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A review by danubooks
The List by Steve Berry
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A company views cost cutting in a whole new way
Ten years ago Brent Walker left behind his small Georgia hometown of Concord after his wife's tragic death and forged a new path in his legal career as a prosecutor for the DA's office in Atlanta. He recently realized that he needed to return home, both because of his mother's recent health diagnosis (his father is dead, he has no siblings) and the acknowledgement that he has to come to terms with the pain of his past. He accepts a job as assistant general corporate counsel for the largest employer in Woods County, Southern Republic Pulp and Paper Company, for whom his father had worked for years. His good friend Hank Reed works there also and is the the head of one of the three unions at Southern Republic. Before Brent left town, he and Hank had often teamed up to go after the company for one reason or another...its more than likely that he was hired because of the insight into Hank he might provide in the upcoming contract negotiations. As Brent starts to settle in to his new job, Hank gives him a list of numbers (obtained with questionable tactics) to see if he can figure out what, if anything, they mean. Hank is hoping that whatever it is will give him an edge at the negotiating table, but it is much more than that. It is proof of an unusual and deadly system that Southern Republic has had in place for years, one that only the three owners of the company (and a small group of men who carry out the instructions given to them as a result of the program) know anything about. One of the owners, it seems, has had a change of heart and is hoping that Brent will use his knowledge of the law to bring the situation to light...but it puts a target on Brent's back instead, and on Hank's and those of the people they love as well. Can he figure things out before they can get to him?
Readers of author Steve Berry know him for his Cotton Malone mysteries and their offshoots, action/adventure tales that all turn on an unknown bit of history.. The List represents a departure from that; it is a straight-up legal thriller in which villainous people in power are playing God with the lives of other people. Brent is a flawed character with whom the reader can easily identify, a good son who loves his mother and is willing to uproot his life in order to be there for her as her illness progresses. His romantic life is a mess; he and his late wife were not a good fit, and the woman he truly loves has made a hash of much of her love life as well. The pace of the story is steady and the suspense continually ramps up as the book progresses, with each chapter representing a single day on the calendar from the points of view of different characters. The portrayal of a small town which relies on what they think is a benevolent large company (they pay well and offer an excellent benefits package, and regularly give back to the community, after all) and the corrupt machinations from the people at the top that have been so effectively camouflaged for years is effectively done. I was interested to read in the author's notes at the end of the book that he actually started the book in the early 1990's, revisiting and reworking it during the COVID lockdowns; not surprisingly, Grisham' The Firm (which was a breakout hit back then) was an influence on the manuscript. I found it an addictive read, a more-than-solid addition to the legal thriller genre, and would recommend any john Grisham/David Baldacci/Greg Iles fans pick up a copy to enjoy. My thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me access to this entertaining read from a favorite author in exchange for my honest review.
Ten years ago Brent Walker left behind his small Georgia hometown of Concord after his wife's tragic death and forged a new path in his legal career as a prosecutor for the DA's office in Atlanta. He recently realized that he needed to return home, both because of his mother's recent health diagnosis (his father is dead, he has no siblings) and the acknowledgement that he has to come to terms with the pain of his past. He accepts a job as assistant general corporate counsel for the largest employer in Woods County, Southern Republic Pulp and Paper Company, for whom his father had worked for years. His good friend Hank Reed works there also and is the the head of one of the three unions at Southern Republic. Before Brent left town, he and Hank had often teamed up to go after the company for one reason or another...its more than likely that he was hired because of the insight into Hank he might provide in the upcoming contract negotiations. As Brent starts to settle in to his new job, Hank gives him a list of numbers (obtained with questionable tactics) to see if he can figure out what, if anything, they mean. Hank is hoping that whatever it is will give him an edge at the negotiating table, but it is much more than that. It is proof of an unusual and deadly system that Southern Republic has had in place for years, one that only the three owners of the company (and a small group of men who carry out the instructions given to them as a result of the program) know anything about. One of the owners, it seems, has had a change of heart and is hoping that Brent will use his knowledge of the law to bring the situation to light...but it puts a target on Brent's back instead, and on Hank's and those of the people they love as well. Can he figure things out before they can get to him?
Readers of author Steve Berry know him for his Cotton Malone mysteries and their offshoots, action/adventure tales that all turn on an unknown bit of history.. The List represents a departure from that; it is a straight-up legal thriller in which villainous people in power are playing God with the lives of other people. Brent is a flawed character with whom the reader can easily identify, a good son who loves his mother and is willing to uproot his life in order to be there for her as her illness progresses. His romantic life is a mess; he and his late wife were not a good fit, and the woman he truly loves has made a hash of much of her love life as well. The pace of the story is steady and the suspense continually ramps up as the book progresses, with each chapter representing a single day on the calendar from the points of view of different characters. The portrayal of a small town which relies on what they think is a benevolent large company (they pay well and offer an excellent benefits package, and regularly give back to the community, after all) and the corrupt machinations from the people at the top that have been so effectively camouflaged for years is effectively done. I was interested to read in the author's notes at the end of the book that he actually started the book in the early 1990's, revisiting and reworking it during the COVID lockdowns; not surprisingly, Grisham' The Firm (which was a breakout hit back then) was an influence on the manuscript. I found it an addictive read, a more-than-solid addition to the legal thriller genre, and would recommend any john Grisham/David Baldacci/Greg Iles fans pick up a copy to enjoy. My thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me access to this entertaining read from a favorite author in exchange for my honest review.