Customer Reviews

The Death List

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Thirty-eight year old British crime novelist Matt Wells (who writes under the pseudonym Matt Stone) has a long list of worries: He has a stubborn case of writer's block, his ex-wife constantly criticizes him, and a mysterious correspondent is sending him some very disturbing emails. On the plus side, Matt has a devoted girlfriend who keeps him warm at night. In Paul Johnston's "The Death List," Wells is the first person narrator. He traces his steadily deteriorating emotional state as he changes from a depressed author whose career is stalled to the panic-stricken foil of a sadistic killer.

The villain, who calls himself WD (white devil), has Matt under close audio and video surveillance; WD has an uncanny ability to read Matt's mind and predict what Matt intends to do before he does it. What is WD's agenda? He has a "death list" of people whom he hates. These include, among others, a bank manager, a child-molesting priest, a nasty teacher, and a negligent physician. WD visits these individuals and informs them why they are about to die; he then brutally tortures and eviscerates them. How does Matt fit into this horrific scenario? Ostensibly, after WD sends Matt accounts of the killings, Matt is supposed to write them up in book form. Unfortunately, WD models his murders on those found in Matt's previously published novels. The killer also decides it might be fun to make a list of people who have wronged Matt (including extremely unkind critics) and pay them visits, as well. It is only a matter of time before tough and aggressive Inspector Karen Oaten and her assistant, Detective Sergeant John Turner, start to believe that Matt himself is behind all of this butchery.

"The Death List" has an intriguing premise and Matt Wells is a likeable hero who readily garners the reader's sympathy. It is painful to observe WD manipulating Matt, who has no choice but to go along with whatever this maniac tells him to do. WD reminds Matt that if he speaks to the police, he or a member of his family (even his beautiful eight-year-old daughter, Lucy) could be the next victim. The book has a literary angle, since seventeenth century Jacobean revenge tragedy (particularly the works of John Webster) is a recurring motif throughout the novel. In addition, Johnston satirizes the venal world of publishing and cleverly pokes fun at the public's low-brow literary tastes. Finally, the author ably explores the theme of revenge, and suggests that even mild-mannered and self-effacing men and women harbor a secret desire to get back at those who have wronged them.

Alas, as WD becomes more and more unhinged, the story begins to sink under its own weight. Johnston throws in a subplot about a murderous band of SAS men, and he hints at a budding romance between Matt and Inspector Oaten. After Matt finally decides to fight back and enlists the support of his former rugby buddies, the narrative goes from far-fetched to outlandish. What could have been a taut and terrifying thriller instead becomes an unfocused and poorly executed one that fails to live up to its initial promise.

Warning to sensitive readers: This novel contains scenes of explicit gore and stomach-churning violence.

I carry around a box of books to be read in the car and pulled this one out last week. The plot falls somewhat into the crazed fan genre immortalized by King's Misery. However, the author has added a novel plot with well fleshed out characters. Readers who enjoy literary references will enjoy the many discussions and attributions to John Webster. And, while the killings are quite spectacularly violent, they are thankfully described post mortem. I have difficulty with books written by authors who appear to relish horrifying scene by scene descriptions of despicable acts. This book was an unexpected pleasure. If you enjoy Harlen Coben, you should enjoy this book.

this book is now one of my favorites, i recommend it to any reader who likes a mildly realistic, modern day, crime-thriller that doesn't skimp on the details of the grotesque crimes that are committed throughout the book.

i was never a big fiction reader but over the last few months i decided to dust off my library card and just walk around seeing anything catches my eye. it happened to be the library was closing in a few minutes and on my way out i saw the word DEATH in CAPS so i flipped thru a few pages and took it.

currently, i am reading Mr. Johnston's sequel to this book entitled "The Soul Collector" to put it in perspective, when i found out the soul collector was set to hit america May 2009 i ordered it on ebay from england.

In London, novelist Matt Wells receives a series of e-mails from a fan that gives him the idea for a story. Initially he thinks nothing of this beyond someone likes his work, which makes him feel good. However, he soon finds a lethal pattern that frightens him; Matt believes his biggest fan is a cold blooded serial killer who has targeted him, his ex-wife and his daughter for execution.

