Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
The sorceress of psychological suspense is back with the third book in her highly-anticipated new Nowhere USA series. Ninie Hammon is at her career-best in Trapped — a story that will have you sleeping with the lights on.

Stuart McClintock comes to Nowhere County looking for his wife, Charlie, and their daughter, but when he gets to her mother's house it's is empty—no people or furniture only what's on the walls. In frustration, Stuart writes on the blackboard on the wall in the "Where Are You?"

Slowly, words scrawl back to "I'm trapped. It won't let me go."

Inside the Jabberwock, Charlie saw his words and responded, hoping he could see her words too. The next day, she writes "I want to go home!" on the blackboard. New letters immediately appear beneath hers, one at a time, all caps block letters, as though they were written by a "NO! STAY HERE AND PLAY WITH ME."

Meanwhile, multiple murders make the trapped residents fear for their lives and long for a sense of law and order. Which is not at all what they get when Viola Tackett kills the country's only law enforcement officer and takes over.

★★★★★ "This story has more twists and turns than the winding mountain roads of Nower County, and you don’t want to miss a single curve or dip!" -- Phyllis W

★★★★★ "the more books I read in this series, the more I get caught up in the story and the more I love the characters, feeling like they have become my best friends – or enemies. There are so many dimensions to the action that I know these are books I’ll read over and over again and see something new each time." -- Bonsterblack

★★★★★ "I am so hooked on the Nowhere series! Trapped, book #3 is as exciting and heart pounding as the previous books, with people disappearing and houses aging to the point of dilapidation and a surprise ending that left me with my mouth gaping open. The books get more awesome as each new one is published. I can’t wait for what book #4 will bring." -- Lynn Geth

★★★★★ "Is this really only book 3? Man, how has Ninie Hammon managed to twist my brain into so many knots in only three short novels? I don't know if I should be looking for the Boogie Man under my bed, watching the skies for aliens, or Googling mental health facilities in my area (which strangely, would only be about 45 minutes away from the fictional Nowhere, KY)!" -- Kentucky Bohemian

Trapped is the third book in Ninie Hammon's new series, Nowhere USA, a riveting psychological thriller about the residents of a forgotten county that inexplicably sinks through reality to find itself in the middle of Nowhere.

Fans of Justified, Under The Dome, and LOST will find themselves right at home in Nowhere USA.

210 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 10, 2020

38 people are currently reading
38 people want to read

About the author

Ninie Hammon

48 books240 followers
I was born in Socorro, New Mexico, sometime shortly after the earth cooled off. It’s clear that from the outset my parents never intended for me to amount to anything. How could I? With a name like “Ninie?” Please.

Fame and fortune do not come to people named Ninie Bovell (My maiden name.) Gabriella Bovary? You could work with that. Even something as pedestrian as Madeline Bovell or Rebecca Bovell or (though you’d lose points here for lack of originality) Elizabeth Bovell. But Ninie? I never had a chance.

If I sound a mite hostile, bear in mind that in one decisive stroke my parents sentenced their precious newborn daughter to a lifetime of explanations that began my first day at Muleshoe Elementary School. (Yeah, Muleshoe. The hits just keep on coming.) After a painful week, I had a rap down that I still use today:

“No, it’s not Ninnie like skinny and penny. It’s Ninie—rhymes with tiny and shiny. 9e…get it? And no, it doesn’t mean anything, it isn’t short for anything, long for anything, or a substitute for anything. It just is. (Pause here for the inevitable ‘Why?’) You got me, pal, I couldn’t tell you.”

I grew up in Texas, got a BA in English and theatre from Texas Tech University and snagged a job as a newspaper reporter. Didn't know a thing about journalism, but my editor said if I could write he could teach me the rest of it and if I couldn't write the rest of it didn't matter. I hung in there for a 25-year career as a journalist. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, but as soon as I figured out that making up the facts was a whole lot more fun than reporting them, I never looked back.

Now, I write suspense--every flavor except pistachio: psychological suspense, inspirational suspense, suspense thrillers, paranormal suspense, suspense mysteries.

In every book I write I try to keep this promise to Loyal Reader: I will tell you a story in a distinctive voice you'll always recognize, about people as ordinary as you are--people who have been slammed by something they didn’t sign on for, and now they must fight for their lives. Then smack in the middle of their everyday worlds, those people encounter the unexplainable--and it's always the game-changer."


Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
30 (44%)
4 stars
26 (38%)
3 stars
11 (16%)
2 stars
1 (1%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Profile Image for (Grace) Kentucky Bohemian.
1,988 reviews1 follower
December 1, 2020
I Am So Twilight Zoned
Is this really only book 3? Man, how has Ninie Hammon managed to twist my brain into so many knots in only three short novels? I don't know if I should be looking for the Boogie Man under my bed, watching the skies for aliens, or Googling mental health facilities in my area (which strangely, would only be about 45 minutes away from the fictional Nowhere, KY)!

