A master-class in emotional psychological thriller writing, Stranger Child’s complex plot reveals itself slowly to expose the dark secret at its heart

‘Holds you hostage and is hard to put down until the end.' – Confessions of a reader

‘Rachel Abbott will keep you guessing long into the night and just as you think you’ve figured it out – think again!’ – Suspense Magazine

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One Dark Secret. One act of revenge.

Tasha Joseph mysteriously vanished at the age of six, the night her mother Caroline‘s car veered off the road into a ditch, killing her outright. Police attending the scene of the accident could find no trace of the little girl who had been sitting quietly on the back seat.

Six years later, Tasha’s bereft father has remarried and has started to build a new life with Emma and their beautiful baby son, Ollie. And then one day a stranger walks into their home and into their lives, and their world tilts on its axis.

Emma’s life no longer feels secure. Does she know the truth about what really happened to Tasha and Caroline all those years ago? Why does she feel so frightened for herself and for her baby?

But when a desperate Emma reaches out to her old friend DCI Tom Douglas for help, she puts all their lives in jeopardy. Soon a web of deceit is revealed that shocks both Emma and Tom to the core.

They say you should never trust a stranger. Maybe they’re right.

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Praise for Stranger Child

‘Just when you think you’ve got it sussed, you’ll find yourself screeching in frustration at your foolishness.’ - Crime Fiction Lover

‘I loved this book! What I loved the most about this book was the plot. There are a few 'curve balls' in this story, which definitely kept me on my toes. I really could not put this down.’ - Debra's Book Cafe

‘An edgy thriller takes us to some very dark places; places where children and motherhood are not sacred. The reader can sink into the story straight away and is soon dumped into the disturbing world of crime and cruelty. The author’s use of the characters is brilliant; children, especially the younger ones, seem to ratchet up the emotional investment bringing more and more tension.’ - Goodreads reviewer

‘Set against the opposing realities of harsh, crime-ridden gangs and cosy, well-off, Middle-England families, Abbott seamlessly weaves three separate narratives together into one barn-stormer of a thriller. ...a well-rounded, and fulfilling novel, that still manages to keep you guessing right to the very end.’ - If These Books Could Talk, blog

Praise for Rachel Abbott

‘Pure genius: A masterclass in the perfect thriller!’ – Love Books

‘I was left speechless in the first chapter and couldn’t put it down for hours. Rachel is amazing at building tension and keeping you turning page after page’ - Crime Book Club

‘Rachel Abbott is a master of intrigue, suspense, and mystery. Her stories are not tied up with a pretty bow at the end.’ - Goodreads reviewer

‘Abbott creates a tangled web of deception, secrets, and red herrings.’ – Booklist