The Gallery Girl: Candace

Slave Girls #3

by Louise Allen

Slave Girls, a new series by bestselling author Louise Allen, reveals a shocking modern-day scandal of County Lines - the single most dangerous form of systematic child abuse prevalent today.

This is the third installment in the brand new series.

Little Candace is growing up in a trap house. Her mum, abused by the local dealers and totally incapable of escaping her supply does nothing while her daughter is used as a mule and front for their business.

Completely unregistered, with no school and no one looking out for her, Candace is a ghost, living invisibly, constantly exposed to violence and horrendous, dark events happening in her home.

But she has a friend in young dealer Joey. And he has hatched a dangerous plan to get them both out of the grip of the dealers. It’s a huge risk. And time is running out for them both.

326 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 6, 2025

About the author

From an early age, Louise was adopted into a family who, from the beginning, said they didn’t want her. Her first book, Thrown Away Child, reveals the abuse and neglect she and a fellow adopted child suffered at the hands of their adopted mother, Barbara. Ten years ago, Louise and her family became a fostering family. They have looked after over twenty children, some have stayed long term. This led to the bestselling series, Thrown Away Children, where Louise is inspired by the stories of children in the care system. Within days, the book became a bestseller.

Louise now draws on her experience to write a new series of ‘How to’ books about adoption, fostering and parenting. How to Adopt a Child is the unvarnished truth about adoption. Louise is well known for “saying it as it is,” so not only is it witty and engaging, it also empowers adopters to feel confident and in control and to know where to turn to for help.

Reviews

[Fiona Turnbull · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the edge of my seat. As usual Louise keeps it real and cuts no corners of the truth. Her books in particularly this latest one tries to get the voice of the victims out there. Newspaper reports all become so samey that people just tag it up as old news. A hard hitting book like this gets more notice. In whatever country you are residing in cuckooing and county line drug running and child sex trafficking is occurring but people are terrorised in reporting it or confronting it. Society does not know what to do. Even the the authorities do not know either and with this case it was run with the knowledge of a leading boss of social services being a part of the horrendous conditions by turning a blind eye and working with the gangs to procurement of vulnerable children and adults. A very informing book.

[Kathleen Riggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shocking but Compelling Read

Slave Girl: The Galley Girl by Candice is a disturbing and shocking tale that does not shy away from the harsh realities of life. Whilst I found it difficult to read at times, it is a powerful and gripping story which draws you into Candice’s experience and resilience. Not an easy book to read, but a worthwhile and impactful read. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Gail murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

good read didn't think it would end the way it did

[Nigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disturbingly powerful and simply told.

Candace (5 years old probably) is growing up in a trap house with her drug addicted mother, Lorna. A County Lines dealer has taken over the flat, abusing Lorna and is using Candance as a drug mule. He is a truly violent man. His sidekick is Joey - someone he was inside with. While Joey is a criminal he does care for Candy.

This is the third book by this author in the Slave Girls series which I had not come across before. The author has fostered children and this story is inspired and informed by people she has fostered. It starts with an introduction/outline of the County Lines abuse of minors generally. Indeed throughout this there has to be an understanding that even criminals can be the victims of abuse and grooming. Joey is effectively one of these as well as Candy.

I'd say this was a roller coaster however that implies that the ups and downs are similar. In this they are not. There are some up beat parts but generally this is a hard hitting read. In the general sense of the word I was aware of the County Lines concept and of cuckooing (the taking over of a property for drugs distribution). However the examination of the impact on individuals was very vivid here.

The story is simply told, pacey and accessible. It is obvious that this is as much fiction as non-fiction but it is informed fiction. It is bare, heartbreaking and powerful - worth noting for some this is not an easy read. There's violence and abuse here. I would have never stopped reading this and I don't regret doing so however enjoyable is probably not a word I'd use about this book.

Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the author and publisher in exchange for a fair review

[Julie Haigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sad, heartbreaking story.

What I like about Louise Allen's books is: She's been there. She's been a fostered child.  She's been a foster carer.  I've read and enjoyed quite a few of her memoirs about her fostering experiences.  In this new series she writes about County Lines cases-and in the intro, she tells of her own brush with something like this. She's fostered children who've been involved in County Lines. So you get a far better and deeper understanding than in some of these kind of books.

Until recently, and just a few books ago, I hadn't even heard of these crimes; I had no idea what County Lines was. It seems so prevalent now, and is even being tackled in a television soap opera. Thanks to people like the author who work to help people and bring awareness through their writing and all they do. 

Another good, fast read, and a real page turner right from the start. This is the third in the series, and this one is written from different characters' points of view.  A heartbreaking, intense, and powerful story. 

This was, for me, the best of the series so far.

[Charlotte Towle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Candace’s Story was absolutely incredible. I flew through it because I physically could not stop reading. Every chapter pulled me in deeper and I finished the book feeling breathless. It is one of those rare reads where you reach the end and realise you have no words left because the journey was that intense.

Louise Allen has such a gift for writing characters who are painfully real. Candace’s voice was gripping from the very first page and her situation unfolded with so much tension and emotion that it became impossible to step away. I cared about her immediately and the way her story developed kept me completely hooked.

The pacing was perfect, the stakes were high and the storytelling was completely immersive. This is the type of book that keeps you up late without even noticing the time passing.

An outstanding, powerful read. I would recommend it to absolutely everyone who loves emotional stories that stay with you long after the final page.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

[Rebecca Fowkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

What another brilliant book from Louise Allen. I couldn't put this book down. The Gallery Girl is book 3 in the Slave Girls series and I definitely recommend reading it.

It opens your eyes some more about Country Lines and I learnt a little bit more about it.

I felt so sorry for the life that little Candace had until Joey came along, yes Joey is also a dealer but he was also groomed into the Country Lines and is also a victim. Joey looked out for Candace and realised that he needs to get them both out for good. There is dire consequences for one person who truly helped Joey and Candace.

Thank you Louise Allen for sharing this story, I really hope more is done to help the children involved in Country Lines as they are also victims themselves.

[Julie Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was really good. Very informative about what happens in the murky world of drug dealing. Heartbreaking to hear how children and vulnerable adults are exploited. I was really hoping that Joey and Candace would manage to escape. I thought the way the characters were portrayed was excellent. Enjoyed this book, found it hard to put down, because I was desperate to see how the story would end.

[Nikki Shearer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really think that everyone needs to read this and see how bad county lines really is. The more people that know about it the more aware they will be. Remember if you see something say something! We have to protect our children, elderly, and the most vulnerable.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read, couldn't put it down. very sad to think that these things are happening.