The Official Book Blurb
A stand-alone novella featuring the same characters as Rachel Abbott’s bestselling novel Stranger Child
Someone is looking for Tasha. But does she want to be found?
Eight months ago Tasha Joseph ran away, and her stepmother, Emma, has been searching for her ever since. She is desperate to give Tasha the home and security she deserves.
The problem is, Emma isn’t the only one looking for Tasha. The police are keen to find her too. She could be a vital witness in a criminal trial, and DCI Tom Douglas has a team constantly on the lookout for her. But Tasha remains hidden, and nobody appears to have seen her.
Suddenly, the stakes are raised. Somebody is offering money – a lot of money – for information about Tasha’s whereabouts.
Tom and Emma know they have never been closer to finding the young girl. But they also recognise that she has never been closer to danger. Can they find her first?
She can run – but for how long can she hide?
This novella by Rachel Abbott picks up the story of Tasha Joseph where Stranger Child left off. Tasha is on the run, certain that her family hate her for what happened to little Ollie and knowing that if she stays still, her old family, the gang she used to work for, will find her. The best she could hope for would be to put to work in a brothel, the worst could mean her death. People are searching for her, but she doesn’t know if the are friend or foe and she cannot take any chances. Her only option is to stay hidden.
This is a great short story in which we learn more about Tasha, about the life she is living now on the streets and that which she lived before; under the control of the gang that used her for shoplifting and drug running. She is a feisty character for sure, but she is also just a teenager and she is scared. Having spent so long being beaten down she sees nothing good in herself and although she has found a friend on the streets, she will never truly be safe.
Tapping into the plight of the homeless people of Manchester, Rachel Abbott manages to create a tense, compelling and fraught read which feels authentic but also ties up a lot of loose ends for both Tasha and Emma. I really felt for Tasha, and some sections were hard to read, or in m case listen to as I chose the audio book option, but it was still compelling. Although this isn’t really a Tom Douglas story he does still feature, albeit in a much smaller role. Still, it’s nice to see him stop by. And the ending brings hope for both Emma and Tasha. Whether we hear from either again I don’t know but they are going to be characters that are hard to forget.
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Nowhere Child is available now from the following retailers.
Amazon UK | Amazon.com | Audible
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