Mr Jones: A gripping psychological thriller

by Alex Woolf

‘An enthralling, chilling novel by a master storyteller… You won't be able to put this book down!’ Reader review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ben is a single father struggling to protect his daughter from a threat he cannot see or understand.

Ten months after the mysterious disappearance of his wife, Ben is overwhelmed by his responsibilities to eight-year-old Imogen.

But now, unsettling events are pushing him to the a mysterious girl appears in the park, seeming to live in an abandoned house; strange noises echo from his basement; and Imogen starts receiving eerie messages from someone claiming to be her missing mother.

Looming over it all is Mr Jones, a terrifying masked figure who stalks the neighbourhood, his intentions unknown.
Desperate to keep Imogen safe, Ben turns to Amy, the mother of Imogen’s best friend. But Amy has secrets of her own, and the line between friend and foe begins to blur.

In this chilling novel, single parenthood, loss and “stranger danger” collide with a creeping horror that lurks just beneath the surface. Can Ben uncover the truth before it’s too late?

What readers are saying about Mr

‘A book you must read! Very rarely has a novel creeped me out as much as Mr Jones.’ – Damien Mosley, author of Joined Up

‘Suspenseful and haunting, Mr Jones will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time.’ Emily De Vogele, Commissioning Editor, Indie Novella

‘I was that gripped by the storyline I sacrificed sleep, waking up at silly o'clock to the immediate thought, Mr Jones!’ Fay Flude on Goodreads

‘creepy and atmospheric with a surreal almost hallucinogenic quality.’ Vivienne O’Regan, author and Goodreads reviewer
‘A work of great delicacy and skill, Woolf creates a very real world that is also teetering on the edge of the uncanny’ – Dan Brotzel, author of Hotel du Jack and Wolf in the Woods

‘Oh my gosh! Absolutely loved the writing style of this book. It was so fast-paced, really creepy and disturbing.’ Sonja Charters, Goodreads reviewer

‘A thrilling tale, with twists and turns that kept me on my toes until the very end. Creepy and tense - but also very moving. Heartily recommended!’ Steven Maddocks, Goodreads reviewer

‘Alex Woolf has created a truly harrowing adventure… This book was absolutely a nail-biting thriller. I found myself racing to the end... Check this out, you won't be disappointed.’ Jeremy Fowler, Goodreads reviewer

‘The ending is a crescendo on a par with the greatest writing in the genre.’ Anita Weitzman, Amazon reviewer

‘An enthralling, chilling novel by a master storyteller. Alex Woolf excels at creating realistic characters and putting them in disturbing situations, with plot twists that keep the reader guessing.’ Kelly Davis, author of The Lost Art of Ironing

‘A masterclass in psychological mystery, and prose writing in general.

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Fiction

488 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 24, 2024

About the author

Alex Woolf is a prolific, award-winning author of books for adults and children. In his non-fiction he has written on subjects as diverse as sharks, robots, asteroids, flying reptiles and chocolate. His novels span a range of genres, including crime, mystery, science fiction, historical fiction, steampunk and horror.

Alex is a regular author for Fiction Express, online publishers of interactive stories for schools. Fiction Express is read by more than 150,000 students from 20 countries. Two of his stories have won reader awards. In 2021, he won the prestigious ASE award for his non-fiction book Think Like a Scientist. His horror novel, Soul Shadows, was shortlisted for the Falkirk Red Book Award. Bestselling crime author Peter James described his novel Aldo Moon as “a real delight, witty, ghostly and at times deliciously ghastly”.

Reviews

[Luvtoread (Trying to catch up) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ben Rose is raising his eight year old daughter Imogen (Midge) single-handedly after his wife disappeared without a trace ten months ago. One of Midge's friends was grabbed by stranger near the park but her odd description of her assailant who the children have named "Mr. Jones" made Ben wonder if she made up the story because Midge now believes Mr. Jones kidnapped her mother and they can get her back while Ben believes his wife is dead and doesn't want his daughter placing hope in such destructive fantasies. Soon thereafter, Ben realizes someone has been secretly communicating with his daughter and decides to track down the source who is now creating complete chaos in their once peaceful lives and if Ben is not careful he just might lose everything he has ever valued including his sanity.