The White Devil is working his death list getting closer to reaching Matt and his loved ones. Chief Inspector Karen Oaten and her police force suspect Matt is the killer as the White Devil cleverly leaves incriminating evidence that places the writer at the murder scene. Matt realizes he must risk his life before the police arrest him if he is to keep his beloved family members safe from a diabolical killer who knows him and watches his every move.

From the onset, this is an exciting thriller that will have readers guessing how the White Devil is performing his deeds that set up Matt who is under tight police surveillance; the climax reveals the means, which the audience in a Monday morning look back will say is obvious if one applied Holmesian logic. Although the characters are developed enough to matter, it is the anticipation throughout that the White Devil is methodically coming one corpse at a time towards the final kill that grips readers even when the plot seems over the Thames embankment.

Harriet Klausner

If you like Harlan Coben, Linwood Barclay, Richard Matheson and other masters of the what would you an average person do in this terrifying sudden situation reads, and you also don't mind the violence and graphic descriptions of mutilated killings going up a notch, then you'll love this. In fact if you've read Charlie Huston's books then you know exactly what you're in for The Death List.

Basic plot is once upon a time successful author Matt Wells has had novel after novel flop at the checkout. His publisher and agent have both dumped him and his ex wife Caroline only tolerates him in their daughter Lucy's life because she has to. She constantly tells him he needs to get a real job as do a lot of other people in his life. He does have a fan though who he thinks appreciates his work. In fact his fan wants him to write a biography on his life and exploits and has even sent him a substantial cash up front down payment. Unfortunately his fan's life involves violent torturous vengeance against those who bullied, abused and humiliated him as a child. His fan knows Matt may be tempted to say no and go to the police so he guts and positions the corpse of his ex wife's neighbour's dog on his daughter's bedspread. With a warning that Lucy and everyone else Matt cares about could easily have the same thing happen to them Matt decides it's best to just write the book. It doesn't take Matt long to learn every action he does is being observed and that his fan knows everything about himself, his girlfriend, family and friends. As Matt reads about each murder he realises they are following scenes from his books. When the fan lets him know he has also started on a second list because he's such a nice guy, of the people who have wronged Matt realises he's in the frame. He wants out and has a plan that involves his rugby league buddies who coincidentally happen to include a millionaire, ex SAS paratrooper and a guy who is a better hacker than the top London police. Of course we all know the fan doesn't react too kindly to those who betray him.

The Death List is a really good book that definitely has the can't put down factor. It is a little far fetched and has conveniences that are a little to strong such as the members of his local Rugby League club. It is though fiction though and it is very entertaining! The ending of the SAS side story was a bit of let down, I would hardly think with their previous actions what they do in their final side story scenes would be satisfying at all but this is not enough to drop the novel down a star in rating. Definitely be looking for other books by Paul Johnston.

Mystery author, Matt Wells was in a bit of a stump. His books weren't best sellers anymore and he was receiving rejections for his new ones. Matt seems to have maintained one faithful fan. This fan corresponds with Matt by email at least three times a week. At first the emails were innocent enough but recently they have started getting more personal. All Matt knows is that this fan calls himself The White Devil. The White Devil seems to be holding all the cards in the deck by teasing Matt. The White Devil starts killing everyone that has ever scorned Matt Wells. The police's number one suspect is none other than Matt. Matt decides to take action but will it be too late?

The Death List plays on something that you have to admit you probably wished would come true at least once or twice and that is...making your own death list made up of all the people you didn't like and won't feel bad if something bad happened to them. Think of The Death List as the new Misery, with Matt Wells playing the author and The White Devil in Kathy Bates's role as the psycho fan but only ten times more gruesome. I give Paul Johnston two thumbs up for a job well done with The Death List. I am making my own list of books that I want to get and you can bet that Mr. Johnston's next release, The Soul Collector will be on the top of my list. So for this Christmas instead of making it a white one, instead make it a black Christmas by reading The Death List.

Matt Wells thinks he may have hit bottom: his publisher and agent have dropped him, he's suffering from writer's block, the freelance market for his music reviews is drying up, and his wife divorced him. On the bright side, he's got a new girlfriend, Sarah, a journalist who's smart, sexy, and driven -- much like his ex. He lives close enough to his ex to walk their daughter Lucy to and from school though he's not sure how he'll meet the next rent payment. But instead of looking up when a fan, WD, drops £5,000 through his mail slot, things get complicated, dangerous, and Matt finds that the bottom is much further down than he ever believed possible.

