'Her name is Sammy Went. This photo was taken on her second birthday. Three days later she was gone.'
On a break between teaching photography classes, Kim Leamy is approached by a stranger investigating the disappearance of a little girl from her Kentucky home twenty-eight years earlier. He believes Kim is that girl.
At first she brushes it off, but when Kim scratches the surface of her family background in Australia, questions arise that aren't easily answered. To find the truth, she must travel to Sammy's home of Manson, Kentucky, and into a dark past. As the mystery unravels and the town's secrets are revealed, this superb novel builds towards a tense, terrifying and entirely unexpected climax.
Inspired by Gillian Flynn's frenetic suspense and Stephen King's masterful world-building, THE NOWHERE CHILD is a combustible tale of trauma, cult, conspiracy and memory. It is the remarkable debut of Christian White, an exhilarating new Australian talent who is attracting worldwide attention.
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The mystery of who took two-year-old Sammy Went is a puzzle that will keep you guessing right to the end of this suspenseful read. This is no gruesome or gory crime novel, but a good, solid thriller mystery with a hidden identity, a little religious fanaticism and family drama thrown in the mix – a perfect holiday read that you won't be able to put down. - Danielle (QBD)
Guest, 12/07/2018
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I can see now why This book received the Victorian Premier's Literary Award..Fantastic Read! When i wasn't reading it, i was thinking about it... Ii was hooked from the first page. The new release from Author Christian White is a mystery of the best kind and i cant help but recommend it to everyone i meet - Belinda (QBD)
Guest, 10/07/2018
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A psychological thriller that gives Gone Girl and Girl on the Train a run for their money. Winner of the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript, this captivating debut novel is as compelling as it is eerie. This novel holds a massive twist that you'll never see coming, and is guaranteed to make your jaw drop with shock. Christian White is definitely an author to look out for if his future novels are anything like this one because, honestly, all I can say is WOW! If you're after a thriller to keep you on the edge of your seat then this is the book for you! - Holly (QBD)
Guest, 08/07/2018
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If you loved Jane Harper's “The Dry” but it left you wanting more, than Christian White's “Nowhere Child” is the book for you! A surprisingly phenomenal debut novel, “Nowhere Child” is the pyschological thriller of the year! Written from a Then and Now perspective, spanning two locations (Aus and the US) and featuring a harrowing cult aspect, this book refuses to be put down! - Stacey (QBD)
Guest, 06/07/2018
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After a stranger approaches Melbourne photographer Kim Leary with a folder full of secrets, everything she thought she knew about her life is turned upside down. Who is Sammy Went, the toddler abducted decades ago from a sleepy town in Kentucky? And why does she have Kim's eyes? On the hunt for answers, Kim might just learn that when you dig up the past, some things are best left buried. - Jack (QBD)
Guest, 04/07/2018
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Imagine being told your whole life, who you thought you were, was a lie. That's the reality Kim has to face when a stranger throws her world into chaos. Can Kim find the truth, or will Sammy Went be left, in the dark, lost forever? - Alexandra (QBD)
Guest, 04/07/2018
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Set in Melbourne, Kim Leamy's life is thrown into turmoil after a stranger believing that she is a girl that disappeared 28 years ago from Kentucky. The Nowhere Child had me hooked in from the very first chapter with the deep characters reminiscent of Stephen King. This is dark, melodic suspense done right and it is easy to see why this has won the Victoria Premier's Literary Award. - Rose (QBD)
Guest, 03/07/2018
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Imagine your day starting out as normal, only to end up with you believing that you may not be who you think you are.
This is what happened to Kim, when a complete stranger approaches her and tells her he thinks that she is a child that went missing over 20 years ago.