The creepy cover and storyline on this book said it all and I couldn't wait to read the story. I do think "Alex Woolf" is a talented writer and the book was well edited but the story fell short for me. The book started out with wonderful creepiness and mysteriousness with the lure of true horror looming in the background until the halfway point for me. Ben seemed to be a terrific man and father but many of his actions were deplorable as the story went on and I lost a lot of respect for this character. Why he wanted his child to believe her mother was dead with no hope at all and trying to force his views on her after only 10 months was beyond me and rather cruel (imo). It was fun not knowing what behind all the spooky events but when all was revealed in the last third of the book it was too much, too late to give any real feeling of satisfaction. I am probably in the minority with my opinion but I just felt the writer tried too hard to wrap the story up and things got way too crazy for me. Please remember these are my views only and many other readers really enjoyed this book.I

I want to thank the publisher "IndieNovella" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given a rating of 2 1/2 CREEPY/OVER THE TOP 🌟🌟🌠 STARS!!

[Jo_Scho_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.
Ten months ago Ben’s wife disappeared, leaving him to bring up their eight year old daughter alone. But odd things are happening - his daughter is receiving messages from her mother, a strange girl keeps appearing in the local neglected park. And then there’s Mr Jones; an eerie figure wearing a panda mask who lures young children away. It’s up to Ben to find out exactly what’s going on - but unfortunately he isn’t the most reliable of witnesses…

This was certainly a creepy read. From the first few pages there was an increasing sense of unease and suspicion. Ben is struggling, trying to bring up his daughter without her mother, but feeling increasingly confused about what is happening within his life - is his wife really sending messages to his daughter? Why? Is she somewhere close? And who is Mr Jones? Does he exist or is he a figment of Ben’s imagination?

I must confess I had no idea who to believe! Ben isn’t the most reliable of narrators so at times I was doubting him but then he sounded so credible on other occasions that I knew he was telling the truth. Throw in all the other characters and plot developments and you have an absolute maelstrom of truth and lies, all spinning round until you have no idea what’s real and what isn’t!

There were times when I did have to suspend belief, but this was still an extraordinary and intriguing read, which kept me turning the pages to find out more.

Thank you @indienovellapublishing & #literallypr for my review copy.

[Pheadra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have given this four stars because the author is a talented writer and the beginning of the story had me together with fellow book club readers guessing wildly at what was going on. Unfortunately, relevant information too late in the story together with a bizarre and unsatisfactory ending left me disappointed which lost it a star.

[Kat (Katlovesbooks) Dietrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr Jones by Alex Woolf is touted as a psychological thriller, but I lean more toward calling it horror.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher IndieNovella, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Ben Rose has been looking after his 8 year old daughter Imogen on his own, since his wife Susan "disappeared" about a year ago.  His mother has been keeping her "alive" in his daughters eyes, but Ben is fairly certain she must be dead.  He can understand Susan leaving him, but never her daughter.  Even if she left him for another man, she wouldn't leave Imogen, would she?

Then he discovers that Imogen is receiving messages from someone who claims to be her mother.  Ben is afraid that there is a predator on the loose.  The school kids keep talking about "Mr Jones",  a man in a grey suit and wearing a panda mask, who seems to be a threat.  Ben starts to wonder if there could be something to that rumour.  Although he hasn't seen him, he has seen a young girl in the park who doesn't seem to belong anywhere.

Ben has started hearing strange noises in his basement, and seeing some weird things in the local park.  He also seems to be losing time.  He's trying to keep it together for Imogen's sake, but his temper is getting shorter.

Maybe Amy can help.  She and her son are new to the area, and although she has had struggles too, she and Ben seem to be getting closer.



My Opinions:   
WOW, this was highly entertaining.  It's a mixture of mystery, thriller, supernatural and horror.  Throw in a narrator that may be unreliable, and you have a really good story.  I do, however, thinking the ending was a little weak.

