, only to have your worse fears come true – the abduction of your child by someone you trusted. It begs the question – how well do you really, truly know someone? This is the exact dilemma Lucia’s parents finds themselves in after she went to her friend’s house for a seemingly innocent playdate that led to a sleepover.

What unfolds is every parents horror story, and Lucia’s parents frantic search for their daughter. Will they be able to locate their daughter and bring her home safely?

If you haven‘t read this book yet you must go grab your copy today! I am sure you will enjoy this one!

Well done Alex! Fantastic job on another amazing novel! I cannot wait to see what you come out with next!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the arc of Playdate by Alex Dahl.

This follows Elisa Blix whom makes a big mistake in which she ends up allowing her seven year old daughter Lucia to go on a playdate and sleepover with a girl whom is named Josephine, no big deal you’d think 2 girls sleepovers right? But Except Elisa has literally just met mother Line!! but after both girls pleading for this she gives up and allows it... But the following day Lucia, Josephine and Line all end up vanishing and what unfolds becomes a Norwegian cause celebre!! . The Blix family are not rich so what lies behind Line’s motives?.... The story is told from several perspectives including journalist Selma who becomes obsessive about the case and investigates this...

4 stars- great read, amazing storyline and love all POV'S it is a great book to endulge into! recommend this to anyone.

Huge thanks to Helen at Head Of Zeus for inviting me on the blogtour for 'Playdate' and for my gifted review copy of the book which is out now!

''This is clearly the kind of family who can answer an unexpected house call without worrying about piles of shoes in the hallway,towering dishes in the basin,overflowing laundry bins in the bathroom, half-eaten jam snadwiches abandoned on window sill.Unlike us.''

From the moment that Elisa meets Line, she is impressed by her appearance, her calm demeanor and that both their daughters are friends. An on the spot begging for a playdate in front of another parent at the school gate is a blackmail situation any parent can relate to-those huge begging eyes make it so hard to say no especially when the other adult says the children have been begging for one for ages.

Despite not really knowing this mother, Elisa takes all her details and agrees, reluctantly to daughter Lucia going to tea. Several mobile phone pictures later, Elisa is satisfied that things are going well, Lucia is having fun and there is nothing untoward going on. The suggestion of a sleepover is met enthusiastically by Elisa's husband, they can spend some much needed time together after putting younger child, Lyder to bed.

Elisa drops off supplies to Line's house, checks it out, is very impressed by the organisation of it and how happy the children are. What could possibly go wrong?

The bottom falls out of their world as the next day, Elisa flies to Rome in her job as a flight attendant, and on arrival rings her husband to ask how picking up Lucia went-she hasn't come home. She was meant to be home by 3 and at 3.47 they have heard nothing....

Jumping to the worst case scenario, all sorts of visions fly through Elisa's mind as well as the reader's-we know that something is going to happen after reading the synopsis, but what? The panic is immediate and terrifying, the fear you feel for the family as the phone calls to the family go unanswered, the house which was so immaculate turns out to be empty, the door answered by a cleaner, for it is actually an Air BnB....

Blame, guilt, fear and devastation descend on the family as they desperately contact the police to try and find their daughter against impossible odds-who on earth targeted them so specifically and will they ever get their daughter back?

Alex Dahl is brilliant at playing with your emotions, keeping you guessing and looking for the tiniest of clues as to why this family, why now. It is every parent's worst nightmare and as Fredrik and Elisa tear themselves and each other apart looking for Lucia, you are there every step of the way.

Taut with suspense and mystery, this is a heartstopping thrill ride that will keep you up all night!

Elisa agrees her 7 year old daughter, Lucia, can go on a playdate and sleepover with her friend for the first time…..

But then the family she was staying with disappear, Lucia along with them. Every parent’s worst nightmare……

Was the sleepover just a plot to take Lucia?

The story then becomes a nationwide obsession as the hunt for Lucia begins.

A very clever plot, told from several perspectives has you totally gripped from start to finish. It’s twisty and fraught with a nerve wracking tension and I found this to be a thoroughly engrossing read.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC of Play date. This is my honest and unbiased review.