ABOUT THE BOOK
One of the best books you will read this year.
Outstanding! A powerful and emotional read. The Journey is THE must-read thriller of 2019.
The gripping story of a young boy and his family, driven from their home by war and indiscriminate violence. Like millions of others, they attempt the treacherous journey across their war-torn continent, trying to reach the safety of Europe. The truth is, Europe doesn’t want them and thousands die every month at the hands of thieves and profiteering men to whom life is cheap.
The story is fast-paced, at times funny, at times heart-breaking but it will pull you along at 100 miles an hour. It will make you think and it will make you question your perceptions. Most of all it will make you ask if your family was in peril, what would you do?
MY REVIEW
The Boko Haram are the extremist militia that plagued the northeast of the country, attacking government targets and Christian settlements with increasing ferocity before disappearing like ghosts across the borders into Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.
Kalu and his family are being terrorized by the Boko Haram, forcing them to leave their home in Nigeria risking kidnapping and death to flee to Europe. Their incredible and terrifying journey is something no one should ever have to make.
The characters are so real and the circumstances they fall into are no doubt true. Kalu and Esse’s determination to save their family is heartfelt and will wrench at any parent’s heart.
My emotions ran amuck from fear to anger to hope and back again. The author hooks you from the beginning and places all of the atrocities of this civil war in your face.
The story shows that no matter how much ingenuity and planning go into taking care of your family, the hopelessness and desperation in the world eventually set in and you have to just survive.
A truly unforgettable journey that will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommend!
Thank you to Mr. Jones and Book on the Bright Side for giving me the opportunity to review this book with no expectations of a positive review given.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Conrad Jones a 52-year-old Author, living in Holyhead, Anglesey, which I class as my home, before starting a career as a trainee manager 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 mindset 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 McCann 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 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.
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