Cuckoos on the Mersey : My Name Was Leo and I Never Stood a Chance

by Conrad Jones

Cuckoos on the Mersey follows the child protection teams in social services and the PVPU (protecting vulnerable people unit- Merseyside Police) on Merseyside. They are in a constant battle to protect the most vulnerable in society. Leo is a sixteen-year-old in the grip of a violent OCG, struggling to kick his addiction to ketamine. When his neighbour Angela is visited by social services, the social workers can't get an answer. They persuade her children to open the door for them and Angela is found unconscious on her settee. A police investigation is launched and an evil criminal network is uncovered. A race against time begins as witnesses are silenced or vanish completely.

Cuckooing is exploitation carried out by criminal gangs who take over the homes of vulnerable people to use as a base for their activities. Addicts, the elderly, the disabled and the young are targeted and threatened with violence to force them to comply.

‘This is a great opening to a new series. A thrilling and addictive read…⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘So addictive and unputdownable! Absolutely fantastic!... a real page-turner.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Am totally addicted to this author… gripping- it is very hard to put down!… awesome!!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘My heart was pounding… I definitely felt the evil from page one until the end.. a fast-paced, believable and heartbreaking- reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Hit it out of the park with, possibly, his best yet… had my head spinning from beginning to end with its brilliant twists and turns.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Truly shocking and fantasticly real… If you like rollercoasters, strap yourself in, because you're in for a wild ride full of twists and turns… amazing!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

284 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 11, 2023

About the author

Conrad 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

Reviews

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first in what is going to be another brilliant series from one of my top authors Conrad
Jones. This story is set in Liverpool the book really outlines how hard these jobs are for those employed in child protection services, it takes a very special kind of individual who are able to carry out this particular work, heartbreaking but determined to help the vulnerable. Hats off to them.

The story starts with the introduction of Leo who has had an exceptionally hard life, most of his childhood spent in foster homes due to a lack of parental care. Leo becomes addicted to Ketamine and becomes exploited by criminals who are out to get not only people like Leo, but also the anyone whom they can take hold of and make them reliant on them, all for financial gain. Leo also has a girlfriend Abi who he lives with but she carries her own demons and life is not easy. Angela lives next door to Leo, she has two children but social services are regular visitors to the home due to Angela's reliance on drugs and the people she associates with. She is not a bad person, but is just caught up in a never ending cycle of the drugs and monies owed to support her habits. Soon Angela is found dead and social services get the children to open the door now we have a murder investigation on our hands and two kids now without a home. The wonderful staff engaged are determined to keep the kids together when looking for a foster home for them, they have been through enough.

This now sets the scene for a fabulous book that I read in one sitting and could not put down. Conrad's brilliant writing really makes the reader experience all the emotion and depravation of the awful tragedy these people are experiencing. You find yourself totally invested in the characters and praying that they will get a break from these hard and cruel Cuckoos who are ruining their lives. I cannot wait to see where this series takes us and I will definitely be along for the ride.

If you have not read any of this authors books I highly recommend you do, I have read everything he has written and have never once been disappointed. His books are definitely dark, but so is life for many and the realistic settings and the excellent character development make for intense reading that is truly captivating.

[Dee (readaholic_dee) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m reviewing this series as one because I could not put these books down and just read one after another. Absolutely brilliant work.

This series is a very challenging read in such, it deals with very emotive subjects, which thankfully most of us do not encounter but it strips bare some of the most hard-hitting subjects and brings them into our orbit.

This series had me gripped from the first paragraph, I went through the whole range of emotions whilst reading these books and it really makes you think about the world we live in.

I cannot praise these books highly enough, excellent, well written, fabulous believable characters, you cannot ask for more.

Happy Reading.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cuckoos on the Mersey is a great start to a new series! It isn’t the easiest of reads given the subject matter, but it is certainly a compelling one.
There is so much going on throughout this book it was hard to keep up. It’s very emotional at times and frankly quite frightening at others.
Leo has had a rough start in life, and he hasn’t made the best decisions for himself so far, but I couldn’t help but like him. He is obviously besotted with his girlfriend, but I could fully understand her mother’s interference in their relationship. He’s hardly the reliable type. You can’t help who you fall in love with though and I did really feel for him as the story progressed.
I take my hat off to anyone working with social services or the police to help protect vulnerable people like Leo. It must be so difficult, disheartening at times, and presumably thankless at lot of the time. Thank God we have people who do though.
This is such a brilliant read with so many fascinating characters. I look forward to book two!
**Many thanks to Conrad Jones for my review copy**

https://chataboutbooks.blog/2023/08/2...

