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Alan Jones
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Bloq Kindle Edition

by Alan Jones (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 270 ratings
A gritty crime thriller. Glasgow man Bill Ingram waits in the city's Central Station to meet his daughter, returning home from London for Christmas. When the last train pulls in, and she doesn't get off it, he makes a desperate overnight dash to find out why. His search for her takes over his life, costing him his job and, as he withdraws from home, family and friends, he finds himself alone, despairing of ever seeing her again.
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  1. Print length
    348 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    1 April 2016
  5. File size
    1.1 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01CLH5AUE
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ailsa Publishing
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 1 April 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.1 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 348 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0993237461
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 270 ratings

About the author

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Alan Jones

Alan Jones

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Alan Jones is a Scottish author with three gritty crime stories to his name, the first two set in Glasgow, the third one based in London. He has now switched genres, and his WW2 trilogy was published in the second half of 2021. It is a Holocaust story set in Northern Germany.

He is married with four grown up children and six wonderful grandchildren.

He retired in 2020 as a mixed-practice vet in a small Scottish coastal town in Ayrshire and is one of the RNLI volunteer coxswains on the local lifeboat. He makes furniture in his spare time, and maintains and sails a 45-year-old yacht in the Irish Sea and on the beautiful west coast of Scotland. He loves reading, watching films and cooking. He still plays football despite being just the wrong side of sixty.

His crime novels are not for the faint-hearted, with some strong language, violence, and various degrees of sexual content. The first two books also contain a fair smattering of Glasgow slang.

He is one of the few self-published authors to be given a panel at Bloody Scotland and has done two pop-up book launches at the festival in Stirling.

He spent five years researching and writing the Sturmtaucher Trilogy.

You can find out more at his website

http://www.alanjonesbooks.co.uk/

and on his blog

https://blog.alanjonesbooks.co.uk/

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
270 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be a compelling read with a fast-paced thriller style that keeps them gripped from start to finish. The writing is well-executed, and one customer particularly appreciates the simplicity of the main character, a Glaswegian widower named Bill.

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69 customers mention ‘Readability’69 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a compelling and brilliant read with a good story, with one customer noting they were hooked from the first couple of pages.

"...Talk about high-impact. Eye catching, punchy, great contrasting colours...i could go on but i think you can all just assume i like it...." Read more

"...As a reader, I found it both painful and fascinating to follow the trail of father, beloved daughter and her powerful captor as the story follows an..." Read more

"...Could this story really happen? I doubt it. Did it make good Reading? Darn right it did. Would I recommend It? OMG yes!..." Read more

"...Having said that, it was a good story to read. The plot was complex and the writing very good. It's an unusual thriller and I enjoyed reading it." Read more

40 customers mention ‘Pacing’33 positive7 negative

Customers enjoy the pacing of the book, describing it as a fast-paced thriller with unexpected twists, and one customer notes how it pulls readers into a seedy underworld.

"...should be congratulated for his gritty writing and detailed insight to a dangerous world and his ultimate belief in the life-affirming goodness of..." Read more

"...while I can’t argue with that, at the heart of it this is the story of a father’s love and how it drives Bill on his quest to locate his missing..." Read more

"...Not a bad ending, could have cut a fair bit from the "tramp to death" chapters to get to the ending quicker though." Read more

"...Relationships carve a huge part of this story, the love of a father for his daughter, partners, friendship, criminal loyalties and family...." Read more

16 customers mention ‘Character development’16 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one customer particularly enjoying the simplicity of the main character, a Glaswegian widower named Bill.

"...The characters feel real to me. Could this story really happen? I doubt it. Did it make good Reading? Darn right it did...." Read more

"...Bill is an ordinary man but quite an extraordinary character and I think every reader will wish that they had a man like Bill in their life...." Read more

"...It was gripping and the characters were identifiable...." Read more

"...Loved the characters and hated the evil criminals as much as Bill and Anna...." Read more

16 customers mention ‘Writing quality’13 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality of the book, with one mentioning that it avoids using ridiculously long words.

"...I honestly didn't think i'd been reading it that long, the book is so well written with a style that just flows...." Read more

"...Alan Jones should be congratulated for his gritty writing and detailed insight to a dangerous world and his ultimate belief in the life-affirming..." Read more

"...As you can see Alan Jones is very good with words - like that's going to put me off - no chance...." Read more

"...This is an extremely well written book." Read more

8 customers mention ‘Grip’8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book totally gripping from start to finish, with one mentioning how it pulls readers into its very core.

"I enjoyed this book at the beginning. It was gripping and the characters were identifiable...." Read more

"...end I was almost too scared to carry on reading but was totally gripped from start to finish...." Read more

"This story pulls you into its very core and once you start reading you just can't stop...." Read more

