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The List of Seven Mass Market Paperback – September 1, 1994

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 393 ratings

In the wake of a lethal séance and an evil supernatural contact, Arthur Conan Doyle joins forces with special agent Jack Sparks to pursue a deadly cabal of Victorian satanists known as the Dark Brotherhood. Reissue.
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Twin Peaks co-creator's first novel confronts Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with a mystery involving black magic and Satanic manifestations.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“Dark and compelling entertainment . . . an irresistible page turner.” — Clive Barker

“A ripping good tale. It effervesces like champagne.” — Washington Post Book World

A spooky page-turner . . . barrels through Victorian England with the narrative drive of a runaway train.” — People

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Avon; Reprint edition (September 1, 1994)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0380720191
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0380720194
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.19 x 1.04 x 6.88 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 393 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
393 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2015
This is my ultimate favorite book of all time, and I really only bought a hardcover copy because my paperback version was falling apart from excessive use (I read it usually 1-2 times a year and loan it out to at least 3 people a year, this book is well loved). It is the perfect combination of suspense, humor, intrigue, darkness and light, occult, supernatural, historical, tragic, emotional, thought provoking, non-stop awesomeness that you could ever hope to find in a single book. It doesn't get old, it doesn't drag, it never fails to excite, amuse, and in some cases horrify you. Even after all the many many times I've read it, there are still parts that make me cry, and even more that make me laugh. Every character has something you love about them, an amazing rapport that brings comedy into some really suspenseful moments, and villains that are evil and charismatic that you love to despise.

Side effects may include people having to wave a hand between your face and the book to get you to acknowledge their existence (and you might have the urge to bite them for interrupting), saying things like, "right after this paragraph" for about 15 pages before you can bear to put it down, missing your bus as a result of being completely absorbed, and a sudden urge to read all of the Sherlock Holmes books to hunt down various instances referenced in this book.
20 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2015
This is one terrific Victorian thriller. It's one of those rare books that does seem to have everything--adventure, suspense, excitement, romance, history, some supernatural doings, a touch of humor and a wonderful cast of characters. The main character is a young Dr. Arthur Conan Doyle, years before he became the celebrated author of the Sherlock Holmes stories. The young doctor uncovers a dark plot to take over the throne of England and with the help of an eccentric secret agent of the queen and a beautiful young actress, Doyle sets out to thwart the forces of evil.

What follows is one of the most cleverly written, fun books I've read in a long time. It's a real page turner and I would highly recommend it to any reader who likes off-beat thrillers or anyone who enjoys stories set in the fog-shrouded streets of Victorian England.
9 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2005
After reading one of the reviews on this site complaining of 'big words' in this novel, I had to write in with my own review, because to complain about the language used in this particular novel is an absolute travesty. The tattered paperback version of this book has been in my collection since I first read it years ago. It is one of the few mass market adventure novels I've read where the language itself is woven through the narrative like a tapestry, and reading the book just for the sake of watching the words flow is an absolute pleasure. The prose is beautifully written, the kind to which any writer would aspire, and since the language is perfectly evocative of the era in which the book is set, it pulls you in with vivid descriptions that do nothing but embellish character and story. The writing in some novels(Dean Koontz's The Taking, for example) seems littered with the most obscure synonyms in the thesaurus just for the sake of appearing more literary than it really is. I'd like to sit all of those authors down and make them read this book so they could watch a true master at work. The action in this novel, as well as its premise, is original and quite engaging, but it is the writing that really wraps the whole story up into a very compelling package. I am incredibly saddened that Mr. Frost's foray into novel writing seems to have ended with the sequel to this book, The Six Messiahs. I would very much like to see more of this very talented author.
17 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2019
After five starts, this time I figured I would read two chapters and if I wasn't hooked I would dump it from my library for good. Well, I finished the book and It was a fantastic read. I will admit the style the book is written in was difficult at first and is why I had so many starts and stops, but after a few chapters I got rolling with it. I used the dictionary look up option for this book more than any other book I have read and learned quite a few new words. I will most likely read this again in the future as I really enjoyed it.
8 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2018
I am not normally a fan of horror books, often finding that the protagonists bring it upon themselves by metaphorically "going down to the basement to check on the strange noise." This book had the protagonists chase and be chased by the horror, while creating a lot of loose ends that could be addressed in sequels. There are a number of overly long explanations and expositions. There are also a number of "Quick! To the Laboratory/Museum/Library!" hokey dash-off moments. All in all, not a great book, not a bad book. It's a period piece, taking place in London and surrounding cities in the 1880s, but I never got a sense of time or place. To be honest, it probably lost a star just because it's not my normal taste in books
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2010
OK. So its dark and stormy night and I am ordering books and working my way through the wrong end of a pitcher of Maragaritas when somehow Amazon brings me back to a title I vaguely recall from a decade ago. No one likes to be manipulated, but, I gladly hand over the reins to the the shopper in the sky.