[Dee Groocock · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is set in Liverpool and we follow the social workers involved in the sad case of youngsters, Calvin and Coco.

The story also involves drug users, criminal gangs and drug dealers.

Leo has been working for one of the gangs since he was a child, he’s now hooked and can’t get himself off the drugs. His girlfriend, Abi, is trying to help him but has troubles of her own.

The story cleverly interconnects the characters. There were some characters that I felt very sorry for and found myself getting emotional at times. Mind you, there were also some characters who could have done with taking a trip to the bottom of a river!

The story is a serious one and shows us the work and risks to lives that social workers make every single day of their careers. As the author says, this is not a job, it is a vocation.

[Sonja Charters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! This was super hard-hitting for so many reasons and I really struggled to not get emotional whilst reading this....and since!

We follow social workers and the Merseyside police unit that's in charge of looking after vulnerable people and they take us on a journey of struggles, sadness and loss as well as gangs, drugs and violence that follow the vulnerable around.

I lived in the north west for years and so realise how prevalent this sort of behaviour was. The young and vulnerable picked up and used by the gangs with often tragic outcomes.

This book also highlights what a tough job the services have though too. Often putting themselves in danger to try and protect those in need.

I think this deals with a very important issue and I loved that this was explored so well as it brings these events out into the open for all to see. But I was so emotional and got so invested throughout.

An intense read, but so, so important to highlight.
Brilliantly written with believable characters.
I definitely would like to see what else Jones has for to offer.

[The Book Review Café · Rating 4 out of 5]

Social services take a lot of flack, but after reading Cuckoo On The Mersey and reading the challenges they face, the distrust and the abuse they suffer. I now appreciate just how difficult their job is. This book isn’t one for readers of a nervous disposition. It deals with some tough subjects: drug abuse, physical abuse, coercion and exploitation. It’s grim, horrifying, insightful, but it’s also such a compelling read.

There are so many fantastic characters in this book that you totally invest in. Some your heart will ache for, and others you can only hope they will get a hefty dose of karma and a long prison sentence! The characters in the book come to life. The author depicts their vulnerability, despair, desperation with a great deal of empathy.

I appreciated hoe Conrad Jones gives different character perspectives. It adds weight to the seriousness of many of the victims’ situations. Cuckoos on the Mersey give us a bleak picture of the world we live in today. But it also offers hope. Even in the most awful situations the character’s resilient is to be admired. Child protection teams face daily challenges, but their dedication and determination to help the most vulnerable is to be applauded. This book is dark, gritty and brutal, and although fictional it feels very real.



You can follow me and read more of my reviews at

Blog: https://thebookreviewcafe.wordpress.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebookrevi...

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@reviewcafe

[Susan Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ive never been disappointed with a book by this author and Cuckoos on the Mersey is no exception. A gritty, down to earth story involving drugs, exploitation, organised crime and sadly children's services. A believable story of drug running and the pressures of the police and social services. The black humour made me smile whereas the tragedies and deaths made me cry. All in all an emotional read while desperately hoping the villains get their comeuppance. A real eye opener .

[Kim Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

:My name was Leo"

Absolutely brilliant book. The storyline will keep you wanting more. On to book 2 for me 😊
Excellent work as always Conrad. Thank you for sharing your work with us all. Keep writing more please 👍

[Misfits farm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! A book I started and raced through, brilliantly written. This is the first of a new series entitled The Child Protection series and takes us to Liverpool. Conrad has put well thought out cases into a cleverly executed plot, his partner in real life working at the front line of child protection- a real life emergency service very underestimated. In this story amongst the neglect there are the drug takers and dealers and other bottom feeders of life orchestrated by the organised crime gangs. Sadly these have knock on effects on the children. When two children open the door to some social workers as their mother is out of it, asleep for the last time, the workers and police suspect more than what the post mortem discovers have had a hand in this and one trail leads to another.
Cuckoos throw out the young of others in a nest and replace them with their own eggs. In human life they take over the premises of the vulnerable using them for their own end, not caring who falls out of the nest.
I read 50% in one sitting, as this is so very gripping. It's raw, it's gritty and whilst there aren’t descriptions of anything too nasty, some is left to the imagination and social workers telling each other about previous cases that stirs the emotions, fiction perhaps being based on fact. It's an addictive read, where you can see the slippery slope that some are led to in life, not always by their own hand. A read of emotions, perhaps the whole gamut and one to make you grateful for what you have. I very much look forward to the next in the series- please sign me up now.

