Listen free for 30 days
-
Their Lost Daughters
- Audible's breakthrough crime author of 2018
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage
- Series: Jackman & Evans (Published Order), Book 2, Jackman & Evans (Recommended Listening Order), Book 1
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Women's Fiction
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a free trial
Buy Now for £18.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listen to clips from the audiobook




Watch our exclusive trailer
Their Lost Daughters has been hailed as “the next big thing in crime fiction” by Digital Spy. Step into this dark and menacing world with Richard Armitage.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Fourth Friend
- A Jackman and Evans Thriller
- By: Joy Ellis
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage
- Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Crimebusting duo DI Jackman and DS Evans are back, solving another crime that will make your skin crawl. Police detective Carter McLean is the only survivor of a plane crash that kills his four best friends. He returns to work, but he is left full of guilt and terrible flashbacks. So for each of his four friends he decides to complete something that they left unfinished....
-
-
A non stop thrilling ride
- By Mr. John A. Blanchard on 21-12-18
-
Beware the Past
- By: Joy Ellis
- Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
- Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Matt Ballard was starting out his career, three boys were murdered in the same area, the remote and bleak Gibbet Fen. When the main suspect was killed in a hit-and-run, the killings stopped. But Matt was not satisfied that the real murderer had been caught. Over 25 years later, Matt gets a photo in an unmarked envelope. It's of the Gibbet Fen crime scene. And the picture was taken before the murder took place. More photos arrive, relating to the historic murders, as well as intimate pictures of Matt's very secret private life.
-
-
Good story, less good reading.
- By Anna on 27-09-18
-
Crime on the Fens
- DI Nikki Galena, Book 1
- By: Joy Ellis
- Narrated by: Henrietta Meire
- Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
DI Nikki Galena: A police detective with nothing left to lose, she's seen a girl die in her arms, and her daughter will never leave the hospital again. She's gotten tough on the criminals she believes did this to her. Too tough. And now she's been given one final warning: make it work with her new sergeant, DS Joseph Easter, or she's out.
-
-
poor narrator
- By Diane Walmsley on 28-12-18
-
A Litter of Bones: A Scottish Crime Thriller
- DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, Book 1
- By: JD Kirk
- Narrated by: Angus King
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Was the biggest case of his career the worst mistake he ever made? Ten years ago, DCI Jack Logan stopped the serial child-killer dubbed "Mister Whisper", earning himself a commendation, a drinking problem, and a broken marriage in the process...When another child disappears a hundred miles north in the Highlands, Jack is sent to lead the investigation and bring the boy home. But as similarities between the two cases grow, could it be that Jack caught the wrong man all those years ago?
-
-
Brilliant unless you're a lover of cats!
- By Mrs D J Fraser on 13-08-19
-
The Woodcutter
- By: Reginald Hill
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 16 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wolf Hadda's life was a fairytale - successful businessman and adored husband. But a knock on the door one morning ends it all. Universally reviled, thrown into prison, Wolf retreats into silence. Seven years later Wolf begins to talk to the prison psychiatrist and receives parole to return home. But there's a mysterious period in Wolf's past when he was known as the Woodcutter. Now the Woodcutter is back, looking for truth and revenge...
-
-
The Woodcutter
- By jackie Hammond on 23-05-11
-
Guide Star
- A Gripping and Emotional Roller-Coaster of a Novel About Love, Life, and Not Giving Up
- By: Joy Ellis
- Narrated by: Shiromi Arserio
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stella North, a rising star in the police, has her life torn apart by a gunman's bullets. She has often faced danger, but these injuries mean she must give up the job she loves. Her grandmother Beth is her rock. And Beth is no ordinary woman. At 70, she runs marathons and has a past that Stella knows very little about. Beth calls in her friend, Michael, to help with Stella's recovery. But this man means a lot more to Beth than she reveals. And Stella's ex-husband, Edward, and old police partner, Robbie, want to help, but Stella puts up emotional barriers.
