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Detective Alec Ramsay
The Child Taker & Slow Burn
2 top ten 'unputdownable' thrillers in one special edition download.
How far would you go to get your children back......?
A stand alone novel based on high profile child abductions, which have been followed by millions of concerned parents on the news. 5 year old twins are abducted from a tent in the Lake District and the hunt for a dangerous paedophile ring begins. Police procedure follows the premise that 60% of abducted children are murdered within the first four hours of being taken. The first hour is called "The golden hour" and the longer a child is missing, the less chance there is of them being recovered unharmed. The Child Taker follows the desperate search for the missing twins. Packed with action and twists, this is one of the best thriller novels around. Guardian Reviews
SLOW BURN
The second Detective Alec Ramsay novel. A young girl is bullied and abused at school. Her brother is habitually beaten by the same gang for nothing more than being overweight and a different religion. Later in life when their paths cross again, a terrible revenge ensues.
'Tank' is like Jack Reacher on steroids! Guardian Reviews. Crime thriller writing that will have you chewing your fingers as you read! ; Review
How far would you go to get your children back......?
A stand alone novel based on high profile child abductions, which have been followed by millions of concerned parents on the news. 5 year old twins are abducted from a tent in the Lake District and the hunt for a dangerous paedophile ring begins. Police procedure follows the premise that 60% of abducted children are murdered within the first four hours of being taken. The first hour is called "The golden hour" and the longer a child is missing, the less chance there is of them being recovered unharmed. The Child Taker follows the desperate search for the missing twins. Packed with action and twists, this is one of the best thriller novels around. Guardian Reviews
SLOW BURN
The second Detective Alec Ramsay novel. A young girl is bullied and abused at school. Her brother is habitually beaten by the same gang for nothing more than being overweight and a different religion. Later in life when their paths cross again, a terrible revenge ensues.
'Tank' is like Jack Reacher on steroids! Guardian Reviews. Crime thriller writing that will have you chewing your fingers as you read! ; Review
624 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 24, 2015
1356 people are currently reading
1750 people want to read
About the author
Conrad Jones
125 books398 followersConrad Jones is a best-selling thriller writer with 30 thriller novels.
The Anglesey Murders 10 books
The Soft Target Series 6 books
The Detective Alec Ramsay Series 6 books
The Inspector Braddick Series 4 books
The Journey Series 3 books
Cuckoos on the Mersey
18 of his books are available in audio and his novels have been translated into six languages.
He is always keen to talk to readers and writers alike, jonesconrad5@aol.com
FaceBook Conrad Jones Author
Twitter @ConradJones
The Anglesey Murders 10 books
The Soft Target Series 6 books
The Detective Alec Ramsay Series 6 books
The Inspector Braddick Series 4 books
The Journey Series 3 books
Cuckoos on the Mersey
18 of his books are available in audio and his novels have been translated into six languages.
He is always keen to talk to readers and writers alike, jonesconrad5@aol.com
FaceBook Conrad Jones Author
Twitter @ConradJones
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
April 3, 2018
Blew me away ..I was thunder struck.
This story begins with a young couple Hayley and Karl camping in the woods with their young twins along with Karl's brother and his wife.Unbeknown to them someone is watching their every move.That same night when Hayley returns after buying groceries, finding Karl has been distracted by noises in the woods they find their precious twins have been abducted..spirited away by the child taker. Hayley's father a major in the Terrorist Task Force who is working out of the country at the time returns with some of his team to help find the twins.As the storyline develops it delves deeper into the murky world of child trafficking where evil men such as Hajj Achmed rules his empire with terror and has no qualms when it comes to murder.From here the story moves at a a speed so fast when the Major sends out the unstoppable Tank and Grace to find the twins by whatever means necessary.On the journey they cross paths with evil incarnate..The child taker, from a broken twisted background has over the years become quite the psychopath.. As the chase continues and almost reaches its conclusion there are more shocking twists in store.I couldn't put this book down.A massive Five stars to Mr.Jones.
This story begins with a young couple Hayley and Karl camping in the woods with their young twins along with Karl's brother and his wife.Unbeknown to them someone is watching their every move.That same night when Hayley returns after buying groceries, finding Karl has been distracted by noises in the woods they find their precious twins have been abducted..spirited away by the child taker. Hayley's father a major in the Terrorist Task Force who is working out of the country at the time returns with some of his team to help find the twins.As the storyline develops it delves deeper into the murky world of child trafficking where evil men such as Hajj Achmed rules his empire with terror and has no qualms when it comes to murder.From here the story moves at a a speed so fast when the Major sends out the unstoppable Tank and Grace to find the twins by whatever means necessary.On the journey they cross paths with evil incarnate..The child taker, from a broken twisted background has over the years become quite the psychopath.. As the chase continues and almost reaches its conclusion there are more shocking twists in store.I couldn't put this book down.A massive Five stars to Mr.Jones.
December 21, 2015
Never judge a book by it's cover! This was recommended to me otherwise I don't think I would have picked it. Two books for the price of one and both very different stories. Both are suspenseful and really hook you in. Short chapters and each told from a different character's perspective. Violent and descriptively gruesome in parts but it all adds to the scene setting. Recommended. And if I had to choose, I would say the second story had the slight edge for me.
