Warrington-based crime writer Conrad Jones has built a formidable reputation for unflinching storytelling — but it is his four-part series, Cuckoos On The Mersey, that has struck a particularly powerful chord with readers. Having just published his fourth book in the series, he has achieved yet another No.1 Bestseller on Amazon.
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Set in Liverpool, primarily in the suburb of Huyton, the novels plunge deep into the murky underworld of Merseyside’s drug trade, exposing the brutal reality of “cuckooing” — a chilling practice in which drug gangs exploit vulnerable people by taking over their homes to store and sell narcotics. Often linked to County Lines operations, this form of criminal exploitation has become a growing scourge across the UK.
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Although the series is fictional, its foundations are disturbingly real. Conrad draws on first-hand insight into social services through his partner and a close friend, both of whom work on the frontline. Their experiences have informed the raw authenticity that pulses through the pages of the novels.
The story is told through the eyes of Jo Lilley, a fictional social services worker whose job places her directly in the path of Merseyside’s most harrowing cases. Through Jo’s perspective, readers witness the emotional toll on professionals fighting to protect children and vulnerable adults from exploitation, addiction and violence.
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Across the four books, the series tackles multiple cases, each shining a light on the human cost of organised crime:
- A young boy lured into addiction through ketamine, groomed into working for drug dealers.
- A teenage girl shot on her way to school — collateral damage in gang warfare.
- A young mother trapped in drug dependency, her home seized by criminals.
- Countless other victims caught in the destructive grip of cuckooing.
The novels are described as gritty, hard-hitting and “not for the faint-hearted.” Jones does not sanitise the violence or the emotional devastation left in its wake. Instead, he confronts it head-on, exposing how easily young lives can be indoctrinated into gang culture — and how difficult it is for authorities to pull them back.
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Soon to turn 60, Conrad Jones is widely regarded as one of the UK’s leading crime fiction writers. With 37 books published to date, he has amassed more than 200 million page reads on Amazon. He is ranked as a Top 20 All Star author and sits within the Top 4% of his genre on the platform.
All four books in the Cuckoos On The Mersey series have achieved Amazon bestseller status, selling tens of thousands of copies and gaining particular traction among crime fiction enthusiasts who appreciate realism over romanticism.
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Beyond the suspense and drama, the series serves a broader purpose: awareness. By spotlighting cuckooing and County Lines exploitation, Jones sheds light on a crisis that often unfolds behind closed doors in ordinary streets.
Conrad explains: “These novels are definitely not for the faint hearted. Whilst they are fictional, the stories in them are based on real life lived experience. As such, they are raw, brutal and harrowing. But they need to be. As storytellers we need to tell the truth and also invoke strong feeling and emotion from the reader. Through this series I aim shock people but again, that is what’s needed to expose this scourge.”
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Thanks to Conrad’s prolific endeavours and candid storytelling, Cuckoos On The Mersey stands as more than just crime fiction. It is a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities within communities — and of the tireless efforts of child protection units and social workers who work daily to shield children from the dark pull of organised crime.
Cuckoos On The Mersey / Conrad Jones
