Call Me Mummy is the first novel by British journalist, broadcaster, fitness instructor and author, Tina Baker. The woman in the department store isn’t paying her young daughter any attention, too busy on her phone. Pregnant, yelling at the toddler in the stroller and a sullen older boy trailing, she clearly doesn’t appreciate what she has. It is easy to entice the sweet angel away with promises of a puppy, and anyway, this foul-mouthed, tattooed slattern doesn’t deserve her, and couldn’t possibly give her the proper upbringing she needs.

Not quite soon enough, Kim Searle raises the alarm, but her five-year-old daughter, Tonya is gone. CCTV reveals that a tall black-clad figure carried Tonya out of the store, after which the trail goes cold. A TV appeal yields numerous tips, but none pan out and, with her abrasive demeanour and provocative attire, Kim does not endear herself to the public.

Soon, online forums, Facebook and Twitter are revealing a youthful history of drugs and sex, the press accentuate the negative, and the trolls enthusiastically do their worst, tagging her SCUMMY MUMMY. While her husband rages over this, for Kim: “The terrible thing has already happened. These f###ing amateurs can’t make her feel worse than she already does.”

The woman who has taken her quickly discovers that Tonya is not the compliant angel she’d hoped for. She is determined that discipline will remedy this, but Tonya stubbornly refuses her new name, insists The Woman is not her mummy and can only be temporarily bribed. If the reader initially cheers Tonya on: “Everything I do for her is unappreciated. In my most despairing moments I wonder why I managed to end up with this peculiar child. One who neither loves nor likes me. One so disobedient”, after some months, the danger of this maintained rage becomes apparent.

The story is told from multiple perspectives, and includes forum, Facebook and Twitter posts. It does perhaps drag a little, but this illustrates the tedium of the wait for any development, any news. Baker includes a sad irony in the similarity of several aspects of the upbringing of Kim and the woman who has taken her daughter.

Readers are warned that there is copious use of expletives, quite in keeping with those characters, but it may cause offence. Baker’s depiction of this distressing experience is wholly credible, and the journey her characters take feels authentic. Readers will admire Kim’s steadfast friend, Ayesha, and cannot fail to applaud young Tonya for her persistence.

Baker doesn’t give the reader a Hollywood ending; rather, she reminds us that, in the real world, we don’t always find out exactly what happened. She also deftly demonstrates what a leveller such a traumatic event can be: rich or poor, sophisticated or down-to-earth, the anxiety is just as destructive, the heartbreak equally profound. This is an outstanding debut novel.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Serpent’s Tail/Profile Books.

I really looked forward to reading this, its something I'd normally like. But I couldn't get to grips at all with the way it was written. I felt it very repetitive and a real bore to read. For a story such as this I would expect much more to this story, maybe even a police aspect running with it but in reality for me it was uneventful. I unfortunately only managed to read to the halfway point and had to give it up. I wasn't interested by that stage what happened.
Thank you anyway #netgalley for the chance to read early.

A loved this book so much, it was so well written, the writer nailed every character - making them all seem to realistic and believable.

I really enjoyed how the book kept switching between the characters - I love her style of writing - she had me gripped from the very first page.

You need to read this book!

Firstly I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of the ebook.

I found this book to be quite a slow starter but once you beat the half way mark it turns into one of the dark and most twisting reads I have read.

The two main characters Mummy and Kim are, I found, not that much different from each other. They both had terrible upbringings and are not the nicest of people, the only difference is mummy is the one causing all the pain. As much as I was flabbergasted by the character of mummy – she has to be my favourite character. She was so incredibly well written and as much as you think she can’t get any worse – you find out just how deranged she really is and I found I had to put the book down and just take a minute.

The writing style in this book was so refreshing, it was easy to read with the ‘common’ dialogue it made me connect with the characters more, I could feel the anxiety and pain of Kim emanating from the pages.

This book was filled with sadness, thrill and a touch of humour with my favourite sentence being although in the case of the baby who looked like the spawn of Boris Johnson. I would definitely recommend you head over to your local bookshop website and hit the pre-order button for this one. Mummy will love you for it. 😁

I don't know why but I am always drawn to books with kidnapping as the main storyline!

Call Me Mummy is all about the kidnap of little girl Tonya. She's taken by "Mummy" in a shopping centre, right under her mother Kim's nose. Every parent's worst fear right!?

The book is then told from Mummy, Kim and Tonya's point of view, Tonya's parts being shorter and simpler since she is just 5 years old.

