Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Father and Son (John Ray #2)” as Want to Read:
Father and Son
(LS9 #2)
by
Someone wants you dead. You don’t know who. Or why...
John Ray is called to the scene of a violent murder. The victim is an old associate of John’s dad, local crime boss Tony Ray. There’s no obvious motive for the crime, but everybody agrees on one thing: don’t tell the police.
John, the Cambridge-educated white sheep of the Ray family, has always refused to be part of his f ...more
John Ray is called to the scene of a violent murder. The victim is an old associate of John’s dad, local crime boss Tony Ray. There’s no obvious motive for the crime, but everybody agrees on one thing: don’t tell the police.
John, the Cambridge-educated white sheep of the Ray family, has always refused to be part of his f ...more
Get A Copy
ebook, 291 pages
Published
June 9th 2013
by Storm Books
(first published June 1st 2013)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
Father and Son,
please sign up.
Recent Questions
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of Father and Son (John Ray #2)
The books keep getting better!!!
Another great book by John Barlow!! This book was a little different from the first one. It went more into the dealings of John Rays Father. It reminded me of The Godfather. The father was Don Corleone. His brother was Sonny Corleone who unfortunately suffered the same fate. John was Michael Corleone because he never wanted to be the men that his father and older brother became. He wanted to be a legitimate businessman. I can't wait to see what happens in the next ...more
Another great book by John Barlow!! This book was a little different from the first one. It went more into the dealings of John Rays Father. It reminded me of The Godfather. The father was Don Corleone. His brother was Sonny Corleone who unfortunately suffered the same fate. John was Michael Corleone because he never wanted to be the men that his father and older brother became. He wanted to be a legitimate businessman. I can't wait to see what happens in the next ...more
Well written
There's a few little grammar/spelling mistakes, but nothing major. The story itself is compelling and definitely worth the read. This is the second in the series but enjoyable as a stand alone book. ...more
There's a few little grammar/spelling mistakes, but nothing major. The story itself is compelling and definitely worth the read. This is the second in the series but enjoyable as a stand alone book. ...more
Roberto Swales is found murdered, tortured then beaten to death, a champagne cork deliberately left at the scene. John Ray, son of local crime boss Tony Ray, is asked to investigate the crime. However, he’s not the only one that wants to know who killed Swales. And why.
This is a solid, well written story which I enjoyed reading. Even though it is the second in a series (the LS9 series about the Ray family) it works well as a stand-alone and it did not matter reading out of order.
The characters ...more
This is a solid, well written story which I enjoyed reading. Even though it is the second in a series (the LS9 series about the Ray family) it works well as a stand-alone and it did not matter reading out of order.
The characters ...more
Let me start by saying that John Barlow is fast becoming one of my favourite authors, indie or otherwise, and he doesn't write science fiction! What he writes is the thinking [wo]man's crime.
Long before I ever read my first science fiction novel, I read a psychological 'crime' thriller by the famous Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The book was called 'Crime and Punishment' and has been my benchmark for character development ever since. Decades later I read Ian Rankin [Rebus] and Robert Wilson ...more
Long before I ever read my first science fiction novel, I read a psychological 'crime' thriller by the famous Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The book was called 'Crime and Punishment' and has been my benchmark for character development ever since. Decades later I read Ian Rankin [Rebus] and Robert Wilson ...more
It's a welcome return to the world of John Ray, son of a retired mobster, the white sheep of the family. He has no desire for that life, but keeps getting drawn back in. He'd been standing beside his brother when the shots took his life. He'd help find the real killer when a friend had been accused. Lanny Bride, who now ran his father's old business, the real business, also wanted the killer found.
His Father, Tony, the victim of several hear attacks, lives in a retirement home.
John gets called ...more
His Father, Tony, the victim of several hear attacks, lives in a retirement home.
John gets called ...more
Crime novels, of the mafia style, typically are not something I choose to read. But I’m glad I picked this one up. This is the second book in the John Ray series and I haven’t read the first. However, I had no difficulty following the events or characters as they story played out.
John Ray, the only remaining son in the Tony Ray family, spent most of his life trying to escape the ‘family’. But escape seems to be impossible when an old friend, Roberto, is murdered. Lanny Bride, his father’s protég ...more
John Ray, the only remaining son in the Tony Ray family, spent most of his life trying to escape the ‘family’. But escape seems to be impossible when an old friend, Roberto, is murdered. Lanny Bride, his father’s protég ...more
This is one of nine John Ray crime mystery novels. I like mysteries set in the British Isles, especially when they're authored by a male who's got a Ph.D. in language arts. This author has also been a ghost writer for others with less talent bet whose names are more catchy. Our protagonist is the youngest son of a Spanish immigrant to England, who like many immigrants does what it takes to succeed. Initially that meant dealing in counterfeit purfumes, then forged £20 bank notes. John decided to
...more
I wanted to give this three and a half stars but since I couldn't, I rounded it up to four.
The story is gripping. John Ray is the white sheep of a criminal family. His brother died violently, his former crime lord father is in a nursing home, and John tries hard to stay on the right side of the law. But events always conspire against him.
When a man John remembers fondly from childhood, a crony of his now elderly father, is tortured and murdered, John agrees with the others on the scene the cops ...more
The story is gripping. John Ray is the white sheep of a criminal family. His brother died violently, his former crime lord father is in a nursing home, and John tries hard to stay on the right side of the law. But events always conspire against him.