For more reviews please follow me on Twitter or Threads @nickisbookblog
----------------------------------

[Alyson Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story of so many damaged lives from an author who really knows what he is talking about. There’s Leo, sixteen, grew up in care and for the last few years has been involved in county lines drug running to fund his addiction to ketamine. His girlfriend Abi, seventeen and now pregnant. She loves Leo but he seems to love the drugs more. Abi’s mother, Marion, running a cleaning business and determined to protect her girl. Angela, found dead in suspicious circumstances, her first child already taken away and now two more poor little souls going into the care system. Angela’s best friend Sam, they grew up in care together, Sam trying to make an honest decent life for himself despite the early disadvantages he experienced. Sam’s neighbour, Les, a burglar from a criminal family. And all of them interlinked by “Mad” Barry Madern, a notorious brutal OCG boss, and the social workers and police doing their best to keep kids and the streets safe in an understaffed and underfunded system. How many can they save?
Dark and hard hitting with no punches pulled, this is full of drugs, coercion, violence and the exploitation of vulnerable people. This is a grim and realistic tale, although there are a few lighter moments around both Leo and Jo. There are lots of acronyms used, quite a few aren’t expanded on and maybe a glossary would have been useful. Sam was my favourite character, proof that not everyone falls and fails. The lines from songs at the start of each chapter were a great addition which had me racking my brains occasionally. A tough but very rewarding read and I’m definitely looking forward to the rest of this series.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book in a new series which follows the Child Protection Services on Merseyside. They are fighting a constant battle against criminal elements that ruin the lives of vulnerable children. It is an extremely hard hitting book which really doesn’t hold back and whilst it is a fictional story it was pretty uncomfortable reading. Some great characters, well fleshed and interesting and the author has dealt with some dreadful topics in a sensitive manner.

Briefly, 16 year old Leo is trying to kick his addiction to ketamine. He has been brought up by families who abused him and a system which clearly cannot cope with the demands placed on it. His neighbour Angela is found dead of an overdose and her two young children, maltreated and hungry, taken away by social services. The Merseyside Police Protecting Vulnerable People Unit investigate and start to uncover an extremely violent gang who are using young people to move drugs across county lines.

From the blurb “Cuckooing is exploitation carried out by criminal gangs who take over the homes of vulnerable people to use as a base for their activities.” I couldn’t call this an entertaining read but rather a shocking look at a part of society that most of us fortunately never come across. Well written it’s a very emotional read, compelling reading despite the subject matter, and I look forward to book 2.

[Pauline Render · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cuckoos on the Mersey is such a gripping and powerful book I read it in one sitting. It follows the social workers who already involved in the lives of children Calvin and Coco become more heavily invested when circumstances take a tragic turn. It’s a very dark read about drugs, criminal gangs, coercion and violence. Although there is some lightness, mainly with Leo facing off with people he really shouldn’t. I found this book difficult to review as I don’t want to spoil it for other readers. Having said that though, the bravery of Leo and the love between Calvin and his sister did make me smile and give me hope.
This book also acknowledges the dedication of our social workers who battle every day to protect and save those who can’t. Cuckoos on the Mersey is thought provoking and will stay with me for a long time to come.

[McBreakneck · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gritty novel following various people in and around contemporary Liverpool’s drug scene and OCGs (Organised Crime Gangs).

It’s often bleak. A single mum found unconscious, her children moved into temporary foster care. Drugs and other things were stashed in the house which is being closely watched to see who comes to collect.

The no-nonsense fly-on-the-wall style sucks you in and flows along nicely.

Lives out of control, a maelstrom of drugs, addiction and violence, with PVPU (Protecting Vulnerable People Unit) social workers struggling to make a difference where they can.

I appreciated the different character perspectives, and the social worker aspects have clearly been very well researched.

A very interesting novel with a strong social reflection wrapped around the twisting drugs, gangs and crime plot.

Cuckoos On The Mersey is included with kindle unlimited.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this author’s books & he has the knack of pulling on your heartstrings no matter where you are taken in his writing. This book is no different, the start of a new series focusing on the Merseyside Police Protecting Vulnerable People Unit & it pulls no punches. I am fairly unshockable but some of this is very uncomfortable reading, you have been warned.

Leo is trying to kick his ketamine habit. His neighbour has overdosed & her two young children are taken away by social services. The county lines culture is rife.

Written by a sensitive hand but with heart wrenching detail. Thank goodness most of us do not have to experience the subject matter in this book. Did I enjoy it? No. Will I read book 2? Yes. Everyone should have the scales lifted from their eyes & see what is going on in our society.

[Vicsta Dolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right from the opening chapter the book grabs you with introductions to Angela and her children Calvin and Coco. But Angela is found dead by her social worker Jo and her children need to be placed in foster care. But what happened to Angela and why?