Set in the past & the present, between Australia & America, a compelling thriller that had me hooked from the very first page. - Jacqueline (QBD)
Guest, 03/07/2018
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I've found with this book, although disturbing and at times unsettling, it was still rather intriguing. It's interesting for this book especially to do both past and present perspectives, as well as other characters. I would recomend this book to those who enjoy stories like Australian crime stories or any type of crime story. - Eden (QBD)
Guest, 03/07/2018
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Fans of Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins will devour this debut novel set in both the past and the present. Sammy Went was taken from her Kentucky home when she was two. Is it possible that twenty eight years later, Stu has finally found his missing sister? Action-packed and dripping in mystery til the last. As the secrets, both past and present, unravel, you will be left questioning who to trust. - Rosie (QBD)
Guest, 03/07/2018
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A fantastic novel, perfect for fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. Full of twists and turns, you will never guess who took Sammy Went! - Coreena (QBD)
Guest, 03/07/2018
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An excellent debut novel by Christian White that rivals "Woman in the Window" & "Girl on the Train".
Kim Leamy is approached by the man, showing her a photograph of a little girl gone missing. The stranger claims she is the girl who vanished 28 years ago in Kentucky, America.
Curiosity awakens and Kim seeks to find the truth of her Australian family history and unraveling dark pasts. - Ayano (QBD)
Guest, 03/07/2018
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I have never experienced a book quite like the Nowhere Child. The characters practically leap off the page with their vivid natures and stark personalities. The alternating chapters unmask the truth behind Sammy Went's future and Kimberley's past, each segment leaving you begging for more. Christian White has stepped up to the mantle for this phenomenal debut, and is a name to watch in future. - Paige (QBD)
Guest, 03/07/2018
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Your life is a lie. How would you react? A gripping crime mystery by a new Australian author keeps you thinking as you try to figure out who took Sammy Went, and travel between Kentucky and Australia to unravel it all. Lovers of Gillian Flynn and Jane Harper will love this novel. - Jordanna (QBD)
Guest, 03/07/2018
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A book that must be read in a single setting, a book that keeps you guessing and at times leaves your heart pumping with terror.
Superbly written, it will take you from past to present, revealing just enough to keep you asking, who took Sammy Went?
If you loved The Dry then The Nowhere Child is a must read! - Jodie (QBD)
Guest, 02/07/2018
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Imagine that someone walks up to you one day and tells you that the life youve known is a complete lie. This is what happens to Kim Leamy, who is approached by a stranger in the street and told that she is Sammy Went, a young girl who was kidnapped when she was 2. What follows is beyond belief. If you think you think this is a simple case of kidnapping, guess again. - Andree (QBD)
Guest, 02/07/2018
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It's always a breath of fresh air to have an Australian author debut into any genre, but crime is still waiting for its Aussie star. Christian White is that star. With world-building and suspense rivalling Stephen King and characters that could out-charm a Jane Harper hero, 'The Nowhere Child' will have you hanging on until the turn of the final page. This is one novel you can't afford to miss. - Samuel (QBD)
Guest, 02/07/2018
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I found myself thoughouly caught up in the mystery surrounding the disappearance of 2 year old Sammy Went and needed to find out for myself how Kim Leamy was connected, and fast.
Christian White has created a thrilling novel that was almost impossible to put down, with a twist to rival Jane Harper’s “The Dry” this debut is sure to satisfy even the most discerning crime reader. - Kimberley (QBD)
Guest, 02/07/2018
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I thought Christian White did an amazing job writing from a female perspective. I tried to imagine how one would feel to one day find out your mother and father were'nt who you thought they were and that you were abducted as a 2 year old. How can this be? Who do you believe? With clues in the past and present you just want to find the missing pieces to the puzzle. I couldn't put it down. Fabulous. - Jo (QBD)
Guest, 02/07/2018
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Sammy is aproached by a stranger who believes that she was a girl that disappaered 28 years earlier.
Follow Sammy as she goes back home to uncover the truth about herself and her origins.
A great read that is hard to put down. - Joseph (QBD)
Guest, 02/07/2018
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The small town of Manson is idealic set in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky. The disappearance of Sammy Went sends a ripple of fear through the small community.
More secrets will be unearthed through the dicovery of Sammy as a grown woman in Australia.