-
-
An addictive story
- By Jill on 02-03-20
-
The Fourth Friend
- A Jackman and Evans Thriller
- By: Joy Ellis
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage
- Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Crimebusting duo DI Jackman and DS Evans are back, solving another crime that will make your skin crawl. Police detective Carter McLean is the only survivor of a plane crash that kills his four best friends. He returns to work, but he is left full of guilt and terrible flashbacks. So for each of his four friends he decides to complete something that they left unfinished....
-
-
A non stop thrilling ride
- By Mr. John A. Blanchard on 21-12-18
-
Beware the Past
- By: Joy Ellis
- Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
- Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Matt Ballard was starting out his career, three boys were murdered in the same area, the remote and bleak Gibbet Fen. When the main suspect was killed in a hit-and-run, the killings stopped. But Matt was not satisfied that the real murderer had been caught. Over 25 years later, Matt gets a photo in an unmarked envelope. It's of the Gibbet Fen crime scene. And the picture was taken before the murder took place. More photos arrive, relating to the historic murders, as well as intimate pictures of Matt's very secret private life.
-
-
Good story, less good reading.
- By Anna on 27-09-18
-
Crime on the Fens
- DI Nikki Galena, Book 1
- By: Joy Ellis
- Narrated by: Henrietta Meire
- Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
DI Nikki Galena: A police detective with nothing left to lose, she's seen a girl die in her arms, and her daughter will never leave the hospital again. She's gotten tough on the criminals she believes did this to her. Too tough. And now she's been given one final warning: make it work with her new sergeant, DS Joseph Easter, or she's out.
-
-
poor narrator
- By Diane Walmsley on 28-12-18
-
A Litter of Bones: A Scottish Crime Thriller
- DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, Book 1
- By: JD Kirk
- Narrated by: Angus King
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Was the biggest case of his career the worst mistake he ever made? Ten years ago, DCI Jack Logan stopped the serial child-killer dubbed "Mister Whisper", earning himself a commendation, a drinking problem, and a broken marriage in the process...When another child disappears a hundred miles north in the Highlands, Jack is sent to lead the investigation and bring the boy home. But as similarities between the two cases grow, could it be that Jack caught the wrong man all those years ago?
-
-
Brilliant unless you're a lover of cats!
- By Mrs D J Fraser on 13-08-19
-
The Woodcutter
- By: Reginald Hill
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 16 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wolf Hadda's life was a fairytale - successful businessman and adored husband. But a knock on the door one morning ends it all. Universally reviled, thrown into prison, Wolf retreats into silence. Seven years later Wolf begins to talk to the prison psychiatrist and receives parole to return home. But there's a mysterious period in Wolf's past when he was known as the Woodcutter. Now the Woodcutter is back, looking for truth and revenge...
-
-
The Woodcutter
- By jackie Hammond on 23-05-11
-
Guide Star
- A Gripping and Emotional Roller-Coaster of a Novel About Love, Life, and Not Giving Up
- By: Joy Ellis
- Narrated by: Shiromi Arserio
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stella North, a rising star in the police, has her life torn apart by a gunman's bullets. She has often faced danger, but these injuries mean she must give up the job she loves. Her grandmother Beth is her rock. And Beth is no ordinary woman. At 70, she runs marathons and has a past that Stella knows very little about. Beth calls in her friend, Michael, to help with Stella's recovery. But this man means a lot more to Beth than she reveals. And Stella's ex-husband, Edward, and old police partner, Robbie, want to help, but Stella puts up emotional barriers.
-
-
An addictive story
- By Jill on 02-03-20
-
The Infirmary
- By: LJ Ross
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There's a serial killer targeting the streets of Newcastle, seemingly picking his victims at random but subjecting them all to the same torturous end. When the chief inspector on the case goes missing, it falls on DCI Ryan to track down the man who is brutally murdering women and goading the police to 'catch me if you can'. As everyone becomes a suspect, Ryan and his team get drawn further and further into the case, but for Ryan the nightmare gets closer to home than he could ever have imagined.
-
-
A gruesome prequel.
- By Eleanor on 16-06-19
-
Northwind
- Robert Hoon Thrillers, Book 1
- By: JD Kirk
- Narrated by: Angus King
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Former soldier. Ex-copper. Current man on the edge. Shunned by his old colleagues, and dividing his time between a dead-end job and the bottom of a whisky bottle, former Police Scotland detective superintendent Bob Hoon’s life is a mess. Then an old face from Hoon’s Special Forces days turns up asking for help: His teenage daughter has been missing for months, the police have drawn a blank, and he needs the kind of help that only Hoon can provide. And besides, Hoon owes him one.
