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Joy Ellis
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THEY DISAPPEARED a gripping crime thriller full of stunning twists (JACKMAN & EVANS Book 7) Kindle Edition

by JOY ELLIS (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 12,958 ratings
FROM #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR JOY ELLIS, A TOTALLY ABSORBING CRIME THRILLER FULL OF STUNNING TWISTS AND TURNS.

Discover the author who’s sold over two million books globally.

THE MOST GRIPPING CRIME THRILLER OF 2020 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“It's a non-stop page turner.”
“Brilliantly exciting, nail-biting read.”
“I didn’t see the end coming.”

Detectives Rowan Jackman and Marie Evans are told that their IT boss has disappeared. They soon suspect foul play. Orla Cracken, known as Orac, is no ordinary techie; she was once a field agent traveling abroad undercover, working for the government.

Meanwhile DC Robbie Melton discovers that two people, both urban explorers, have mysteriously disappeared while out exploring abandoned buildings. One went missing at a disused airfield, but was it a military base, or was it civilian?

The gruesome discovery of their decaying bodies found hanging in ancient church ruins bursts the case wide open, and Jackman and Evans are under pressure to find the killer.

It soon becomes clear that the murderer is targeting urban explorers, but why is he determined to track down and torture these innocent people, and how is the case connected to Orac’s mysterious past, still shrouded in secrecy?

THE LATEST CRIME THRILLER BY JOY ELLIS, SET IN THE LINCOLNSHIRE FENS, WILL KEEP YOU GUESSING — AND YOUR PULSE RACING — UNTIL THE VERY END.

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT JOY ELLIS:

“Another breathtaking thriller from Joy.” Carole

“Great read from start to finish.” Nerys

“Just a wonderful enjoyable read.” Nicki

“A hugely compelling police procedural, with twists and turns that raise tension and suspense.” Paromjit

“All the twists and turns kept me reading.” Viv

“Another great book from Ms Ellis.” Barbara

Perfect for fans of Rachel Abbott, Sarah A. Denzil, Robert Bryndza, Mel Sherratt, Angela Marsons, Colin Dexter, or Ruth Rendell.

THE DETECTIVES
DI Jackman leads the investigation. He is extremely smart and has a knack for bringing out the best in his diverse team.

DS Marie Evans is haunted by the loss of her husband in a motorbike accident. She is fiercely loyal to her friends and colleagues.

ALSO BY JOY ELLIS
JACKMAN & EVANS
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
Book 8: THE NIGHT THIEF
Book 9: SOLACE HOUSE

THE BESTSELLING NIKKI GALENA SERIES
Book 1: CRIME ON THE FENS
Book 2: SHADOW OVER THE FENS
Book 3: HUNTED ON THE FENS
Book 4: KILLER ON THE FENS
Book 5: STALKER ON THE FENS
Book 6: CAPTIVE ON THE FENS
Book 7: BURIED ON THE FENS
Book 8: THIEVES ON THE FENS
Book 9: FIRE ON THE FENS
Book 10: DARKNESS ON THE FENS
Book 11: HIDDEN ON THE FENS
Book 12: SECRETS ON THE FENS
Book 13: FEAR ON THE FENS

DETECTIVE MATT BALLARD
Book 1: BEWARE THE PAST
Book 2: FIVE BLOODY HEARTS
Book 3: THE DYING LIGHT
Book 4: MARSHLIGHT
Book 5: TRICK OF THE NIGHT

STANDALONES
GUIDE STAR
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  1. Book 7 of 11
    JACKMAN & EVANS
  2. Print length
    340 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    November 30, 2020
  6. File size
    938 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08GYPH3GB
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Joffe Books crime thriller and mystery
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 30, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 938 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 340 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1789315325
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 7 of 11 ‏ : ‎ JACKMAN & EVANS
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 12,958 ratings

About the author

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Joy Ellis

Joy Ellis

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I was born in Kent but spent most of my working life in London and Surrey. I was an apprentice florist to Constance Spry Ltd, a prestigious Mayfair shop that throughout the Sixties and Seventies teemed with both royalty and ‘real’ celebrities. What an eye-opener for a working-class kid from the Garden of England! I swore then, probably whilst I was scrubbing the floor or making the tea, that I would have a shop of my own one day. It took until the early Eighties, but I did it. Sadly the recession wiped us out, and I embarked on a series of weird and wonderful jobs; the last one being a bookshop manager. Surrounded by books all day, getting to order whatever you liked, and being paid for it! Oh bliss!

