Joy Ellis never lets readers down.  With the reappearance of some beloved characters and a stellar mystery.  This books takes us into a new and unlikely context - urban exploring.  I knew nothing about this and admire Ellis for her research skills and ability to make any context suit her story.  I found the Orac storyline a bit odd and disconnected as a I was reading it but, as always, Ellis ties everything up neatly at the end.

Never having read this author before I had no idea what to expect. I think it might have been helpful if I had read some of her other books before this one because some backstory was missing and it started to get a bit confusing since it included characters from many of her other series. But having said this, the story itself was quite a thrill ride and had me hooked until the very end. It entertained me enough that I am now motivated enough to go back and start her other series. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

I loved it. The enigmatic Orac’s past is revealed - well, a part of it. The crimes were horrific but new and its motivation heartbreaking. This story is compelling and exciting, without the fear that I felt in the last two books. I enjoyed it. I knew the two main stories would somehow meet, at some point, but I couldn’t for the life of me work out how. This book adds so much to the character’s personal stories and the hope of future happiness.

Joy Ellis does it again another great read. I love the fact that there are ‘crossover’ characters from her different series. I still think the Fens series is my favourite but this the Jackman & Evans series is a definite close second. A very unusual plot and the subplots again develop nicely

At last, a detective novel that catches you from page 1 and holds you to the end. Well-written, a lovely set of characters and a very strong sense of place.. Jackman and Evans are still recovering from their previous traumatic encounters when a series of rather gruesome murders start. These are set amongst the urban explorers - urbexers - people who investigate, usually illegally, old derelict buildings. A second thread uses the very secretive, brilliant IT person of the police team, her disappearance and return when it becomes clear that the two threads link together and revenge is the motive. Keep it up Ms Ellis, you are heading for the Christie-James-Rendell tent. Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

They Disappeared’ is the seventh book in the bestselling series featuring Detective inspector Rowan Jackman and Detective Sergeant Marie Evans.  I have read and loved each book in the series so far.  I had high hopes for ‘They Disappeared’ and I wasn’t disappointed.  ‘They Disappeared’ is another amazing addition to the series and I thoroughly enjoyed every single word of it, but more about that in a bit.
As soon as I started to read ‘They Disappeared’, I knew that I wasn’t going to doing anything else for the rest of the day other than read the book.  To say that reading ‘They Disappeared’ became addictive is a massive understatement.  I picked the book up only intending to dip a toe in the water and make a start on reading the book but I became that wrapped up in the story that I read more like half a dozen chapters.  For me, ‘They Disappeared’ really was an unputdownable pageturner of a read.  My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me.  I couldn’t bear to miss a single second of the story.  I seemed to speed through the story at the pace of Usain Bolt.  At one point the pages seemed to turn that quickly that the page numbers all blurred into one.  I soon got to the end of the story and I had to bid farewell to Jackman and Evans.
‘They Disappeared’ is superbly written but then I think that to be true of Joy’s books in general.  She certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and draw you into the story.  For me, the story hit the ground running and maintained a fast pace throughout.  In fact reading this book felt more like watching a Hollywood film with all the drama, intrigue, suspense and espionage.  There were more twists and turns to this story than you would find on a ‘Snakes & Ladders’ board.  Reading this book felt like being on one hell of a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with no idea in which direction the story is going to take you next.  For me, ‘They Disappeared’ is a tightly plotted, superbly written page turner of a book that gripped me from start to finish and had me on the edge of my seat throughout.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘They Disappeared’ and I would recommend it to other readers.  I will certainly be reading more of Joy’s work in the future.  The score on the Ginger Book Geek board has to be 5* out of 5*.‘

I have to start by saying I am a huge fan of this authors work. I have read and loved all of Joy's books. I particularly have a soft spot for Nikki and Joseph in the NIKKI GALENA series. 
​This book is book 7 in the  JACKMAN & EVANS series. Other books in this series are
Book 1: THE MURDERER’S SON
Book 2: THEIR LOST DAUGHTERS
Book 3: THE FOURTH FRIEND
Book 4: THE GUILTY ONES
Book 5: THE STOLEN BOYS
Book 6: THE PATIENT MAN
Book 7: THEY DISAPPEARED

Based in Saltern-Le-Fen Di Rowan Jackman and Ds Marie Evans make a formidable team. Another fantastic police duo created by Joy Ellis, along with their team they are faced with a 'Disappearance'  and it's one of their own. Orla   Cracken has not turned up to work. This is very unusual Orla lives in her little cave in the basement of the police station.  Marie is the only person that Orla has ever really spoken to and opened up to, so Marie has cause to worry around Orla's no show. 
When Urban explorers start to go missing it soon becomes apparent that there could be a link to Orla' disappearance . 

Marie feels she has to go to higher up bodies in the force to raise her concerns. Her concerns are right, Orla was once a government agent and her being missing could possible be due to this and very, very serious. 