-
-
Hoon is a hoot! I'm no kidding
- By Darkangel on 19-10-21
-
Silent Child
- Silent Child, Book 1
- By: Sarah A. Denzil
- Narrated by: Joanne Froggatt
- Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Introducing Audible's Thriller of the Year: Silent Child by Sarah A. Denzil, performed by Joanne Froggatt. In the summer of 2006, Emma Price watched helplessly as her six-year-old son's red coat was fished out of the River Ouse. It was the tragic story of the year - a little boy, Aiden, wandered away from school during a terrible flood, fell into the river, and drowned. His body was never recovered. Ten years later Emma has finally rediscovered the joy in life...until Aiden returns.
-
-
Couldn't put it down
- By Dee on 06-10-17
-
The Body in the Marsh
- DCI Craig Gillard, Book 1
- By: Nick Louth
- Narrated by: Marston York
- Length: 12 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Criminologist Martin Knight lives a gilded life and is a thorn in the side of the police. But then his wife, Liz, goes missing. There is no good explanation and no sign of Martin.... To make things worse, Liz is the ex-girlfriend of DCI Craig Gillard who is drawn into the investigation. Is it just a missing person or something worse? And what relevance do the events around the shocking Girl F case, so taken up by Knight, have to do with the present? The truth is darker than you could ever have imagined.
-
-
Tired old tropes.
- By K on 18-09-20
-
Bad to the Bone
- DI Bliss, Book 1
- By: Tony J. Forder
- Narrated by: Greg Wagland
- Length: 12 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A skeletal body is unearthed in a wooded area of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. DI James Bliss, together with DC Penny Chandler, investigates the case and discovers that the young female victim had been relocated from her original burial site. A witness is convinced that a young female was struck by a vehicle back in the summer of 1990 and that police attended the scene. However, no record exists of either the accident or the reported victim. As the case develops, two retired police officers are murdered.
-
-
Great start to a series
- By SandraL on 23-06-20
-
Broadland
- British Detective Tanner Murder Mystery Series, Book 1
- By: David Blake
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 6 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a girl’s body is found strangled, raped, and horrifically mutilated by a boat’s propeller, deep in the heart of the Norfolk Broads, newly arrived Detective Inspector John Tanner is asked to assist with the investigation. At first, all the evidence points to a man who had a multi-million-pound reason to kill her. But when an alibi is produced from an unexpected source, and another body appears at the base of a slipway, Tanner finds himself turning to local girl Detective Constable Jenny Evans for help.
-
-
Broadland
- By Daisy on 13-09-19
-
Dark Is the Grave
- DCI Bone Scottish Crime Thrillers, Book 1
- By: T. G. Reid
- Narrated by: Steve Worsley
- Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the chief suspect in the notorious "peekaboo cop killer" case blew himself up, almost taking lead investigator DCI Duncan Bone with him, the psychologically damaged detective thought his days on the force were over. But, when another PC is abducted and murdered in the same deranged peekaboo fashion, Bone is persuaded to return to lead the new investigation.
-
-
Loved it
- By Lindsay on 02-03-22
-
The Hidden Girl
- By: Louise Millar
- Narrated by: Clare Corbett
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hannah Riley and her musician husband, Will, hope that a move to the Suffolk countryside will promise a fresh start. Hannah, a human rights worker, is desperate for a child and she hopes that this new life will realise her dream. Yet when the snow comes, Will is working in London and Hannah is cut off in their remote village. Life in Tornley turns out to be far from idyllic: Who are the threatening figures who lurk near their property at night? And why is her neighbour so keen to see them leave?
-
-
Loved it from start to finish
- By Kim Larrad-Tye on 01-06-14
-
False Lights
- By: Gillian E. Hamer
- Narrated by: Tim Dalgleish
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An elderly woman is burnt to death in the remote hamlet of Silver Bay. A young woman dies of an overdose on a notorious Holyhead estate. A drugs war is about to explode. Somebody knows but no one is talking. Kelly Morgan has a social conscience and a pile of regrets. She wants to help but knows she'll never manage it alone. Her boss, Amanda Gold, cannot allow anything - not her divorce nor her daughter nor her affair with the boss - to cloud her thinking.
