Kindle Price: $10.99

Save $2.00 (15%)

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the author

Melanie Jones
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Stay With Me, Rhys: The heartbreaking story of Rhys Jones, by his mother. As seen on ITV’s new documentary Police Tapes Kindle Edition

by Melanie Jones (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 664 ratings
See all formats and editions


‘Stay with me, Rhys,’ I kept saying over and over again. ‘Please stay with me. I love you.’
There was still no expression in his eyes. I was talking and talking to him, desperate to let him know I was there, but there was no flicker in his face. In hindsight, it was like he’d already gone.


It's a Wednesday evening in Liverpool in the summer holidays, and Melanie is expecting her Everton-mad eleven-year-old son back from football practice very soon. She turns on Coronation Street and sets about stripping the wallpaper off the walls in the lounge, which is long-overdue a makeover. Suddenly she receives a frantic knock at the door. Rhys has been shot on his way home.

From that fateful day when Melanie cradled her child as he lay dying, repeating to him ‘Stay with Me, Rhys’, to the day in court when his killers were finally sent down, this is a story of a family in trauma, of a community united behind them and of how a notorious local gang who terrorised the neighbourhood was brought to justice.

In 2017, more than 7 million people watched the drama unfold in the highly-acclaimed ITV series Little Boy Blue. And now Melanie Jones tells the family's unbelievable story for the first time.

Melanie, her husband Steve and Rhys’s brother Owen have been through unimaginable pain. The grief doesn’t go away, but the strength they’ve found within it is an inspiration.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    207 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Virgin Digital
  5. Publication date
    April 19, 2018
  6. File size
    57782 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
Next page
Due to its large file size, this book may take longer to download
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card

Editorial Reviews

Review

Heartbreaking account ... Melanie Jones takes readers through the agony of that long wait, the tense trial and its unending aftermath.--Daily Mail

About the Author

Melanie Jones was born in Wrexham and grew up in Liverpool. She met Steve at her local Tesco, where they both worked, when she was 17 and they married five years later in 1987. They had their first son, Owen, in 1990 and second son, Rhys, in 1995. Their happy family life was torn apart on 22 August 2007, when eleven-year-old Rhys was shot by a stray bullet fired by gang member Sean Mercer as he walked home from football training. He later died in hospital. After Rhys’s murder and the trial, Mel and Steve continued to work at Tesco and have helped in efforts to raise over £300,000 for a local community centre in Rhys’s name, which opened in 2013. They also collaborated with Jeff Pope on the recent ITV drama Little Boy Blue.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B075Q271R9
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Virgin Digital (April 19, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 19, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 57782 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 207 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 664 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Melanie Jones

Melanie Jones

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
664 global ratings

Top review from the United States

Janice
5.0 out of 5 stars Bless this family!
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2018
Verified Purchase
Difficult to read which I expected but real and to the point
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

R. Taylor
3.0 out of 5 stars A brave mum’s tribute to her lost son; not a great read.
Reviewed in Germany on April 15, 2019
Verified Purchase
I bought this because a friend is going through a similar tragedy and because it’s every parent’s nightmare. It has helped me...if not to understand, then at least not to underestimate what the parents are facing. I must admit that this book is not exactly what I would call “entertaining”. Perhaps it wouldn’t claim to be. The writing isn’t great; there are redundant phrases, statements of the obvious and bits of local slang. Ironically, the very fact that made this tragedy so relatable—that the Joneses are an average family—makes a lot of the book a bit dull. The perspective is narrow, so we don’t learn much about the gang culture that led to the tragedy, and we get only a two-dimensional look at the people responsible. I suppose the main audience will be people from that area who may know, or know of some of the people involved, or people who want to know more of the background after the TV dramatisation.
Report
Niccib
5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't stop reading
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 6, 2018
Verified Purchase
I pre ordered this book 'stay with me rhys'
I finished in in half a day. I could not stop reading, even though it is extremely sad and heart breaking . Hearing it through melanies words ,I felt like I understood a lot more of what happened. And how deeply hurt everybody was over this tragic death of a beautiful young boy. (May I add super evertonian ) I remember the day so clearly even though I was only 19 myself at the time, it has always stuck in my mind and I will never forget rhys jones. The love Melanie and ste have for each other and their two boys is over whelming and I believe they both are hero's in my eyes. And I'm so happy for Owen to be able to make the most of his life after losing his best friend. Thank you for writing this book Melanie . My love to you and your amazing family x Hayley
4 people found this helpful
 Report
Kate
5.0 out of 5 stars The devastation that ripped through a loving and close family.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 29, 2018
Verified Purchase
Stay with me, tells of the heartbreaking events that led to an innocent little boys death. The pain and the massive void Rhys’s death left his family and friends to bear is told with such dignity and bravery by his Mum Mel.
Her world and her family’s world was turned upside down, her heartache was felt by the decent people of Liverpool. They too felt her loss, her pain, her sorrow and despair while waiting for her little boys killers to be brought to justice.
It is painfully obvious reading her book that is has been written by a Mum with a broken heart that will never mend.
2 people found this helpful
 Report
Mrs Joanna Gates
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing and captivating read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 13, 2018
Verified Purchase
An amazing, touching and rollercoaster read. One minute I was sobbing, the next chapter I was full of anger for how the accused and their families behaved throughout the process of arrest to trial and then putting the Jones` through agonizing appeals. Melanie, Stephen and Owen remained focused in their battle for Justice as did Dave Kelly. So much admiration for you all. Rest in peace Rhys - you have your beloved boxer Lennox to dress in your kit and have a kick about with by your side. ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS. COYB make our Rhys proud this season!
One person found this helpful
 Report
K. Dowell
5.0 out of 5 stars Emotional
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 13, 2021
Verified Purchase
My heart goes out to the family,what they went through was horrendous. Justice at last although it will never bring there darling boy back.
Thankyou for writing this powerful story of your gorgeous boy,had me in tears.
Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report