There was a lot I liked about this book. It was a unique and interesting way to tell the story and it certainly was gripping. I liked that neither of the characters were likable people but both had problematic pasts. They had fairly similar life experiences so it was interesting to see the different paths they took in life.

Kim isn't your typical victim and struggles with the press and media who essentially tear her to pieces. The book highlights trolling in this type of situation and it was sad the lack of support Kim received when she was very clearly struggling with post natal depression.

Mummy is a horrible character and despite all the trauma she had been through, it was very hard to feel any sort of sympathy/empathy towards her.

This book goes to some dark and twisted places and bits of it are stomach churning and pretty hard to read. I found the beginning and last parts very gripping however I think it does slow down in the middle and become slightly repetitive.

Definitely recommend to anyone who likes their thrillers on the darker side. Lots of trigger warnings for this one so please DM me of that's something you want to know more about. Excited to see what Tina Baker comes out with next!

This is the creepiest book I have ever read. It's so, so well done.

The chapters from 'mummy' made me feel physically sick sometimes and yet I still felt sorry for her? Really, really well written.

I absolutely loved Kim's chapters. They were really nuanced and made it so clear that Kim desperately loved Tonya despite how it sometimes appeared to outsiders. I LOVE the political undertones and how beautifully it was done. Kim was so, so broken and so, so misunderstood by almost everyone.

Tonya is an absolute queen and I love her.

I was highly intrigued by this book and more than thankful to be given the chance to read it (thank you Viper Books).

This book is thrilling, in truth actually that is an understatement.

Motherhood but not as we know it.

When a young girl vanishes from a shop, one mother is left distraught whilst another is finally assuming the role in which she was born to take on.

Scary, sinister and surprising.

Call Me Mummy isn't your typical thriller.

It looks deep into the emotions that mothers can and do go through and the realities of being a parent. Showing that it isn't all easy.

Told from two differing perspectives, this is a story that although dark and quite honestly disturbing at times, was also utterly gripping.

My only negative was that the little girls narrative felt too grown up, not what a child of that age would be able to articulate - in my opinion.

I'll have a full review on my blog nearer release date but I'll end this by saying you wouldn't know that this is a debut novel, well executed. Definitely one to read if you are a fan of crime/mystery novels.

I received this arc through net galley in exchange for an honest review.

This book told from the perspective of different characters in the book, so has no real chapters.

I didn’t warm to the child’s mother at first but as the story goes along my perspective changed once we know a bit of her back story.

A very difficult subject matter which will pull at the hardest heart strings.

I will be watching with interest to see what this author writes next.

Today on The Tattooed Book I’m taking a look at Call Me Mummy by Tina Baker from Viper Books. Call Me Mummy is Tina’s debut novel and you’ll find it in bookshops from 25 February 2021. Recognise the name Tina Baker? You might know her from her former career as a broadcaster and journalist. Personally, I remember her bubbly appearances on GMTV very fondly. Thanks to the lovely Miranda Jewess I was lucky enough to get my mitts on an early copy of Call Me Mummy; but what did I think of it?


Call Me Mummy synopsis

Call Me Mummy is made up of three main protagonists; skummy mummy Kim, the unnamed kidnapper ‘Mummy’, and the victim of abduction, Tonya.



Mummy didn’t plan to take the little girl, but Christmas is the hardest time of year to be childless and she couldn’t resist browsing the beautiful children’s’ clothes. There, she heard the woman shouting, even swearing at her beautiful daughter. The little girl is grubby, obviously uncared for, unloved even. The woman is surrounded by a gaggle of children and is obviously pregnant with another; why is a woman like this so blessed and Mummy isn’t? Mummy must save this little girl, take her hand and help her escape to a better life.



Kim has had enough. She’s dying for a cigarette, desperate for a wee and, as always, she’s the one having to deal with the Christmas dramas while Steve’s at the bloody pub. Now her little girl, Tonya has wandered off to look at the Disney headbands. She can think again though because who can afford that for a strip of plastic? She was only out of her eyesight for a second, but that’s all it took and soon Kim is screaming Tonya’s name.



Tonya took the hand of the woman who promised to show her a kitten. Followed her for a while, but even when they went back to the woman’s house, there was no cat. The woman is mean, orders Tonya to call her Mummy but the girl is stubborn as a mule. She kicks, bites and screams. Mummy thought the little girl would be grateful for a new start in life but Tonya is as feisty as her real mother and won’t be tamed easily.




Call Me Mummy review



Call Me Mummy throws you deep into the story from the very first chapter. This might make you think that there’s not much opportunity to introduce the characters, but as the novel is written from multiple perspectives, the tone of voice and inner monologues shape the different personalities immediately.