-
-
Great story, kept me guessing, interesting characters
- By Lucy on 20-03-19
-
SEALs of Honor: Mason
- By: Dale Mayer
- Narrated by: Tristan Wright
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a dangerous profession where it's kill or be killed, Mason undertakes the dirty jobs others would rather not do - and invariably don't possess the skills he does to get done right. While on an assignment, he's single-minded in his dedication and focus. When he's not, this warrior plays as hard as he fights. The last thing he anticipates is meeting the one woman he wants but can't have...and equally can't forget.
-
-
Short and sweet
- By TheNameless on 24-09-19
-
The Cold Dish: International Edition
- Longmire Mysteries, Book 1
- By: Craig Johnson
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Award-winning author Craig Johnson's critically acclaimed debut Western mystery takes listeners to the breathtaking mountains of Wyoming for a tale of cold-blooded vengeance. Two years earlier, four high school boys were given suspended sentences for raping a Cheyenne girl. Now, two of the boys have been killed, and only Sheriff Walt Longmire can keep the other two safe.
-
-
Absolutely a new classic
- By Thrillers&morethrillers on 30-03-21
-
When You Find Me
- By: P. J. Vernon
- Narrated by: Amy McFadden, Bahni Turpin
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Visiting her family's South Carolina estate, socialite Gray Godfrey wakes from a night out to an empty bed. Her husband, Paul, is gone, and a thrashing hangover has wiped her memory clean. At first, she's relieved for the break from her tumultuous marriage; perhaps Paul just needed some space. But when his car is found abandoned on the highway, Gray must face the truth: Paul is gone. And Gray may not want him found. Her life is unraveling. When a stranger named Annie calls claiming to know Paul's whereabouts, Gray reluctantly accepts her help.
-
-
Gripping
- By Yvonne Bailey on 29-01-22

And Joy Ellis, the book's author
Joy Ellis started her career as a flower seller in Mayfair in the 1960s, before going on to open her own florist in Surrey. When the recession hit, Joy had a career change and became a bookseller, and attended a writing course in Greece where she was mentored by Sue Townsend. She now lives in the Fens with her partner Jacqueline, where the flatlands and marshes provide inspiration for her eerie plotlines.

Introducing Richard Armitage, our star narrator
Richard is well-known for his array of film, television and theatre work, including The Hobbit, Spooks and The Crucible. His trademark baritone voice has earned him recognition, too, through his performance on many notable audiobooks as well as in TV and radio show narration. This experience shines through in Armitage's gripping performance of the Jackman and Evans series where he plays host to a plethora of characters.
Summary
Introducing Audible Exclusive Their Lost Daughters, the first in the Jackman and Evans crime series, written by Joy Ellis, Audible's breakthrough crime author of 2018.
Deep in the muddy fields of the Lincolnshire Fens, a teenage girl is found wandering, delirious, claiming to have been drugged at a party. Metres away, the drowned body of another girl is found on an isolated beach. And all this on a small stretch of land where, nearly 10 years ago, the shocking disappearance of a young girl remains an open case.
For DI Rowan Jackman and DS Marie Evans, the pressure is on to bring the perpetrators of these shocking crimes to justice. Are the crimes linked? Who are these young girls? And what on earth is going on under the green and pastured land of the Lincolnshire Fens?
An Amazon Kindle number one best seller, Their Lost Daughters by Joy Ellis is performed by the incredible Richard Armitage (The Hobbit) and available exclusively at Audible. Be prepared for your pulse to rise and your nights to be disturbed as our breakthrough crime author of 2018 weaves her dark web of mystery. Perfect for fans of Sarah A. Denzil, LJ Ross and Denzil Meyrick.