I am glad I did.

I mainly read books that are not fun hoping they might be. This book is enough fun to make up for all of that futile discipline. Its everything you need with Conan Doyle and cross references to Bram Stoker. It is an implausible story with plausible characters laden with references to great fiction to come.

It seems Mark Frost no longer publishes. Encourage him by purchasing this book in its original edition. We need someone who is willing to take up the challenge thrown down by the hacks that now crowd this genre.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Yank-in-UK
5.0 out of 5 stars PERFECT fiction!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 14, 2023
I LOVE this novel, it has everything I want in an entertaining read! (Why no one has attempted to adapt this into a movie is beyond me!)

I bought this paperback version for traveling abroad. Although delivery was slightly delayed, it arrived just before I left for the airport.

Although "Condition" was decribed as "Used", the book looks brand new! Very, very happy with this purchase & it's price.
booky
4.0 out of 5 stars Holmes with a twist
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 22, 2013
This is a love letter to Sherlock Holmes with a twist of H P Lovecraft and two-fisted pulp adventure stories. Here we have our real world Conan Doyle prior to his putting pen to paper and creating the world famous detective. His investigation of the London spiritualist draw him in to a shadow war between good and evil. Readers with a passing interest in the occult will enjoy a walk on appearance by Blavatsky, who tangentially puts Doyle in the firing line of shadowy 'brotherhood'. The story romps along at a good pace, introducing a mix of interesting characters. The foreshadowing of both WW 1 and the horrors of the Nazi death camps are woven in to story, as is a commentary on Victorian society. This raises the book above the average dross of 'steampunk' books which often fail to examine or critique the Victorian world, with its inherent inequalities. Mark Frost has produced a good yarn and well worth reading.
One person found this helpful
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Polly Harvey
5.0 out of 5 stars Ticks all the right boxes
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 13, 2013
It's not often you stumble upon a book that totally sucks you in and ticks all of the right buttons straight away. The List of 7 did that for me.

Sherlock Holmes - TICK
Occult themes - TICK
Victorian setting - TICK
Jack the Ripper - TICK
Egyptology - TICK
Spiritualism - TICK
Zombies, vampires and other monsters - TICK

It felt that this book was written for me - I'm such a selfish reader.

The basic premise is that Arthur Conan Doyle's life is threatened following attendance at a seance; invited by a woman who wants his help. Jack Sparks rescues Doyle and warns him against the dark forces that are stalking him. What unfolds is a manic rush around the country escaping 'the grey hoods' and trying to solve the mystery of the 7.

If you know anything about the era, Conan Doyle, Sherlock or Jack the Ripper some of the 'revelations' in the book will not surprise you, but you will feel quite canny in solving some of the riddles.

The only thing that really irked me while reading this book was the American spellings of words. A book that is so steeped in English culture and history should be written using the English spellings. I know, this is really picky, but I'M really picky!

Other than that - if you enjoy a good romp, love Sherlock Holmes and enjoy your mysteries to have an esoteric edge read this. You won't regret it.
14 people found this helpful
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J. Watson
3.0 out of 5 stars Despite everything, I enjoyed it!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 3, 2015
Frost’s Victorian English is clunky and laced with Americanisms that any English copy-editor would have weeded out. Doyle says something happened in the ‘fall’ (he would have said ‘autumn’). Their cockney driver says his father was ‘a hardworkin’ railroad man…’ (he would have said ‘railway’); he had an uncle who played the ‘calliope’ (an American steam organ not found in England at the time); he says ‘I’ve seen you someplace before’ (he would have said ‘somewhere’). Moreover, Frost laces the driver’s speech with words that sound cockney, but he mis-uses them: ‘Shall I have a skivvy for another way out?’ (a skivvy was a low-ranking female servant); and ‘…have a muggins at this.’ (a muggins means a silly person, Nothing to do with looking at things). Despite this, and the labyrinthine plot that could generously be described as ‘implausible’, I read this book through to the end. It’s a page-turner, and I wanted to know what happened next. Heaven help me, I may yet read the sequel.
3 people found this helpful
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Jim Nolan
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent service from World of Books.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 3, 2023
Great service. Arrived early and in good condition. The book brings back memories.