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.
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CONRAD JONES "If you’re looking for something to open your eyes, break your heart, and look to take action to promote change, start with The Journey." Tiffany Hall - Beyond The Stars "I have never read a book before where I have had to stop reading because I couldn’t cope with the emotions the book engendered in me but the author writes so powerfully that I HAD to finish it." Joanna Lanum - Guest Reviewer "Such an intense, chilling and eye-opening novel which is guaranteed to leave you utterly speechless." Kaisha Holloway - The Writing Garnet "The plot line is superb and the characters are brilliant and really help carry the story forward." Donna Maguire - Donnas Book Blog "It had me captivated until the end. An easy, fast-paced read!" Gemma Myers - Between The Pages Book Club
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
What Happened to a Rachel? is the sixth instalment in the Anglesey Murders series, however, if works perfectly as a standalone and it is not necessary to have read the others to enjoy this. What I particularly love is that there is no unnecessary mucking about and we get thrown right into the middle of this deeply gritty story. It revolves around the troubling disappearance of fourteen year old Rachel who like most girls her age isn't exactly forthcoming about what is currently going on in her life. She actively avoids walking home from school with her friends on the last day of term and when she does eventually leave the safety of the toilet cubicle she proceeds to walk home alone. Whether that was a big mistake depends on whether she vanished of her own accord of whether she was taken.
This is a great thriller with topical issues deftly handled and a real grittiness about it. There are twists and thriller throughout keeping you guessing exactly where the plot is heading as the case is quite a complex one. I read it in a single sitting as I hate having to wait to know what happens to the characters involved. A compulsive, power and hard-hitting read that has prompted me to look for the previous books in the series. Many thanks to BOTBS for an ARC.
What an awesome read! I've barely been able to lift my eyes from this, it's a superb thriller!
Rachel Evans is fourteen years old; like many teenage girls she has a social media profile and is always posting selfies so when she doesn't come home from school one day, everyone thinks the worst. With the beginning of lockdown swinging into place, the drug supply chain has been interrupted and there is a rivalry going on between the major players, as well as the suspicion that County Lines has found it's way onto Anglesey; can the detectives juggle all of this and solve the disappearance of Rachel?
What a rollercoaster ride this is! I'm not sure I've even encountered a crime thriller with so much happening - and all making perfect sense. I love that the readers aren't privy to who was guilty of what; for me, that always makes a better book. I got so caught up in it all that at times I almost forgot about Rachel! Conrad Jones writes confidently producing a riveting read which kept me enthralled all the way through and I really enjoyed the last chapter tying it all up tightly. I did smile at the mention of the title of a novel being read - a lighter moment! A grand read, skilfully crafted and a very exciting novel to contemplate. The details about social media and how easy it it for others to access information will make every parent's skin crawl and I can foresee a few youngsters getting the dangers spelled out to them. Definitely a novel for these strange times and an absolutely cracking read, worth every single one of the five shining stars I'm delighted to give it.
Even though this is the sixth book in the Anglesey Murders series, it easily reads as a standalone as there is no real mention of incidents from previous novels and the story full focuses on the crime. Unlike some detective series where we get to see some of the personal side to the main characters, this isn’t the case here.
When a teenager goes missing, the police end up dealing with more than they bargained for. Rachel’s disappearance is quite baffling and the author feeds us bits of information that leads us into all different directions. Their investigation turns up some criminal activity in the drug world, which I have to say was pretty dark and scary stuff.
There are a fair few murders which are written in a matter of fact way, which I’m quite grateful for as the author doesn’t gratify them, which I think would have made it quite uncomfortable. The way they are written had the desired affect without lingering on them any longer than needed to be. There are also more than a few unsavoury and very unlikable characters. One drug lord in particular. Never mind some of the characters being scared of them, so was I!
You get a real sense of team work within the story. There isn’t just one main character as well as a side kick, this is proper team work where each characters skills are put to the test and them all bringing something different to the table. I have to say Kim probably stood out the most to me and I liked her work ethic.
What Happened To Rachel? was a gripping crime thriller set just as lockdown is about to happen. This is my first book that features what is currently happening in the world right now. It’s more in the background though and I thought it was incorporated well within the story. Being a lover of this genre, I always love a good body count and the author doesn’t disappoint. There are thrills and chills around every corner, some with shocking outcomes. It certainly kept me on my toes and the author had me on edge until the very last page.
My thanks to the author for a readers copy of this book. All opinions are my mine and not biased in anyway.
I do love Conrad's books they start the suspense at the very beginning and it builds throughout the book.
