I was very excited to read The List, the synopsis reminded me of The Chain and I was expecting a thrilling, fast-paced novel. While certainly a page-turner and a quick read, The List was a slow-burner and not necessarily in a good way. Has a lot of potential, but the characters were flat and the twists drawn out.

4 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

The list was a twisty journey of paranoia and uncovering secrets. The different perspectives of Beth, the creator of the list and Ruby really made me question every page and every sentence.

I was hooked from page one. I found myself flying through it desperate to see what happens next. I did think, once the reveals started happening, that some things didn’t make sense in terms of actions of certain characters. I understand it was to perhaps throw us off however stepping away from the plot the characters would of acted differently then they did. Very hard to say without spoiling things.

The creator of the list left me wondering throughout so the reveal was great. However the connection of the two other perspectives were obvious to me early on. I did appreciate the ending and how everything connected.

This was a thrilling quick read and I recommend this to anyone.

There has been a few books that I have read recently which has had another view point in italics and flashes to another character and I found this one hard to distinguish, which was a shame.

There was nothing that particularly stood out for me. I would have liked more of Josh's perspective or other characters and feel that supporting characters should have been fleshed out to add to the tension. We spent so much time getting to know Josh...that we needed more on his side of the story.

I cannot say too much without spoilers but as I said I have read similar books recently and felt that this one didn't particularly stand out. The premise is so intriguing and so much more could have been done with it.

Beth was a difficult character and her thoughts were so wild, it made it hard to have any connection to her. Given her personality...think she needed something human about her that could help us connect to her. That would have made the book easier to enjoy for me.

I hated the last quarter of the book....the thought and situation got so erratic and it became difficult to read. The start is very promising and I think I would have preferred to read the book I thought it was going to be rather than the book it was. The writing however is very interesting and would definitely read something else by this author.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a brilliant and thrilling read, really gripping and totally believable. From beginning to end I was completely absorbed in the story. Well done!!

Such a good book! I swear the character paranoia had me paranoid as well! lol Well written and kept me glued to the very end! More twists than a pretzel! Thank you so much!

Brilliant unpredictable plot, amazing characters. This book is amazing & a must read. I would recommend this to anyone.

This book is easily one of my favourite reads of the year!. A brilliant plot, fascinating characters, and the perfect level of suspense to grasp your attention and keep hold.of.it right to the very end.
An absolute must read!.

While on her usual morning run through the woods, Beth sees something that instantly catches her eye. It’s a list with five names written in beautiful calligraphy, but the third name is hers. Although the other names mean nothing to her and her boyfriend dismisses it as a prank, she begins an investigation. After some gruelling research she finds outs that the first two names are of people who are already dead. Instantly assuming that she is next, her paranoia reaches new levels and her nightmares start to infect her waking moments. Her investigation leads her to question her own sanity, and reveals some past mistakes that have come back to haunt her.

This novel has a fantastic premise; you find a list with your name on it and the first two are dead. I mean imagine how terrifying that would be! The story alternates between three differing perspectives: Beth, Ruby, and the author of the list. These contrasting points of view made for really interesting perspectives to the event because in some sections of the novel, not only is the reader watching Beth’s journey, but so is the person watching her. I also absolutely loved the deterioration, mentally and physically, of all three perspectives, because as they got worse, the suspense grew and the truth of the list was within reach.

Overall I believe this to be a good psychological thriller with an original and engaging plot however a bit of a slow burner at first. It took a while for the action to really get going and I felt Beth’s character became slightly over-exaggerated (although as someone who has never been hunted, that may be the perfect reaction.) However, it was the contrasts in narratives and the premise of the story that kept me hooked to the very last page.

I really enjoyed this book all the way through. It had a really good plot, great main characters and really keeps you hooked on the plot. I would highly recommend this book.

I was gripped from the start. It began with such a bang, no lead-in, no slow burner - it really started off running! I loved that!
I was interested to see where the book was going, and why and how our protagonists name was on the list.

However, the more the book went on, the less 'pacey' it felt. I lost interest just over half-way through as I started to guess the outcome, and where the plot was going.
I wish the book could have kept up the momentum it did at the start - but unfortunately it just turned out to be your average run-of-the-mill thrillers. Enjoyable - but nothing particularly special.

This book was completely unpredictable and I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns. ⁣
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This psychological thriller was gripping and I liked the way Beth's story was told with chapters focusing on her past and the trouble she's faced. ⁣
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The List was incredibly well written with such an interesting and thought out plot! I wish I could say more but I dont want to spoil the book! Overall I really enjoyed The List and the whole premise of it!⁣

Quite an intriguing storyline where Beth found her name third on a list while she went running. When she realized that the first two were dead, it caused her to get to the truth. Was she the one next to die?
My first foray into this author's writing. I loved the concept. Beth was a cool main character who kept me immersed in her life initially. Her thoughts and paranoia later got to me.
The writing was a little slow and suspense built up more in the latter half. Overall, this was an interesting read.