What becomes clear very quickly is that Kim and Mummy are from completely different worlds, even if they both share a devastating past. Mummy’s pristine home, designer labels and financial stability would all look perfect on paper. However; when she gets Tonya home, it becomes painfully clear to the reader than she’s not prepared to look after a child. Mummy is in love with the picture-perfect ideal of a loving daughter. She wants Tonya to be the polite, beautifully dressed daughter she always dreamed of. Instead, Tonya rages against this new woman in her life. There’s no way Tonya is calling her Mummy.



Kim is well aware of what everyone thinks of her. The newspaper headlines are crucifying her daily; the skummy mummy who let some grab her kid. And she thinks they’re right, it’s all her fault. She doesn’t react to Tonya’s kidnapping ‘normally.’ She doesn’t cry for the cameras and she’s not taking shit off of anyone. Instead, she gets mad. She’s furious at the world and at her herself. The press blames her, the internet blames her and she blames herself too. Kim is my favourite character in Call Me Mummy as I haven’t come across many people like her in novels. She’s unlikeable; not what people might think of as a traditional mother figure, and filled with pain that comes out as anger. However; as the story unfurls and her history is explained, her actions are completely understandable.



The chapters of Call Me Mummy are very brief, just a handful of pages at most. These do allow you to dip in and out but I would recommend to read it in larger chunks where possible. This is especially true of the second half where the tension ramps up and up to the nailbiting conclusion. You’ll get no spoilers from me but Mummy’s unpredictability really did leave me guessing.



Tina Baker has that enviable skill of writing in a style that appears completely effortless. The characters are not only beautifully defined, but also capture some of the horrible, judgemental thoughts we’ve all been guilty of at some point or other. I think we’ve all had those moments where we’ve judged a parent too quickly when they’ve raised their voice at their kids. I know I’ve done it, but I always check myself. I’m not a parent; I don’t know what it’s like and I don’t know what else is going on behind the scenes. Tina’s characters indulge those thoughts and judgements.



Overall, Call Me Mummy by Tina Baker is a captivating and thought-provoking read that I loved. I can see it being a great pick for book clubs because there is SO much to discuss here (as you can probably tell from how much I’ve rambled on). I’m very much looking forward to Call Me Mummy becoming a hit in 2021 and can’t wait to hear more about Tina Baker’s second novel.

This was an enjoyable read with intriguing characters, that managed to be gripping despite there being no major twists. It had touches of dark humour alongside the sometimes harrowing subject matter, and it was hard not to like the little girl who was a pretty tough cookie for a five year old..
I loved the Islington setting, and the contrast between the two main characters, neither of whom was particularly likeable so there wasn't obvious hero to root for, which made the book more intriguing. The snippets of back story for each of the main characters made it interesting too and explained their motivations to some extent.

“Mummy” has everything – a nice home and money in the bank, however she doesn’t have child of her own. When she is out shopping one day, so notices Kim - heavily pregnant, glued to her phone and ignoring her eldest child in a busy shop and the temptation to give the child a better upbringing is too good to resist and so she walks out of the shop with little Tonya. However, feisty Tonya is not the daughter that “Mummy” was hoping for.

As Tonya fiercely resists Mummy's attempts to make her into the perfect child, Kim is demonised by the media as a 'scummy mummy', who deserves to have her other children taken too. Haunted by memories of her own childhood and refusing to play by the media's rules, Kim begins to spiral, turning on those who love her.

Though they are worlds apart, Mummy and Kim have more in common than they could possibly imagine. But it is five-year-old Tonya who is caught in the middle.

This is a very dark story, and when you are reading it, you won’t believe it is a debut novel as it is so well structured and written.

There were times when reading this book that I had to stop and walk away from it, as it was harrowing, and disturbing but then there were other times when I couldn’t sleep as the characters were constantly on my mind and so I had to read a few more chapters in the middle of the night to find out what was going to happen.

A truly remarkable debut!

Prepare to be gripped. Call Me Mummy is completely and utterly addictive. If this is Tina Baker’s first novel, then I can’t wait to read what she writes next. This book will definitely stick in your mind, and I love the way how Tina Baker writes. Her writing drew me into the story right away, and I couldn’t put the book down.
The chapters in this book are short, and snappy and that’s something I always really like in a crime thriller. When I think I need to put the book down so I can do something, I think, oh, one more chapter won’t hurt. Then before I know it, I’ve finished the book.