Who kidnapped and Sammy? Should the past stay buried and was Sammy/Kim better off with her new family? - David (QBD)
Guest, 01/07/2018
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Kim Leary is thrown into an emotional roller coaster when a stranger confronts her. Telling her he thinks she is someone else called Sammy Went, a girl who went missing at the age of two in America. Kim soon finds herself in a whirlwind of mystery, cults, snake worship and toxic relationships. Crossing two continents The Nowhere Child takes the reader on a journey you could never even imagine. - Carla (QBD)
Guest, 01/07/2018
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A unique Australian thriller from a debut author. Well developed characters and an intriguing plot make it easy to see why this novel won the Victorian premier's Literacy award. Explores themes of evil, innocence and loss. Its perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn or Jane Harper. Ticks all the boxes.We eagerly await more from this author. - Lynda (QBD)
Guest, 01/07/2018
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"I don't think you kidnapped Sammy Went. I think you are Sammy Went."
When Kim Leamy is approached by a stranger on a seemingly ordinary Melbourne day, her whole world is turned upside down. A stranger believes that she is Sammy Went, a toddler who vanished 28 years ago in Manson, Kentucky, never to be seen again.
Switching between the 'Then' and the 'Now', this intriguing thriller asks the question - with secrets rife behind every closed door, who in this small town knows what really happened to Sammy Went? - Jackie (QBD)
Guest, 01/07/2018
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When Kim Leamy is approached by a stranger on a seemingly ordinary day, her whole world is turned upside down. A stranger believes that she is Sammy Went, a toddler who vanished 28 years ago, never to be seen again. Switching between then and now, this intriguing thriller asks the question - with secrets rife behind every closed door, who in this small town knows what really happened to Sammy? - Jackie (QBD)
Guest, 01/07/2018
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Kim Leamy went to Melbourne,
Far from her home in Kentucky,
Sadly shes not who she thinks she is,
But she'll work it out if she's lucky.
From kidnapping to snake charming,
From cults to coffee in cafes,
Sammy Went will find the truth
Nothing will stop what happened reaching the light of day.
Kim Leamy and Sammy Went,
One and the same,
Who committed this crime,
Find whos to blame. - Nathan (QBD)
Guest, 30/06/2018
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Kim Leamy lives in Melbourne and teachers Photography. One day, a stranger shows her a photo of a 2 year old girl claiming that is Kim, throwing her life into disarray. Is she Sammy Went from Kentucky? Who is responsible? What secrets from her family's path will unfold? Put your life on hold for this book. It is everything The Dry has, plus more. An intense debut by Australian Christian White! - Emily (QBD)
Guest, 29/06/2018
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What if everything you knew was a lie?
Sammy was two years old when she went missing from her home in Kentucky, never to be seen again. Kim is a photography teacher, living in Australia since she was young. Are these two one and the same, or is the investigator completely wrong? And what are these secrets Kim's family is hiding?
A must for fans of 'Gone Girl' and 'The Woman in the Window'. - Emily (QBD)
Guest, 29/06/2018
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The NoWhere Child is another great entry into the australian crime fiction genre. The Characters are well built and depicted and they intertwine perfectly with the story. Flipping between 2 timelines, The Nowhere Child is very fast paced and enjoyable read. - Nick (QBD)
Guest, 29/06/2018
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It is quite extraordinary that this is Chrstian White's debut novel.As you read this fantastic thriller, you feel that the author has been writing for decades. The words on each page flow beautifully and are easily devoured as you get more and more into this thrilling novel. Be ready for a few unexpected twists along the way, as you head from Coburg to Kentucky towards the climatic conclusion . - Peter (QBD)
Guest, 29/06/2018
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30 pages in and I was totally hooked. Is Kim the missing girl? If so how did she end up in Melbourne? A dark past will be revealed in her quest to find out who she really is. A brilliantly written debut thriller that you won't be able to put down. - Madeleine (QBD)
Guest, 29/06/2018
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Two-year-old Sammy Went lived with her mother and father, sister Emma and brother Stuart. Three days after her second birthday—Sammy vanished. Who Took Sammy Went? Christian White has crafted an astonishing first novel, full of evil and innocence. Don't even get me started on the twist! The Nowhere Child is a brilliant, addictive debut that kept me up reading all night long! - Melanie (QBD)