Leo Tomkins is Angela’s neighbour and he battles with a drug addiction. Leo has lost everyone he ever loved and after becoming involved with an organised crime gang, where does this lead Leo’s life? Will he lose his girlfriend Abi like everyone else?

This is a fantastic book focusing on drug addiction, gangs, relationships and suicide. The author for me has really invested time developing his main characters Leo, Abi, Angela, Marion, Barry and the social workers. The author has dealt with the topics with sensitivity and emotion and shows the depth of work involved in social work.

One brilliantly detailed book written with real quality.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needed a Copyeditor and Proofreader

The story was okay—sometimes compelling, albeit rather depressing. There are grammatical errors galore, which kept me from enjoying the book more. There were commas where there shouldn’t be commas and no commas where there should be (although many more of the former). There were several other typos too. There were so many characters, I had a hard time keeping track of them because I hadn’t heard enough about them before. I figured out who was being featured again eventually but I should have known. There was a lot of violence, which goes with the territory of the subject of the book, but some of the details didn’t seem necessary. I wanted to know what happened next, so I kept reading, but I can’t say I enjoyed this book.

[Aileen Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hard-hitting read about the perils of drugs and how people can get pulled into this underground world. I love how each chapter has lyrics from a song that connects with the story. Leo loves his girlfriend but loves the drugs more until he's pushed into a corner and has to choose which way he will turn. The book is fast-paced and gives you a look into the perilous world of drugs and those on all sides who have to fight with the consequences. The addict, the pusher, the big boss, social services, and the police all have a place to play in this book. Who will come out on top? It's the first book I've read by this author, but it won't be the last.

[Elaine Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having just read and loved the Soft Target Liverpool box set, I thought I would read another Conrad Jones book, and boy, I wasn't disappointed. This author has a real talent for drawing you into the story and characters straight away, and this book was so well written, showing what a hard and emotional job social workers have. It feels wrong to say I loved this book,as there are obviously so many people who struggle through life, but I loved the way it was written and I'm so happy to have found an incredibly talented author to keep me reading for a good while yet!

[Julie Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fab read

Conrad has a remarkable talent of writing in a variety of genres. From horror to crime to reality. I have never yet read a book of his that I haven't got emotionally invested with. To me, that's the sign of a great author. Only complaint is proof reading, I hate mistakes and always notice them. Conrad, if you ever need a proof reader, I'm at your service! Thanks again for a great read.

[Patrice Gotting - #prdgreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Thoughts: Right from the start this book pulled at my heartstrings, such a hard topic to write about but Conrad has really managed to pull it out of the bag making it seem very realistic yet done in a really sensitive way.

So many different elements and characters that all added up to the bigger picture, each characters story was heartbreaking on its own, but you just can’t believe how deep it all goes, just when you think you’ve reached the bottom something else gets dug up.

An book that had me in its clutches throughout and has every aspect of a crime novel you can imagine!

I’ve been purposefully vague so as not to give anything away but I highly recommend you give this one a go!

[sharon cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly brilliant!

I loved this book and it's realistic characters. I come from Liverpool and still live there and I'm so proud of this amazing city and its people. I have also worked with social workers and mental health professionals and appreciate the difficulties their duties entail.

This book was so good, it was funny and sad whilst flowing with dark menace.

[helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent

Conrad did not disappoint another brilliant book. I knew it would be. My favorite author. Everything he wrights I have to read. This book is definitely one of the better ones. Looking forward to the next in the series.

[Claire Watkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conrad pulls it out the bag everytime!

I read this book in two days, Conrad writes real life gritty intense stories that draws you into the web he weaves. Characters as always you care about and route for. Conrad is one of the best authors out there!

[stephen astley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another belter

Every book ive read by conrad is a cracker .yes they can be heavy not for the faint hearted but they keep you gripped got me through coivid lockdown .brilliant author

[SUSAN GARRETT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great reading

Conrad shows us some of the insights of the individuals of child protection that many people don't know about and the work that's involved. Enjoyed the concept of the people who are written about and the troubles they go through

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Social work and county lines - raw, gritty and scary in equal measures.

[sarah horsfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cuckoos

As usual never fails to entertain.
Another one read in a day.
Brilliant.
Need another !!!
Please and soon if possible 😂

[Jackie Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

Another amazing book from Conrad. He never fails to keep me reading instead of sleeping I don't want to put my book down

[gary morgn · Rating 5 out of 5]

top reading

How bad life can be because of drugs all drugs. Kids with bad parents. Very sad but true to life

[IRENE TEMPLETON · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

A totally gripping read with great characters.
However, sadly, the events in this story are all too true in real life.