"Pete Riley answers the door one morning and lets in a parent's worst nightmare. On his doorstep is Miles Lambert, a stranger who breaks the devastating news that Pete's son, Theo, isn't actually his son; he is the Lamberts', switched at birth by an understaffed hospital, while their real son was sent home with Miles and his wife Lucy. For Pete and his family, life will never be the same again. The two families, reeling from the shock, take comfort in shared good intentions, eagerly entwining their very different lives in ...
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"Pete Riley answers the door one morning and lets in a parent's worst nightmare. On his doorstep is Miles Lambert, a stranger who breaks the devastating news that Pete's son, Theo, isn't actually his son; he is the Lamberts', switched at birth by an understaffed hospital, while their real son was sent home with Miles and his wife Lucy. For Pete and his family, life will never be the same again. The two families, reeling from the shock, take comfort in shared good intentions, eagerly entwining their very different lives in the hope of becoming one unconventional modern family. But a plan to sue the hospital triggers an official investigation that unearths some disturbing questions. How much can they trust the other parents or even each other? What secrets are hidden behind the Lamberts' glossy front door? Stretched to the breaking point, Pete and Maddie discover they will each stop at nothing to keep their family safe. They are done playing nice.--
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Add this copy of Playing Nice: a Novel (Random House Large Print) to cart. $8.26, good condition, Sold by More Than Words rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Waltham, MA, UNITED STATES, published 2020 by Random House Large Print Publishing.
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Add this copy of Playing Nice to cart. $11.70, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austell, GA, UNITED STATES, published 2020 by Random House Large Print Publishing.
Add this copy of Playing Nice to cart. $11.70, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2020 by Random House Large Print Publishing.
Add this copy of Playing Nice: a Novel (Random House Large Print) to cart. $37.48, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2020 by Random House Large Print.
Having previously really enjoyed J P Delaney's 'The Perfect Wife' I was excited to get approved for the ARC for 'Playing Nice'. Whereas The Perfect Wife was more a sci-fi thriller this is a lot more of a domestic, psychological thriller and it really shows off the author's range. It's an interesting and terrifying premise - a family get a knock at the door to tell them that the child that they have been parenting for 2.5 years doesn't biologically belong to them due to a mix-up at the hospital.
What I really enjoyed about this book was just how well everything was planned out by the author. It's paced so well - everything is revealed slowly with the stakes getting just a little higher each time. There's a sinister undertone to book even from the initial few chapters and it pulls you in to wanting to find out more - I finished the book in just two sittings. It's also nicely researched and nothing felt over the top of out of the realms of realism.
The book is narrated in alternate chapters between parents Pete and Maddie. They both have secrets to keep and a lot of these are not revealed to the reader until further in the plot-line which makes them both feel like unreliable narrators at times. As there are only two narrators you really get a chance to get to know them and they feel well-rounded and grounded in reality. The ending of the book has a nice mini-twist and it really is a satisfying ending for a stand-alone thriller - it doesn't wrap up everything in a nice bow but leaves you with enough to not need more but to keep you thinking about it long after you put it down.
Overall Playing Nice is a great psychological thriller which is nicely plotted, well paced and has some seriously sinister undertones - highly recommended. Thank you to NetGalley & Quercus Books for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
