A missing husband. Mysterious calls. And
the biggest lie of them all.
Read with caution - you may never want to answer your phone again...
Will and Amanda Thorne are living the dream until, one day, their phone rings. Within 24 hours, Will is missing and Amanda’s world is shattered.
Who was on the phone? Where has Will gone?
Amanda is determined to find her husband and is drawn into a world of drug dealers, criminal masterminds and broken promises.
As the truth becomes clearer, she has to face the terrible possibility that she may never have known her husband at all...
My review of Wrong Number
Wrong Number is the debut novel from Carys Jones, and is a
fast paced psychological thriller that held my attention throughout the entire
novel. The story begins when Amanda receives a phone call and what she believes
is a wrong number. Although she finds the conversation strange, she puts it to
the back of mind. The next day, she wakes early to find that her husband, Will,
has already left for work without kissing her goodbye, something that he always
does. She finds this strange, coupled with the fact that he has left no note,
but it is only when she tries to contact him and there is no response. that she
finally realises that he is missing. What happens next is a journey to find out
what has happened to Will, and Amanda's life is put in danger.
When I first read the blurb for this book, I was instantly drawn to the idea that one phone call could quite literally change your entire life, that it could tip it upside down, and I wanted to see how the author would deal with this scenario. I have to say that the story that blossomed from this idea is an enjoyable and plausible one. While reading we question how well we know our husband, our wife? Do we ever truly know someone, and if something did happen to them... well, how far would we go to protect that person and make them safe?
I really did enjoy this novel and in particular the character of Amanda. While reading I wasn't sure if the author had meant for her to have Asperger's syndrome, but her characteristics most definitely fall on the autistic spectrum. I liked this character, a lot. The way that she was fiercely independent and not intimidated by others, especially men. Will, for me, was very much an enigma, but of course that was how he should be. As a reader, we really don't get to know him or why he acts the way in which he does. The one character who truly stood out for me though, was Amanda's ex boyfriend, now a police detective, who joins her in her search for her missing husband. In a world where she doesn't know who she can trust, she knows that she can trust him, and I particularly liked their chemistry and dialogue.
Wrong Number, I found was hugely addictive and incredibly hard to put down. The only negative I have is that the ending seemed to be rushed and ended somewhat abruptly. This was soon made obvious by turning the last page, as there is going to be a second book, but I still would have preferred a slightly more rounded finish, perhaps with an epilogue. However, having said this, Wrong Number is an enjoyable read that will keep you gripped and entertained until the very end.
When I first read the blurb for this book, I was instantly drawn to the idea that one phone call could quite literally change your entire life, that it could tip it upside down, and I wanted to see how the author would deal with this scenario. I have to say that the story that blossomed from this idea is an enjoyable and plausible one. While reading we question how well we know our husband, our wife? Do we ever truly know someone, and if something did happen to them... well, how far would we go to protect that person and make them safe?
I really did enjoy this novel and in particular the character of Amanda. While reading I wasn't sure if the author had meant for her to have Asperger's syndrome, but her characteristics most definitely fall on the autistic spectrum. I liked this character, a lot. The way that she was fiercely independent and not intimidated by others, especially men. Will, for me, was very much an enigma, but of course that was how he should be. As a reader, we really don't get to know him or why he acts the way in which he does. The one character who truly stood out for me though, was Amanda's ex boyfriend, now a police detective, who joins her in her search for her missing husband. In a world where she doesn't know who she can trust, she knows that she can trust him, and I particularly liked their chemistry and dialogue.
Wrong Number, I found was hugely addictive and incredibly hard to put down. The only negative I have is that the ending seemed to be rushed and ended somewhat abruptly. This was soon made obvious by turning the last page, as there is going to be a second book, but I still would have preferred a slightly more rounded finish, perhaps with an epilogue. However, having said this, Wrong Number is an enjoyable read that will keep you gripped and entertained until the very end.
An exclusive extract from Wrong Number
Below is an exclusive extract from Wrong Number. Enjoy!
