The List

By: Kiersten Modglin

Narrated by: Jennifer Jill Araya, David Bendena, Michael Crouch

Ten years ago, the small town of Bates, South Carolina, was changed forever with the appearance of a slip of paper. Six names. Six people set to die. Six months later, they were gone. But the list maker was far from done with their town.

Like clockwork, new lists come out every six months. To keep their names off of them, the citizens go to extraordinary lengths and keep terrifying secrets. Someone is controlling their town. But who? And, most importantly, why?

When Connor and Jordyn Atwood move to Bates, they see firsthand how far their new neighbors are willing to go to protect themselves. Will the Atwoods succumb to their newfound surroundings? Or will they fight to protect the town they now call their home?

With everything at stake and no one to trust, the Atwoods quickly learn the list maker has one important rule: Do what you’re told...or find your name on The List.

©2019 Kiersten Modglin (P)2023 Dreamscape Media

wish it had been different

no spoilers even though I'd love too:(
totally not happy with this ending .
so many deaths and deaths that shouldn't have even been ....
the most shocking death ....shouldn't have even been written this way.
so wrong so totally wrong....
like why? why did that person have to die?
like really ????
what????
Really???????

Marriage counseling? Nah, just read The List and reevaluate EVERYTHING.

Okay, I picked up The List thinking it would be a domestic thriller with a sassy lead, a little drama, maybe a neighbor who borrows sugar a little too often.

Meet Jordyn: sweet, steady, small-town wife with a husband so charming you’ll start Googling “how to tell if your spouse is a serial killer before it’s too late.” Everything in their quiet little town of Bates, South Carolina seems normal , if you ignore the unsettling child murders and the fact that literally no one can make eye contact without triggering the killer.

The dude behind the town’s creepy murder spree. I was NOT okay. I blinked once and suddenly my stomach was on the floor next to my popcorn and emotional stability.

Modglin knows how to lull you into comfort with cozy vibes and then drop a psychological anvil on your soul. The tension? Palpable. The clues? There, but you won’t see them until you’re yelling “HOW DID I MISS THAT?!” at your dogs twice.

And honestly, Jordyn is such a compelling protagonist. You root for her, scream for her, want to hand her a taser and a therapist. The emotional unraveling, the betrayal , it’s all here, and it’s all SO GOOD.

This book is like if Dateline and Gone Girl had a baby in a creepy southern town with too many secrets and not enough streetlights.

10/10 recommend. Just… maybe don’t read it with your spouse in the room. Or near a list. Or in South Carolina.

BRB, updating my list to include:
1. Never trust anyone
2. Always read Kiersten Modglin
3. Don’t blink, or you’ll miss the next twist

Absolutely Outstanding!

Wow!! This was one of the BEST books!! Great storyline & as always a shocking twist! Kiersten Modglin hit it out of the park with this one!

Best book I’ve read all year

Wow what a ride. Kept me intrigued the whole time. Twist was not expected at all. Only thing I didn’t catch was the WHY for when you find out the “whodunnit” but I could have just missed that. Like how did they connect to the big picture specifically? 10/10 recommend

So good!

This was an amazing story which is no shocker with this author! Unpredictable and kept me guessing, I loved this book. The the voices of both Jordan and "him" were good and seemed on point with the characters. This is a must have title!

Interesting if you suspend your disbelief

NO spoilers here. The story is interesting and reminds me of a few books and movies I've seen that had similar plot lines. In those other books and movies, I was willing to suspend my disbelief because they weren't 100% realistic, and I did the same with this book. I was looking for thriller fiction, and that's exactly what I got.

I didn't particularly feel any attachment to any of the characters, but maybe that's because I listened to the entire book in one day and didn't get any downtime to think about them. The female protagonist was a bit too dramatic at several points in the book, and there were many times when I thought, "Just get to the point already!" when she and others were speaking.

Throughout the book I often thought, "This wouldn't happen in real life," and I had to keep casting aside those thoughts. We all watch shows and moves where unrealistic events occur, yet we enjoy those videos. The same can be said about books, including this one. I did enjoy the audiobook despite the unrealistic story.

Modglin DID IT AGAIN!!!

Dear All:
I’m not a reviewer with passion to share and/or overshare. In spite of my daily tasks as a professor, I’m an extreme introvert with a huge love for great story lines, filled with twists, that would take me to my happy place of READING without reading :) My vision has declined badly recently so I’m LOVING this vehicle of “audiobooks”. Thus; I have been reading books of Kiersten Modglin for a few years by now. Kiersten is ONE OF THE ONLY AUTHORS who NEVER DISAPPOINTS. Having said all that: This book may start off on a rather sensitive topic for parents but honestly: it cannot be closer to real life experiences that all our kids (and we) had to go through throughout our journey of life. YOU WILL NOT REGRET utilizing your one credit for this spectacular story which is executed with great narration and delivered with the most unexpected ending. Thank you: Kiersten. I admire your talents beyond words :)

Fantastic

I thought this book was great except that it did get a little bit too long. It sort of reminded me of the lottery by Shirley Jackson, but went beyond that which was really enjoyable.

Good solid suspenseful mystery.

I loved the build up of the story and character development. The end was very twisty and I didn’t see that coming, so I loved that! I thought the performance was pretty good throughout most of the story until the last 1/4 of the book. The narration seemed overly dramatic and every character seemed to be hyper emotional.

I finished in one sitting!

This was a really good book that I just could not put down! It alternated from the POV of Jordyn and Him (the list maker and murderer). Oooh, and I just knew my suspicions were spot on as to who was behind the lists, but needles to say, I was wrong. I don't think anyone would ever guess correctly because once revealed, I was beyond shocked. If you're looking for a great book that grabs and keeps your attention, this is the one!