The Child Taker is the first novel by Conrad Jones I have read and I am not averse to reading a few more. It is a fast-paced, action-packed thriller with a lot of graphic violence that may put off a few readers. The character of Jack Howarth is quite creepy, though a bit cliched. There are a few holes in the story, as is the case with many novels of this genre. And, the end is left hanging by the author, compelling the reader to buy the next book in the series; not fair at all! Another thing I did not like is the number of mistakes the editors have missed. Surely, a book by such a prolific author should be better in this regard? ( )

Child Taker is a British action thriller focusing on the efforts of a grandfather and his pals to recover his kidnapped grandchildren. Five year old fraternal twins Sarah and Zak are abducted from their tent while on a family camping trip. Their mother, Hayley, is understandably distraught and welcomes her father's help in trying to find the children. The Major, a counter terrorism agent, and his elite team pull out all the stops in their search for Sarah and Zak.
When I began listening to and reading The Child Taker, I was leery that a female narrator could pull off a believable action thriller. In spite of my reservations, Julia Farhat does, in fact, do a splendid job with the multitude of characters in the book. The pacing of the novel and the narrative performance kept me so involved I devoured the book in a single day.
Anyone with issues regarding child and sexual abuse should look elsewhere as those themes are integral to this story.
I bought the Kindle book and received the Audible book from the author in exchange for my honest review. ( )