About the author
Joy Ellis is not your ordinary newcomer to crime fiction. She started work in the 1960s as an apprentice florist in Covent Garden before opening her own flower shop in Lincolnshire. Later in life, she began to consider a career change towards crime writing and attended a workshop in Greece led by Sue Townsend, author of Adrian Mole. Ellis has now left the flowers behind and dedicates her life to writing gritty crime thrillers set in the Fens, where she lives with her police officer partner.
About the narrator
Richard Armitage is a British actor known for his vast array of film, television and theatre work, including The Hobbit, Spooks and The Crucible. His trademark baritone voice has earned him recognition, too, through his performance on many notable audiobooks as well as in TV and radio show narration.
His audiobook credits include The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde featured in The Monster Collection, David Copperfield, and Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber, and this experience shines through in Armitage's gripping performance of Their Lost Daughters.
Meet Joy Ellis
We travelled to the Lincolnshire Fens, the home of Joy Ellis and the setting of the Jackman and Evans series, to find out more.Critic reviews
"If you’re a crime fiction fanatic, Their Lost Daughters could well be your next obsession." (Digital Spy)
More from the same
What listeners say about Their Lost Daughters
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mr Chops
- 07-01-19
The best audio book of 2018?????
Some hints for DCI Jackman since he clearly needs help: if someone is attractive and constantly tired they are a good guy, conversely if they are ugly and not well liked, arrest them immediately since they are definitely baddies.
Can’t wait for the big reveal to find out Jackman affords his million pound windmill and house maid on a £50,000 salary. Possibly taking bribes or re selling confiscated smack.
31 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Victoria
- 10-12-18
Richard Armitage can’t save this one
I have NO idea what the hype is about this one.
Richard Armitage’s performance is good but the writing is SHOCKING - it is like a check list of lazy thriller cliches stacked one on top of the other. And once she’s come across a phrase she’s proud of, she really likes to get her money’s worth out of it (if she used “saline liquid” in place of “tears” once then she used it a dozen times)
I found myself actually wincing and shouting as she stamped through one cliche after another.
If it is later revealed that this was written by an algorithm, I will be found on the nearest rooftop screaming “I TOLD YOU SO!!!”
Possibly the worst thing I’ve listened to on audible (and my library has 400+ finished titles in it - I think I’ve returned only 4 titles out of all of those and this was one of them) I kept going purely because of Richard Armitage and all the hype it had received - I kept waiting for it to get better. Take my word for it; it doesn’t get better.
Do. Not. Buy.
38 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lee
- 22-04-19
Over hyped and pure drudgery
Oh dear! I bought this on the hype from Audible and as a recommendation. What a waste of my time.
It’s cliquish, amateurish and boring, boring, boring... no surprises no suspense and slow.
I have to say though the narration was marvellous. Richard Armitage is an excellent narrator.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amy
- 03-12-18
excellent!
Loved this book. The storyline is gripping from start to finish and the characters are brilliantly crafted. The performance was very good. I'm downloading book 2 as I type this review ...
I'd strongly recommend to anyone who enjoys crime fiction.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Raven Stone
- 25-07-18
Great narration. Poor story
Richard Armitage could read the telephone directory and make it sound good. Which helped a lot with this story. The characters came from his performance, and it must have been hard work because the writing didn't give him much to work with.
The story itself is mundane, boring, and predictable. Two dimensional characters, massive plot holes, and parts that actually defy all logic and reason. The truly awful complaining about PACE was a particularly low point.
There was a lot of hype with this, and perhaps that coloured expectation somewhat, but in truth, I'm not at all sure about the next two instalments. Then again, it is Richard Armitage...
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Marie Murphy
- 21-06-18
wow, was this overhyped
I feel a bit stupid for falling for the hype but hey life is for discovering new stuff and sometimes you get gold. not in this case though.
theres nothing in this book to justify the big hype it got.
its a reasonably mundane detective drama, pretty slow paced, the detective and sidekick pretty unmemorable.
Nothing like a Rebus or a Wallander.
Sorry Author but I just cant understand why audblie hyped this particular book - unless it was to test if they could push sales of their middle of the road material.
