A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path”. What if you found out that your family isn’t yours at all? How far would you go to protect them? A gripping new psychological thriller from the bestselling author of The Girl Before. . . . This was my first J.P. Delaney book, but it definitely wont be my last! I own The Perfect Wife but what other ones are good?! I started off reading this novel but switched over to the audiobook a few chapters in as I wanted to get a few things done around the house. I found the beginning of the book a little hard to get into, but honestly, it wasn't long before I was completely HOOKED!

Playing nice is not something Miles Lambert has ever even tried to be good at. Mid-way through the book we will find out just how manipulating and forceful he can be. It’s brilliant, the whole thing, the characters, the atmosphere, the writing, the interesting factual side to what has happened ( past cases etc ) and the way the investigation into what has happened are told in such a way it keeps you entranced with every word An addictive psychological thriller, perfect for fans of The Silent Patient and Shari Lapena's The Couple Next Door.This thought provoking thriller is psychological suspense at its best, completely and utterly gripping, with some seriously good twists - miss this one at your peril! What a nightmare! Pete Riley unknowing opens the door one and has everything turned upside down. Miles Lambert and his attorney inform Pete that his and Maggie's two-year-old son, Theo is not actually their son. That there was a a mix up at the hospital and that Pete and Maggie brought home, Miles and Lucy Lambert's son and they in turn took home, Pete and Maggie's, son who is named David. The Lambert's are suing the hospital and naturally want to get to know Theo, who is a rambunctious boy who gets in trouble at school for not getting along with other children, while David has developmental delays.

Pete Riley answers the door one morning to a parent's worst nightmare. On his doorstep is Miles Lambert, who breaks the devastating news that Pete's two-year-old, Theo, isn't Pete's real son - their babies got mixed up at birth.JP] Delaney takes domestic suspense beyond its comfort zone.”—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review Swapping babies at birth has always been a huge fear of mine. I remember when I was young I used to ask my mother, “how could anyone know that they took the right baby home? I mean, what if something happened and your baby was swapped with another one?” She looked at me and said, “Oh things like that never happen!” 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, his partner Maddie, and the little boy they've been raising for the past two years, life will never be the same again. Guess what? Your son is not your son. He was switched at birth. But we want to work all this out amicably, k?” The scary thing is that a lot of what happens in this book could really happen. It's terrifying being a parent at the best of times, but I can't even imagine going through the things these characters went through.

As the book goes on, the thriller aspect takes over and it becomes quite dark. It had me on the edge of my seat. A character in another book talked about the creepy crawly feeling of anxiety. That is exactly what this book gives you! It’s terrifying and sad because you can just see how it could all play out as written. Looking once again for a take me away from the craziness happening in our lives, Jan and I decided to read J.P. Delaney's new book Playing Nice. It provided just the diversion we were looking for and gave us many hours of riveting reading. Told with an open eye towards the various stages of psychopathy, this book delved into an area we often find fascinating as some professionals say that one out of every four people is a psychopath or has psychopathic tendencies. Certainly this character study of the protagonists, particularly the men was fascinating and will keep you riveted to the story. I definitely recommend this one for it provides an engrossing read and one that certainly will divert you from the craziness of today's world. Then things start falling apart. Miles is demanding, thinking he's going to send Theo to boarding school when he's older, dropping by Theo's house at night to spend time with him, interfering with Theo, Pete, and Maggie's routine and lives. Miles practically demands that Pete, Maggie, and Theo go on a week long vacation with his family and when Pete and Maggie revolt, all hell breaks loose and their life explodes into a huge legal and moral mess. There is even a suspicion that someone may have swapped the babies on purpose. People have been hurt and murder may even play a part in this story. Things look hopeless for Pete and Maggie and they realize they may not ever get to see either child again. What at first seems like a domestic drama definitely turns into a thriller. If you want to feel visceral frustration and anger towards almost every single secondary character's actions then this is the book for you. Very early on in the story Pete and Maddie find out that their son Theo was switched at birth (it's in the blurb) and then spend the rest of the time handling that situation. Which goes terribly wrong like 99.9% of the time with almost everyone set against them. After a while you just kept wondering what else could possibly go wrong, and then yet another thing would happen. It definitely set an anxious/ominous tone, but at the same time it got to be a little overboard towards the end.This book raises all sorts of delicious questions and dilemmas. Nature or nurture? What is in the best interest of the child? How much say should the biological parents have in certain decisions? Delaney’s books are always based on ethical quandaries, this most of all.