Cover Image: Playland

Playland

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Member Reviews

This was a book dealing with abuse. Though it may not be foe everyone, it was a good read. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

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I found this book both fascinating and appalling. The grim description of the abuse that happened because of the Picadilly sex ring and the Troubles in Ireland was dreadful. I was shocked by it but the story was enthralling and kept me on the edge of my seat. The way that Daly wrote about the individuals he met brings them to life and it reminded me at times of The Very English Scandal, about the Jeremy Thorpe affair. I couldn't put this book down at all. It was enthralling and whilst it wasn't an enjoyable read, it was very interesting and informative.

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This is a heartfelt, astonishing, eyeopening and sometimes graphic story of a 19 year old Derry teenager’s journey to London in the 1970’s where he got caught up in the dreadful world of male rape and coerced underage male prostitution.
By day Tony worked in Foyles Bookshop, by night he was passed around mainly high end clients (including cabinet ministers, lawyers and judges). Those who are dead have been named.
Why did he not walk away? He was threatened that he would be ‘fitted up’ for plotting with the IRA (at least two members of the Guildford four who were awaiting trial at the time had stayed in the same hostel as Tony and hysteria about the IRA was at its peak).
An excellent, although heart wrenching, read about life for those people forced to work in the sex industry and shows it is not just those from ‘poor, unsupportive families’ that can fall into this way of life.
Thank you to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you @netgalley for the option to read this book as an arc. It was definitely interesting to read the story about his life and what happened. It just amazes me how there are such things happening in this world! I enjoyed the story and would recommend it to anyone looking to read this type of book.

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If you liked Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness then this book is one to read. A memoir about abuse by some of the most powerful people.

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