As well, there were a lot of slimey characters in this book, including Ben.  Some of his actions were questionable.  Even early in the book, I had problems with him.  I know he had his daughters best interests in mind, but I think that insisting her mom was dead may have been a little extreme, and the lies he told, and tried to make her tell to her friends was just wrong.

However, all that being said, I really enjoyed this book.  The plot was good, and the writing excellent (although occasionally a little wordy).

Overall, it was a very atmospheric and creepy book, with a touch of the supernatural, and enough twists to keep me wondering which way was up.




For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, as well as author information and contact details), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

[Sue Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with Pigeonhole over 10 days and enjoyed it on the whole. It is very well-written with considerable twists and turns and Alex does a great job of creating a creepy atmosphere surrounding the mysterious Mr Jones and his panda mask. However, I was disappointed by the ending and this is why I gave 4 stars rather than 5. Thanks PH and Alex!

[Fay Flude · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really want to give this book 5 shiny stars because Alex Woolf has tremendous talent and clearly can write in a way guaranteed to hook, tantalise and torment the reader.
Mr Jones is a unique book, in my opinion (but I don't read fantasy as a rule, so my statement might be based on ignorance) and one that isn't ever going to fade in one's bookshelf memories, as it is rather bizarre, wonderfully weird and full of lunacy!
I was that gripped by the storyline, the seemingly impossible and implausible events which occur thick and fast, that I sacrificed sleep, waking up at silly o'clock to the immediate thought 'Mr Jones! The next stave will be out. Read it!' (I read via the Pigeonhole platform where a book is divided into 10 parts, with one part released for reading each day.) My eyes were gritty and sore, I wasn't fully awake and kept nodding back off to sleep (ahem, some similarity there with main character Ben Rose and his lost time...) but so determined to read on (and comment with fellow readers) that I made sure I woke up fully to read more.
The cover freaks me out.
What is between the covers freaked me out even more.
A grey suit, a panda head, a pond in a park which is continuously likened to a swamp, and missing people. As if that wasn't enough, ultimately what adds to the queasy feeling of uneasiness and creepiness, are the vivid descriptions of the park and a derelict house where death and decay, decomposition and things that crawl and slide and twitch and writhe abound.
Ben Rose is a single father living with his 6 year old daughter Imogen, usually referred to as Midge. Ben is left in limbo because his wife Susan walked out of the house one day never to return. She was having an affair so Ben believes she simply left her life to start a new one. Midge however doesn't believe this and the novel is set in motion as mystery upon mystery layers the plot, tangling the reader's own mind with some thorny dilemmas. How could?/Really!/Is it?/No!/It can't be!/ thoughts swell until one's mind is bloated with every imaginable theory, all tinged with madness.
As a child I was deeply disturbed by Salvador Dali paintings. I didn't understand them because to my logical, linear brain, they didn't make sense.
Mr Jones is the book version of surrealism, only now I am older (considerably) I was gripped by this tale and enjoyed it. The only reason I have not awarded 5 stars is because the ending somewhat disappointed me. Maybe I was expecting too much or maybe my childish mind suddenly put the brakes on the fantastical thoughts and declared 'Enough is enough'.
4.5 stars is my final rating.
6 stars to Alex Woolf for the writing and revealing the inner workings of his author mind.
If I see Alex Woolf's name on another book I would read it out of sheer curiosity because he is one author who definitely demands attention! (And Work In Progress is one book I HAVE read which is very funny. A diverse writer indeed.)

[Damien Mosley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book you must read! Very rarely has a novel creeped me out as much as Mr Jones. It goes well beyond the blurb, that you end up wondering about your own safety and your own family, absorbing Ben's feeling and emotions. It is very difficult to say any more without a series of Spoilers so I will just say, for those looking for a book that will get inside your head, go straight for Alex Woolf's Mr Jones!

[mrsbookburnee Niamh Burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a book has to be put down until it’s daylight, you know it will be a goodun!! I was immediately hooked, just not brave enough to read late at night.

This is definitely a one sitting book, I immediately liked Ben and the relationship between him and Imogen. The interactions between all the characters had me second guessing everything.