Call Me Mummy is a dark crime thriller. Although it tells a story that has been told before, it does so differently, and I thought it was really compelling. While out shopping, Kim, who is heavily pregnant, loses sight of her daughter, Tonya. Every parent has a story of when they lost sight of their child for a few moments. I can remember running away from my mum in a busy shopping centre when I was small and the fear setting in next when I couldn’t find her. But Tonya doesn’t come back, and she isn’t found. Another woman, desperate for a child, has set her eyes on Tonya, and she has a plan for the girl. A police investigation begins, and there is a huge amount of interest in the case.

Kim, Tonya’s mother, was a really compelling character. After her daughter’s disappearance, she comes under a lot of scrutiny from the press and the public. People say hurtful and disgusting things about her on online forums, and the press are quick to lap it up There may be a lot of readers who dislike Kim when they read this book. Although she desperately wants her daughter to be found, she isn’t portrayed in a very good light. She swears a lot, but this is just part of everyday speech in her family, which her children have also picked up on. But aside from this, I could see that she cares about her daughter, even if she isn’t the perfect parent, as some people might say.

I don’t want to give too much away here, but I found that I did feel sorry for Tonya’s kidnapper. Tina Baker builds a very intriguing backstory. You can see why they have acted in the way that they did. But as the novel progressed, I started to get fearful for Tonya. You can sense that things can go either way for her, and it made for really gripping reading.

Call Me Mummy is an outstanding debut, and I finished it in just a couple of days. Crime fans, you need to add this to your reading pile for 2021. I’ll certainly be adding whatever Tina Baker writes next to my TBR pile straight away.

I think it's probably likely that most parents have at some point during their children's upbringing lost sight of one of their children and experienced the panic and terror, the chill that runs through your system when you can't see them and then the instantaneous feelings of relief when you find them again. Finding tours of torn between wanting to scold them and wrapping them up in a big n g and swearing never to let them out of your sight again.

Kim's nightmare begins when her five year old daughter Tonya disappears whilst they are in town shopping with Tonya's brother and Kim's best friend Ayesha's severely disabled son. Kim is certain that she wasn't distracted for very long and is sure that Tonya is still in the store. Only she is wrong, Tonya has been enticed away by a woman who had watched Kim and judged her wanting,a woman who is certain that she will be a much better mother to the child than Kim with her bad attitude and foul language.

This extremely intense story is voiced by numerous characters but mainly from the perspectives of Kim, the woman and young Tonya..Kim, who is heavily pregnant and lives on a run down estate finds herself falling under the spotlight of the judgemental media and faceless social media trolls. She didn't do herself any favours at times with her behaviour and bad attitude and it would have been to write her off as unlikable but if you took her tragic backstory into consideration,you could sort of understand her character traits. I felt a lot of empathy for her once baby Nathaniel was born because I personally experienced some of the same feelings as she did but not to the same extreme lengths. The woman, who is never named, was a complex character who suffered from numerous issues and it would have been easy to label her as unlikable and abhorrent but she also had a tragic past and her issues were very deep rooted. It did cross my mind at times that in 'saving' Tonya,was the woman actually acting out what she wished had happened when the woman herself was a child. Tonya's chapters were both heart breaking and nerve wracking and had a prevailing sense of foreboding permeating the pages. The woman made Tonya sound like a precocious brat but I seemed to me that the poor child couldn't seem to do anything right and was just a typical five year old who had found herself being held prisoner by a very disturbed woman. The other characters were a mixed bag of diverse,realistic individuals, I really liked long suffering Steve, I thought he was a lovely,fantastic character who reminded me of my own hubby. I also liked Kim's loyal best friend Ayesha.

This is a extremely well written, debut thriller that had me hooked in from the first page and caused me to experience a wide range of conflicting emotions as the emotionally charged story unfolded before my captivated eyes. The plot covers a wide range of hard hitting issues and the author has written about these issues with care and sensitivity. I really enjoyed this outstanding, dark thriller and look forward to reading more of this author's books in the future. Worth all the stars and more and very very highly recommended.

Overall this was a well written book with a good story line but too dark for me unfortunately and I didn't enjoy it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Viper Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

"Mummy" has always wanted a child of her own ,Kim has children but she is far from the ideal image of a loving mother.
When a young girl is abducted from a shop everyone has an opinion about what is going on.. The mother of the child, ex drug addict and so-called "Scummy Mummy" is subject to the full vilification of the public.
Told from the perspectives of the abductor, the mother and the child herself as well as a few other people this is a tense story of want, loss and abuse. I liked the writing style and couldn't guess how the story would end. On the surface the abductor and the mother of the child would seem to be as far apart from each other as it's possible to be but as we read on the similarities of their lives are brought into focus.
Well worth reading with an excellent ending that will keep you gripped.

