BLOG TOUR, BOOK REVIEW - What Happened To Rachel (Anglesey Murders #6) by Conrad Jones

                                                                 BOOK DESCRIPTION

A gritty and atmospheric thriller with more twists and turns than a hangman's knot. Rachel Evans, a selfie queen and social media superstar went to school and never came home. DI Alan Williams and his team launch a desperate investigation to find her. As the country is plunged into lockdown, the price of narcotics skyrockets, causing friction between rival dealers. As the bodycount rises, the investigation focuses on several teenagers, who are victims of Criminal Exploitation, used by organised crime families to sell drugs in rural areas. Was Rachel involved or was her disappearance linked to something much darker. 

This gripping topical thriller is told from the perspectives of a multitude of believable characters including DI Alan Williams, a fourteen year old girl called Louise and Rachel's obnoxious step brother Ricky. Alan Williams was a really likeable character who had a wicked sense of humour and I really enjoyed the banter and camaraderie between him and the members of his team. The team all worked well together and each member contributed in their own way to the investigation.This is the type of Police Procedural that I love reading, one where the story isn't bogged down by pages of inter-departmental back stabbing and politics. As well as the investigation into Rachel's disappearance, Alan and his team also had the added complications of a turf war breaking out between local drug dealers and a very nasty character from Liverpool. Plus the island was going into lockdown due to Covid-19 which meant that the police were short of manpower due to officers having to man roadblocks and empty caravan parks. So what had happened to Rachel? Was she alive or dead? Were the two cases connected? Had Rachel been selling drugs and got herself in trouble with the wrong people? Was she being held prisoner somewhere on the island or had she been sold into the sex trade?

Oh boy, what a book, why have I never read any of this author's books before? This is a fast paced, addictive page turner that is packed full of twists and turns, keeps the reader guessing and frantically turning the pages. The characters were well rounded and diverse, some likeable, some not so likeable, a few of them gave me the creeps and one of them had a complete disregard for their fellow humans. Although this is the sixth book in the Anglesea Murder series, it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone. I haven't read any of the previous books in this series, a fact that I am going to rectify as soon as possible especially considering I have been informed by a very reliable source (Sarah Hardy) that they are just as brilliant as this one. A very very enjoyable read and very very highly recommended.

                                                                                  Author Bio:

Conrad Jones a 52-year-old Author, living in Holyhead, Anglesey, which I class as my home, before starting a career as a trainee manger with McDonalds Restaurants in 1989. I worked in management at McDonalds Restaurants Ltd from 1989-2002, working my way up to Business Consultant (area manager) working in the corporate and franchised departments.

In March 1993 I was managing the Restaurant in Warrington`s Bridge St when two Irish Republican Army bombs exploded directly outside the store, resulting in the death of two young boys and many casualties. Along with hundreds of other people there that day I was deeply affected by the attack, which led to a long-term interest in the motivation and mind set of criminal gangs. I began to read anything crime related that I could get my hands on.

I link this experience with the desire to write books on the subject, which came much later due to an unusual set of circumstances. Because of that experience my early novels follow the adventures of an elite counter terrorist unit, The Terrorist Task Force, and their leader, John Tankersley, or `Tank`and they are the Soft Target Series, which have been described by a reviewer as ‘Reacher on steroids’.  

I had no intentions of writing until 2007, when I set off on an 11-week tour of the USA. The Day before I boarded the plane, Madeleine Mcann disappeared and all through the holiday I followed the American news reports which had little or no information about her. I didn’t realise it at the time, but the terrible kidnap would inspire my book, The Child Taker years later. During that trip, I received news that my house had been burgled and my work van and equipment were stolen. That summer was the year when York and Tewksbury were flooded by a deluge and insurance companies were swamped with claims. They informed me that they couldn’t do anything for weeks and that returning home would be a wasted journey. Rendered unemployed on a beach in Clearwater, Florida, I decided to begin my first book, Soft Target. I have never stopped writing since. I have recently completed my 20th novel, The Journey, something that never would have happened but for that burglary and my experiences in Warrington.

As far as my favourite series ever, it has to be James Herbert’s, The Rats trilogy. The first book did for me what school books couldn’t. It fascinated me, triggered my imagination and gave me the hunger to want to read more. I waited years for the second book, The Lair, and Domain, the third book to come out and they were amazing. Domain is one of the best books I have ever read. In later years, Lee Child, especially the early books, has kept me hypnotised on my sunbed on holiday as has Michael Connelley and his Harry Bosch Series.

SOCIAL MEDIA....

Twitter: @ConradJones

PUBLICATION DATE: 10th May 2020
PRINT LENGTH: 359 Pages
PUBLISHER: Red Dragon Books
ASIN: BO88FXV6HF
GENRE: Police Procedural

PURCHASE LINK.....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Happened-Rachel-Anglesey-Murders-ebook/dp/B088FXV6HF/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2C467PRHXWD9T&dchild=1&keywords=what+happened+to+rachel+conrad+jones&qid=1594072128&s=books&sprefix=What+happened+to+rachel%2Caps%2C162&sr=1-1

The Anglesey Murder Series

1: Unholy Island
2: A Visit From The Devil
3: Nearly Dead
4: A Child For The Devil
5: Dark Angel
6: What Happened To Rachel

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