Being a mother was all-consuming. There were so many mistakes you could make, so many ways to lose a child.

From the queen of white-knuckle suspense and searing family drama comes a harrowing glimpse into the real world behind the headlines. This is a novel of immense power and compassion - one that will move all who read it.

Tina is a young woman hiding from her grief on the streets of the Cross. On a cold night in the middle of winter she breaks all her own rules when she agrees to go home with a customer. What she finds in his house will change her life forever.

Across the country Sarah and Doug are trapped in limbo, struggling to accept the loss that now governs their lives.

Pete is the local policeman who feels like he is watching the slow death of his own family.

Every day brings a fresh hell for each of them.

Told from the alternating points of view of Tina, Sarah, Doug and Pete, The Boy Under the Table is gritty, shocking, moving and, ultimately, filled with hope.

'If you love writers such as Jodi Picoult or Caroline Overington, Nicole may just be your cup of tea.' The Hoopla

Praise for The Boy Under The Table:

'Impossible to put down once I had started - the pace is unrelenting and the story is utterly engrossing. I held my children a little tighter and a lot longer when I had finished.' Great Aussie Reads

'A gripping read that's difficult to put down' Melbourne Weekly

'A nail-biting, harrowing drama of a world behind the headlines' Pittwater Life