And now I live in a village in the Lincolnshire Fens with my partner, Jacqueline, and three Springer spaniels and four little rescue, Breton spaniels. I had been writing mysteries for years but never had the time to take it seriously. Now I write full-time, and as my partner is a highly decorated retired police officer; my choice of genre is a no-brainer! I have an on-tap police and judicial consultant, who makes exceedingly good tea!

I have set my crime thrillers here in the misty fens because I sincerely love the remoteness and airy beauty of the marshlands. This area is steeped in superstitions and lends itself so well to murder!

I am lucky enough to be one of the amazing Joffe Books team of authors and am really enjoying being able to spend time doing what I love... writing!

The series so far:-

DI Nikki Galena, the Fen Series

Book One: Crime on the Fens

Book Two: Shadow over the Fens

Book Three: Hunted on the Fens

Book Four: Killer on the Fens

Book Five: Stalker on the Fens

Book Six: Captive on the Fens

Book Seven: Buried on the Fens

Book Eight: Thieves on the Fens

Book Nine: Fire on the Fens

Book Ten: Darkness on the Fens

Book Eleven: Hidden on the Fens

Book Twelve: Secrets on the Fens

Book Thirteen: Fear on the Fens

Book Fourteen: Graves on the Fens

Book Fifthteen: Echoes on the Fens

Detective Nikki Galena Books 1-3 Boxset

Detective Nikki Galena Books 4-6 Boxset

Detective Nikki Galena Books 7-9 Boxset

Detective Nikki Galena Books 1-5 Boxset

DI Jackman and DS Marie Evans series so far:-

Book One: The Murderer's Son

Book Two: Their Lost Daughters

Book Three: The Fourth Friend

Book Four: The Guilty Ones

Book Five: The Stolen Boys

Book Six: The Patient Man

Book Seven: They Disappeared

Book Eight: The Night Thief

Book Nine: Solace House

Book Ten: The River's Edge

Guide Star. A stand alone novel about love, loss and overcoming adversity.

Beware the Past. Detective Matt Ballard Book 1 A stand alone thriller still set in the Fens, but with new characters and very different feel

Five Bloody Hearts. Detective Mat Ballard Book 2 After overwhelming requests, this is a sequel to Beware the Past, with DCI Matt Ballard.

The Dying Light. Detective Matt Ballard Book 3 Matt Ballard is now retired, but he and Liz still take on difficult cases, but as private detectives.

Marshlight. Detective Matt Ballard Book 4. They might have retired, but things are far from quiet for Matt and Liz!

Trick of the Night. Detective Matt Ballard Book 5. Matt and Liz find themselves needing to work with some of their old colleagues in the Force when they embark on a sinister case that is far more serious than first thought.

The Bag of Secrets. Detective Matt Ballard Book 6. An abandoned carpet bag full of mysterious handwritten notes. A body in a marshy lagoon.

Ellie McEwan mysteries series:-

Book One: An Aura of Mystery

Book Two: The Colour of Mystery

Guard Her With Your Life. A standalone novella.

These are available in both Kindle and paperback and now practically all of my books are available as audio books.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
12,958 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy this crime thriller for its fascinating plot with enough twists and turns to keep them guessing. The book features well-developed characters and brilliant writing, with one customer noting it's a page-turner. They appreciate the pacing, with one review describing it as an excellent addition to the series.