This novel is full of mystery, made more so by different timelines, characters backstories and a whole lot of freaky WTFs! 😂

For me, personally, I wish the ending had gone the way that was hinted at, but I still thoroughly enjoyed this read and highly recommend it.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clever and haunting tale that you vang through to find out what is going on.

A classic unreliable narrator and a really creepy undertone make this a great read and the storytelling is imaginative and genuinely scary sometimes..


Very enjoyable.

[Mellisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrifying masked man stalking the neighbourhood, dressed in a suit with a panda mask. Two disappearances, that end up showing more similarities than originally thought. Can Ben protect his daughter from a similar fate?

Brilliantly creepy, definitely not one to read in the dark. The detail is incredible, the scenes set so vividly. Parts definitely gave me goosebumps. 100% would recommend!

[Veronika Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I desperately wanted to give this five stars for the wonderful writing, the creepiness, the originality etc. Unfortunately the ending was not what I expected or needed and it left me finding my own metaphorical interpretation, otherwise it wouldn’t have worked for me.

The blurb says ‘Alex Woolf’s psychological thriller explores loss, fear and an overwhelming desire to keep those we love safe from harm.‘ In a lot of ways I didn’t need the plot being explained to me or turned into something physical or even metaphysical – I was happy for my imagination to take me there.

As readers I think we need everything tied up at the end in its own little box, but I think Mr Jones goes beyond that. You hear people say – this is so good, all the loose ends were tied up very neatly thanks, but in this case I didn’t want them tied up. I didn’t want an explanation for everything (albeit natural or supernatural). I rather like Shakespeare’s ‘he descended into madness’ for absolutely no apparent reason (you’ll need to read the book for that to make sense). I don’t need to know that the fairies at the bottom of the garden are actually aliens (God help us) – note there are no aliens here (thank goodness) or fairies.

Ben’s wife has disappeared and he appears to find it easier to believe that she was murdered (or at least died) than accept that she walked out on him and his eight-year-old daughter Imogen. Right at the end Ben muses that ‘…maybe she just didn’t love Imogen that much. There is no iron law of the universe, ‘he says’ ‘that a mother has to love her child.’

In the meantime, a totally separate character called Roy is writing a book based on a horrific event that occurred in 2003. But are they in some way connected? And who is Amy and why is she so keen for her son Alex to be Imogen’s best friend?

The bizarre plot and Ben’s memory lapses are very confusing but in a way that makes you want to read more – if I wasn’t reading in ‘staves’ with the Pigeonhole bookclub I’d have devoured the whole lot in a day.

To hell with it. I’m going to give it five stars anyway.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, the author and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is utterly gripping from start to finish. Extraordinarily atmospheric, dark and fascinating there are so many twists and turns and a few red herrings lurking in the shadows, tempting the reader to give them attention. Alex Woolf successfully creates a very real world that is always teetering on the edge of the eerie and evil. The setting, the park, is a triumph with much mystery and intrigue emanating from a piece of suburban scrubland. In this psychological thriller with horror elements, not everything is as it seems at first glance, in fact, very little is.

The narrator is a fascinating character the reader feels sorry for, both for him and his situation. As you follow his thought processes there are lapses in his behaviour which gives reason for pause, and curiosity about these plays a huge part in the suspense and mystery. Alex Woolf's childrens' characters are also portrayed brilliantly; Midge and Alex are utterly believable. The author's writing is evocative and precise with some priceless turns of phrase and up until the very last pages, this reader was still guessing. I found the ending most satisfying, with all the loose ends tied up. Very highly recommended.

A special thank you to Alex Woolf and The Pigeonhole for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read over 10 days through the book club Pigeonhole.
Ben Rose lives with his daughter Imogen (Midge) after his wife Susan leaves him.
Strange things are happening in Turnwood Park, especially the pond.
Midge and her friends start to talk about Mr Jones in the grey suit wearing a panda mask. Ben has blackouts and can't remember anything when he comes to.Are they connected?
This was an intriguing book which I did enjoy until right at the end.
I'm not really into supernatural books so a little disappointed.
The author, Alex Woolf is a very talented writer and certainly knows how to hook you in. We had so many theories as we read along but didn't guess the ending.
Thanks to Pigeonhole and Alex for the opportunity to read

[Nicola Mackenzie-Smaller · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 really - I do wish Goodreads had a 10 point scale.
I really enjoyed this book. It’s really creepy - even the cover freaked me out a bit. It’s ostensibly the story of a missing girl, a missing wife and a man who might be losing his mind, but there’s a twisted plot involving the writing of a horror/fantasy novel and a spooky park which backs a derelict house and contains a murky swamp-like pond.
Very well written. I was never quite sure what was happening. Read with The Pigeonhole.

