#BookReview What Happened To Rachel? By Conrad Jones #BOTBSPublicity

Frightening, scarily real, brutal but addictive! A standalone novel by a gifted gritty crime thriller writer.

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.  

Conrad Jones a 52-year-old Author, living in Holyhead, Anglesey, which I class as my home, before starting a career as a trainee manger with McDonalds Restaurants in 1989. I worked in management at McDonalds Restaurants Ltd from 1989-2002, working my way up to Business Consultant (area manager) working in the corporate and franchised departments.

In March 1993 I was managing the Restaurant in Warrington`s Bridge St when two Irish Republican Army bombs exploded directly outside the store, resulting in the death of two young boys and many casualties. Along with hundreds of other people there that day I was deeply affected by the attack, which led to a long-term interest in the motivation and mind set of criminal gangs. I began to read anything crime related that I could get my hands on.

I link this experience with the desire to write books on the subject, which came much later due to an unusual set of circumstances. Because of that experience my early novels follow the adventures of an elite counter terrorist unit, The Terrorist Task Force, and their leader, John Tankersley, or `Tank`and they are the Soft Target Series, which have been described by a reviewer as ‘Reacher on steroids’.  

I had no intentions of writing until 2007, when I set off on an 11-week tour of the USA. The Day before I boarded the plane, Madeleine Mcann disappeared and all through the holiday I followed the American news reports which had little or no information about her. I didn’t realise it at the time, but the terrible kidnap would inspire my book, The Child Taker years later. During that trip, I received news that my house had been burgled and my work van and equipment were stolen. That summer was the year when York and Tewksbury were flooded by a deluge and insurance companies were swamped with claims. They informed me that they couldn’t do anything for weeks and that returning home would be a wasted journey. Rendered unemployed on a beach in Clearwater, Florida, I decided to begin my first book, Soft Target. I have never stopped writing since. I have recently completed my 20th novel, The Journey, something that never would have happened but for that burglary and my experiences in in Warrington.

As far as my favourite series ever, it has to be James Herbert’s, The Rats trilogy. The first book did for me what school books couldn’t. It fascinated me, triggered my imagination and gave me the hunger to want to read more. I waited years for the second book, The Lair, and Domain, the third book to come out and they were amazing. Domain is one of the best books I have ever read. In later years, Lee Child, especially the early books, has kept me hypnotised on my sunbed on holiday as has Michael Connelley and his Harry Bosch Series.

What Happened To Rachel?

By Conrad Jones

Review by 

Heidi Lynn’s Book Reviews

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.