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Story qualityReadabilityCharacter developmentPacingWriting quality
26 customers mention "Story quality"26 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's plot fascinating and thrilling, with enough twists and turns to keep them guessing throughout.

"...The plot was delightfully chilling. I would like to read more gay characters in these stories. And does Everyone have to have a love interest?" Read more

"...The yucky details are easy to skim over and the rest of the story is fascinating, the characters well developed and appealing." Read more

"I had no prior knowledge of urban decay photography and found it quite intriguing...." Read more

"...Otherwise really good. The one after is excellent in telling us some secrets that the previous books did not let us know about...." Read more

25 customers mention "Readability"25 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable and enjoyable, with one describing it as a page turner.

"...Another great book, that is extremely hard to put down." Read more

"...Otherwise really good. The one after is excellent in telling us some secrets that the previous books did not let us know about...." Read more

"...with the details other than to say this book is just as interesting as all the other ones and I will be getting the next in the series, but will be..." Read more

"...The ending certainly surprised me! Another wonderful read by Joy Ellis." Read more

16 customers mention "Character development"16 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the characters in the book, with one noting they are well-developed and believable.

"...to skim over and the rest of the story is fascinating, the characters well developed and appealing." Read more

"...Amazing characters, although you might not appreciate them as much if this is your first Jackman and Evans book...." Read more

"Joy Ellis is a Master Storyteller! Her stories are thrilling, well researched and truly excellent Mysteries!..." Read more

"...Another finely plotted and well-characterized tlae by the inimitable Joy Ellis! Pick one of her books, any one,; you can't go wrong!" Read more

6 customers mention "Pacing"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the pacing of the book, with one customer noting it's a terrific sequel and another mentioning it's well researched.

"...and I skimmed over much of the details, there were many fascinating parts to it: I’d never heard of urban exploring or decay photography and I so..." Read more

"...It was good to learn more about Orac, to understand what made her tick and to see that she was human after all...." Read more

"Joy Ellis is a Master Storyteller! Her stories are thrilling, well researched and truly excellent Mysteries!..." Read more

"...I highly recommend the entire series." Read more

5 customers mention "Writing quality"5 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, with several noting the author's brilliance, and one highlighting the good dialogue.

"...Well written, as usual, with a tiny bit of trite dialogue at times...." Read more

"I have come to love these characters! To me, that's a mark of an excellent writer. I'm sorry to see the series end...." Read more

"...Action packed, good dialogue and kept me guessing!" Read more

"...Completely thrilling and suspenseful. Author is a brilliant writer." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Susan Ann Thornton
    5.0 out of 5 stars They Disapeared
    Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Gripping! To not have had a clue as to why or who the murderer was kept me reading. The plot was delightfully chilling.
    I would like to read more gay characters in these stories. And does Everyone have to have a love interest?
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  • Mtlnative
    4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, excellent addition to the series
    Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I am a huge fan on the Jackman & Evans’ series although, as always with book series, I’ve felt some to be weaker than others. I loved this one though. Although the murders were gruesome, and I skimmed over much of the details, there were many fascinating parts to it: I’d never heard of urban exploring or decay photography and I so admire Ellis’ ability to research and incorporate this hobby/passion. I can’t find any fault with her plotting on the story either—all of the red herrings and “twists” come together and make sense in the end.
    If you don’t like gruesome murders, I’d still recommend this book. The yucky details are easy to skim over and the rest of the story is fascinating, the characters well developed and appealing.
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  • Belinda Bright
    5.0 out of 5 stars Orac (Orla Cracken) has Disappeared and No One Knows Where She Sent
    Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    A current fad has young people loading up their cameras late at night and heading out to explore old, dilapidated buildings in hopes of taking spectacular memory shots. Unfortunately, some of them begin to disappear and the police are cannot find a single clue as to why or who is doing it.