This book is absolutely outstanding; it's a highly original child abduction story and it had me completely gripped from start to finish. I am completely gobsmacked that Call Me Mummy is Tina Baker's debut novel, it's so brilliantly written and has such a breathtaking plot that makes it very compulsive reading. Honestly, you will not be able to put it down!

The storyline has three distinct voices and they all come across so clearly, it's almost like the reader can hear the characters' thoughts. Mummy wants a child so badly that she snatches one while the mother is distracted, Kim is the distraught mother who shoulders the blame for losing her daughter and Tonya is the little girl taken from her family and thrust into the middle of this nightmare.

The three main characters are so vivid and multi-dimensional, they really struggled to stay on the page and I felt like I could have reached in and touched them (and I can just hear Tonya saying: “Get off me, you!”). I adored Tonya, a five year old who is larger than life and such a feisty character. I felt so sorry for Kim, who seemed to always find herself on the wrong side of public opinion and I got so mad at how people are quick to judge others, especially when they can hide behind their screen. As for Mummy, she's like a simmering pot that is about to boil over. As we get to know these characters, we see their worries, dreams and motivations and I love how Tina Baker gives us this 360 degree view.

Equal parts horrifying and mesmerising, Tina Baker's impressive debut is nothing short of exceptional; the writing is stunning, honest, provocative and often surprisingly witty. Call Me Mummy is without doubt a five star read and I really can't recommend it highly enough - just buy it, you won't regret it. To emulate a famous retailer renowned for quality: "This is not just a child abduction novel, this is a Tina Baker child abduction novel." When other adjectives just won't do, I have to say it's fan-flipping-tastic!

Absolutely absorbed by this book. I love it. Thank you so much for this opportunity to read it. I felt for Tonya, Kim and Mummy in all their myriad ways. I was hooked from the get go. Brilliant book would definitely recommend to everyone and anyone

Call me mummy- @tinabakerbooks
Publication date 25th February 2021

I was drawn to this book because of its cover and the vivid pink, the book focuses on the kidnap of a child, so may be a trigger for some.

I was gripped from the get go, all three of the main characters were interesting in their own right.

I especially enjoyed the interactions from Tonya, and cracked up with some of the stuff she came out with.

This book shows how easy it is to be distracted and how it is even easier for a child to be taken.

A fantastic debut and I am excited for the next book from the author
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you to @netgalley and @serpentstail for my advanced readers copy.
#bookreview #callmemummy #netgalley #netgalleyreviews #bookstagram #booksofinsta #booksofinstagram #bookblog

This is a bit of a horror story but completely compelling. The alternate points of view give insights to the main characters and their back stories. Mummy with severe mental illness after an abused childhood; Tonya, feisty little girl who will not comply with mummy's vision of a dream child; Kim and Steve who may be "scummy" but are loving parents. There are some very tense moments and the outcome could be tragic.

The book is told primarily from ‘Mummy’ and Kim’s points of view – with an occasional input from Tonya or one of the other characters, or social media. The sections tend to be short – and this keeps up a real pace to the book. There don’t appear to be formal chapters either (although I was reading an advanced copy on my Kindle – so not entirely sure how different the final format would be – or if it was a printed copy).

Initially the ‘Mums’ appear very different – Kim is from a rough neighbourhood, has a drug filled past and is branded a ‘scummy mummy’ by the press – whereas ‘Mummy’ clearly has cash, Ocado deliveries, lives in a fancy house, albeit with no family or friends. However it soon becomes apparent that they both have mental health issues, and have had comparable abusive childhoods, and are perhaps more similar than they would think if you look beneath the surface.

I have to say some of the comparison reminded me of how differently the Ben Needham and Madeleine McCann missing children cases were treated in the media based upon social class. Anyway, back to the book!

The book twists and turns – and you’re really unsure how it’s going to end up. ‘Mummy’ has not got the perfect daughter she expected – and Kim’s life is completely falling apart. Whilst I’m lucky never to have had trouble conceiving, I felt this part was explored well by ‘Mummy’ (and is apparently the author’s experience too) but equally the juggling of multiple small children was also true to life.

I really liked Kim’s relationship with her friend Ayesha – it felt really ‘real’. Equally her relationship with her partner Steve was also perfectly written, if not the perfect relationship!

Whilst the storyline for half of the characters seems ‘closed’ – the very final segment definitely left it open for a sequel, and there was one massive (and massively smelly) loose end that would need tidying up which would prove very interesting!!

One other lovely thing is that 10% of the royalties for the book are going to the children’s charity Action for Children – to help children like Tonya in the future.