Hope Road

John Ray / LS9 crime thrillers

You can't change your past. But what about your future?

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'A gripping read... A fascinating study in dark and evil... Beautifully cinematic… far more cinematic than a McDermid or a Rankin.' Crimefictionlover

'Crime thriller fans, this novel is a must read.' Jersey Girl Book Reviews

'Plenty of twists... fast-paced... HOPE ROAD is a fine novel.' Rough Edges

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John Ray, son of crime boss Antonio 'Tony' Ray, is the straight one of the family. With a successful business and a lifestyle to match, he wants nothing to do with his father's criminal world. But when a young woman is found dead in John's car, he sets out to find the killer.

Things soon get complicated. His best friend and employee, Freddy Metcalfe, is arrested for the murder. Plus a stash of counterfeit money is found in John's car, and the police seem more interested in that than in the dead girl. Then old family friend Lanny Bride turns up; one of the north's most ruthless criminals, Lanny is desperate to know who killed the girl. Meanwhile, Freddy is too scared to talk to anyone, even his lawyer.

John slowly uncovers the shocking truth about the girl's death. What he finds forces him to confront his own past, and risk destroying his future.

Set in Leeds, HOPE ROAD is a novel about deception, trust and the boundaries of good and bad. It is the first crime thriller in the John Ray / LS9 series.

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Reviews of HOPE ROAD:

I can't wait for the next book. Hope Road is a fast-paced, exciting novel. I Prefer Reading

Crime thriller fans, this novel is a must read. Jersey Girl Book Reviews

A gripping read... A fascinating study in dark and evil... The stuff of Great British grit and dark, dark humour ... Beautifully cinematic... far more cinematic than a McDermid or a Rankin.  Crimefictionlover

I loved the story, good plot and plenty of interest for the reader. Little twists and turns and an ending I did not expect. Booketta

A wonderful read which I highly recommend. [...] An engrossing story with fascinating and complex characters. The setting is wonderfully portrayed. A tremendously exciting debut and I look forward to more from John Barlow. Bravo! That Guy with the Glasses

John [Ray] is a great character. Beth Kemp

I enjoyed it tremendously. Barlow gives us a few twists and turns along the way to keep us on our feet. Not the Baseball Pitcher

A pretty gripping story. The description of the city was great too. Click's Clan

Moves along at a fast pace and carefully unfolds the story. An intriguing murder mystery from start to finish. Welcome to Tweedling

The plot was solid with a good dash of twists and turns.  The whodunit aspect was handled well and the ending was pretty satisfying. Word Vagabond
Barlow throws in plenty of twists before everything is untangled, since of course nothing in the case is exactly what it seems to be, and he spins the yarn in fast-paced, very readable prose. He also does a good job with the setting, the English city of Leeds, and made me feel like I'd been there. HOPE ROAD is a fine novel, the first in a series, and I look forward to reading the others. Rough Edges