4
Every ten
minutes, Amanda dialled Will’s number again, clinging to the hope that this
time the call would connect. But it was never her husband who picked up. Amanda
knew the clipped monotone response by heart as it echoed in her ear: ‘The
number you dialled has been disconnected.’
She’d
heard the message so many times that she feared it had been forever ingrained
on her soul. That years, even decades from now she’d hear the objective words
as they became permanently housed in the darker recesses of her mind.
‘Come
on,’ Amanda chewed down on her thumbnail as she paced across the landing. Her
mobile phone was held to her ear in the midst of a pregnant pause during which
she crossed everything, praying that Will would answer.
Amanda
had never been someone to entertain superstitions. She’d put shoes on the
table, cross someone on the stairs and deliberately fail to acknowledge a
solitary magpie. She didn’t believe in fate. But now, as the morning started to
creep worryingly close towards the afternoon, Amanda was willing to do whatever
it took to find out where her husband was. She’d cross her fingers, never walk
beneath a ladder again and throw salt over her shoulder if she had to.
Finally,
the call was answered. But not by Will. It was the automated response again.
Dammit,’
Amanda seethed and ended the call with a blunt press of a button. Her mind was
racing as she headed downstairs.
Was
Will hurt?
Was
his phone just broken?
Was
he now at work?
Amanda
looked at her phone. She needed to call Mike. To check that Will hadn’t turned
up late for his shift and thanks to a suddenly fault phone just couldn’t
contact her.
Every
surface in the kitchen burned brightly beneath the glorious glow of sunlight
which was beaming in through the windows. Amanda reached for the percolator and
switched it on before stepping back from its loud gurgles and trembles. She
pressed her phone against her ear.
'Yeah?’
Mike gruffly answered as though he were annoyed at the distraction.
'Mike,
hi, it’s Mrs Thorn,’ Amanda tossed her hair out of her eyes and wandered over
to the French doors at the far end of the kitchen, looking out at her little
garden.
‘Oh,
Mrs Thorn,’ Mike cleared his throat and softened his tone. ‘Everything okay?’
'I,
um,’ Amanda sighed, realizing that she was about to risk sounding like a
slightly crazy person. ‘Did Will show up for work in the end?’ she blurted the
question, moving hard and fast like she was ripping off a plaster and trying to
minimize the damage caused.
Mike
paused and Amanda felt her stomach squeeze in on itself.
‘No,
he didn’t.’
Amanda
closed her eyes and leaned against the French doors for support. The heat of
the day burned against the glass.
'Is
everything all right, Mrs Thorn?’ Mike wondered kindly.
Chewing
her lip, Amanda wondered what to say.
No,
everything isn’t all right. My husband is missing, his phone isn’t working and
I’ve no idea where he’s gone.
‘I’m
fine,’ Amanda forced herself to smile as she straightened. ‘Will’s phone is
just broken so I can’t check where he is.’
‘Okay,
as long as you are all right.’
Amanda
had never met Mike. From what she’d heard about him through Will he sounded
like a decent, fair man who’d take on any new hires at the warehouse so long as
they were willing to work hard for him. He wasn’t the kind of guy to suffer
fools gladly. Amanda knew that Will’s sudden absence at work was putting his
job in jeopardy.
‘When
he does surface, tell him to give me a call, will you?’ Mike requested.
Yes,’
Amanda was nodding briskly. ‘I will.’
The
percolator ceased bubbling and rumbling just as Amanda ended her call with
Mike. She poured herself a large cup of fresh coffee and then tried Will again.
She got the same response.
Wrong
Number is out now!
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2eLIj6t
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2fVsbww
iBooks: http://apple.co/2ggjn8B
Carys Jones loves nothing more than to write and create stories which ignite the reader's imagination. Based in Shropshire, England, Carys lives with her husband, two guinea pigs and her adored canine companion Rollo.
Follow Carys over on:
Twitter: @tiny_dancer85
Facebook: @CarysJonesWriter
Instagram: tiny_dancer_8
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