August 21, 2015
Gruesome reading but absolutely unputdownable!
September 6, 2015
The Child Taker
I had never heard of British author Conrad Jones before and while I had this book for a while it did take me a long time to actually pick it up and start reading, am I glad I did!
The Child Taker is the story of 2 five year old twins who get abducted to order while camping in the Lake District with their family. Their grandfather is a Major of a top secret Special Forces army unit so brings in his team to find the missing children as him and his team go do things the police can’t.
While the family is falling apart and the police not looking in the right direction John “Tank” Tankersley is heading the investigation and follows his own rules that are above what the investigating police force can do and soon discovers an international paedophile ring in operation and has days to stop the children being moved abroad to be sold or something more sinister.
Overall, The Child Taker is an excellent novel that I had trouble putting down. Although it deals with an unpleasant subject matter and at times can be very graphic it has been very well written and is a superb intense, fast paced and very exciting thriller that will keep you gripped right up to the final page.
Full of twists and turns with plenty of action that will keep you turning the page.
I will have to read some more by this author, but if they are all written with the same passion and great storytelling then I am sure I won’t be disappointed.
An excellent story that I can highly recommend!
Slow Burn
I love this book, it is explosive in every sense of the word from start to finish.
When a car bomb explodes outside a mosque the police start looking into racially motivated extremist groups but as Detective Superintendent Alec Ramsey delves deeper into the investigation it soon becomes apparent that it is anything but.
Richard Bernstein is bullied by a group at school and is beaten and stabbed and barely escapes with his life. The same group drug and rape his 14 year old sister which sees her unable to cope with situation after the case is thrown out of court because of her reputation. After his brother and his brother’s friend are sent to prison for the murder of one of the men involved this sees the family completely torn apart.
While the life of the Bernstein family is totally destroyed the perpetrators of the attacks get involved in selling drugs, people trafficking and guns and do very well for themselves, earning millions and becoming one of the most feared gangs in the North of England who the police and security services seem unable to do anything about.
After more than a decade of simmering hatred the Bernstein brothers reunited with their friend after his release from prison and plot their revenge.
Overall, Slow Burn is a tale of revenge involving torture, extreme violence and murder and is nothing short of brilliant. I could not put this book down and read it in one sitting.
The book switches between the 1980’s to present day with ease, building the backstory of the events leading to why the revenge attacks are taking place.
The characters are really well thought out and are portrayed very well of the page, drawing you in to find out what happens next to them. The characters are very vivid and the violence is very graphic and believable. A great action-packed and compelling story with twists, turns and surprises.
While I did notice a couple of errors that were missed during the proof-reading stage this did not detract from a very-written, absorbing story.
If you love thrillers then this is definitely one to read, I could not put it down!
I had never heard of British author Conrad Jones before and while I had this book for a while it did take me a long time to actually pick it up and start reading, am I glad I did!
The Child Taker is the story of 2 five year old twins who get abducted to order while camping in the Lake District with their family. Their grandfather is a Major of a top secret Special Forces army unit so brings in his team to find the missing children as him and his team go do things the police can’t.
While the family is falling apart and the police not looking in the right direction John “Tank” Tankersley is heading the investigation and follows his own rules that are above what the investigating police force can do and soon discovers an international paedophile ring in operation and has days to stop the children being moved abroad to be sold or something more sinister.
Overall, The Child Taker is an excellent novel that I had trouble putting down. Although it deals with an unpleasant subject matter and at times can be very graphic it has been very well written and is a superb intense, fast paced and very exciting thriller that will keep you gripped right up to the final page.
Full of twists and turns with plenty of action that will keep you turning the page.
I will have to read some more by this author, but if they are all written with the same passion and great storytelling then I am sure I won’t be disappointed.
An excellent story that I can highly recommend!
Slow Burn
I love this book, it is explosive in every sense of the word from start to finish.
When a car bomb explodes outside a mosque the police start looking into racially motivated extremist groups but as Detective Superintendent Alec Ramsey delves deeper into the investigation it soon becomes apparent that it is anything but.
Richard Bernstein is bullied by a group at school and is beaten and stabbed and barely escapes with his life. The same group drug and rape his 14 year old sister which sees her unable to cope with situation after the case is thrown out of court because of her reputation. After his brother and his brother’s friend are sent to prison for the murder of one of the men involved this sees the family completely torn apart.
While the life of the Bernstein family is totally destroyed the perpetrators of the attacks get involved in selling drugs, people trafficking and guns and do very well for themselves, earning millions and becoming one of the most feared gangs in the North of England who the police and security services seem unable to do anything about.
After more than a decade of simmering hatred the Bernstein brothers reunited with their friend after his release from prison and plot their revenge.
Overall, Slow Burn is a tale of revenge involving torture, extreme violence and murder and is nothing short of brilliant. I could not put this book down and read it in one sitting.
The book switches between the 1980’s to present day with ease, building the backstory of the events leading to why the revenge attacks are taking place.