Carys Joines has delivered a great read in this psycholigical thriller.
When Beth Belmont is out on her morning run she discovers a piece of paper with 5 names written on it.
The third name is hers.
Intrigued she checks out the other names and discovers that the first two are dead.
Alarmed, she does a bit of digging and discovers that both deaths are suspicious.

There then follows a very tense story as we see Beth trying to get to the bottom of the suspicious deaths and try to stay safe at the same time.

The tension builds and Beths paranoia grows as the story develops towards the conclusion which arrives with a nice twist.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

Introverted cinema projectionist Beth Belmont lives a quiet life, rarely socialising but taking pleasure from the little routines in her life such as the cosy nights in with her boyfriend and her daily runs in the local woods. This all comes crashing down when she finds a list of 5 names tucked under a branch... The third name being hers.

Beth starts on a journey trying to figure out who the other 4 people are, why they're all linked together on this list and what on earth it all means, especially when she realises two of them are already dead. Is she in danger? How long does she have left before this nightmare scenario comes to a head?

I absolutely loved this book - Carys Jones builds the tension perfectly, keeping the suspense simmering throughout the entire book, before exploding with one more shocking twist bursting through at the end. The slow paced build up makes you feel so uneasy, which in my opinion is so much more effective within a psychological thriller than high speed chases or speedy POV changes. The characters are really likeable, the dialogue is believable and the switches between POV are done seamlessly.

I haven't read any Carys Jones novels before now, but I've since added a bunch to my 'must read' list! So Carys, if ever you find your name on MY list - rest assured, it's for a very good reason!

Thanks to NetGalley and Orion for my advanced reader copy! 💕

An interesting premise and an attractive cover to grab your attention and make you want to read this book.

The plot was well written with quite a lot of interesting characters and focusing on the story of a dark friendship and hidden secrets. I enjoyed the twist at the end since it was clever and I was least expecting it. The remainder of the book while filled with lot of tension, did not excite me as much as I had expected it too.

Overall, a good read but left me wanting for something more.

Thank You to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for this E-Book!

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. The description of this book sounded really good, but overall it fell flat. It was too slow moving for me. I tried skimming ahead to see if it grabbed my attention down the road, but it didn't.

I feel like this book is really good for those starting off with thrillers. I did enjoy this book however it wasn't one of my favourite thrillers I've ever read for the reason that I've read quite a lot now and this just wasn't as suspenseful as I would have liked. That being said I look forward to reading more from this author as I did like the writing style.

Beth Belmont lives a quiet life with her boyfriend Josh. She works in a local cinema and is a regular runner. The only blight on her life are the regular nightmares she experiences. On one of her morning runs Beth comes across a piece of paper upon which is written five names. The third name on the list is Beth’s. Researching the list she finds the first two people on the list are dead. Both suspected suicides. Josh reckons the list is a prank by someone but Beth can’t let it go and soon realises that the names are linked to something from her past; a past that she has kept well hidden.

Struggled this one to be honest but can’t really put my finger on why this was. Found it very slow; almost gave up on it several times but I don’t like not finishing books I’ve been sent to review. The premise of the book was a good one but just didn’t grab me.

Thanks to Netgalley, Orion Publishing Group and Carys Jones for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

A good thriller. It kept me on the edge of my seat until the end. I would recommend it to my friends and family.

Thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Slow-burners where an author meticulously and intricately constructs her particular world-view, drawing in the reader, page by page, is my favourite form of novel. Combine this with a tantalising mystery, some pitch-perfect plotting and you inevitably come up with something like 'The List'. Carys Jones' latest thriller hooked me from the get-go. The heavy emphasis in the book is on the psychological aspects of this particular thriller. This may seem like an obvious point, given that most novels of this genre are often presented as such, but in Jones' narrative the term 'psychological thriller' is distilled in 'The List' in its purest form. The story focuses on Beth, a complex, multi-faceted character, who stumbles upon a list of names when undertaking her daily run. One of the names on the list is her own. Moreover, two of the names on the list are of individuals, who Beth discovers, are already dead. Fleshing out more of the plot would spoil this deliciously wicked and twisty tale. Suffice to say, however, the events of the book, where we assume a clear delineation between victim and perpetrator at the beginning of the narrative, may not be as simple as it first seems. Jones reserves the right to shock her readers and lure us down some imaginatively constructed blind-alleys. I was enthralled and engrossed in this page-turner of a book. A highly recommended read.