[Jamie Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really grabs you and sucks you into to it's haunting, unsettling and claustrophobic atmosphere from the very first page, and I couldn't put it down!

At times it feels almost dream (or nightmare!) like, the edges of reality blurring amid questions about the reliability of our narrator and the fantasises of his child. It all builds inexorably to a gripping conclusion - highly recommended!

[Rachel Chambers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this right up until the end which is such a shame as the writing and the creepy atmosphere were brilliant. I had no idea most of the time which way was up. I just feel that the tidying up at the end was not my cup of tea.

[Gail Danks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good idea for a story but way too confusing for me and not a great ending

[Emile Woolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex Woolf’s compelling narrative reveals itself in layers. Its setting is the essential ordinariness of North London suburban mid-summer calm. Susan, the wife of the protagonist, Ben Rose, has disappeared in mysterious circumstances and neither his own sleuthing resources nor those of the official agencies are able to adduce any plausible explanation.

Ben’s default conclusion is that she is no longer alive – but this is at odds with the certainty felt by Imogen, his eight-year-old daughter, that her mother is not only alive but able to communicate with her using deviously hidden messages and the intermediation of other characters who exist in the half-light of a murky neighbourhood park. Its gnarled oaks, encroaching weed-growth, the wrecked fence of a derelict house, a swampy pond – all contrast with the neat rows of semi-detached houses and the children’s school attended by Imogen.

They walk between home and school on weekdays, but their opposed beliefs concerning Susan’s fate form a deepening but increasingly irreconcilable rift – until even Ben’s implacable belief in her death is shaken by new threads of circumstantial evidence that confuse, rather than clarify, Ben’s grasp of neighbourhood relationships and happenings – all the while struggling to protect Imogen from unseen forces beyond his comprehension.

An ambivalent relationship develops between Ben and a befriending neighbour whose daughter, like Susan, has simply disappeared. It offers the comfort of a shared plight, but trust is shattered by their opposing interpretations of events. The contest between reality and fantasy intensifies to the point that the interplay between Ben’s psychosis and the reader’s anxiety for his mental survival suggests the most fundamental role-reversal, leaving the reader breathless.
In my wish to convey the interplay between the outer appearance of events and the desperate inner need to rationalise them, I shall write this review now - before I discover how the story plays out in its final few pages. But at this stage your endurance, like mine, will be tested to the limit by this enthralling book.

[Melanie Patrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until the very last page, this novel will keep you on the edge of your seat. It's well-written, with plenty of mystery and turns, and it moves between genres: thriller, horror, and psychological horror. This is a page-turner.

thanks netgalley for my arc copy for exchange for an honest review.

[Aaron Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. Jones started off really good. It held my interest for 200 or so pages, but it just went on way too long. It had some scary parts, and there was a creepy feeling throughout, which I love.
It also kept me guessing, so the mystery was well written. I think it could have been better with 25% fewer words.

[Peter Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is ten months since Ben’s wife Susan disappeared. Prior to this he had found her making contact online with another man and confronted her about it. Naturally he sees the two things as being connected. After some initial hope that she would return Ben decides that he needs to move on with his life. His daughter Imogen is convinced that she will return, and his mother thinks he should keep an open mind about the possibility.

Amy is busy trying to rebuild her life with her son Alex. Just under a year ago her daughter Stephanie disappeared from their car whilst Amy was buying a parking ticket. Nothing has been seen of her since. The disappearance put intolerable pressure on her marriage and her novelist husband Roy walks out on her and Alex.