The characters are really well thought out and are portrayed very well of the page, drawing you in to find out what happens next to them. The characters are very vivid and the violence is very graphic and believable. A great action-packed and compelling story with twists, turns and surprises.
While I did notice a couple of errors that were missed during the proof-reading stage this did not detract from a very-written, absorbing story.
If you love thrillers then this is definitely one to read, I could not put it down!
August 1, 2019
I first read this book over 2 and half years ago and it was my first date with Conrad Jones. What a first date it was - Love Island producers could take a lesson from Mr Jones. The tale twists and turns and takes your emotions through all kinds or exercises. This is not a book for the faint hearted or easily shocked. The sad thing is, the kind of organisation Mr Jones describes is far too credible. There are also moments of great tenderness. Hayley's reaction to the arrival of her father was beautiful, as was the connection between the twins. These loving touches stop the book from being too bleak. There are a lot of these special interludes, (eg; Jack's back story) which take this tale from a voyeuristic account of evil to an engrossing, captivating, action packed adventure. Over two years ago I was totally smitten by Conrad Jones' mastery with a pen and my admiration has not dimmed. When you find an author of this calibre, I definitely recommend 'double-dipping'; reading the book and listening to the audio version. Even though I knew what was going to happen, the sheer brilliance of the story managed to enthral and bewitch me all over again, (especially John Tankersley). A superb book from an accomplished author, which I am thrilled and privileged to recommend. You can thank me later.
January 20, 2017
Two good books
The Child Taker took a turn I didn't see coming. Slow Burn was my favorite of the two. It kept me reading long past my bedtime.
The Child Taker took a turn I didn't see coming. Slow Burn was my favorite of the two. It kept me reading long past my bedtime.
December 26, 2020
Child Taker (Detective Alec Ramsay Series Book 1)
Three Stars
Man, when I step outside my box, I do it good. I don’t usually read this genre, but I wanted to switch up my game a little. It’s Christmas. I’m tired of reading Christmas romances and other books with a Christmas theme. I wanted something different. I got it with this book.
This novel was raw and gritty. It turned my stomach a few times with the depravity of Jack Howarth. It was violent with cold-blooded, sadistic killings of people and even horses (I was more upset about the horses than the people). It dealt with extra-marital affairs, drugs, human trafficking, child molestation, child abductions, porn—it had it all. It was like driving past a bad car accident. You know you shouldn’t look, but you can’t help it. Never at any time did I want to declare this a DNF. I wanted to find out how it was all going to end, no matter how it ended. I know how I wanted it to end and every time I thought I was there, another chapter popped up and there was still more to go.
Onto the story. Hayley and her husband Karl are on a camping trip with his brother and sister-in-law. Hayley and Karl are having some marital problems and get into an argument. I would’ve been furious with him, too, to be honest. They have a set of twins (a boy and a girl) and Hayley is a good mom and I think Karl may have been a good dad. Not much was mentioned about his relationship with them, but you would think that when Hayley stormed out of the camp site and left him with the children while they were asleep in the tent, he would’ve been responsible enough to keep an eye on them. But his attention was diverted by a crying baby in the woods. That’s all I’m going to say about that because I don’t want to blow the story for anyone who might be brave enough to endure this.
The twins are kidnapped and the police are called. But they’re in the hands of Jack Howarth, who is a pedophile and has a buyer for these five-year-olds. Jack Howarth is definitely off his rocker. He is a deviant in every manner. He’s twisted, ugly, deplorable, and got his comeuppance for a short time, but people like him need to be locked away forever. They don’t deserve to share the airspace with the rest of us. He wants to do sick things with them, but the money he’s making from selling them keeps him from doing that, thank God. Fictional characters or not, they’re still children and I don’t want to see them hurt.
I’m a mom, too, and I will say that the way the author speaks of Hayley’s grief and sorrow for losing her only children to a kidnapper seemed so authentic. I felt so bad for her. She was beside herself and was powerless to do anything. I can’t imagine how anybody stays sane in cases like this. I wanted to hug her and just be with her, offer her comfort in some way. It was that moving.
Her father was there, though, and with him was his buddy, Tank, who is sort of like a human Pitbull or Rottweiler. You do not mess with this guy and get away with it and now he’s on the case. Major Timm, Hayley’s father, and Tank (Tankersley is his name) are part of an anti-terrorist group and can do things that the police can’t and they’re utilizing every tool while Tank is down on the ground and making waves.
Alec Ramsay is the police detective on the case. I felt kind of bad for him because he was doing the best he could with what he had, Tank was threatening to take away the investigation, and his wife was turning into a vegan and wanted him to do the same. The poor guy couldn’t even get a decent meal when he got home from work. This case was consuming him. He was doing all he could and it was an exercise in futility.
But the worst part of this is he was upstaged by Tank and what he was doing. I know this is a Detective Ramsay story, the first in a series, but he wasn’t out front and center like he needed to be. Tank was doing all the heroics while Ramsay was a secondary, if not a sleepy character, especially for being a cop and the head honch on this case. I think he should’ve had been more involved. Don’t get me wrong; he had plenty to do and he was into this up to his neck, but he just wasn’t where I thought he needed to be as far as a main character goes.
