Bark at the Ghouls

This is a debut novel and now that I’ve finished it, I’m looking forward to reading whatever the author comes up with next. The Nowhere Child has great character development and atmosphere, tons of family secrets, danger, illicit affairs, true love and loyalty. It’s like the author took a whole bunch of my favorite things and shoved them all into one book and I loved it all. There’s a lot going on but, trust me, this is not a kitchen sink book because I hate those.

Kim is living her life in Australia, the only life she’s ever known, when she’s approached by a strange man who claims she is not who she thinks she is. Ummm, what?! His declaration turns her life inside out and she ends up returning with him to America to discover the truth of her past as they unravel a strange web of secrets that inhabit one very small town.

The story is told in two storylines. There’s the present day and “the past”. Back in the 90’s, a two year old little girl named Sammy went missing and the author places you smack in the middle of the aftermath. What were the reasons leading up to this event? Who took baby Sammy and why? Everyone seems to have a secret or to be keeping secrets. This is what hooked me. The attention to detail and the strong characterization are what kept me.

The pace is fast and furious, flipping back and forth in time and both storylines keep you hanging in there from chapter to chapter. I was never bored, nor was I confused which is quite a feat for me.

The final act may stretch the limits of believability but I’d like to believe it could’ve happened and that’s all I’m saying.

The narrator Katherine Littrell uses a lovely Australian accent for her main character that I enjoyed. She also does spot on voice work for the American characters as well. There are a lot of characters in this story and I was never confused as to who was who. She gives them all a unique voice and tone and I can easily recommend this book in its audio format to help you pass the time.

4 1/2 Stars