Bloq by Alan Jones #Bookreview @alanjonesbooks

Alan Jones is a new author to me, but there has been a huge buzz on social media regarding his two previous books the The Cabinet Maker and Blue Wicked so I thought it was high time I joined the “Alan Jones” party. When I first picked up Bloq I wasn’t sure what to expect, but from the prologue where Alan describes a not so conventional funeral I was hooked!

Glasgow man Bill Ingram waits in the city’s Central Station to meet his daughter Cathy, returning home from London for Christmas. When the last train pulls in, and she doesn’t get off it, Bill immediately realises something isn’t right, and so begins a concerned parents quest to find his missing daughter. As Bill delves into Cathy’s secretive life he finds himself thrown into the murky and dangerous world of trafficking, drugs, prostitution, and murder.

Bill is a fantastic protagonist he is determined and driven by his love for his daughter, a father who gives up his job, home, friends and willingly puts his life on hold in a quest to find out the truth about Cathy’s disappearance. The lengths he goes to in his bid to get to the truth are both imaginative and engaging, and at times heart wrenching, which  certainly make for an absorbing tale. Bill’s relationship with Anna, whose sister has also gone missing was an interesting one as they joined forces to get to the truth. The dialogue between the pair flowed well, and the bond between them was credible and at times heartwarming.

As Bill delves deeper into the seedier parts of Cathy’s life he learns things that no father should ever know, and even though his heart is breaking he manages to remain stalwart throughout his investigations. Bloq contains subjects such as Trafficking and prostitution which at times make for a difficult read, but are very much in keeping with the plot, even the explicit sex scenes! I found Cathy’s story very sad and unfortunately very believable ( I can’t say much more, without giving away spoilers). As Bill and Anna plot their revenge on the monsters who changed both their life’s forever the tension is palatable.

Bloq at times is a very disturbing read, it’s also dark and full of suspense, well plotted with characters who were so realistic I shed a tear for them, because I totally bought into their story.
Alan Jones has written a highly entertaining novel, that has plenty of nail biting moments to keep the readers of crime thrillers captivated until the final page. I will certainly be reading The Cabinet Maker and Blue Wicked by Alan Jones in the not to distant future.

5 ☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️out of 5

Print Length: 300 pages

Publisher: Ailsa Publishing (1 April 2016)

Kindle 🇬🇧