Guest, 29/06/2018
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Told in two parts - then and now - this is a really well put together thriller about a two year old girl who vanished from her home 28 years ago. I felt a real sense of dread as the story unfolded, and the author very cleverly wove the story of what happened then with current events, leading to an explosive ending which I didn't see coming. - Eleanor (QBD)
Guest, 26/06/2018
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Who is Sammy Went? Kim has no idea but Sammy is about about to turn her world upside down. A spine-tingling mystery/drama that will have you gnawing at your finger nails. Filled with moral dilema's and far reaching consequences, a missing child, guillty secrets and an ending that you just won't see coming. If you liked Shari Lapena's The Couple Next Door you will love The Nowhere Child. - Gillian (QBD)
Guest, 26/06/2018
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It only took me 1 chapter to be totally hooked on The Nowhere Child. Sammy Went has been missing for 28 years from Kentucky. Is it possible that she is alive and living in Australia? Lots of twists and turns to keep readers guessing right till the very last page. - Julie (QBD)
Guest, 23/06/2018
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I loved this: a slow-burn mystery in which no-one is who they seem. Kim's sense of self disintegrates when a stranger tells her that she was abducted as a child. Determined to uncover the truth, she follows the trail from Australia to small town America. There are some great Stephen King-ish touches and an elegant ending twist. I don't consider myself a crime reader, but I enjoyed this so much! - Amy (QBD)
Guest, 23/06/2018
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When Kim is approached by a stranger and he tells her that she is not who she thinks she is her life is turned upside down. He tells her that her name is infact Sammy and was kidnapped from a small town in Kentucky when she was just 3. This is an amazing debut novel you won't want to put down.Set in both Australia and the USA, we follow this woman's path across 2 continents to discover the truth. - Evelyn (QBD)
Guest, 19/06/2018
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A question spanning 28 years and two continents- Who took Sammy Went? As some answers come to the surface, they bring with them many more questions. A novel that will hook you in from the very beginning, and keep you questioning to the very end! A gripping read I couldn't put down. - Kylie (QBD)
Guest, 19/06/2018
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The Nowhere Child is a tense and gripping thriller about the fate of toddler who mysteriously disappeared 28 years ago in Kentucky. Kim Leamy is a photography teacher living in Melbourne and is approached by a stranger revealing that she is that missing girl. Kim must unravel long hidden secrets and sins to discover her true identity. A riveting read, perfect for fans of The Dry. - Nola (QBD)
Guest, 18/06/2018
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Twenty eight years ago, a baby was kidnapped from a Kentucky home.
Twenty eight years later, Kim Leamy finds out she may have been that baby.
Gone Girl meets The Lovely Bones in this jaw-dropping new novel by award winning author Christian Winner. Kim is a photography teacher living in an idyllic town in Kentucky, enjoying her classes, her friends and her close family – but, one day, out of the blue, a stranger turns up on her doorstep and completely destroys her world.
Forced to go on a journey to discover what's real and what's not, Kim starts questioning everything she's ever known as she comes to grip with the terrifying realities of the truth and trauma of her past.
The Nowhere Child is a brilliant novel and completely blew me away. It was so grippingly good, that I never wanted it to end, but simultaneously NEEDED to know what actually happened. And trust me – the plot twist at the end makes finishing the book so worth it.
This is a 5/5 star book, and you absolutely need to read it – you definitely won't want to miss out on the book that will have everyone talking in 2018! - Emily (QBD)
Guest, 09/06/2018
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I really enjoyed this thriller. It jumps back and forth in time, a chapter of present day, followed by the past, and so on. I found some of the jumps back in time frustrating, like the scenes where they search for Sammy Went, because I know they won't find her. But there were excellent red herring set ups, so even I didn't expect the ending as it was.
The characters were great, and the ending was so good, and very satisfying. - Karina (QBD)
Guest, 16/05/2018
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This was a fantastic thriller that kept me guessing til the very last chapter. There were so many suspects, so many possibilities, I didn't even guess at the plot twists.
Highly recommend sitting down with a bag of Allen's Snakes and devour them as you devour the plot. - Karina (QBD)
Guest, 15/05/2018