76 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- DartmoorDiva
- 09-09-18
Very disappointing
I fell for the Audible hype and bought this. It’s really very pedestrian and second rate. The most ludicrous plot that gets increasingly bizarre as the book trundles laboriously on. Boring, one-dimensional characters, very average writing and, the final nail in the coffin, not particularly well read either. People in this fenland area all sound as if they come from up north! Welsh accents wandered in and out characters seemed to deliver their lines at the same pitch and tempo regardless of whether they were meant to be whispering or shouting et cetera. Compared to writers like Ian Rankin or Anne Cleaves this is really a very poor effort.
87 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Simon
- 14-06-18
Smokin' Start to a New Series!
I often hate it when books get quite such a push as this one has because once you've listened to the interviews, seen the short trailers and read the background expectations are so high the result is often disappointment. As a result I don't doubt that this one will get some negative reviews as a result. Personally though I think it deserves most if not all of the hype. I took to Jackson and Evans from the off! They make a great pair and they are thrown into a twisty and evil-mannered plot that's enough to make your hair not only stand on end but get up, pack its bags and leave! Well, that's my excuse anyhow.
The devious mind that came up with all of this could surely not belong to the mild-mannered, highly approachable Joy Ellis in the Audible interviews! Well, somehow it is; they say you need to watch the quiet ones. Of course an audiobook only reaches the top levels when the partnership between author and narrator has genuine chemistry. Again, there's no doubt about that here. Armitage is of course a bit of a celeb but he's full of character and charm and their is clearly a glowing mutual respect between him and Ellis. His performance is assured and full of character-driven depth.
The odd thing is that Audible seem to be billing volume 2 of the printed series as volume 1 of the audio version and vice-versa. Presumably they felt this one had the biggest wow factor and in truth the next one in the series which I have already pre-ordered will have to go some distance to beat this one. The obvious concern is that the missing back story from the original volume will detract from the enjoyment of this one but although it is hinted at I don't think you'd notice unless you already knew.
I'll not say it was a 100% perfect. Some of the police procedure felt a little weak to me, an undercover operation in the first half of the book felt poorly thought out and I am sure would have caused much more considerable consternation than the story indicated. Occasionally parts of the dialogue did seem a little stilted to me. These are very minor things though and I have no qualms at all in recommending this one to those strong-stomached individuals who like an edgy and creepy police thriller.
96 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 05-09-18
thoroughly disappointing
I purchased this, following what seemed to be a pretty big launch including TV adverts and a fair amount of emails and within the first hour I was already regretting it. It is like a paint by numbers approach to a detective story. The plot line is thin, but worse is the dialogue. I found myself cringing at how the characters were supposed to be conversing. I would not be recommending this book to anyone.
50 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tom
- 30-10-18
Wooden dialogue & thin characters
The story itself is ok, albeit not that shocking. It all felt a little too neat (and far-fetched) at the end.
However, what really lets this down is the dialogue, which is so dry and full of exposition that I felt sorry for Richard Armitage having to make it sound natural (which even he struggled to do).
As a result, the characters are hard to empathise with and unmemorable.
I will not be rushing to get the next titles.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Lia
- 14-02-19
Really Good
This is my first foray into Joy Ellis territory and I must admit that THEIR LOST DAUGHTERS is a novel that demonstrates her ability to provide character rich and atmospheric crime fiction that places her reader smack in the center of the action.
Set in and around the Lincolnshire fens (an area in England that sounds amazingly like the Louisiana/Mississippi River delta in the United States) DAUGHTERS is a chilling book filled with unusual plot twists and deception that literally compels you to keep reading.
Featuring the overworked team of officers of the Fenland police department and their simultaneous investigation of two different cases, there are as many story lines and personalities at work here as the threads in a fine tapestry. Evil abounds in this tale and revealing even a portion of the story line might reduce the enjoyment of potential readers and ruin the surprises generated by Ms. Ellis’s creative and inventive writing skills.
Richard Armitage was amazing with the delivery of the story
24 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Ruth Nielsen
- 02-02-19
Excellent Introduction to a New British Detective Series
I really enjoy a well-written British police procedural as the good ones are focused on solving a mystery without all the guns, car chases and gratuitous sex that saturate the American crime stories. I was happy to stumble on this series by Joy Ellis. The main characters are decent people who are trying to do a difficult job. The mystery is complex and well developed. The narrator is fabulous and brings each character to life. A five star listen for me and I’ll be ordering the rest of the series hoping they are equally good.