"I was gripped from the first page. A brilliantly written book with great characters and wonderfully empathetic relationships...." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • DaemonGirl79
    5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome gritty crime book! 5* and the rest!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 October 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Because i haven't read any of Alan Jones novels previously, i had nothing to compare them against. So i had to take this on its own merit from the start. Honestly? It was bloody brilliant! I was stood in the kitchen cooking tea and had 15 mins or so before anything needed doing, so i thought i'd start this, maybe read the first chapter to get a feel for it. Well, that's a mistake i'll try not to do again in a hurry. I was immediately grabbed by the scruff of the neck and pulled into this book. Completely lost track of time and forgot where i was. I honestly didn't think i'd been reading it that long, the book is so well written with a style that just flows. When i finally surfaced again from the initial pick up, my just 5 minutes had turned into 45 minutes and the tea was like this book, gritty and dark. Difference being, the tea was as bad as the book was good! 
    I can't write this review though without mentioning that stunning cover. Talk about high-impact. Eye catching, punchy, great contrasting colours...i could go on but i think you can all just assume i like it.
    Now, would i recommend this book? Yes. Was i let down with it as i'd first assumed i would be? Absolutely not! What you have here is one of those very rare occurrences of the book not only living up to the hype but actually surpassing it. Alan Jones, i take my hat off to you....Very well done. The best thing about this, is that i now have 2 previous novels to go back and read whilst awaiting further releases from the author.
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  • mr william a mcmillan
    4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing and Life-affirming
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 January 2023
    Verified Purchase
    How one man can defeat a drug-baron monster and bring about the collapse of his vicious empire in the most unexpected way.
    Alan Jones has woven a gripping tale set in the dark underbelly of London. As a reader, I found it both painful and fascinating to follow the trail of father, beloved daughter and her powerful captor as the story follows an ever-spiralling descent into exploitation, drugs and madness.
    In the end, the steadfast spirit of Bill wins through in his calculated and selfless act of revenge.
    Alan Jones should be congratulated for his gritty writing and detailed insight to a dangerous world and his ultimate belief in the life-affirming goodness of his main character.
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  • Susan Hampson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant story
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 July 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Well I pre-ordered this novel well before the publishing date (6th March 2016) determined that I would read it when it was delivered to my kindle but alas I was caught up with other books and it got by me. It was just pure luck that I rediscovered it and WOW it simply WOWED me!
    This is the first Alan Jones novel that I have read but it won't be the last. I loved the simplicity of his main character Glaswegian widower Bill. A totally unassuming ordinary man Bill was getting by day after day going to work and looking forward to his daughter's Xmas visit. But when train after train arrives and Carol doesn't Bill takes himself to London to find out where she is.
    This is some wicked journey that Bill takes on, what a brilliant character! Alan Jones serves to his readers a character to cheer on, cringe about and cry tears of joy and anguish over. A man determined to find his child (even grown up) no matter what the personal cost, because that is what dads should be like!
    The bad guys are, well pretty terrible and put that tingle on the back of your neck that then runs up and down your spine. The characters feel real to me.
    Could this story really happen? I doubt it.
    Did it make good Reading? Darn right it did.
    Would I recommend It? OMG yes!
    Definitely need more Alan Jones.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Homeburd
    5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't put it down
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 March 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I was a couple of chapters into a book when Bloq appeared on my kindle and I couldn't resist a sneaky peek – mistake!! After a few vows of ‘one more chapter’ I realised I couldn't put it down and had to keep reading to the finish. This is described as a gritty crime novel and while I can’t argue with that, at the heart of it this is the story of a father’s love and how it drives Bill on his quest to locate his missing daughter Carol. Bill is an ordinary man but quite an extraordinary character and I think every reader will wish that they had a man like Bill in their life. What surprised me most about Bloq was that I cried and had tears running down my cheeks. I won’t say at which point(s) in the narrative for fear of spoilers but I offer this as an indication of how real the characters were. When you are discussing with another reader how you are both missing Bill since finishing reading the novel you know the strength of the writing. This was very different to Blue Wicked and makes me excited to see what Alan Jones has in store for us next.
    I received a free copy of Bloq in return for an honest review and my thanks to Alan Jones for that.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Ignite
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great, but in places, stretches credulity
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 July 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Bill expects his daughter, Carol, home for Christmas but she isn't on the train. He waits for the next two Christmas Eve trains but she's not on either and he can't contact her. He decides to drive down from his home in Scotland to her flat in London, only to find she has disappeared.
    Bloq is the name of the night club run by an Albanian who, underneath his undoubted charm, is a thug and a drug dealer. Carol and her friends go there and Carol falls under his spell. Gradually her life changes for the worse. Anna, who works at the club, teams up with Bill to find out what happened to Carol and to Anna's sister who also became mixed up with the gang.

    The story is certainly a gripping ride but I couldn't totally buy into it. I doubt very much that an ex-nurse can walk into a hospital in her old uniform and obtain morphine or antibiotics. I also found a love scene towards the end of the book completely unnecessary to the plot. It's rare I skip pages but I did here. Having said that, it was a good story to read. The plot was complex and the writing very good. It's an unusual thriller and I enjoyed reading it.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Alidottir
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great read
    Reviewed in Germany on 4 July 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This was a really excellent novel. I was drawn into the story immediately and it was a thrilling read (especially the second half). I loved the character of Bill and am now going to look for Alan Jones' other books!
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  • Nate
    5.0 out of 5 stars Dark and tense thriller
    Reviewed in the United States on 22 May 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Bloq is a dark and hold-your-breath thriller. It is also deeply emotional and heart-wrenching. It follows Bill on his relentless quest to find his daughter when she doesn’t show up at the train station as promised. There is a constant threat of danger, the tension is high and interwoven is a beautifully written portrayal of the depths of a father’s love. I could not stop reading it. Bloq is everything you want in a story.
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  • louise Little
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Fabulous Don't miss this book
    Reviewed in Australia on 23 December 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This is my all time favourite thriller of the year.It has it all.The is incredible suspense,twists and turns when you least expect it.Lots of interesting detail about planning and you will love the characters. I could not put this book down but found it hard to read at night as I got so involved. Alan Jones has written what I consider a masterpiece and I feel this author will go a long way. Congratulations Alan
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