When a man John remembers fondly from childhood, a crony of his now elderly father, is tortured and murdered, John agrees with the others on the scene the cops ...more
John Ray tries really hard to stay out of trouble. He is the white sheep of his mob family and again finds himself as a suspect in a murder(s). As he tries to figure out the connection of each of the victims he makes some disturbing discoveries.
John again teams up with Den, his detective ex-girlfriend, who he hasn't seen for a year. Den has gone to another police department after their last case. (You can read all about that in Hope Road). Although reluctant, she agrees to help John. Together th ...more
John again teams up with Den, his detective ex-girlfriend, who he hasn't seen for a year. Den has gone to another police department after their last case. (You can read all about that in Hope Road). Although reluctant, she agrees to help John. Together th ...more
John Ray is the son of a known criminal family who does not want to be a part of the family business, but is pulled into it anyway. Add an ex girlfriend who is a cop, an investigative reported, a childhood nemesis and a cop who hates the Ray family and you come up with a book that's a real “page turner” The book begs the question can anyone really escape their past.
While the book is not a true story, it certainly could be. It was quite easy to forget I was reading fiction. The IRA is/was real an ...more
While the book is not a true story, it certainly could be. It was quite easy to forget I was reading fiction. The IRA is/was real an ...more
This is the second book in the John Ray series of mysteries by John Barlow and I loved it as much as the first (Hope Road). Barlow has captured a part of the Yorkshire (England) underworld intersecting with the police in this novel about a series of murders that relate back to a 20 year old crime. The women characters are strong and intelligent. The main male characters are flawed in ways that are connected with relationships from their teen years. According to the notes about the author the ser
...more
I enjoyed the second book, Father and Son, in the John Ray series. It was good to once again catch up with John Ray, Denise, Lanny Bride and the other characters from the first book.
John Ray sets out to find the connection between the murder of a journalist, his dad Tony Ray's old criminal associates. Many twits and turns leads to the revelation of their connection and why they were murdered.
I enjoyed reading his book and would recommend it, as well as the first book, Hope Road. ...more
John Ray sets out to find the connection between the murder of a journalist, his dad Tony Ray's old criminal associates. Many twits and turns leads to the revelation of their connection and why they were murdered.
I enjoyed reading his book and would recommend it, as well as the first book, Hope Road. ...more
I received an advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. John Ray is the son of a gangster. He is trying to live a life apart from the family business. A string of murders linked to his father and to old crimes with red herrings leads John reconnect with a detective, his former lover, and to the killer and the truth. John Barlow has written a fast paced and exciting book that I found very hard to put down and I look forward to reading more books by this author.
When you need a good page turner
A good follow on from the first Johnny Ray novel. Fast moving and well developed, John becomes a bit of a cliche but it works for me. I did on occasion think he should "get a grip" _ maybe in the next, there will surely be another follow up _ he will. I for one will look forward to it. ...more
A good follow on from the first Johnny Ray novel. Fast moving and well developed, John becomes a bit of a cliche but it works for me. I did on occasion think he should "get a grip" _ maybe in the next, there will surely be another follow up _ he will. I for one will look forward to it. ...more
This sequel to Hope Road gives us more of John Ray, and we learn more about his attempts to go straight. The pacing of this book and the plot twists are much better than the first book, and I didn't want to put it down until I was finished. There are a few areas where some proofreading would have helped, but it's not bad enough to be distracting. Now I am looking forward to more of these books!
...more
I loved the story but found some of the self loathing a bit repetitive and annoying, also because I had read the first book I found that I didn't enjoy rea rereading these parts either hence the 3 stars
...more
I like John Barlow's writing. This book is rather more violent than I usually care for; however the main character John Ray is an engaging almost good-guy, the almost not-involved son of an old crime boss in Leeds, UK. This is #2 in the series. Hope Road is the first novel.
...more
...more
Father and Son
I read Hope Road several years ago and thought it terrific. Father and Son, I found even better. Admittedly, I do have a crush on John Ray. The novel is well written and draws you in - never letting go.
I read Hope Road several years ago and thought it terrific. Father and Son, I found even better. Admittedly, I do have a crush on John Ray. The novel is well written and draws you in - never letting go.
Feb 23, 2014
Dale
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-2013,
wordpress-review
Very readable, engaging characters and plot.
loved this just as much as the first one. fast paced and with twists that i did not guess. I hope there will be more books to follow.
Great read! Loved getting to know the characters again, and a much more conclusive ending this time. Fab!
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Readers also enjoyed
John Barlow's prize-winning fiction and non-fiction has been published by HarperCollins/William Morrow, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 4th Estate and various others in the UK, US, Australia, Russia, Italy, Germany, Spain and Poland.
His current project is the Joe Romano crime thriller series. The first novel, RIGHT TO KILL, is out in the UK with HQ/HarperCollins on June 24th, 2021.
***
John was born in Wes ...more
His current project is the Joe Romano crime thriller series. The first novel, RIGHT TO KILL, is out in the UK with HQ/HarperCollins on June 24th, 2021.
***
John was born in Wes ...more
Other books in the series
LS9
(3 books)
Related Articles
If you're a fan of the mystery and thriller genre and young adult books, recent months have brought a bevy of great reads to your shelves! We...
133 likes · 21 comments
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
