The Playroom

Okay, I'll admit it; I bought this book for a buck when it was being remaindered. I'd never heard of the thing before, hadn't heard of the author, but the jacket had an admiring quote from Ruth Rendell (enough said!) This book is not politically correct. It is dark and deep and not very lovely. But it is also unforgetable. It lodges there in the mind with the great horror stories, like Shirley Jackson's THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE and Henry James's TURN OF THE SCREW. The subject matter is simple enough:an urban neighborhood, a dysfunctional family functional enough to fool most of those neighbors, an innocent but unfortunately chunky child, and a father who seems normal on the surface, but underneath makes Hannibal Lector look like Mr. Rogers. This book takes chances and this writer isn't afraid to lift up rocks and look under them, then unblinking describe what she sees. This book may be a neglected masterpiece of suspense. A fun read?--no. A terrifying one, both primal and modern--yes.