This was a graphic, tough read. I can’t say that I enjoyed it, but that was because of the topic. Nobody in their right mind wants to think about children being abducted, sold into the sex trade, or being killed. It’s beyond heinous and goes against my moral ground, yet I stuck with the book.
The reason I gave it three stars is because of Tank upstaging Ramsay when it’s supposed to be Ramsay’s book and a few typos, which weren’t enough to distract me from the story. It was still a good book overall.
SLOW BURN
THREE STARS
Possible Triggers: Extreme bullying, anti-Semitism, animal cruelty (one incident)
*THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*
Honestly, I probably should’ve stopped reading this book after these sadistic bastards squirted lighter fluid on a dog and started it on fire. The dog wasn’t seriously injured, thank God, but the thought of that haunted me for the rest of the book. I took it worse than I did the near-fatal beating of Richard Bernstein and the rape of his sister, Sarah.
But I persevered and I’m not sure why. I didn’t like any of the characters. I felt that Alec Ramsay was again overshadowed by another character, in this case the antagonist, Malik Shah. This series is supposed to be about Alec Ramsay and of the two books I’ve read with him as the alleged hero, he’s weak. He’s lacking something and I can’t put my finger on just what it is. He’s a good cop. I can’t deny that. I like him as much as I like any other would-be hero of a book. There’s just nothing outstanding about him. He’s got potential, but until the author gives him some sort of flaw or something memorable, he’s flat.
As for Malik Shah. He was diabolical from the very beginning when he and his gang of thugs decided to beat up Richard Bernstein for being overweight and Jewish. They were just kids. Then to make matters worse, Richard’s sister Sarah, fancied herself to be in love with Malik at the ripe old age of 14. To make matters even worse, she ended up pregnant. And then Malik, being such a cruel bastard, drugged her with a date rape drug and let his friends take turns with her. She also gave the others sexual favors at his command. They were KIDS! She was 14. Malik and his gang were 16 or so. What the hell??
I’ve read a lot of thrillers and I’ve never wanted anybody to get their comeuppance as badly as I wanted Malik Shah to get his. He was pure evil. No feelings, no conscience, selfish, cruel, hateful…he cared about nothing, unless it benefitted him and he cared for no one other than himself.
I felt the same about the others when they were younger, but as Ashwan Pindar grew older, got married, and had a child, he mellowed. His own son is now 15 and is kidnapped. I thought Mamood, Ash’s son, was just as arrogant and self-serving as his father was at that age. He was disrespectful to his mother, which is never a hit for me, and I didn’t care if he was rescued or not. I had to remind myself that Ash was involved with the near-fatal beating of Richard Bernstein all those years ago and that Malik still controlled him because I was softening toward him toward the end of the book. He was genuinely tormented that his son had been abducted and went great lengths to get him back. I think he loved his son and I think he loved his wife. But he feared Malik Shah more than he loved his family. He could’ve put a bullet through Malik had he wanted to. He would’ve done the world a favor if he had. I don’t know why he didn’t.
This book has got a lot going on in it. I can handle violence in books, but this was a bit much for me. The violence was sadistic, fueled by drugs, greed, and revenge. So many innocent people got hurt or killed and the way things were covered up makes me sick to my stomach. It’s a fact in real life that resonated into fiction. The only time I chuckled was when Ramsay was having a bit of banter with his wife over organic, vegan food, and a bit of sparring with Will Naylor.
There are some inconsistencies. For instance, is this gang of boys Asian or are they Muslim? They start out being Asian then mid-way through the book, they’re Muslim. Which is it?
The author also mixed up the murders of two people. Rasim Shah was killed when his phone blew up. Omar Patel was blown up in his car. But during the interrogation by police of Malik Shah, Malik was told the opposite; Rasim Shah was killed when his car exploded and Omar’s phone blew up on him and killed him.
***
If you can handle excessive violence and cruelty, this book is for you. The topics of both books are easy to believe that they could happen. They’re both grisly, ugly, and deal with a world that I know nothing about and didn’t particularly enjoy reading. I’m a romance reader and this was way out of my league. I think many will enjoy it. It just wasn’t for me.
Three Stars
Man, when I step outside my box, I do it good. I don’t usually read this genre, but I wanted to switch up my game a little. It’s Christmas. I’m tired of reading Christmas romances and other books with a Christmas theme. I wanted something different. I got it with this book.
This novel was raw and gritty. It turned my stomach a few times with the depravity of Jack Howarth. It was violent with cold-blooded, sadistic killings of people and even horses (I was more upset about the horses than the people). It dealt with extra-marital affairs, drugs, human trafficking, child molestation, child abductions, porn—it had it all. It was like driving past a bad car accident. You know you shouldn’t look, but you can’t help it. Never at any time did I want to declare this a DNF. I wanted to find out how it was all going to end, no matter how it ended. I know how I wanted it to end and every time I thought I was there, another chapter popped up and there was still more to go.