The more you get in to this story the more engaged you become, you realise this isn't a read you can put down and pick up at any time. this is a book you have to keep reading, and keep reading, the more you read the deeper in you go, this book was a first class engrossing. There is so much going on in this book that I feel to mention any of it would give away too much of the plot. I wouldn't like to spoil it for anyone. What I will say is, it gets all the stars and more and I can recommend this book to anyone who likes a gripping read. Personally for me I would say reading them in order is best, but if you don't bother about reading in order this could be read as a standalone.

This is an exciting addition to Joy Ellis's fenlands series featuring DI Rowan Jackman and DS Marie Evans and their police team at Saltern-le-Fen in Lincolnshire.  In this, the seventh book, as the title suggests, disappearances are at the heart of storylines.  First, IT expert Orla 'Orac' Cracken is found not to be at work, this is virtually unheard of, so it sets alarm bells ringing, an event that  is set to reveal Orac's fascinating past history in intelligence that in turn has the government worried and the police fearful for her safety and life.  DC Robbie Melton is contacted by ex-colleague, DS Stella North, drawing his attention to missing urbexers (Urban Explorers) who often roam at night looking at abandoned and old disused buildings, such as the airport buildings at Randleby, taking photographers.  Helped by urbexers, the police find themselves on two cases, are there any connections between them?  This is a great crime read, full of tension and suspense, that held my interest throughout.  Many thanks to Joffe Books for an ARC.

Jackman and Evan's #7

Orla Cracken has disappeared. She's the head of IT. When she doesn't turn up for work, everyone is concerned. She had once worked undercover for the government. 

Jackman and Evan's are told that two Urban explorers have gone missing from the sites they were working from. Neither of the men were known to just walk off a job and disappear. DC Robbie Melton is helping Rowan and Marie to investigate. 

This is a cleverly crafted and engaging read.  The more you read, the more the plot thickens. There's a lot of secrecy surrounding the abandoned military site. No one will talk about it. The two stories eventually link. It was nice to learn a little more of Orac's background. Another great installment to this series.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #JoffeBooks and the author #JoyEllis for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my goodness! What a whirlwind this book has been!
I found myself holding my breath several times! 
The author manages to make the reader feel so immersed in the story, I felt that I was walking up the stairs, the fear was palpable. 
The main characters were incredibly likeable,  the story was believable and the author had obviously done a lot of research and I felt as though I knew a lot about urbexers once I had finished. 
Absolutely amazing writing, one of my top reads this year.

I have read quite a few books by this author and I have never been disappointed. This is also a great crime thriller. Urban explorers are going missing and turning up dead. The killer is an enigma and has a personal adgenda. A race against time as this killer has a list of names which is rapidly decreasing. Everything I expect from this author and so much more.
Thanks to Joffre Books and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

This is the seventh book in the excellent series featuring DI Rowan Jackman and DS Marie Evans working in the Fenland Constabulary police. DC Charlie Button is still off injured, but the rest of the very close and loyal team of DC Robbie Melton, PC Gary Pritchard, DC Max Cohen and the new “baby” DC Kevin Stoner are all present and correct. When the news comes through that Jackman’s nemesis Alistair Ashcroft has finally been incarcerated where he deserves, Marie and Jackman could be forgiven for believing that things might become a little quieter and more settled in Saltern-le-Fen. How wrong could they be? First comes the news that their whiz of an IT head Orac (Orla Cracken) has not shown up for work despite arranging a meeting with one of her staff. This is so out of character that the detectives, including senior officer Superintendent Ruth Crooke, are immediately concerned and start a search for her. With no sightings, the team are entrusted with the secrets of her incredible past service to the country in military intelligence and all the stops are pulled out to locate her. A message reveals she is on another mission entirely but unfortunately this could still mean she is in danger. Meanwhile Robbie gets a worried call from former colleague Stella North. Avid readers of Ms Ellis’ books will already be familiar with Stella from the novel Guide Star, and she was the encouragement behind Robbie making his transfer to his present team after they were both involved in a terrible incident. She tells him two urbexers (urban explorers) have recently simply vanished, one from an old cinema in Greenborough and one from a disused airfield in Randleby. One minute they were there with friends, the next all that was left was their equipment. Since both men were adults, the theory is that they have simply run off and nobody is really looking for them, but Stella, knowing more about the individuals themselves, is very concerned that something nasty has befallen them. When a third man disappears in similar circumstances, this time it happens on home turf and Robbie can get stuck into investigating officially. But how is the kidnapper taking them without a fight and without disturbing the silence of old abandoned buildings? More importantly, what is the motive for taking them and where are they now? Fears grow for their safety as Professor Rory Wilkinson receives some strange packages delivered straight to his morgue. The detectives wonder what links the abducted men. Is the kidnapper targeting individuals, groups of people or the places they visit? More worryingly, does he have more targets on his list? And just what is the secret of Randleby Airfield? When a gruesome scene is stumbled upon by other explorers, the case becomes even more bizarre. Marie & Jackman realize they are dealing with something far worse than they ever feared and everyone worries that it is not over by a mile. It will take the combined efforts of skilled detectives and experienced urbexers to bring this to a thrilling and shocking conclusion, where all the puzzles are eventually explained. This story has a host of brilliant characters that the reader can warm to immediately, such as pathologist Professor Rory Wilkinson, assistant Spike and his new recruit “Cardiff” Erin. I love the humour and the great feeling of camaraderie within the team of detectives, and makes the story all the more enjoyable. The plot is clever and superbly delivered, the characters wonderfully described, and the scenery and setting of these books is perfect. This series just gets better and better! 5*