Now Ms. Hammond seems to be bumping people off at an alarming rate just to add to the fun. You know, you usually feel like certain characters in a story are safe because they're so pivotal to the plot lines? Yep, well, you can toss that idea out with yesterday's coffee grounds. I'm not even sure I'm safe, LOL. I'm waiting for the Jabberwock to figure out how to start coming after readers next. But... come to think of it... how would I know if it is?

Okay, I figure the best way to be safe is to increase the size of the "herd," right? So, make sure you read this book, because it's a well-done piece of brain twisting literary master work with characters you'll come to love. But don't get too wrapped up in those characters, because the author likes to make 'em vanish or bump 'em off any old time. Now, if you haven't read the first two books in this series, I would strongly advise you to go back and read them first or you'll sound even crazier than me. Do whatever you've gotta' do, but get on board this crazy ride.
Profile Image for Mark.
95 reviews
November 24, 2020
Well, what can I say without repeating the praise for books 1 and 2 of this hugely entertaining series from Ninie Hammon?
Just when you think she has run out of room for improvement, Ninie raises the bar a bit more, and then coasts over the jump.
This series just keeps getting better and better.
Ordinary people, thrown together into an extra-ordinary other-wordly situation that no one can begin to explain, let alone extricate themselves from.
The story continues on from book 2, to unfold in Ninie's snappy and appealing style, characterized by tight and witty prose, authentic dialogue, and more than enough intrigue to go around.
A format which is a little shorter than a full length novel, but still offers it all in terms of reading entertainment.
My recommendation would definitely be to start at Book one, "The Jabberwock", and just follow the sequence of books as they come out. That way you maximise your enjoyment.
This series is addictive to say the least.
Profile Image for Bonnie Blackledge.
420 reviews28 followers
November 27, 2020
It’s so hard to write a review for the books in this series without leaving a “spoiler.” There are so many things that happen that I just want to say something like you’ll never believe this or what are your thoughts about that? Do you think she’s really dead or could it be something else?
That being said, I will say two things. One is that Ninie has developed an interesting map of Nower County that makes it more fun (IMHO) to read these books. If you subscribe to her newsletter, a copy was available there.
The second is that the more books I read in this series, the more I get caught up in the story and the more I love the characters, feeling like they have become my best friends – or enemies. There are so many dimensions to the action that I know these are books I’ll read over and over again and see something new each time. I’m not sure if Trapped is a favorite because it was so exciting, or if I just feel like I’m trapped there like everyone else.
Profile Image for Debra Madden.
19 reviews
November 26, 2020
Can't wait for more!!!

Ninie is one of the best writers I've ever read! If you like Koontz and King you love Ninie I guarantee it. This third book in the Nowhere series is awesome! This book has me hanging on for the next one. The only problem with the books are they are so good I can't put them down. I read them so fast I have Go wait for the next book, and it feels like it takes forever for the next one to come out.
Profile Image for Red.
501 reviews8 followers
December 1, 2020
Trapped, book 3 in the Nowhere, U.S.A. series, is guaranteed to take you on a wild adventure to a place you can't get to on your own…at least, I don't think you can. You don't have to worry about having nightmares, because you KNOW this just could never be real...or could it? I'd like to think this story will resolve itself at some point, but I'm not in a hurry...I just want to see where else in the world (or out of it) she might take us in the next book. 5 stars for 9e's Trapped!!!!
189 reviews2 followers
December 21, 2020
Great series!

I love this author and especially this series. It's unusual and provocative. A very unique storyline. Ninie Hammon is a very talented author.
The characters are very believable . The dialogue flows freely and smoothly. The editing is clean. I recommend her books to anyone that loves a good mystery. I have already downloaded the next book in this series and will start reading ASAP.
Profile Image for Ami.
2,392 reviews14 followers
June 19, 2024
Great fantasy thriller!

I have become attached to many of the main characters in this eerie series. They are realistic and interesting. While the characters have drawn my attention, the storyline is the compelling factor. I don’t want to put it down even for necessary reasons, lol. I highly recommend the entire series and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Purchased from Amazon
1,985 reviews22 followers
November 25, 2020
WHAT THE......

Bizarre as any book I have ever read. Was it readable? Yes. Was it different? For sure. Was confusing as all get out? Understatement. I certainly hope the poor citizens of Nowere County (Nowhere) find their way out of the nightmare they find themselves in or not find themselves in. Whatever it is hopefully some will be able to survive. One bizarre read.
Profile Image for Sissy Johnson.
437 reviews8 followers
February 13, 2024
Oh Ninie, this one has made me question if I want to continue the series. Please don't get me wrong, this book gives a good insight to what is happening to those on the outside. However, this book truly just dragged on and on and was just blah for me. I didn’t get the great vibes the first two books gave me. I will say, though, the last sentence of the book has made me want to press on with the series.
570 reviews3 followers
November 25, 2020
Interesting and intense

The jabberwock continues to vanish people but we still don't know exactly why. I like the characters and we continue to learn more about them as the story progresses. I hope there is another book and I can't wait to read it.
Profile Image for Vance L. Marcum.
8 reviews1 follower
April 19, 2021
Nowhere USA series

This series is great. It captures your attention & is difficult to put down. The characters come to life & often times you can imagine that you have even met them in people you already know.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.