Ben starts to get odd feelings and then notice strange goings on in the local park. When Imogen becomes unduly interested in a ‘stick’ in the ground Ben digs it up and is alarmed to find it’s a rib bone. The relief of discovering it is a pig bone is short lived though as Imogen is convinced that her mother wanted her to have it and his communication with her through it. When Ben discovers a note inserted in it seemingly written in Susan’s handwriting he is bewildered.

Then there is Mr. Jones a strange besuited character wearing a panda mask who occasionally appears in the park. A bogeyman figure for the children but could he be the source of the strange goings on?

When Imogen befriends lonely Alex, Ben and Amy become drawn together and confide in each other their loss. As they start to piece together what is going on they realise that they need to work together if they are going to confront these strange goings on, but can they trust each other?

I don’t often comment on book covers, perhaps I should more, but this one pretty much encapsulates the feeling of the book. With the panda head (mask) displaying a certain friendliness which is being worn by a normally dressed but apparently sinister person in a dark and scary looking park we wonder what is to come. Top marks for setting the tone nicely before the reader even opens the novel. This is a novel that moves between light normality and dark and disturbing throughout the story and at times is quite unsettling.

The pacing varies throughout the entirety of the novel. Where life is normal the pacing is leisurely but when unusual things happen, it speeds up and this works to accentuate the weirdness and the characters’ anxiety until it builds up to a dramatic and quite unexpected finale.

The story is a little odd to begin with but get progressively stranger and there appears to be divergence with reality and into the realms of the paranormal. Is what Ben experiencing reality, is it a dream or is he seeing ghosts and Mr. Jones is some kind of evil entity. As the strands are unpicked the reader gets some explanations, some seemingly strange in themselves, and just when there is a sense that it’s all about to become a little banal and the reader’s guard is down the knockout blow is administered. All of this is perfectly delivered such that you are never quite sure what is happening and who is behind it.

The themes of the novel are loss, the pain it brings, and fear of the unknown. Both Ben and Amy suffer the loss of a loved one which has a debilitating effect on their present. It’s also the fear they have for losing the one who is closest (Ben’s Imogen, Amy’s Alex) which is summed up with an apparent warning from Mr. Jones which surfaces a few times “I will come for the one you love the most.” Mr. Jones brings the fear of the unknown, the bogeyman who may or may not exist, someone who could be a human or some paranormal entity. One thing for certain he is no Boo Radley.

The characters are very well drawn, we feel the pain and anguish of Ben and Amy particularly when they think they have lost their child. Ben’s descent into self-doubt and paranoia is carefully portrayed as his mental health deteriorates. Turnwood Park and the derelict house are so lovingly described that they too could almost be regarded as characters in their own right and are perfect tools for developing the psychological terror needed.

Mr. Jones is a dark and at times downright disturbing psychological thriller with bits of horror added to the mix that reads as literary fiction rather than mere pulp. Watch out or Mr. Jones will get you.

[Gyalten Lekden · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I could rate this novel better, because it has a good story at its heart and shows that the author has a lot of promise. Unfortunately, the writing itself bogged the novel down. Starting with what was good: The story was interesting and original. It is playing in a well-worn genre sandbox and wasn’t wildly innovative, but it was entertaining and didn’t feel reductive or repetitive. Not all the red herrings worked, in part because of the clumsy writing, but overall the story kept my interest and kept me constantly guessing different potential outcomes, and the places the story ultimately went felt earned. The characters were fine, at least conceptually, and you can tell there is a solid attempt at giving depth to the main character and his immediate secondary characters, they aren’t just cookie-cutter stereotypes. With that said, though, it did feel like a collection of facts and not fully realized characters. Lastly the pacing was quite nice, constantly adding to the mystery and upping the stakes, going back and forth between past and present storylines at good intervals to break up the tension and keep the reader drawn in.