Onto the story. Hayley and her husband Karl are on a camping trip with his brother and sister-in-law. Hayley and Karl are having some marital problems and get into an argument. I would’ve been furious with him, too, to be honest. They have a set of twins (a boy and a girl) and Hayley is a good mom and I think Karl may have been a good dad. Not much was mentioned about his relationship with them, but you would think that when Hayley stormed out of the camp site and left him with the children while they were asleep in the tent, he would’ve been responsible enough to keep an eye on them. But his attention was diverted by a crying baby in the woods. That’s all I’m going to say about that because I don’t want to blow the story for anyone who might be brave enough to endure this.
The twins are kidnapped and the police are called. But they’re in the hands of Jack Howarth, who is a pedophile and has a buyer for these five-year-olds. Jack Howarth is definitely off his rocker. He is a deviant in every manner. He’s twisted, ugly, deplorable, and got his comeuppance for a short time, but people like him need to be locked away forever. They don’t deserve to share the airspace with the rest of us. He wants to do sick things with them, but the money he’s making from selling them keeps him from doing that, thank God. Fictional characters or not, they’re still children and I don’t want to see them hurt.
I’m a mom, too, and I will say that the way the author speaks of Hayley’s grief and sorrow for losing her only children to a kidnapper seemed so authentic. I felt so bad for her. She was beside herself and was powerless to do anything. I can’t imagine how anybody stays sane in cases like this. I wanted to hug her and just be with her, offer her comfort in some way. It was that moving.
Her father was there, though, and with him was his buddy, Tank, who is sort of like a human Pitbull or Rottweiler. You do not mess with this guy and get away with it and now he’s on the case. Major Timm, Hayley’s father, and Tank (Tankersley is his name) are part of an anti-terrorist group and can do things that the police can’t and they’re utilizing every tool while Tank is down on the ground and making waves.
Alec Ramsay is the police detective on the case. I felt kind of bad for him because he was doing the best he could with what he had, Tank was threatening to take away the investigation, and his wife was turning into a vegan and wanted him to do the same. The poor guy couldn’t even get a decent meal when he got home from work. This case was consuming him. He was doing all he could and it was an exercise in futility.
But the worst part of this is he was upstaged by Tank and what he was doing. I know this is a Detective Ramsay story, the first in a series, but he wasn’t out front and center like he needed to be. Tank was doing all the heroics while Ramsay was a secondary, if not a sleepy character, especially for being a cop and the head honch on this case. I think he should’ve had been more involved. Don’t get me wrong; he had plenty to do and he was into this up to his neck, but he just wasn’t where I thought he needed to be as far as a main character goes.
This was a graphic, tough read. I can’t say that I enjoyed it, but that was because of the topic. Nobody in their right mind wants to think about children being abducted, sold into the sex trade, or being killed. It’s beyond heinous and goes against my moral ground, yet I stuck with the book.
The reason I gave it three stars is because of Tank upstaging Ramsay when it’s supposed to be Ramsay’s book and a few typos, which weren’t enough to distract me from the story. It was still a good book overall.
SLOW BURN
THREE STARS
Possible Triggers: Extreme bullying, anti-Semitism, animal cruelty (one incident)
*THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*
Honestly, I probably should’ve stopped reading this book after these sadistic bastards squirted lighter fluid on a dog and started it on fire. The dog wasn’t seriously injured, thank God, but the thought of that haunted me for the rest of the book. I took it worse than I did the near-fatal beating of Richard Bernstein and the rape of his sister, Sarah.
But I persevered and I’m not sure why. I didn’t like any of the characters. I felt that Alec Ramsay was again overshadowed by another character, in this case the antagonist, Malik Shah. This series is supposed to be about Alec Ramsay and of the two books I’ve read with him as the alleged hero, he’s weak. He’s lacking something and I can’t put my finger on just what it is. He’s a good cop. I can’t deny that. I like him as much as I like any other would-be hero of a book. There’s just nothing outstanding about him. He’s got potential, but until the author gives him some sort of flaw or something memorable, he’s flat.
As for Malik Shah. He was diabolical from the very beginning when he and his gang of thugs decided to beat up Richard Bernstein for being overweight and Jewish. They were just kids. Then to make matters worse, Richard’s sister Sarah, fancied herself to be in love with Malik at the ripe old age of 14. To make matters even worse, she ended up pregnant. And then Malik, being such a cruel bastard, drugged her with a date rape drug and let his friends take turns with her. She also gave the others sexual favors at his command. They were KIDS! She was 14. Malik and his gang were 16 or so. What the hell??
I’ve read a lot of thrillers and I’ve never wanted anybody to get their comeuppance as badly as I wanted Malik Shah to get his. He was pure evil. No feelings, no conscience, selfish, cruel, hateful…he cared about nothing, unless it benefitted him and he cared for no one other than himself.
I felt the same about the others when they were younger, but as Ashwan Pindar grew older, got married, and had a child, he mellowed. His own son is now 15 and is kidnapped. I thought Mamood, Ash’s son, was just as arrogant and self-serving as his father was at that age. He was disrespectful to his mother, which is never a hit for me, and I didn’t care if he was rescued or not. I had to remind myself that Ash was involved with the near-fatal beating of Richard Bernstein all those years ago and that Malik still controlled him because I was softening toward him toward the end of the book. He was genuinely tormented that his son had been abducted and went great lengths to get him back. I think he loved his son and I think he loved his wife. But he feared Malik Shah more than he loved his family. He could’ve put a bullet through Malik had he wanted to. He would’ve done the world a favor if he had. I don’t know why he didn’t.