WD or White Devil needs someone to write his story and he's decided that Matt is just the writer he needs. By threatening to kill those Matt cares for and demonstrating his ability to carry out his threats, Matt feels that he has no choice but to start the book by writing up the material sent by WD. This material, detailed notes on the murders that WD has already performed, shows not a man but a monster who relishes his ability to take revenge on any who insult him or stand in his way. When WD starts to add to his list of kills using methods from Matt's crime novels and leaving quotations from John Webster's The White Devil, Matt realizes that he's being framed and something must be done to protect his family, friends, and life.

Francis Bacon in "Of Revenge" said, "Revenge is a kind of wild justice; which the more man's nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out." If justice was indeed swift and sure there would probably be no need for anyone to think of revenge whether served cold or sweet. At first Matt Wells can see that WD is not simply taking revenge but dispensing a justice he was denied. Yet, in other cases, death seems a steep price to pay for the crime. Then WD begins to dispense revenge for wrongs against Wells, drawing the police to look at Matt Wells as the killer.

The reader is drawn in, caught in the web of lies, misinformation, and misdirection, emotion and fear -- there's nothing to do but to keep reading. Matt Wells is an everyman. He's a writer but at heart, he's just an average Joe with all the problems of anyone worried about meeting the next set of bills and maintaining the status quo. What can he do to protect his loved one when WD anticipates his every move? What would anyone do in his situation? The 'what ifs' keep you reading.

There's enough twists and turns to this plot to keep you guessing until the last few pages. You can't even be sure that what you read is what is there, because while the narrative point of view seems to put you in a place to know what is going on, it doesn't tell actually show you all that is going on, or does it...

Johnston manages to keep the tension high while moving the plot forward. There are flashback to the childhood of the White Devil that are intersperse with the present day to fill in the back-story. The various threads of the story converge and diverge as the narrative moves from one group to the next but this is handled so smoothly that I didn't get the urge to flip ahead to the "real" story that this technique often tempts me to do when done less deftly by other writers.

Some people may find the description of the death scenes too graphic but even here most of the description is actually in your own imagination and not on the page. But what is there is enough to upset some readers so consider yourself warned.

Even when you finished the story, the 'what ifs' will continue to haunt the reader, especially the what would I do in this situation.

Matt Wells, a London novelist, has a bad case of writer's block. His latest book didn't do so well, fans are falling by the wayside, and his agent and editor have given up on him. What at first seem friendly and encouraging emails from a fan turn deadly when the fan discloses he is a serial killer and wants Matt to write his life's story. Matt is at first a bit intrigued; this could be his ticket to the bestseller list. But the killer, known as the White Devil, is smarter than Matt and manages to leave evidence behind at each scene leading straight back to Matt.

The premise for this book has been done before, so nothing new there. The plot moves along at a quick pace, which makes for a good read, but distractors interfere, such as the constant questions Matt asks himself that pepper each page and Matt's seeming acceptance of the killer's ability to outmaneuver him.

THERE IS A BIG SPOILER IN THIS REVIEW!!!

This is a competently written and grisly mystery story. The motivations of the protagonist and the killer(s) are completely unconvincing and unbelievable. A rich, all-knowing and powerful murderer from a poverty-stricken background wreaks grisly revenge on all who did him wrong, then all who did wrong to the hapless writer he "adopts". Why?

What is more, at the end of the book, it is revealed that the writer's loving girlfriend, is actually the stone cold incestuous twin sister accomplice of the killer. Whaaaaat????

Oh, and did I mention the group of mysterious killer special forces operatives that are torturing and murdering their way around London trying to locate the same killer, for some pretty murky reasons completely unconnected to the main plot.

The plot makes no sense, unless you suspend all disbelief and enjoy reading grisly torture-murder scenes.

Great read. A little hard to get used to the English slang, but once you do this book flies by. It has so many twists and turns. A few real surprises, too. I read a lot of murder mysteries, but this one knocked me for a loop!