Rachel is a 14 year old teenager with the secrets we expect teenage girls to have. It is the last day of school and she hides in the toilet to avoid walking home with her friends. Why? She sets off home alone but never gets there and so begins a journey with many twists and turns as the detectives find themselves trying to untangle a confusing set of clues. Suspects, clues but no way forward just the one question that keeps popping up: What happened to Rachel?
To me this book is more about the story than the characters but a lot of teenage characters and you can expect a pot load of secrets and lies and that is what we have here. That and a drug war with a psychopathic woman out for total control.
An adrenaline pumping book that had the mind whirling all the way to the shocking ending. A very good read.
A young schoolgirl goes missing. Has she been abducted by a sexual predator or has she been involved in "county lines" drug trafficking? A very dark and complicated plot follows, involving sexual predators, drug turf wars, broken family relationships and a roller coaster ride of emotions. What a story, I cannot recommend it highly enough.
'What Happened To Rachel?' is actually the sixth book in the 'Anglesey Murders' series. I have read a couple of the books in the series but I haven't caught up with them all yet. Those I have read, I thoroughly enjoyed and so I had high hopes for 'What Happened To Rachel?' I wasn't to be disappointed either because 'What Happened To Rachel?' is a cracking read and I thoroughly enjoyed every single minute of it but more about that in a bit. It didn't take me long at all to get into this book. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first page, I just knew that I would find it extremely difficult to be parted from the book for any length of time. I immersed myself so deeply into the story that I lost all track of time and I lost track of just how quickly I was getting through the story. When I checked how much of the book I had read, I was staggered to realise that I had read a third of the book in one go. The book wasn't exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I didn't want to miss a single second of the story. In fact it was as if the book had developed a hold over me and it was a hold that I didn't want to break. I raced to the end of the story which I had mixed feelings about. Don't get me wrong, I was pleased to finish because I knew how the story concluded but at the same time I was enjoying the author's writing style, the characters and the storylines so much I just didn't want the book to end. I soon cheered up when I realised that I had a couple of the other books in the series to catch up on so at least I didn't have to say goodbye to certain characters just yet. 'What Happened To Rachel?' is superbly written. Once again, Conrad grabbed my attention from the synopsis alone and he drew me into the story from the start. For me, the story was perfectly paced. The story hit the ground running and maintained the fast pace throughout. Conrad has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. I find that he has a way of making you feel as though you are part of the story yourself. That's how I felt at any rate. Reading 'What Happened To Rachel?' was much like being on an at times very scary and very unpredictable rollercoaster ride that had more twists and turns to it than you would find on a 'Snakes & Ladders' board. 'What Happened To Rachel' has a bit of everything within its pages. There's drama, horror and suspense. I found it to be a gripping read, which had me on the edge of my seat throughout. In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'What Happened To Rachel?' and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Conrad's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
First, I want to thank Conrad Jones and BOTBSPublicity for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.
Conrad Jones needs to be commended for writing a book so current time wise in What Happened to Rachel? This is the first book I have ever read with a Covid-19 theme to it. I joked that there would be massive books written fictionally and non fictionally around this topic-but he nailed it first. Great job Conrad!
What Happened to Rachel is part of The Anglesey Series and is Book 6. It can be read as a standalone as I read it this way. I was able to follow along to the characters and storyline just fine.
There were many important topics that were discussed in the book besides Covid. Mental Illness, psychopath, narcissist, murder, pedifilia, suicide, etc.
Even though I have been out of school for quite some years I could relate to what the students were feeling when they had their last day of school for Covid. I laughed when the teacher mentioned it was not a vacation and that they still needed to do their homework. Yes, even if the dog ate it or someone got sick (this student had a history of doing this I guess). What was more comical is some of the students didn’t comprehend what was really going on in the world.
The other storyline in this book I loved was the incredibly shocking story of missing Rachel. Rachel who went missing after her last day of school for Covid. Imagine how her Mom and siblings must have felt. The story got crazier after that! Readers you are in for an interesting read and you will meet two truly sick men!
The Graphic Designer did an incredible job with the cover. It is so eerie looking of Rachel on a swing. Such a dark cover! It really grabbed your attention.
Last year I read and loved Conrad Jones’ The Journey and had been wanted to dip my toes into his crime fiction for ages. So I took my first foray in to the world of the Anglesey Murders with book 6 (I can hear the horrified gasps from some of you) but oh and what a choice I made!
The backdrop to Rachel’s disappeance is so so topical with the closure of schools due to COVID-19. The island is going into lockdown which I’ll admit, I’ve found adjusting to lockdown difficult but the inhabitants of Anglesey are finding…. interesting… to say the least!
As the story went on, this wasn’t the only thread I needed to keep track of. No siree, there were two investigations intertwined on the Welsh island. County line drug dealing is rife and Anglesey is getting it from the city of the Beatles. The more I found out about this little (not so little) set-up and the people involved, I questioned whether Rachel was out of her depth. These scousers are definitely not to be messed with!!
