Christian White - The Nowhere Child

Published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Publishers 2019

First published in the Australia by Affirm Press 2018

Copyright © Christian White 2018

Cover design by Micaela Alcaino © HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2018

Cover photographs © Jake Olson/Trevillion Images (church), © Shutterstock.com(sky, trees)

Christian White asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008276539

Ebook Edition © January 2019 ISBN: 9780008276553

Version: 2018-11-27

‘A nervy, soulful, genuinely surprising it-could-happen-to-you thriller – a book to make you peer over your shoulder for days afterwards’

A. J. Finn

‘The personification of a high-concept thriller, brilliantly executed. Author White raises the bar on psychological suspense, telling Kim Leamy’s tale in a stylish voice and with a heart-pounding pace. Read page one, and you won’t stop. Guaranteed’

Jeffery Deaver

‘Packed with tension, twists and tremendous pace, it’s hard to believe that this is the work of a debut author. The Nowhere Child is stunning and flawless. I can’t recommend it enough’

Thomas Enger

‘Beautifully written, perfectly suspenseful and wonderfully dark. I could not put this book down’

Susi Holliday

‘Such a clever idea, which grips from the very first chapter’

Ragnar Jonasson

‘White skilfully builds an uncertain, noxious world of dysfunctional families and small-town secrets – The Nowhere Child is a gripping debut from an exceptional new talent’

Mark Brandi

‘ The Nowhere Child is a fabulous read, populated by such well-drawn and identifiable characters that I felt I knew them. I was desperate to know how the story unfolded. Brilliant!’

Louise Voss

‘ The Nowhere Child lures you in, its teeth disguised in remarkably compelling prose, and gnaws down to the marrow of your bones’

Matt Wesolowski

‘I literally could not put this down once I started. A cracking read!’

Michael J. Malone

‘ The Nowhere Child is a well-written thriller that avoids the clichés of the genre. The characters are interesting and believable and the book kept me reading up to the satisfying conclusion’

Phillip Margolin

‘ The Nowhere Child is a page-turning labyrinth of twists and turns that moves seamlessly between the past and the present, revealing the story in parts and successfully keeping the reader guessing until the final unexpected reveal … It’s an exhilarating ride and a thrilling debut’

Books + Publishing magazine

‘How do any of us know that we are who we are told we are? This gripping read takes you to the very edge of reality’

Jane Caro

‘ The Nowhere Child is a twisty, emotional read filled with suspense and intrigue. The gripping narrative and natural dialogue held me captive all the way through. Dark secrets buried away for years are gradually unearthed, leading to a dramatic, breath-holding climax’

Off-the-Shelf Books

‘I read The Nowhere Child in one gulp of a sitting. From the emotionally stunning opening until the final heart-stopping resolution, this tale of loss, discovery and what makes a family held me in its thrall first page to last’

Liz Loves Books

‘Utterly compelling, emotional and a stunning debut’

Bibliophile Book Club

for my parents, Ivan and Keera White.

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Praise for The Nowhere Child

Dedication

Melbourne, Australia: Now

Manson, Kentucky: Then

Melbourne, Australia: Now

Manson, Kentucky: Then

Melbourne, Australia: Now

Manson, Kentucky: Then

Melbourne, Australia: Now

Manson, Kentucky: Then

Hartford County, Connecticut: Now

Manson, Kentucky: Then

Somewhere In Pennsylvania: Now

Manson, Kentucky: Then

Martha, West Virginia: Now

Manson, Kentucky: Then

Manson, Kentucky: Now

Manson, Kentucky: Then

Manson, Kentucky: Now

Manson, Kentucky: Then

Manson, Kentucky: Now

Manson, Kentucky: Then

Manson, Kentucky: Now

Manson, Kentucky: Then

Manson, Kentucky: Now

Manson, Kentucky: Then

Manson, Kentucky: Now

Redwater, Kentucky: Then

Manson, Kentucky: Now

Manson, Kentucky: Then

Manson, Kentucky: Now

Manson, Kentucky: Then

Manson, Kentucky: Now

Manson, Kentucky: Then

Somewhere Over the Pacific Ocean: Now

Author’s Note

Acknowledgements

About the Author

About the Publisher

‘Mind if I join you?’ the stranger asked. He was somewhere in his forties, with shy good looks and an American accent. He wore a slick wet parka and bright yellow sneakers. The shoes must have been new because they squeaked when he moved his feet. He sat down at my table before waiting for an answer and said, ‘You’re Kimberly Leamy, right?’

I was between classes at Northampton Community TAFE, where I taught photography three nights a week. The cafeteria was usually bustling with students, but tonight it had taken on an eerie, post-apocalyptic emptiness. It had been raining nearly six days straight but the double-glazed glass kept the noise out.

‘Just Kim,’ I said, feeling mildly frustrated. I didn’t have long left on my break and had been enjoying my solitude. Earlier that week I’d found a worn old copy of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary propping up the leg of a table in the staffroom, and since then I’d been busily consuming it. I’ve always been a big reader, and horror is a particular favourite of mine. My younger sister, Amy, would often watch in frustration as I finished three books in the same time it took her to read one. The key to fast reading is to have a boring life, I once told her. Amy had a fiancé and a three-year-old daughter; I had Stephen King.

‘My name is James Finn,’ the man said. He placed a manila folder on the table between us and closed his eyes for a moment, like an Olympic diver mentally preparing to leap.