NEARLY DEAD: The Anglesey Murders 3; the gripping prequel to The Child Taker

I don't know what possessed Jones to write a prequel, but I am pleased he did. The child taker in one sick character, and I am half way through the series...but, when I saw this was out I needed to backtrack to read it, before reading on. Wow, it is like falling down a grim hole and you have to fight your way through the mire, grit and gruesome minds of the characters, to come out the other side and breathe fresh air again. A squirmy read that is as unsettling as it is brilliant. I highly recommend to read this new addition to the series. An array of perfectly written baddies, that you need to know what the out come for them is. Jones is a gritty writer with a talent for showing some humanity in a few of his characters that are the sludge of mankind. Leaving you needing to know what happens next, even though the grimness leaves you little desire to read on. Whether you have previously read this series or new to it, this is a book you must read

This just shows how far the crow fliesAs the living live and then diesThe world is covered in sugarAnd the inhabitants supply the creamLike minded scones are cut openA pot of tea to wash away the tearsPots of paint cover yesterday's sinAs hope encourages another day to beginHold my hand and let me take you thereSaid the mirror to the woman with black hairPut down the white flag it's time to attackDirty little minds are starting to crackBring out the living who give birth to the deadThree are called Eric, one is called Fred

The story mainly focuses on Charlie McGee who is a gang land boss and feared by many. He definitely isn't a very nice man and there isn't anything he wouldn't stoop low enough to do. At times I wondered if he even had a heart!We are introduced to a few of his minions who I had mixed feelings for. As much as I didn't agree with the kind of work they were doing, to a certain extent you could understand how they had got themselves into it and now that they were there, there is no way out. Having read a lot of the books in the series, the fact that this is a prequel means you really don't have to have read the others in the series. Of course fans of the series are going to want to read it. Alec himself, doesn't really come into the story until further into it and it did kind of feel like he was more in the back ground, which personally I would have liked him to have been more at the front but it doesn't stop it from being a really entertaining read.The nature of the story will certainly appeal to fans of Martina Cole and Casey Kelleher. It is very dark and gritty with some heart stopping moments. Without a doubt, Nearly Dead, is yet another guaranteed page turner from the author. One to keep you on the edge of your seat and that will not only shock and horrify, but thrill and excite.

Charlie McGee, a drug gang boss, is throwing his weight about at the beginning of this gripping and gruesome novel. He has got where he is by sheer ruthlessness and by threatening a dreadful death to those who defy him – and to their loved ones. He’s not the only kingpin in the city, as he is shortly to discover. DI Alec Ramsey is on the trail after a body is found. His team soon uncover more than a drug ring.This is my first taste of Conrad Jones’s work and, as this is a prequel, it is leading me on to the first in the Alec Ramsey series. I don’t think I shall be long following the trail! The story is horrific enough for any blood-and-guts reader, with intricate plotting and some horrific detail! It’s an excellent idea to have a prequel like this as it has set up the first in the series very well. Seriously readable stuff.

Can't see the point in this book. Did not like it , the police found all the bad people than let them go, no mention of Jack walking out of hospital And started hi evil ways again, in fact all the bad guys started again, it seems strange the guy was let out of prison after the taxi bloke was killed. Andnothing was done to find out who killed him. Not a very good book

It doesn't matter which of his books you read, Conrad Jones always delivers a fantastic book. They're so easy to read that the words just flow from the pages & you get sucked straight in to yet another mindblowing story! I've been lambing this week & had pigs farrowing & I've still managed to finish this in 4 days lol. Can't recommended this author enough.

Once again Conrad Jones has written a gritty, gruesome gory, but brilliant book. Once I started reading this fast paced crime thriller, I couldn't put it down. This being the prequel to The Child Taker I had to psyche myself up to encounter the world of gangland drugs and murder yet again, but more importantly, the vile and obnoxious paedophile Jack Howarth. DI Alec Ramsay and the team are tasked with tackling drug gangs and murders in the city of Liverpool. The gangland characters in Nearly Dead are frighteningly ruthless. Especially the character of Charlie McGee.This book is definitely not for the faint hearted but it is a fantastic gripping crime thriller and I loved it!

