Customer Reviews

The October List (Unabridged)

I am a HUGE fan of Deaver. I pre-ordered this book. I saved it for a flight. And I left it on the plane. But that's just me. I think some people MIGHT like this- but you have to face the giant hurdle of starting afresh with each chapter. In a word- it messes with the basic idea of a story- 'what comes next?'. When it's changed into 'what came before' we're in a different zone- and one I, for one, hated. I am only writing this because if you loved lincoln rhyme and the masterful bodies left behind this is VERY different. Think Virginia Woolf meets James Patterson. A story is helped by surprise but is NOT made of them. It's like having a burger with no bun and salad etc. The basis of a story is unpacking to the full a promising premise. 2 or 3 surprises are enough. Too many and we suspect everything and it loses all credibility.

I very nearly didn't buy this but I love the author so went for it. I must admit the thought of reading a story backwards did at first take some getting used to but once I got my head round that I couldn't put it down. The twists and turns are breathtaking and I doubt anyone would be expecting them. Great read I highly recommend it.

Took a bit of getting used to starting at the end and admit did have to re read the first chapter to work out what the outcome was but this is the usual Deaver excellence if delivered in an unusual way
Stick with it if getting frustrated and you will not be disappointed

Mr Deaver has set himself the challenge of starting a book with the final chapter and working backwards, unpicking the true motives of the protagonists and the true explanation as to why two people are in a room waiting for the visit of a kidnapper, and still keeping the twists and turns that are usual in his novels. It works, though it is difficult to keep a track of events in one's own head until one becomes familiar with the characters, but after a while one adjusts and the book flows along as Mr Deaver's books usually do. My only problem is that a book which relies so much on structure lends itself best to paper and pages so that flicking around is easy, rather than a kindle format where navigating around the book is not so easy. And the pictures at the beginning of chapters are not so clear either in the digital format, so it is difficult to take part in the conundrums they represent. Still, an enjoyable read, and in these days of 400+ page thrillers, refreshingly concise - just go for the book format rather than the kindle.

Only Jeffery Deaver could get away with writing a book that starts at the end. Confusing initially but well worth the effort. I couldn't put it down.

brilliantly executed. You will always have a good time with Jeffrey Deaver, guaranteed! The master of the surprise ending here gives us a story told in reverse (just stop a minute to really think about that - this is a thriller novel, not some pretentious 500-page yawn of navel-gazing. This actually has a proper story and to write it in reverse and have everything work this well is a monumental achievement). After thirty-odd thrillers it is hard for a writer to still be able to pull off the kind of surprises that Deaver does here. Having read all of his books I can usually figure out his reveal - something that never, ever spoils the enjoyment of his work. This time I thought I had it all sorted but there are more surprises than you can shake a stick at. If you are a long-time fan like me this has the feel of something like The Coffin Dancer to it. Treat yourself, but it and read it now!

I have always enjoyed Jeffrey Deaver ,always a twist in the tail !!!! But with this book I think he really has lost the plot ,and what poor value 286 pages .it certainly needed another 50 pages to finish off .he needs to stick to Amelia Sachs etc

This novel has the unusual device that it's actually told backwards, starting with the last chapter in chronological terms and ending up with the first. It's basically a kind of chase involving a search for a mysterious "October List". There are lots of twists of plot, and with the unusual narrative order things that you thought meant X actually turn out to mean Y. You have to wait for the last few chapters for the surprises to really flow, and they are clever, but I can't help thinking that Deaver wrote it backwards just to see if it could be done. Played out in the right order it wouldn't have been all that interesting really. A narrative tour de force but not a great thriller.

This book starts at chapter 36 and then goes backwards. It is a really clever idea, but it is so disjointed as you are reading it. It all becomes clear at the end and Jeffrey Deaver is a master story teller, but I would now have to read it again to really appreciate it. I can't say that I would recommend it as it is not one of his better books.

At first I was a little skeptical about this book. It took be a while to get my head around the concept but as I got towards the end I thought it was a very clever twist.