Abandoned Child by South London-raised author Kitty Neale is her standalone coming-of-age personal identity/family drama thriller set in London's Soho district, starring a young woman from an underprivileged background making her way in a seedy world as she discovers things about herself and her hidden family past, free courtesy of publisher HarperCollins UK's Avon imprint.
Currently free @
B&N UK,
Amazon UK,
iTunes UK, and
Kobo (available to the UK and also Japan as well when I spot-checked assorted regional stores, though apparently not other countries, but YMMV). Likely also free at Google Play UK & Japan.
Description
All she wanted was a mother’s love …
DESPISED
Penny’s childhood was spent in the shadows of her mother’s business schemes, feeling alone and unimportant. It fell to Lorna, her mother’s acquaintance, to take care of the lonely little girl, but the rejection always cut deep.
DETERMINED
When Penny turns sixteen and tragedy strikes, Lorna’s cousin Maureen, a feisty ex-stripper from London, strides into her life. Penny determines to make her own way in the world and, with Maureen, throws herself into a thrilling new life on the grimy streets of Soho. She makes new friends, but can’t avoid crossing the paths of some very dangerous men.
DANGER
In this seedy world of dancing girls and gangsters Penny must grow up quickly, she must be brave, and she’s forced to face the truth about some very dark secrets from her past.