This book has got a lot going on in it. I can handle violence in books, but this was a bit much for me. The violence was sadistic, fueled by drugs, greed, and revenge. So many innocent people got hurt or killed and the way things were covered up makes me sick to my stomach. It’s a fact in real life that resonated into fiction. The only time I chuckled was when Ramsay was having a bit of banter with his wife over organic, vegan food, and a bit of sparring with Will Naylor.
There are some inconsistencies. For instance, is this gang of boys Asian or are they Muslim? They start out being Asian then mid-way through the book, they’re Muslim. Which is it?
The author also mixed up the murders of two people. Rasim Shah was killed when his phone blew up. Omar Patel was blown up in his car. But during the interrogation by police of Malik Shah, Malik was told the opposite; Rasim Shah was killed when his car exploded and Omar’s phone blew up on him and killed him.
***
If you can handle excessive violence and cruelty, this book is for you. The topics of both books are easy to believe that they could happen. They’re both grisly, ugly, and deal with a world that I know nothing about and didn’t particularly enjoy reading. I’m a romance reader and this was way out of my league. I think many will enjoy it. It just wasn’t for me.
October 18, 2015
Didn't like this at all. I found the campfire scene all a bit tawdry and like a cheap porno fantasy and it was so farfetched it bordered on the totally ridiculous.I'd read enough of bottoms being squeezed, thanks very much. I really don't see what it brought to the story at all.
I found it odd someone is told they can't have kids then 2 months on she's pregnant with twins and no questions asked !!
Set in was used when I think setting was actually meant-I had to read it a few times. The author also misuses commas all over the place. Sticks them before conjunctions where they're not supposed to be but then doesn't add them where they should be placed.
Not sure what the 5 star reviewers, of which there were plenty, were reading !! At 6% I'd seen enough.
I found it odd someone is told they can't have kids then 2 months on she's pregnant with twins and no questions asked !!
Set in was used when I think setting was actually meant-I had to read it a few times. The author also misuses commas all over the place. Sticks them before conjunctions where they're not supposed to be but then doesn't add them where they should be placed.
Not sure what the 5 star reviewers, of which there were plenty, were reading !! At 6% I'd seen enough.
August 29, 2015
This was not the sort of book I would normally read, but thought why not. It was very violent and descriptive, but strangely kept me engrossed all the way through both books. I now feel I need to read the other books to follow the characters.
August 16, 2017
I thought The Child Taker was quite interesting as it kept me turning the pages. But there was a lot of blood and guts at times, gratuitous violence and some of the characters weren't well developed and just didn't seem believable.
Towards the end there were too many loose ends for me - I prefer things wrapped up better.
Also a few errors and typos which bugged me. For example twins where one is a boy and one is a girl are not identical!
I've not read Slow Burn yet... maybe one day!
Towards the end there were too many loose ends for me - I prefer things wrapped up better.
Also a few errors and typos which bugged me. For example twins where one is a boy and one is a girl are not identical!
I've not read Slow Burn yet... maybe one day!
February 6, 2024
Really great read!
August 21, 2015
This review is for Child Taker (I'll get to Slow Burn later)
Surprisingly I really enjoyed this book. It was a roller coaster of emotions and very confronting in parts but it was well written and realistic. The ending left me speechless. I found myself lost in the story, wanting to find out what next and really investing in the outcomes. Just brilliant!
Surprisingly I really enjoyed this book. It was a roller coaster of emotions and very confronting in parts but it was well written and realistic. The ending left me speechless. I found myself lost in the story, wanting to find out what next and really investing in the outcomes. Just brilliant!
September 4, 2015
Loved the child taker, very graphic but very gripping. Slow Burn was rather slow at times and I found myself skipping parts.
June 1, 2017
If you can get past all the brain matter being blasted out and intestines cut open for drugs it's an ok book. I would have liked more background detail on Tank and to see more of his story.
April 1, 2020
Oh my days!!!
Ever since I downloaded The Child Taker on audible, I have not been able to turn it off! I have literally just finished it and it has totally blown me away!!
Conrad Jones has been an author that I’ve been meaning to read for quite some time now, and is even on my “list of authors I MUST read this year”, and I am now kicking myself as to why I have never read one of his books before!
This type of book is exactly what I want when I’m wanting to read a really dark, gripping book!
As soon as I listened to the first chapter I smiled and did an imaginary air fist pump as I just knew it was going to be brilliant!
I don’t even know where to begin because everything about this book is perfect for me!!
The pace is fast as there is just constantly something going on in the story, the characters are just brilliant (absolutely loved Tank!) and even the nasty ones are equally just as brilliant, the plot and whole storyline is just beyond anything I can describe! I can not fault this book at all!