Given I’ve not read any of the previous books, I seriously enjoyed What Happened To Rachel? The investigation was paced and grabbed my attention. I was perplexed as to really what happened to this pouting social media girl! As the investigation went in, I wandered down so many theories that were totally rabbit holes, I gave up trying to fathom out where Jones was leading me. I was led a merry dance but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Conrad Jones knows how to write a crime thriller!
I wanted to read a book based in Anglesey and knew Conrad Jones has written several. I’ve only read the first one and What Happened to Rachel? is book five. They are completely standalone, so can be read in any order.
The storyline was fast paced and page turning. What started out as a missing girl, becomes so much more. I loved reading about places I knew well and it added another dimension to the story. DI Alan Williams and his team did a great job in their investigation and they bring all the books together as a series. They had a lot to deal with as some parts of the story were hair raising and scary.
There was nothing I didn’t like except there really isn’t that much crime on our island!
Overall, What Happened to Rachel is a great, gritty crime thriller. I also liked how it was based at the beginning of lockdown without putting too much emphasis on the virus itself. As with all good detective novels, there are a lot of red herrings. But all the loose ends are neatly joined together and the ending is satisfying. I fully recommend this book.
I reached out to the author on social media to ask if he had visited the places mentioned. Interestingly, he said he walked the streets via Google earth, which I thought was cool.
A great, no-nonsense, easy reading crime thriller. Just how I like it. Not as gruesome as some of the books I have read by Conrad Jones, but then again I am hardened by his previous books (and like minded authors) so some chapters may disturb a more faint hearted reader. Social media madness, criminal exploitation in its many forms coupled with the disappearance of a teenage school girl (Rachel) make this a terrific and gripping read. An intriguing twisty mystery that had me second guessing throughout this tense thriller. It was nice to see my hometown mentioned too, always adds realism to the story. Great story telling as always by Conrad and highly recommended.
Not close to as good as most of his other books! 😥
I really love most of the books that I have read from this author, but this one was really different! Two much didn't add up, and to me it seemed thrown together. I felt none of the intensity that I felt with his other books, none of the emotion. It just bypassed the detectives personal lives that had always been front and center. I hate leaving a less than favorable review, but this time I had to do as always, an honest review in my opinion!
Another great read from the author Conrad Jones. If you love gritty, sometimes graphic, well written crime stories, Jones is the man for you. I've just finished three books in concession and can't wait to delve into the fourth.
Another great read from the author Conrad Jones. If you love gritty, sometimes graphic, well written crime stories, Jones is the man for you. I've just finished three books, consecutively, and can't wait to delve into the fourth.
Really enjoyed this book as I have I have the other 5 We need to know now what happens to Louise Will she turn into a drug baron ? Will she land up ordering murder? Will she take over smithys or Amies business? So many questions .. well done Conrad your doing a fantastic job with your books .. pls carry on adding holyhead to them as it makes it more realistic with liveing here .
Anglesey seems to have more murders than Midsummer! This is stand alone tale deals with a number of contemporary issues, including drugs, people trafficking and the complications brought about by Covid19 and a lockdown. It has fast moving plot and comes over as being very believable.
After Book 5, this was refreshingly a police procedural without the satanism. A relative calm after the storms. Very interesting concept using teens with their selfies as bait. Such dangerous people who view those things. A good read and thank you to the author for his clever plotting.
Author needs to pick it up a bit. Goes off on too many tangents and details of minor characters are unnecessarily tedious. Pretty dull stuff, I will not read more of this authors work.
Wow ! This is dark ,gritty and gruesome in places and a real page turner . Several different threads to this story cleverly bind together to give the reader an awesome insight into a very dark world .
What happened to Rachel by Conrad Jones. This is book 6 in the Anglesey murders. Brilliant read. Great story. What a twister of a read. I was all over the place with who it could be. So many suspects. Highly recommend. 5*. Would give more if I could.
I've read 6 of the Anglesey Murder books now and they are truly fantastic. Every book has you gripped from the very start. If you haven't read any get please do start, you won't be disappointed.
Fabulous book that grips you from the beginning, twists turns and a show stopper of an ending, can’t recommend it highly enough. An original page turner
Another fantastic crime triller with twists and turns all the way to the end, I was disappointed when I finished book as I was enjoying so much but true to his style all characters had a ending Conrad Jones style. Highly recommend this book for avid crime readers who try to figure plots out before they read. Can t wait for next book ....... no pressure
A great read from this author have read a lot of his books and not been disappointed yet tells a great compelling story love his books highly recommend .