Unfortunately, while all those pieces of a good novel worked, they still need to be held together by good writing, and that is where this novel left me wanting a lot more. Woolf’s prose almost felt like stage directions at times… “Now it is Saturday, and we are in the kitchen,” and so forth. There is a lot of telling, and not showing. Everything just felt clinical and uninteresting, and often being enough to take me out of the story altogether. I didn’t ever feel like a scene was being created or tended to in any artistic way, but rather just short sentence after short sentence of explaining things that could have been better demonstrated through a character’s actions. There is definite understanding of style and genre, and an attempt to carve a space using those conventions, but in the end ambition outpaced the talent of capturing it on the page. Hopefully this is just a beginning for Woolf, because there is a lot of promise in his story and plotting, and as he grows as a writer those will be invaluable.

I want to thank NetGalley and IndieNovella, who provided a complimentary eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Dan Brotzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darkly fascinating and extraordinarily atmospheric, Woolf creates a very real world that is always teetering on the edge of the eerie and uncanny.

The story has a narrator who is a fascinating blend: we feel sorry for him and his situation, we sympathise with his fate while also sensing some of the reason why his wife might have left him, and we admire some of his observations and comments. His thought processes and descriptions are often fascinating and eloquent. At the same time there are odd lapses in his thoughts and behavior which give us pause, and our curiosity about these is a big part of the suspense, along with the 'facts' of the unfolding mystery.

The book treats of very dark subjects without somehow weighing us down. The storyline skips along, one mystery folds into the next, and we are simply hooked until we know what happens. Up until the very last pages, we are still guessing.

The safety and vulnerability of children is another theme that the novel deals with very powerfully and movingly eg the way in which children tell stories to protect themselves, the reader's fear that stories are being used to manipulate the children characters, and our ongoing worry about whether the narrator is himself a safe parent. This is all handled with great delicacy and skill. Woolf writes children's characters brilliantly, which you don't often see. Midge and Alex are utterly believable and our hearts bleeds for them.

The key setting, the park, is another eerie triumph. So much mystery and intrigue from a piece of suburban scrubland! The quality of the writing is stupendous too: the descriptions are economical and precise, and there's an incredible sense of narrative control all the way though. But though the language doesn't show off or draw attention to itself, there are some priceless throwaway descriptions and turns of phrase all the way through.

All in all, a wonderfully written, twisty-turny tale that will keep you guessing to the very end.

[Kiki Hempell · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the main ideas that I have taken away from this book is how mind-bending and dark it is. It keeps you guessing until the very end. It keeps you up at night thinking about who the culprit must be, just like the main character, Ben. It questions your own sanity and how certain questions keep popping up in your head, such as who is Mr Jones? why is he doing these things? how can he be stopped? It is a never-ending cycle of trying to figure out what is going on the more that you progress into the book. It's one of those stories that you need to piece all the evidence together at the end to truly understand the tale.

I don't usually read this genre, but I have found this book to be quite accessible. I believe that I was able to read this book in a day. If that doesn't say anything about how easy it was then I don't know what will.

If I was to sum up this book as I whole I would describe it as mind-bending, chilling dark tale that you are constantly guessing who the culprit is and their intentions. I still keep wondering now how this story ended. It is one of those books that you are sure to refer back to in coming years.

Thank you to LiterallyPR for providing a copy in exchange for review.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw the cover I knew I HAD to read this book! I was not disappointed! This is one of those books where you’re lounging in bed in the morning and then the thought “Mr. Jones” pops into your head and suddenly you’re excitedly getting up to get back to he story. Mr. Jones does not want his story told. If you tell, then he will take the one you love the most. In the past year Ben’s wife Susan and Amy’s daughter Stephanie have both disappeared without a trace. Ben’s daughter Midge tells him that they both live in an invisible world with a mysterious Mr. Jones. Creepiness ensues and the reader is constantly torn between trust and distrust of the main characters and never even if Mr. Jones is real, and if he is, is he even actually involved in the foul play or does he even know who or what he actually is. Who can you trust? Can you trust you parent, your friend, yourself?
I highly recommend this book. Plenty of twists and creepy moments with no senseless gore or torture. Thank you #netgalley mad #IndieNovella for allowing me to read #MrJones. Well done, #AlexWolfe

[M.C. Chronister · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love horror in all formats and I was so excited to find this book because the synopsis sounded so intriguing to me. Alex Woolf is a wonderful author and this was a very well-written and fleshed-out book. I would have given it 5 stars if not for a few minor details that kind of bothered me. There is one particular scene in the very beginning of the book where the MC finds a rib bone sticking out of the ground in the park and after he finds it the story jumps to him picking his daughter up from school. I know this is a work of fiction but realistically if anyone found a human bone they would call the police etc. I also felt like there were some details that were revealed way too late in the book and would have been better to have them revealed earlier in the story. In the end though I really did enjoy this book and I can't wait to read more from Alex Woolf because he is extremely talented and I see him going far with this genre.

