The October List by Jeffrey Deaver

NetGalley ARC - thank you, NetGalley : )

3.5 Stars

Gabriela is your average woman – a single mother who works as an office manager.  Two days ago she found her life turned upside down.  Her boss apparently had been working on some not so legitimate projects which left the company raided by the police, her employer vanished and a document called “The October List” (that a very bad man wants) missing.   Now Gabriela’s daughter has been kidnapped.  She has 30 hours to pay the kidnapper $500,000 and deliver the “October List” if she ever wants to see her daughter again.

Wheeeeeeeee!  This ended up being MUCH more fun than I thought it would.  Honestly, I kind of HATED this book when I started.  “The October List” jumps in at full throttle speed, but with no action to justify the tempo.  A mystery written using forward motion doesn’t throw you right into the deep end with no life jacket.  Just because this one runs in reverse it shouldn’t have to either.  That being said, by the halfway point (and this isn’t a long book - getting 50% in is pretty easy) I was used to the pace and comfortable with the reverse sequencing.  I settled in and started enjoying myself.  By 75% the thrill ride REALLY started and by the end my mind was almost officially blown.  I had not read Jeffrey Deaver before, therefore I had zero expectations when I started.  After reading “The October List” I’ll definitely add more of his books to my TBR list.