The Nest; London: The carnage has arrived in the UK...

by Conrad Jones

They came from the dark places. The wet places. The places beneath our feet that we forgot… or chose to forget.

First it was New York. A massacre in the subways, dozens torn apart in a frenzy of claws and fangs. Then came the sleek, black creatures the size of pit bulls. Eyes red, like wet marbles. Teeth designed to puncture bone. Nutria-rats. Bred in silence. Engineered to kill. And now… they’re spreading.

From Euston to Wimbledon, the tunnels are screaming.

In the UK, the government calls it a “containment breach.” But John Tankersley, call-sign Tank, knows better. As the hardened leader of the elite Terrorist Task Force, he’s seen man-made nightmares before. But nothing like this. Nothing this cold. Nothing this hungry. As cities fall under lockdown and the death toll mounts, Tank and his brutal, black-ops team must race to uncover who unleashed the plague beneath our cities, and how to kill it before there’s nothing left to save.

This is not your average horror story.
This is global.
This is viral.
This is war.

Gripping, relentless, and grotesquely plausible, this #1 UK horror series isn’t for the faint-hearted. The Nest has cracked open, and what spills out is pure nightmare fuel.

Lock your doors. Stay off the streets. And whatever you do—don’t go underground.

You’ve been warned.

302 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 6, 2025

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]

Conrad Jones once again delivers a dark and gripping thriller that refuses to let the reader go. The Lbook opens with a chilling massacre in the New York subways, setting the stage for a terrifying escalation. The introduction of genetically engineered nutria‑rats, sleek, black creatures with blood red eyes and bone piercing teeth, creates a sense of dread that lingers throughout the novel. As the infestation spreads to London’s underground, the tension builds relentlessly, pulling the reader into a nightmare that feels both cinematic and disturbingly plausible.

At the heart of the story is John Tankersley, known as Tank, the hardened leader of the Terrorist Task Force. Jones crafts Tank as a compelling protagonist, battle‑scarred, pragmatic, and unflinching in the face of horror. His team’s desperate mission to uncover the origins of the plague and stop its advance provides the novel with a relentless pace. The government’s attempts to downplay the catastrophe as a containment breach only heighten the stakes, leaving Tank and his operatives to confront the truth head‑on.

What makes Jones stand out is his innate ability to blend high‑octane action with unsettling atmosphere. The tunnels of London become a claustrophobic battleground, and the imagery of cities under lockdown adds a chilling relevance. While the novel is undeniably brutal, it is also entertaining in its sheer audacity, offering readers a ride that is equal parts horror and thriller. For fans of apocalyptic fiction and creature driven suspense, this is another winner from Conrad Jones,an author who continues to prove he can engage readers in ways few others can.

[Clare S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fast paced, gripping adventure. Another book that would benefit from a proof reader. It’s a great story that lends itself well to the level of writing - all plot, plot, plot which makes it easy to overlook other areas like lack of character development and reliance on stereotypes. Like Zodiac there is a lot of overt racism and Tank is an obvious self-insert. Both these things felt forced and distracted from the story.

The writer did build on the original story, stayed true to the characters, and expanded the plot in a way that kept everything fresh and interesting. A solid 4 star for the ride.

[Lou Canning · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have a low tolerance to gore and innocent people getting got but vicious rats the size of some dogs then this series is not for you!
This is a great follow on, so if you haven’t read the first one yet I advise you to.
Strong solid story line, great believable characters and I just loved .
I love James Herbert, and I did not think Conrad would be able to write one book let alone two on a par with his books (The Rats Trilogy) but Conrad did and has!
Bring on the third! N 🖤 🐀

[sarah horsfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Nest book 2

Brilliant again
Never fails to keep me gripped right to the end. Can’t wait for the next one to be released