Orla Cracken (Orac) has disappeared. She is the IT boss and when she doesn't show up for work everyone panics. She has never not shown up for work. It's all the more worrisome because of her background ... she once worked for the government, undercover.

Detectives Rowan Jackman and Marie Evans, a long with colleague DC Robbie Melton are told that two urban explorers have gone missing .... from the sites they were exploring. Neither of them were known to just up and vanish ...especially leaving their expensive cameras behind.

When their bodies are found hanging in ancient church ruins, having been left after being tortured. Jackman and Evans go into overdrive to find a killer ... and to see if this case is connected to their missing IT person.

As with all the books in this series, this is well-written, with twists and turns that rival a roller coaster ride. The suspense starts on the very first page and doesn't let up until the last sentence on the last page. I really enjoyed how the author brought in urban exploration of old buildings, in the middle of the night ... added suspense on top of suspense.

Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Books N All Promotions / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Love love love Joy Ellis books and this didn’t disappoint.  A cracking read that I couldn’t put down, I really enjoyed it.  Joy Ellis at her best.  Highly recommend this was a great read.

Having read the the all the previous books in the series i was glad to review this one for NetGalley. This storyline includes urban explorers who mysteriously start vanishing while out with others venturing into old and derelict buildings. One goes missing while at an abandoned military airfield which becomes another mystery. Why is it such a secret? At the same time a member of their team disappears and it looks like the past has caught up with them. Will all these stories eventually be linked? This is a great page turner filled with plenty of twists along the way. Another great addition to the Jackman and Evans series, I particularly enjoy seeing all the characters developing as we learn more about their back stories.

My thanks to Joffe Books, Joy Ellis and Netgalley.
Joy Ellis is one of those few authors whose books I love, even though everyone is exceedingly nice!
Her tales are by no means "cozy." But, the characters are comforting. At least to me! 
 I thought I'd love this one, but I just didn't. 
From around the age of 7, and up until my mid 30's, I loved exploring old places. I'd usually drag a friend along, but occasionally my sister. Eventually I had to grow up! Ha, LOL! Anyhow..
This is maybe the second or third book of Joy's that I just didn't get into.
Though I did love the Orac storyline!
Sadly, it took me ages to finish this book. I will say that the ending picked up! Unfortunately, I want all the book to be that great. Otherwise, if just read the last 25% of every book.
No worries. The next will be good. I'm already looking forward to it!

Joy Ellis returns to her beloved Fens, the setting of so many of her books, in this the seventh novel featuring Jackman and Evans. As always she allows her plot to unfold at a leisurely pace so we can savour every moment of it.
One after another person goes missing from old derelict properties in the Fens after persuing their somewhat strange hobby of photographing these often dangerous sites at night. What's the connection between them all?
The plot is clever and engaging.

Another fantastic story from Joy Ellis, Two different aspects of the story, finally come together through Urban Exploration. For any reader that has not come across Urban Exploration do as I did and google it, a fascinating subject to weave a novel around. A great read

In this latest installment of the Jackman & Evans series, the team is dealing with the disappearances of both local urban explorers and their head of IT, Orac.  Orac has always been an intriguing character - with a unique hairstyle and chrome reflective contact lenses, she doesn't quite fit the profile of your typical officer.  And now she's vanished and left the detectives in a lurch, as they're desperate for any assistance in their missing explorers case.  But because Orac is so private, no one knows where she could be or why she would disappear, so the team have to do a little side investigation to learn more about their co-worker.

Leading the case of the urban explorers is DC Robbie Melton, who we get a little more insight into as a character in this story.  He previously worked with an officer who dabbled in this type of abandoned building exploration and she and her friends give much needed assistance to Robbie throughout the case.  He and the team (and the readers, as well) learn about this popular activity and what draws someone to become involved in such a dangerous, yet thrilling practice.  But why would someone target these people and hurt them?  Is there something special about the victims they've found so far, or are all of these risk-takers at - well, risk?

You'll have to find out by giving this one a read.  It's a non-stop page turner with delightful characters that just get better with each new book!

Another excellent book in the Jackman & Evans  books. by Joy Ellis.  Just couldn't put it down.   The IT boss Orac disappears and then urban explorers disappear and Detective Rowan Jackman and Marie Evans investigate their murders.