Read in less than 12 hours. A good 'stand alone' which sets up rather well, the characters for The Child Taker books. Could not put it down. The usual mix of violence then hope, then misery. A few unexpected twists and the ending leaves you wanting to know more. More about Jack Howarth, more about Alec Ramsay and his team, which of course you get with the first books. Had this book been written first, I surely would have continued to read the others. This author has a knack for drawing you in from the first chapter, gets you in a vise-like grip and doesn't let go to the end, leaving you breathless, shaken, slightly mentally battered and bruised, but somehow wanting more! These books are not for the faint-hearted. Make a pot of coffee, turn off your phones and other devices, and brace yourself for a bumpy read!

Once I started reading this book I couldn’t stop until I was finished. You think you’ve heard of everything but this authors imagination teaches you different. You are led to hope for or believe one thing, but don’t. It may not happen. If you want some mystery, horror and suspense you will find it here. A good read.

Conrad Jones is fantastic, although not far into this book I wasn't sure if I could read any more, the violence was very bad. But I kept reading and loved it! Even though Alec Ramsay is the main character in this series, Conrad concentrates more on the bad guys. I would recommend to anyone who likes plenty of "blood and guts"

Graphic doesn’t begin to describe some of the scenes in Nearly Dead and it’s so brutal at times that it’s frequently necessary to be reminded that it’s fiction. Well written fiction at that. While the book purports to be a foretelling of a subsequent story in the detective Alec Ramsey series, the book is really focused on a violent drug dealing thug Charles McGee. Ramsey & the character that moves on the series, child molester Jack Howarth, are almost peripheral to this story.The author knows how to move a story along & keep the reader engaged with snappy dialogue, vivid descriptions of people & scenes & a sense that we know these characters intimately. The story is told so well that before I knew it I’d read almost half the book. It’s quite an exciting fast paced page-turner. Aside from the niggle of making plurals with apostrophes there were few technical errors.

Normally I don't read British detective books because I don't understand the hierarchy. Sometimes I don't understand British English. This is MY failing, not a British author.I can't put my finger on why I tried this one. But here we are with me writing a review.I had absolutely no problem understanding anything other than motivation of people who deal drugs, kill other people so easily, or get involved with people who do these things.But I love reading about them. Yes indeed I do. And this is a humdinger of a prequel.I gave this four stars because one death wasn't explained. That bugs me. It does not bug me enough not to read others in the series as I can afford them.Seriously a good read. Even, or especially, for an American reader.

I had problems getting in to the story at the beginning but then started really enjoying it. I already have The Child Taker in my stack of books to read so we'll see how it is.

A well done horror story which should scare you to death about who is still walking around in our world. It seems quite plausible that it could be true.

Fast paced and it kept my interest right till the end. It didn't really finish the story, but made me want to read the other books in the series. I recommend it to anyone who likes this genre.

This book starts with a bad guy bullying people. Don't let that stop you from reading it. The action picks up after that. I definitely recommend it.

This story is chilling right from the start with VERY violent and sadistic criminals. More bad guys than good guys. And the legal system deals hurdles making justice a real challenge.

This is my first book by this author and I loved it. I had to get the box set after finishing this. If you like crime thrillers that sink their teeth into you you'll love this book and want to know what happens next. Thank you Conrad Jones for a great read.

It was gruesome, full of evil characters, yet well-written and I felt compelled to race through reading to see how it all went.

Very good it keeps you on the edge of your seat I would love to read all of his books they are a good book

I really enjoyed this book! Lot’s of faced-paced action to keep you turning pages. Definitely recommend for a good read!

Couldn’t get into this one. Maybe it was just me & the subject matter. A probable poor choice for me.

Well written good plot and good characters