I do have to give special mention to the way Conrad writes the most horrific of scenes. This is absolutely brilliantly done! So full of detail that nothing is left to the imagination. As the book went on, and I realised how graphic his writing was, it got to the point where even before a door had opened in the story to reveal the trauma behind it, I was curling up and cringing on my sofa in preparation of what was to come! This author does not hold back at all and I absolutely blooming loved it!!!
Ever since I downloaded The Child Taker on audible, I have not been able to turn it off! I have literally just finished it and it has totally blown me away!!
Conrad Jones has been an author that I’ve been meaning to read for quite some time now, and is even on my “list of authors I MUST read this year”, and I am now kicking myself as to why I have never read one of his books before!
This type of book is exactly what I want when I’m wanting to read a really dark, gripping book!
As soon as I listened to the first chapter I smiled and did an imaginary air fist pump as I just knew it was going to be brilliant!
I don’t even know where to begin because everything about this book is perfect for me!!
The pace is fast as there is just constantly something going on in the story, the characters are just brilliant (absolutely loved Tank!) and even the nasty ones are equally just as brilliant, the plot and whole storyline is just beyond anything I can describe! I can not fault this book at all!
I do have to give special mention to the way Conrad writes the most horrific of scenes. This is absolutely brilliantly done! So full of detail that nothing is left to the imagination. As the book went on, and I realised how graphic his writing was, it got to the point where even before a door had opened in the story to reveal the trauma behind it, I was curling up and cringing on my sofa in preparation of what was to come! This author does not hold back at all and I absolutely blooming loved it!!!
December 23, 2020
Two great stories!
This is the first time I have read any of Conrad Jones' books, but it definitely won't be the last. Alex Ramsey is a determined investigator, a genial husband and a supportive colleague.
In the first book a well established paedophile ring has been abducting children to order, but when twins are snatched from their family it falls a little close to home. It leads to the discovery of more unpleasant links to people trafficking and drug smuggling, but the clock is ticking with the chances of the twins being found alive decreasing as the violence being uncovered escalates.
The second book is an interwoven story moving from childhood traumas to current time. Pain can run deep and memories sometimes seek revenge well into the future. Paths collide, move apart, and collide once more in a tense conclusion.
This is the first time I have read any of Conrad Jones' books, but it definitely won't be the last. Alex Ramsey is a determined investigator, a genial husband and a supportive colleague.
In the first book a well established paedophile ring has been abducting children to order, but when twins are snatched from their family it falls a little close to home. It leads to the discovery of more unpleasant links to people trafficking and drug smuggling, but the clock is ticking with the chances of the twins being found alive decreasing as the violence being uncovered escalates.
The second book is an interwoven story moving from childhood traumas to current time. Pain can run deep and memories sometimes seek revenge well into the future. Paths collide, move apart, and collide once more in a tense conclusion.
September 1, 2019
I bought the two books and have to say, they were so exciting I just couldn’t put them down.
The first one made me feel sick with the kidnap of the twins and the paedophile rings. However the story was a good one and I wasn’t surprised at the ending.
The second book was more my type, loved the revenge angle, as they say revenge is a dish best eaten cold. This one kept me up until the small hours. I just loved it. It was well thought out, and well planned and it’s something that anyone would want to do if their family was affected by this sort of scum.
I would give Slow Burn 10 stars if I could. On to the next one now!
The first one made me feel sick with the kidnap of the twins and the paedophile rings. However the story was a good one and I wasn’t surprised at the ending.
The second book was more my type, loved the revenge angle, as they say revenge is a dish best eaten cold. This one kept me up until the small hours. I just loved it. It was well thought out, and well planned and it’s something that anyone would want to do if their family was affected by this sort of scum.
I would give Slow Burn 10 stars if I could. On to the next one now!
May 5, 2025
Masterful storytelling
Both of the stories are thrillers and some of the scenes kept me at the edge of my seat.
It reminded me a bit of how Game of Thrones was written. Both the protagonists' and antagonists' points of view were presented and the author was very skillful in character buildup.
If he wants you to hate someone, you will.
Some of the scenes are not for everyone. There was child abuse and non-consexual sex here.
The first story had a resolution but it was open ended, and the second story tied the knots. I just had mixed emotions when it came to the ending. All I can comment is that justice was served.
Both of the stories are thrillers and some of the scenes kept me at the edge of my seat.
It reminded me a bit of how Game of Thrones was written. Both the protagonists' and antagonists' points of view were presented and the author was very skillful in character buildup.
If he wants you to hate someone, you will.
Some of the scenes are not for everyone. There was child abuse and non-consexual sex here.
The first story had a resolution but it was open ended, and the second story tied the knots. I just had mixed emotions when it came to the ending. All I can comment is that justice was served.
March 6, 2021
Two very different stories
When I started this novel, I did it with the expectation that the two novels would be connected. I was wrong. What I did read was two very different stories, both with very good plot lines and interest. The author is very good at keeping the interest of the reader from both stories. I do not give away spoiler alerts, so the best I can say is, if you want to read something that makes you not want to put the book down until finished; read this! Very good Conrad!
When I started this novel, I did it with the expectation that the two novels would be connected. I was wrong. What I did read was two very different stories, both with very good plot lines and interest. The author is very good at keeping the interest of the reader from both stories. I do not give away spoiler alerts, so the best I can say is, if you want to read something that makes you not want to put the book down until finished; read this! Very good Conrad!
