The Death List

Don't expect gritty realism or a conventional modern novel. This is melodrama through and through. The characters may not have great depth, but neither are they cardboard cutouts.

The book's fascination lies in the way it explores the concept of revenge proposed in Webster's play 'The White Devil' written 400 years ago. Webster's melodramatic style is paralleled. The action is unparalleled. If you can, see a performance of Webster's 'The White Devil' before you read this book. Then take a tranquiliser so you can cope with the horrors in it...

I realize that this is fiction but fiction still needs to make sense. And this book often did not. What was supposed to be heroic (I assume), I found to be ridiculous. Many characters' behavior was questionable at best. The writing kept me at a distance. I was never able to latch onto the characters and experience their emotions. For instance, if a character whose viewpoint I'm reading from is being tortured prior to being murdered, I expect to feel something. But this read more like a newspaper account. I figured out the "twist" at the end about halfway through the book. And way things came together at the end, I thought, was just plain silly. This story had promise, though it never delivered.

‘‘The death list’ is an enthralling, but disturbing, mystery novel that features some shocking descriptions of murders. The plot centres on Matt Wells, a he comes to realise that a series of murders use the same methods that he has written in his crime novels. The police also discover this and suspect him of being the murderer. Wells attempts to keep the police at a distance as, with the help of friends, he struggles to identify the true criminal, but at the same time to protect his family, friends and work associates from meeting a violent and painful death. Paul Johnston has written a highly inventive crim novel, one that holds you tight as the story unfolds to its bloody climax.

Matt Wells isn't doing well, dumped by his agent, publisher and wife he's trying to work out a way to get back into his groove and hoping that things will get better. Then someone starts killing the people who have made his life miserable and they're telling him all about it. Watching his every move.

It was edge-of-the-seat stuff for me throughout this story, there were times I lapsed in concentration but most of the time I really wanted to know what would happen next.

Well plotted stuff and interesting.

Wow.. wasn't the best written story I've ever read, and there were some gaps.. but I love the concept, I loved the surprise element (thought I had it figured out, several times, but was WRONG!!) I'm delighted to hear there are two more in the series... curious to see if Johnston's writing improves... but with concepts like this, I'm still reading his books even if his writing does not improve.

This book starts off quite well
Matt Wells a Crime fiction writer in London bit down on his luck is contacted out the blue by random rich nutter who wants him to write a book about his life.
People start dying, Matt is worried about his family specially his daughter and Mum. Matt has a new girlfriend called Sarah he is also worried about.
When more bodies turn up, Police suspect Matt.
Matt gets his old Rugby league team mates to help catch this evil mad man.
SAS are also after this baddie.
It turns out the nutter Leslie Dunn had won the lottery years ago so had lots of money to plot these elaborate crazy schemes. Also Sarah Matts girlfriend was in on it as she is Leslies biological sister.
Silly book,

I found this book difficult to get into. I think it's because the main character wasn't very likable, which made it difficult to forgive the usual victim-in-peril choices that are necessary to make a plot move forward. I warmed to it slightly more towards the end of the book, when the main character stopped acting like a bit of a wet dishrag and stood up to the (albeit serial killing) bully.