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The Wrong Men
Christmas 1979. With the Yorkshire Ripper still at large, fear grips the north of England.
At York District Hospital, porter Johnny Jewell’s quiet night shift is shattered when he discovers the body of a senior consultant hidden in the mortuary fridge. Suspicion falls uncomfortably close to home when Johnny realises his colleague has lied about his movements – and that he has unwittingly backed up the lie.
As the police close in and dark secrets begin to surface, Johnny finds himself caught up in corruption and a dangerous attraction to the enigmatic new doctor, Juliet Fulton. But not everyone is convinced she is who she claims to be.
By the early hours of Christmas morning, the body count is rising. As Johnny is hunted through the shadowy corridors of the hospital, one question is he being lined up as the next victim?
At York District Hospital, porter Johnny Jewell’s quiet night shift is shattered when he discovers the body of a senior consultant hidden in the mortuary fridge. Suspicion falls uncomfortably close to home when Johnny realises his colleague has lied about his movements – and that he has unwittingly backed up the lie.
As the police close in and dark secrets begin to surface, Johnny finds himself caught up in corruption and a dangerous attraction to the enigmatic new doctor, Juliet Fulton. But not everyone is convinced she is who she claims to be.
By the early hours of Christmas morning, the body count is rising. As Johnny is hunted through the shadowy corridors of the hospital, one question is he being lined up as the next victim?
415 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 28, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 7, 2026
The Wrong Men is the sort of crime thriller that is increasingly rare. We turn the pages because we are gripped by its characters and want to know what happens to them next. You might think that ought to be the first rule of crime writing and you’d be right but it’s not as easy as its sounds.
Here there are no plot holes disguised with pyrotechnics or sleight of hand in the hope that the reader won’t spot them. There is no implausibly ingenious deductive work. Indeed there is no improbably tortured detective with an absurdly troubled home life. There is no deus ex machina. Rather it is simply meticulously and lovingly put together.
Set in York in the run up to Christmas 1979, the narrative is built around shambolic student Johnny rather than around a police officer. Johnny is supporting his studies by portering at the local hospital and finds himself in the thick of it when a senior doctor’s body turns up in the mortuary fridge. A lad who’d be out of his depth in a paddling pool, Johnny is guided by fear and lust rather than any courageous determination to get to the bottom of it. All very relatable. The other characters, major and minor, whether in Johnny’s shared house, the hospital or the local police are equally real and equally finely drawn. Period and place are subtly evoked. This feels like the real world, the backdrop of the Yorkshire Ripper adding to a sense of menace.
Many stories on page and screen have fantastic, attention-grabbing starts and, while they may be hugely enjoyable, there’s always that nagging question in the back of your mind: can the writer keep it up? Rob Barron does. He has assembled the right ingredients in the right quantities and he lets them gently come to the boil.
I noticed myself slowing down towards the end of The Wrong Men, not wanting the book to end. A very good sign. When we get to the final unmasking, it is utterly surprising but, at the same time, perfectly predictable and you can’t help but flick back through the earlier pages to try to figure how this was so neatly and satisfyingly done. Yes, a very tasty novel. I was delighted to see the final chapter leaving the door open to a sequel.
Here there are no plot holes disguised with pyrotechnics or sleight of hand in the hope that the reader won’t spot them. There is no implausibly ingenious deductive work. Indeed there is no improbably tortured detective with an absurdly troubled home life. There is no deus ex machina. Rather it is simply meticulously and lovingly put together.
Set in York in the run up to Christmas 1979, the narrative is built around shambolic student Johnny rather than around a police officer. Johnny is supporting his studies by portering at the local hospital and finds himself in the thick of it when a senior doctor’s body turns up in the mortuary fridge. A lad who’d be out of his depth in a paddling pool, Johnny is guided by fear and lust rather than any courageous determination to get to the bottom of it. All very relatable. The other characters, major and minor, whether in Johnny’s shared house, the hospital or the local police are equally real and equally finely drawn. Period and place are subtly evoked. This feels like the real world, the backdrop of the Yorkshire Ripper adding to a sense of menace.
Many stories on page and screen have fantastic, attention-grabbing starts and, while they may be hugely enjoyable, there’s always that nagging question in the back of your mind: can the writer keep it up? Rob Barron does. He has assembled the right ingredients in the right quantities and he lets them gently come to the boil.
I noticed myself slowing down towards the end of The Wrong Men, not wanting the book to end. A very good sign. When we get to the final unmasking, it is utterly surprising but, at the same time, perfectly predictable and you can’t help but flick back through the earlier pages to try to figure how this was so neatly and satisfyingly done. Yes, a very tasty novel. I was delighted to see the final chapter leaving the door open to a sequel.
March 28, 2026
An interesting novel, set in a York hospital in 1979. The Yorkshire Ripper is active and when a doctor is found dead in the hospital morgue there is some panic. Most of the narrative revolves around Johnny, a young porter who discovered the body. When a fellow porter becomes the prime suspect he feels a need to find the truth.
The setting and time of the novel make it a little different. The culture of misogyny ripe in the hospital sets the tone for the way female characters are treated and the old boys' club plays an important role. The pace is a little slow at times but the characters are well developed and the eventual resolution is worth waiting for.
The setting and time of the novel make it a little different. The culture of misogyny ripe in the hospital sets the tone for the way female characters are treated and the old boys' club plays an important role. The pace is a little slow at times but the characters are well developed and the eventual resolution is worth waiting for.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I made it through four chapters of The Wrong Men by Rob Barron, and honestly, I just couldn’t keep going. The story felt all over the place, making it difficult to follow or stay engaged. On top of that, the writing and grammar were rough enough that it pulled me out of the experience completely. Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me.
Thank you to The Book Guild and Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to The Book Guild and Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Just a bit flat for me.
Considering there was an unusual murder in the building. We spent a lot of time talking about everything else.
Considering there was an unusual murder in the building. We spent a lot of time talking about everything else.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews