
The Child Taker
Detective Alec Ramsay Series, Book 1
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Julia Farhat
-
By:
-
Conrad Jones
About this listen
A stand-alone novel based on high-profile child abductions, which have been followed by millions of concerned parents on the news. Five-year-old twins are abducted from a tent in the Lake District and the hunt for a dangerous paedophile ring begins. Police procedure follows the premise that 60% of abducted children are murdered within the first four hours of being taken. The first hour is called "The golden hour" and the longer a child is missing, the less chance there is of them being recovered unharmed. The Child Taker follows the desperate search for the missing twins.
©2008 Conrad Jones (P)2014 Conrad JonesRelated to this topic
-
The Honeymoon
- By: Jane E. James
- Narrated by: Rose Robinson, Sean Burke, Leena Makoff, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Timothy and Jonah, wealthy entrepreneurs with a spoiled son, hide sins from their past—one involving a death on a cruise, the other a crime in Bali. Nathan and Samantha, the hot ex-nanny turned trophy wife, grapple with infertility and a shocking paternity secret. Bartosz and Angelika (he’s a chef, she’s a former sex worker) carry debts to the other couples they don’t even realize they owe. Over fourteen days, the couples bond—but their pasts are too deeply intertwined to stay hidden. The sly concierge, Putu, knows more than he lets on.
-
-
Great storytelling!
- By Ashley R on 03-31-25
By: Jane E. James
-
Once Upon a Crime
- By: Brynn Kelly
- Narrated by: Chase Brown, Rebekkah Ross
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lana Fleming’s sister has vanished from the set of TV’s hottest show, and no one seems to care. Desperate for answers, Lana sneaks in as an extra, only to get stranded with Griffin Hart, an A-list action star with a reputation for good abs and bad decisions. Though Griffin didn’t expect to be cast as a librarian’s sidekick in a real-life thriller, he’s weirdly into it—and into her. Even more unsettling—she sees right through his playboy persona. But their meet-cute soon turns deadly when they uncover a Hollywood scandal for the ages.
-
-
Never a dull moment
- By Christina Clark on 03-11-25
By: Brynn Kelly
-
The Commuter
- By: James Patterson, Aaron Tracy
- Narrated by: Lizzy Caplan, Richard Schiff, Thomas Lennon, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 30 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amy Nicols (Lizzy Caplan) was an FBI agent with a dogged need to protect everyone—until that instinct caused her to mishandle a crisis, lose innocent lives, and lose her job. Now a civilian working in private security, that mistake still haunts her. One morning on the commuter train, she overhears a young couple plotting a murder. Ignoring warnings from her family and friends, Amy’s instinct to protect and serve compels her to investigate. But the further she goes, the more she finds her own life in danger.
-
-
Amazing full cast audio production and storyline
- By Jason Nichols on 03-02-25
By: James Patterson, and others
-
Eleven Numbers
- A Short Story
- By: Lee Child
- Narrated by: James Anderson Foster
- Length: 1 hr and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nathan Tyler is an unassuming professor at a middling American university with a rather obscure specialty in mathematics—in short, a nobody from nowhere. So why is the White House calling? Summoned to Washington, DC, for a top-secret briefing, Nathan discovers that he’s the key to a massive foreign intelligence breakthrough. Reading between the lines of a cryptic series of equations, he could open a door straight into the heart of the Kremlin and change the global balance of power forever.
-
-
Wonderful
- By Or on 02-02-25
By: Lee Child
-
Verity
- By: Colleen Hoover
- Narrated by: Vanessa Johansson, Amy Landon
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of best-selling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read.
-
-
intriguing but skip if triggered by child abuse
- By Amazon Customer on 05-16-19
By: Colleen Hoover
-
Too Late
- Definitive Edition
- By: Colleen Hoover
- Narrated by: Ryan Gray, Maxine Mitchell, Joe Arden
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sloan will go through hell and back for those she loves. And she does so, every single day. Caught up with the alluring Asa Jackson, a notorious drug trafficker, Sloan has finally found a lifeline to cling to, even if it’s meant compromising her morals. She was in dire straits trying to pay for her brother’s care until she met Asa. But as Sloan became emotionally and economically reliant on him, he in turn developed a disturbing obsession with her—one that becomes increasingly dangerous every day.
-
-
Triggering and poor narration
- By Katherine Epperson on 07-11-23
By: Colleen Hoover
-
The Honeymoon
- By: Jane E. James
- Narrated by: Rose Robinson, Sean Burke, Leena Makoff, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Timothy and Jonah, wealthy entrepreneurs with a spoiled son, hide sins from their past—one involving a death on a cruise, the other a crime in Bali. Nathan and Samantha, the hot ex-nanny turned trophy wife, grapple with infertility and a shocking paternity secret. Bartosz and Angelika (he’s a chef, she’s a former sex worker) carry debts to the other couples they don’t even realize they owe. Over fourteen days, the couples bond—but their pasts are too deeply intertwined to stay hidden. The sly concierge, Putu, knows more than he lets on.
-
-
Great storytelling!
- By Ashley R on 03-31-25
By: Jane E. James
-
Once Upon a Crime
- By: Brynn Kelly
- Narrated by: Chase Brown, Rebekkah Ross
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lana Fleming’s sister has vanished from the set of TV’s hottest show, and no one seems to care. Desperate for answers, Lana sneaks in as an extra, only to get stranded with Griffin Hart, an A-list action star with a reputation for good abs and bad decisions. Though Griffin didn’t expect to be cast as a librarian’s sidekick in a real-life thriller, he’s weirdly into it—and into her. Even more unsettling—she sees right through his playboy persona. But their meet-cute soon turns deadly when they uncover a Hollywood scandal for the ages.
-
-
Never a dull moment
- By Christina Clark on 03-11-25
By: Brynn Kelly
-
The Commuter
- By: James Patterson, Aaron Tracy
- Narrated by: Lizzy Caplan, Richard Schiff, Thomas Lennon, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 30 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amy Nicols (Lizzy Caplan) was an FBI agent with a dogged need to protect everyone—until that instinct caused her to mishandle a crisis, lose innocent lives, and lose her job. Now a civilian working in private security, that mistake still haunts her. One morning on the commuter train, she overhears a young couple plotting a murder. Ignoring warnings from her family and friends, Amy’s instinct to protect and serve compels her to investigate. But the further she goes, the more she finds her own life in danger.
-
-
Amazing full cast audio production and storyline
- By Jason Nichols on 03-02-25
By: James Patterson, and others
-
Eleven Numbers
- A Short Story
- By: Lee Child
- Narrated by: James Anderson Foster
- Length: 1 hr and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nathan Tyler is an unassuming professor at a middling American university with a rather obscure specialty in mathematics—in short, a nobody from nowhere. So why is the White House calling? Summoned to Washington, DC, for a top-secret briefing, Nathan discovers that he’s the key to a massive foreign intelligence breakthrough. Reading between the lines of a cryptic series of equations, he could open a door straight into the heart of the Kremlin and change the global balance of power forever.
-
-
Wonderful
- By Or on 02-02-25
By: Lee Child
-
Verity
- By: Colleen Hoover
- Narrated by: Vanessa Johansson, Amy Landon
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of best-selling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read.
-
-
intriguing but skip if triggered by child abuse
- By Amazon Customer on 05-16-19
By: Colleen Hoover
-
Too Late
- Definitive Edition
- By: Colleen Hoover
- Narrated by: Ryan Gray, Maxine Mitchell, Joe Arden
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sloan will go through hell and back for those she loves. And she does so, every single day. Caught up with the alluring Asa Jackson, a notorious drug trafficker, Sloan has finally found a lifeline to cling to, even if it’s meant compromising her morals. She was in dire straits trying to pay for her brother’s care until she met Asa. But as Sloan became emotionally and economically reliant on him, he in turn developed a disturbing obsession with her—one that becomes increasingly dangerous every day.