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Elese Newman
- 22-02-19
Darker than I expected
The subject matter is more disturbing than I thought it would be, and I have read/ listened to my share of mystery and suspense. Had I known that, I probably wouldn’t have chosen it. At the same time, the author presents it in a thoughtful way without glamorizing it. I did skip through parts I couldn’t listen to. I thought the narrator was excellent, especially with so many characters. And there are a lot of characters.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Elizabeth
- 15-01-19
Not worth the credit
You will get a “police procedural” but not a very good one. The main characters make you yawn.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Wayne
- 16-06-18
Author Joy Ellis never disappoints!!
THEIR LOST DAUGHTERS is the 10th novel by Joy Ellis I have listened to and reviewed at Audible. Joy Ellis is lauded as "Audible's breakthrough crime author of 2018". I hope Audible is correct and this wonderful author now gets the attention the quality of her work deserves. For those familiar with her DI Nikki Galena eight novel series this novel is set in the Fens, an area on the east coast of England about 50 miles northeast of London that was reclaimed from the sea and marshes several centuries ago, like Ellis' other modern detective novels. The plot is an excellent one with two new protagonists (Jackman and Evans) introduced. Narration by Richard Armitage is excellent but not quite as good in my opinion as that of Henrietta Meire who narrated the Nikki Galena series. The next two audio books in the Jackman and Evans series will be released by Audible October.
Highly recommended!
42 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 20-06-19
boring
struggled to finish it made little sense. hope I never purchase another by thus author.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- M. Jones
- 01-05-19
Boring and way longer than necessary
This was very boring and long and too many characters going in too many different directions and tied up rather sloppy in the end
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Katinka
- 28-06-18
Don't understand all the hype.
The only thing that made me finish this book was the narration. I found the book boring and my mind wandered often. If I have to hear Jackman tell his team to "get to bed and rest because things are going to get worse" one more time...
14 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Wild Horses Flying
- 29-09-18
Disappointed
I have really liked Ellis's Fens series with Nikki Galena and crew - good plots, characters with depth. This one, "Their Lost Daughters" doesn't have much plot but is more just a fleshed out animation of the awfulness of kidnap, abuse and killing but WORST is that Ellis has gone off the deep end with overblown emotionalism - like a soap opera. If you like soap opera you'll probably like this. If she'd had an editor other than Audible - the editor would probably have pointed this out to Ellis or just not published it. None of the Fens books bulged out this way - they contained and expressed strong emotion but kept it contained within the body of the whole - so it was very effective and an important contributing element. Neither Jackman nor Evans are interesting.
Audible has made much ado about Armitage's sexy deep resonant voice - which it IS and I'm sure he IS a good actor but in this reading he uses his voice to only further the over-done emotionalism. He also puts pauses in his pacing which, on stage, are exactly right but which in reading a book are distracting and irritating.
I don't know what Ellis was thinking . . . but, for her sake, I don't think this book should have been published.
61 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Nora
- 27-07-18
Gripping from the start
Joy Ellis has written a gripping tale. A parent's worse nightmare, a cautionary tale for teens testing freedom and a policeman's haunting case...all these are woven into a tale of mystery, generational pain and institutionalize corruption. When you first meet Jackman and Evans, you can't help but be touched by their passion for justice and their dogged determination to find the killer or killers before another daughter becomes a victim. You know these coppers and their team will never allow these girls to become statistics. The names of the missing and abused become central to the story as it twists and turns through the plot. You feel the frustration and anger of the police and of the parents. You smell the salty air and hear the moans carried on the wind across the Fens. Something terribly wrong permeates the landscape and Jackman and Evans won't rest until they have the answers.
Richard Armitage captures your imagination with his excellent performance. His talent for voices is just wonderful. Each voice becomes so familiar, you always know who is speaking. The characters move, breathe, love, rage within the context of the story and you are right in the middle of it all. As this is a thoroughly British tale with thoroughly British expressions, what better narrator could have been chosen to sweep you away than Richard?
I have already pre-purchased the next two books due out in October. There is obviously more to this story...
6 people found this helpful