*I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley and Indie Novella in exchange for an honest review. Although I got this book for free all thoughts and feelings are my own and not swayed by that fact.*

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ben is bringing up his daughter Imogen by himself since the disappearance of his wife. A rumour starts at the primary school about "Mr Jones" who is a man in a panda mask who will take away children. This rumour starts to become intertwined with the disappearance of Ben's wife and Ben gets obsessed with finding "Mr Jones".
This is one of those books which started well but the ending didn't live up to expectations. We start with a great build up of suspense - an abandoned house, the creepy Mr Jones and strange letters to Imogen from her Mother. The author really builds the suspense and the writing is good. However, then the character of Ben starts to fall apart as does the plot. Everything just seems to get out of hand and Ben starts behaving very out of character. The events move on much faster but there are loose threads left behind.
It was such as shame that the last section - about a third - of this book fell apart. It really had potential. It is as if the author took the story so far but then didn't know quite what to do next & how to end it. Very disappointing.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

[Gabi Maddocks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is utterly gripping from start to finish. There are so many twists and turns, and a few red herrings lurking in the shadows tempting you to give them too much attention… There are plenty of well-hidden clues for the alert reader, which makes me want to go back and read it a second time to find everything I missed the first time!
It is a psychological thriller with horror elements, so be warned that not everything is as it seems at first glance.
I found the ending incredibly satisfying, with all the loose ends tied up.
Alex’s writing is evocative and clearly captures characters and locations so that you can picture them vividly in your mind’s eye. The relationship between father and child is beautifully drawn and it’s not surprising to learn in the acknowledgements that the original inspiration for the book was their walks to primary school together.
I completely recommend this book: the very definition of a page turner.

[Joanna McQueen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr Jones, Mr Jones, Mr Jones.

You are a creepy story.

In my mini review I described this books as, ‘a knot of a story. Twisted, confusing and frustrating but must be untied.

I think I was confused for most of this book but I was also intrigued. I found myself trying to figure things out even when I wasn’t reading. It was a puzzle I had to finish. And sure enough, piece by piece it came together.

Although I do have to admit that I was a bit disappointed with the ending. Obviously, I won’t go into great detail but I will say this; there were a few pieces of the puzzle that didn’t quite fit for me. It’s like those pieces were from a different puzzle completely. Despite fitting into a spot they didn’t match the rest of the image so they stood out and made the whole thing disorientated. For the life of me I cannot ignore those few pieces, they just don’t fit.

As I said the story was intriguing. The characters were confusing and questionable but that was the point; unreliable.

All in all, I completely enjoyed reading the book. Especially since I read it with The Pigeonhole - an online book club. It was nice to comment along side the other readers and having Alex tag along too was, what I consider, a privilege.

[Laura Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to describe: creepy and mind boggling are words that definitely spring to mind.
Incredibly descriptive writing which really helped me imagine the scenes play out (even though I didn't have a clue what was going on most of the time).
A mixture of psychological thriller and supernatural horror I more or less binge read this over a day whilst travelling home from Northern Ireland. I read this via The Pigeonhole which splits books into 10 daily segments, as I was behind due to Christmas this enabled me to read it pretty much in one go, which definitely worked better given how complex the story was.
Like others I was reading with I don't think the full-on supernatural was totally necessary, the suggestion/possibility of it being an explanation for events would have worked also.
I think this is the author's first foray into adult fiction from Young Adult and it was definitely a great first "grown-up book" for the author.
With thanks to the author & the Pigeonhole for the opportunity.