-
-
Triggering and poor narration
- By Katherine Epperson on 07-11-23
By: Colleen Hoover
-
George Orwell’s 1984
- An Audible Original adaptation
- By: George Orwell, Joe White - adaptation
- Narrated by: Andrew Garfield, Cynthia Erivo, Andrew Scott, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s 1984, and life has changed beyond recognition. Airstrip One, formerly known as Great Britain, is a place where Big Brother is always watching, and nobody can hide. Except, perhaps, for Winston Smith. Whilst working at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history, he secretly dreams of freedom. And in a world where love and sex are forbidden, where it’s hard to distinguish between friend and foe, he meets Julia and O’Brien and vows to rebel.
-
-
A Revelation!
- By wotsallthisthen on 04-07-24
By: George Orwell, and others
-
Artemis
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Rosario Dawson
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jazz Bashara is a criminal. Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you've got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent. Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down.
-
-
A ferrari with no motor
- By will on 11-18-17
By: Andy Weir
-
The Ex
- By: Freida McFadden
- Narrated by: Nicol Zanzarella
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cassie thinks she has met the perfect man. Joel is sweet, handsome, romantic, and best of all, he’s crazy about Cassie. She thinks she’s found the guy she’ll spend the rest of her life with. Have children with. Grow old with. Yes, she knows about his perfect ex-girlfriend, Francesca. The beautiful, brilliant chef, beloved by all his friends. But she thinks Francesca is out of the picture. She thinks Francesca is gone for good. Think again, Cassie.
-
-
Too bizarre for someone who loves bizarre
- By G. C. Webster on 07-01-22
By: Freida McFadden
-
Do You Remember?
- By: Freida McFadden
- Narrated by: Teri Schnaubelt
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tess Strebel can’t recognize her own face. She can’t recognize her home. Her bedroom is unfamiliar. And she can’t remember the handsome stranger lying next to her in bed. A stranger who claims he’s her husband. Tess reads a letter in her own handwriting, composed during a rare lucid day, explaining her life as it now exists: she was in a terrible car accident one year ago. Every morning, she wakes up unable to remember most of the last decade. Including her own wedding.
-
-
One of the better ones
- By cotswoldrose on 10-13-24
By: Freida McFadden
-
Sherlock Holmes: The Definitive Collection
- By: Arthur Conan Doyle, Stephen Fry - introductions
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 71 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since he made his first appearance in A Study In Scarlet, Sherlock Holmes has enthralled and delighted millions of fans throughout the world. Now Audible is proud to present Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, read by Stephen Fry. A lifelong fan of Doyle's detective fiction, Fry has narrated the definitive collection of Sherlock Holmes - four novels and four collections of short stories. And, exclusively for Audible, Stephen has written and narrated eight insightful introductions, one for each title.
-
-
Chapter Guide!
- By Katya Rice on 05-25-18
By: Arthur Conan Doyle, and others
-
Say No More
- By: Caroline Overington
- Narrated by: Anna Skellern
- Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Who is Audrey Hoedemaker? It's a question her sister Maureen has heard more times than she can count, and she doesn't know what the short answer would be. Little sister, troubled teen, backpacker, musical theatre coach, con artist, childcare worker. Murderer. A tragic, traumatic childhood casts a long shadow on the Hoedemaker sisters. Maureen has worked hard to move beyond the violence of the past and build a good, honest life for herself. Audrey, however, just can't seem to do the same, careening from one state of chaos to another.
-
-
Seriously, that was the ending?
- By alicia in athens on 02-13-25
What listeners say about The Child Taker
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- helen
- 07-11-14
Chilling!
