I always enjoy Joy Ellis’s books and have read the whole Jackman and Evans series. This book (no. 7) could be the best yet! In this story we enter the world of urbexers (urban explorers) who love to explore (usually at night) abandoned or derelict buildings and other sites and share photos of their exploits. This is called decay photography. I really enjoyed learning about this obscure hobby. I have to say it sounds rather fun and something I may have enjoyed when I was a lot younger (I always had a ‘naughty’ streak)!

In this book DC Robbie Melton, who recently transferred to Salern-Le-Fen, catches up with his former sargeant, DS Stella North), Stella retired from police work after a nasty injury but she was also a keen urbexer and is still into ‘the scene’. She raises concerns with Robbie about a couple of urbexers who mysteriously disappeared while exploring. With others! They apparently just vanished leaving all their equipment, including their precious cameras, behind. Robbie agrees to make some enquires but is met with a blank wall in Fenchurch constabulary. Soon another urbexer disappear on his own patch so Robbie is given carte blanche to follow this up.

At the same time Orac (Orla Cracken), their brilliant but strange cyber expert also does a disappearing act. She has a very murky past in national security and the powers that be are most concerned for her. There are also some questions about the disappearance of one of the urbexers from Randleby Airfield. On paper the base does not exist and any queries into the matter are met with a blank wall. Very mysterious! So how do urbexers, a missing Orac and an abandoned airfield tie together. It is very interesting to find out. I really enjoyed this book. Joy Ellis writes in an easy engaging manner and brings her characters to life. This time we learn a lot more about the mysterious Orac. There was also plenty of suspense and the pace, while not frenetic, was certainly fast enough. I couldn’t put this down! This book will appeal to all those who enjoy a crime mystery and/or thriller. Many thanks to Netgalley, Joffe Books and Joy Ellis for providing a copy to review. My opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
This is the 7th in the DI Jackson and DS Marie Evans series.
It starts with Orac, their superb IT Chief going missing, causing much grief for the IT Department and the police team.
Then it veers into the case of two missing urban explorers, then another and finally the find of all three...horrifically murdered.
I enjoyed this book but couldn't really get into the whole urban exploration hobby. I like Jackman and Marie and getting more of a backstory on them as well as Orac, but was a bit bored with the urbexers' forays into the old buildings.
Still a pleasant read, and I will definitely read no. 8, because I'm invested in the series.

I always find Ellis' books to be light hearted crime capers despite the gruesome ways characters are killed; the bucolic settings, genteel way the characters speak ext but I always enjoy them despite this.

They Disappeared by Joy Ellis is the seventh Jackman and Evans book in the series. This series just improves all the time. Joy has a knack of putting words together and the magic creates itself!
Jackman and Evans discover the IT boss Orla Cracken or Orlec has gone missing after they go to her house. She is gone and her car is too. Due to the high security of her building, they realise this is not normal, she is constantly at work. What they aren't aware of is her past and boy she has a past. They actually begin to fear for her life.
Two urban explorers have gone missing while out exploring buildings, their rotting bodies are discovered hanging in an ancient church ruins, Jackman and Evans are tasked and under immense pressure to catch this killer. As time ticks away it becomes crystal clear that the killer is targeting urban explorers, but the reasoning for this is a puzzle that needs piecing together before more are killed. What links this case with Orlac's past that is still under wraps and as mysterious as hell??
I enjoyed finding out about Orlac and Evans as well. Joy has in this book decided it is time wr have some more back story and I think this adds to the series as I can empathise more with these characters I have read about in seven books. As always, a crackin read and one, as I say that keeps getting better as she goes.
Thank you to Joffe Books,Joy Ellis, and NetGalley for the copy of my book for my review today.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of They Disappeared, the seventh novel to feature DI Rowan Jackman and DS Marie Evans, set in the Lincolnshire town of Saltern-le-Fen.

It is a quiet time in Saltern when IT ace Orla Cracken, known as Orac, doesn’t turn up for work. This is extremely alarming to not just the station but also various government departments because Orac used to be an undercover agent and has a price on her head. In the meantime DC Robbie Melton is contacted by a former colleague about two missing urbexers who went out exploring at different times and vanished into thin air. Then bodies are found in a very distressing condition and the hunt is on for a deranged killer.

I enjoyed They Disappeared which is an interesting read that held my attention throughout despite a certain scepticism about the plot. The author has a very inviting writing style that draws the reader in, no matter what. The Orac plot line, which is initially the main line of concentration, doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, in terms of likelihood and plausibility, but is relevant to unveiling some of Orac’s past and for developments in the other case, which I found much more appealing. Urban exploring is a whole subculture I know little about and the author really brings it to life. Its exponents, known as urbexers, are adrenaline junkies, so prime candidates for putting themselves in danger and in this novel, ripe for picking off by an unidentified killer. The descriptions of creepy old buildings in the middle of the night are atmospheric and nerve jangling. This plot line is much more my thing with the initial mystery slowly revealing itself as the team investigate.

They Disappeared is a good read that I can recommend.

THEY DISAPPEARED.....# 7...JOY ELLIS
Orac has the most advanced IT knowledge , she never leaves, figuring she may even sleep in the basement of the station.
Her number one tech Leon is frantic. Surprised how close she lived to the station. A place that was spartan, no food in fridge, and no clothes in closet. Where was she, she lived for her job.
An old friend Stella has a personal request for Robbie, three photographer went into an old W W II hanger and only two came out. His equipment, camera, etc were still inside. The second urban explorer to disappear was from an unused cinema. Robbie inquiring, people saying he got scared and now embarrassed to be seen.
The word from the higher ups that Orac will contact Marie and not to investigate. Meanwhile the case of the missing explorer could be looked into carefully. Several cases were on going. The character of Orca was now known to us. As well of more about Marie. Good plot, thought a little drawn out. Given an ARC .for my voluntary review and my honest opinion