September 5, 2021
'The Child Taker' was the first half of this fast-paced, thriller 'box set.' What a read! Just when I thought it couldn't possibly get more suspenseful with 'Slow Burn' (the second half of this book), I realized I was quite wrong.
I sat on the edge of my chair while reading 'Slow Burn' - almost paralyzed with the suspense on every page and unable to set it aside. Extremely well written. Look forward to more from this very talented author. Whatever he's selling it for, it's beyond worth it. I won my kindle version on Goodreads.
I sat on the edge of my chair while reading 'Slow Burn' - almost paralyzed with the suspense on every page and unable to set it aside. Extremely well written. Look forward to more from this very talented author. Whatever he's selling it for, it's beyond worth it. I won my kindle version on Goodreads.
August 15, 2024
I am giving this 2 stars because 0 would be mean considering the book wasn't badly written, the pace reflected the story line and the story line itself, while not very original was interesting but in all honesty I disliked everything else about this book but that's personal choice. I don't like action type thrillers, descriptions of fights or chase scenes or shoot outs and even though the underlying story line was good, this was basically all this book was. I think my husband may like it so I'll pass it on.
February 20, 2021
Chilling
The box set of Child Taker and Slow Burn by Conrad Jones has been described as unputdownable. Although I would not agree with that statement, they are both interesting novels. I suppose I'm getting accustomed to reading British writers because I barely miss the ins, tos, ands, its, etc. However I still miss the good old American way of writing Guv. Both these books are filled with blood and gore so be advised.
The box set of Child Taker and Slow Burn by Conrad Jones has been described as unputdownable. Although I would not agree with that statement, they are both interesting novels. I suppose I'm getting accustomed to reading British writers because I barely miss the ins, tos, ands, its, etc. However I still miss the good old American way of writing Guv. Both these books are filled with blood and gore so be advised.
June 5, 2017
Couldn't put them down!
Absolutely addictive. The child taker's ending however did not make total sense based on the characters feelings and emotions, hence the 4 star rating rather, than a 5 star. Slow burn is an amazing revenge thriller with characters that you love, and characters that thou love to hate!
Absolutely addictive. The child taker's ending however did not make total sense based on the characters feelings and emotions, hence the 4 star rating rather, than a 5 star. Slow burn is an amazing revenge thriller with characters that you love, and characters that thou love to hate!
August 11, 2017
I can't help but love revenge!
I believe in forgiveness and God's ultimate justice, but a part of me still loves a book where evil is repaid. I enjoyed the bad guys getting paid back. I only gave 4 stars because occasionally I was annoyed by unrealistic timing and situations. A fun read!
I believe in forgiveness and God's ultimate justice, but a part of me still loves a book where evil is repaid. I enjoyed the bad guys getting paid back. I only gave 4 stars because occasionally I was annoyed by unrealistic timing and situations. A fun read!
September 2, 2017
I loved this book, there is a lot of action and sadness in these two books. I will read more by this author as these books are well-written.
I read these books as two separate books, but cannot review them separately as though the edition is english, but the content appears to be spanish, on The Child Taker.
I read these books as two separate books, but cannot review them separately as though the edition is english, but the content appears to be spanish, on The Child Taker.
March 13, 2020
Another brilliant read from Conrad Jones.
This was an absolutely fantastic follow up to The Child Taker and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I think that the style of writing used by Mr Jones is absolutely brilliant and totally absorbing. You just cannot put these books down and they are so well written. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
This was an absolutely fantastic follow up to The Child Taker and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I think that the style of writing used by Mr Jones is absolutely brilliant and totally absorbing. You just cannot put these books down and they are so well written. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
September 28, 2021
Doublecross
Author provides two thrillers that will take readers breath away. The plots grind up the characters as the police slowly find some motive. Each book in set has two ending for the readers. If want happy ending don't read last chapters and want frustration, read to ending. Rating is for writer's skill,not subject.
Author provides two thrillers that will take readers breath away. The plots grind up the characters as the police slowly find some motive. Each book in set has two ending for the readers. If want happy ending don't read last chapters and want frustration, read to ending. Rating is for writer's skill,not subject.
July 23, 2017
Two for one
Two books in one the child taker is an exciting book if not every parents nightmare keeps you engaged right up to the end which maybe is left a bit loose but a good read . Slow burns all about old scores that have to be settled also a good read I'd recommend both
Two books in one the child taker is an exciting book if not every parents nightmare keeps you engaged right up to the end which maybe is left a bit loose but a good read . Slow burns all about old scores that have to be settled also a good read I'd recommend both
August 13, 2017
I'm addicted, I've already started book 3 'Criminally Insane'. I love finding a new author and this ones fantastic! Police procedural thrillers, very different cases and believable characters. Highly recommend.
August 24, 2017
Two absolutely amazing books by this fantastic author. I was absolutely gripped by both storylines reading late into the night unable to put them down. I do have one small gripe though, Royal Logistics Core should read Royal Logistics CORPS. However both are a resounding 5* read.
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