I was hesitant at first when listening to the beginning of the novel and its subject matter, however Conrad Jones really does know how to write a gripping tale that has you asking questions and pointing fingers all the way round.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 🐈 nospin 🐈
- 04-01-15
Well done British Action Thriller
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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Victoria Schwimley
- 04-08-15
Thrilling Read
Would you listen to The Child Taker again? Why?
No. Just because there are too many books I still need to read
Who was your favorite character and why?
Tank. He's tough but compassionate for good.
Have you listened to any of Julia Farhat’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
First time listening
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, but life called so I couldn't. I had responsibilities to fulfill.
Any additional comments?
I don’t often give a book five stars, but I couldn’t give anything less in this gripping, thrilling novel. Conrad Jones weaves a tale so sinister and attention grabbing that it chills me to the bone.
The Child Taker is John, who, as the name implies, takes children to sale them. He’s messed with the wrong crowd, however, when double crosses a ruthless pedophile ring Lord and also when he takes the grandchildren of a powerful military officer.
The story has plenty of villains with a competent staff of heroes to balance them out. My personal favorite is Tank. I hope we see more of him in future stories. You think the story might be predictable, but be prepared for the twist the story takes.
The narrator, Julia Farhat, does an outstanding job and handles the difficult task of capturing the various characters superbly.
My only negative feel thought is that this is supposed to be the Alec Ramsey series, but he was hardly in the story. That confused me.
I do not hesitate to recommend this book. There’s a lot of violence, though, so beware. Also the subject matter of the pedophile ring is a giant tug on the heart.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- trixie
- 02-09-15
The Child Taker
Any additional comments?
This is one of the best thrillers audiobook I have lisen to. It's well written, and the characters well developed. It's a real suspense with an unexpected twist to finish. I look forward to listening more of Conrad Jones's work
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jo Reason
- 08-23-19
Not the best narration
At first if was a little slow, and I will admit, the narration was poor, not the worst I have ever listened to but not really good, I will give this book a three star review due to the narration, but probably it would have four stars if I had read it. This is a book with some very emotional content, and there are parts with some graphic details of violence so beware those with a weak stomach. And the ending was a little sudden.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- trish
- 05-13-15
Twists and turns, though went in many directions
Is there anything you would change about this book?
The Child Taker is takes us back to the familiar overused horror story--darling children are taken from the adoring wife and absentee, uncaring father. Along the way we discover a myriad of characters and wonder who the kidnapper is.
What was most disappointing about Conrad Jones’s story?
Once I figured out the connection and significance of the subplot actually involved in the kidnapping, the story got better. But I almost moved on because the relationship subplot was wearing me down with vulgar language and cliches.
Which scene was your favorite?
I liked the ending.
Did The Child Taker inspire you to do anything?
It inspired me to not write subplots with cliched relationships.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kindle Customer
- 09-28-19
Scary, but probably realistic
This book is way outside my comfort zone. Books about children coming to harm make me sad and scared.
While it was hard to listen to at times, the story moves along quickly. I thought I knew how it would end, but was surprised. You will be on the edge of your seat, you will be shocked at points, you will be sad, and you will be disgusted at times.
I really liked that the bad guys didn't always lose. It's unrealistic when the good guy always win.
There are triggers for anyone who has lived through trauma. Rape, child molestation, porn, sex trafficking. Big themes. But unfortunately, these things happen every day.
I was so impressed with the narrator! fantastic!! I would listen to any book she narrates.
I was given a free copy in exchange for my honest review.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kindle Customer
- 09-10-19
The dark side of humanity!
This is not a book for the faint hearted. It takes a hard, ugly look at the sex trade and more specifically, child sex. I personally, cannot fathom that a world like this can exist.
I didn’t give this a 5 star because I really don’t like so much swearing and to be honest, I also don’t like all graphic word pictures of this kind of abuse. I know this book is about exposing this world, so it needed both to hit home. This is just a personal preference for me.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!