THE LIST: ‘A terrifyingly twisted and devious story' that will take your breath away

Beth Belmont has a nice life. She lives in a quiet cul- de-sac with her boyfriend of three years, and has a quiet job at the local cinema. One day, she goes for a run and sees a piece of paper with a list of names written on it. The third one is hers. A few Google searches soon tell her that the first two named people are dead. Is she next?Another enjoyable, easy to read thriller. I felt particular excitement with this one as some of the places name dropped I’ve been going to all my life (Telford, Bridgnorth, Ironbridge) so that was fun. It’s always great to discover a local author as well!This story flits between three points of view, Beth, then a young girl Ruby and some mysterious person in italics, and it did keep me interested throughout. The pacing was good, I honestly flew through wanting to figure out the meaning of the list. One twist I did guess, but the other I didn’t, falling for a red herring near the end.The twists were much darker than I expected, and really make yourself question where your sympathy truly lies. I’m still unsure myself, days later. Ethics, morality, culpability and justice are all strong themes in this book, as well as whether anyone can truly move on from such a tragic past.Despite the heavy themes, I found this easy to read, and I enjoyed the mystery. 4⭐️

Focus here is on a deeply troubled mind. Why is Beth's name among five on a list discovered whilst jogging in the woods? Unease becomes terror when she discovers what happened to the two names above hers. Surely a warning that she too has not long to live.Ever attracted by prospects of a good shuddery read, I looked forward to this one. Sadly the telling simply did not work for me. All the while I seemed conscious of a writer determined to shock, using every stratagem that came to mind. So much seemed contrived, artificially overwrought. ("Beth's stomach plummeted to her feet.") Those lengthy italicised contributions from one seemingly with a score to settle - deliciously creepy or simply irritating.A great strength is the graphic description of childhood horror, one it is possible to believe forever to haunt those who were there. A major weakness is revelation about the list compiler. Do motivation and tactics really ring true?Be advised many readers have been suitably chilled. Disappointed, I was but an onlooker, never feeling involved.

This is the first book I have read by thriller writer Carys Jones. As you would expect and hope for, it is certainly full of twists and suspense. After a fairly slow start in which the premise of the story is outlined and repeated "Five names on a list. The first two are dead. The third one is yours." (yes, OK I get it) I was wondering quite where this was headed. After the first third, the story does progress and we hear of dual identities, secrets and intrigue that actually form quite an original story despite taking some obvious inspiration from a certain high profile case but I will not spoil it for any potential readers. And it really does keep you guessing until the end and, even when you've finished the last page, it makes you (well, me anyway) go back into the book to try to fit the pieces together. I would put this as a shade below three and a half stars, so rounded down to three. .

The mystery kept me guessing and the three voices through whom the story is told weave together in even tension until they finally collide. The problem for me was that the ending introduced an almost paranormal element that I didn't see coming. For me it would have been more seamless, more credible to have sprinkled more hints earlier in Beth's story. However, it's a gripping read, if a little slow in some partd, but I recommend it.

I found it a little slow in places, but still enjoyed it very much. The only part I didn't like was the crime that has been committed. I couldn't read it so had to skip over it and use my imagination.