    Normally, Jackman and Marie would use the services "Orac" (Orla Cracken) to help evaluate the scenes and offer helpful advice, but she has disappeared. Eventually, Marie discovers that Orac has gone in search of her sister, who she hasn't seen since she was a child, but Marie has been sworn to secrecy, so they must trudge on in an attempt to follow the few clues they have.

    Eventually, a group decides to check out an abandoned church that is very old and secluded. Instead of great photos, they end up discovering a nightmarish site -- three bodies, hung by one foot in the church's old bell tower. When the coroner comes to collect the bodies, he immediately notes that the bodies have been left in the position of the "Hanged Man" from Tarot cards.

    Another great book, that is extremely hard to put down.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Story!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I had no prior knowledge of urban decay photography and found it quite intriguing. Brava to the author for building a crime tale around the subject and an exciting one at that! It was good to learn more about Orac, to understand what made her tick and to see that she was human after all. A night and day switch from her presence in previous books. The police team's relationships continue to widen and deepen. Good things are happening for Marie as she is freed from Ashcroft's continuing terrorism. Well written, as usual, with a tiny bit of trite dialogue at times. The disparate strands of the plot end up meshing and resolving to a most satisfactory conclusion.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Dragon's Lady
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    As usual, this book by Joy Ellis was a page turner. Only problem was only one I have with all her books....too easy to figure out "who done it". Otherwise really good. The one after is excellent in telling us some secrets that the previous books did not let us know about. Things about the thoughts and background of the main characters.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Joann R. Greene
    4.0 out of 5 stars Stick with the book if you live in the USA
    Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Isn't it funny how you imagine a series that you have been reading for years and all of a sudden switch to audible and find out you don't like it? Well, that was my dilemma. I've loved Joy Ellis's mysteries and also the Jackman and Marie Evans series. There was a new book out in this series and I thought I'd listen for once but was sorry from the start. I had a hard-time with the accents and following it in this format also had me up in the air. Also, the faces of the two main characters that are on the audible version just didn't fit with what I had envisioned so bottom line, stick with the book especially if you hail from the United States. So now that I am somewhat into this audible now it is easier to follow. I won't bore you with the details other than to say this book is just as interesting as all the other ones and I will be getting the next in the series, but will be reading it!!!!
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Virginia M. Boyle
    3.0 out of 5 stars They Disappeared
    Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Same old same old. Disappointed
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Urbexers, RAF airfield, vicious killer. Oh,and Orac has disappeared.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Fascinating plot. Urban explorers have begun to disappear, seemingly without cause. One of them from Randleby, a WWII airbase. But when researched, it's as though the base never existed. Jackman and the team are stumped, and their IT genius, Orac, has gone missing. Since her background is murky, the team is anxious about her disappearance as well as the missing urbexers. Amazing characters, although you might not appreciate them as much if this is your first Jackman and Evans book. Regardless, it's an intriguing story with an ending I sure didn't see coming.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • karin malpass
    5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best
    Reviewed in France on March 1, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Yet another outstanding thriller by Joy Ellis. Keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Just couldn't put this book down.
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  • Mariangela Morfisa
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great!
    Reviewed in Italy on December 31, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I am a big fan of this series, and this novel is one of the best in it. I had a couple of bells ringing about who the killer might be, but until the last moment I couldn't guess who was the true culprit. Very well done, Ms Ellis! Of course I'm looking forward to the next installment... and I hope that at some point, there will be a crossover with the other "Fenland series", Nikki Galena 😁
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping and hard to put down.
    Reviewed in Australia on October 22, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Another brilliant novel from Joy Ellis. A fabulous story full of twists and turns keeping me hooked whilst all the while the lives and personalities of Jackman and Evans and co carry on. Gripping and hard to put down. Thank you 😀
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  • Dr.Bernd Kroner
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping crime thriller
    Reviewed in Germany on December 21, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Alles vorbildhaft!
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  • Irene Armstrong
    5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn’t put it down
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 13, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    So descriptive and believable. Each book in the series gets better and better. Really enjoy reading all of the Joy Ellis books.
    Report

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