The Death List
Paul Johnston
Mira, Jul 2007, $24.95
ISBN: 0778324818

In London, novelist Matt Wells receives a series of e-mails from a fan that gives him the idea for a story. Initially he thinks nothing of this beyond someone likes his work, which makes him feel good. However, he soon finds a lethal pattern that frightens him; Matt believes his biggest fan is a cold blooded serial killer who has targeted him, his ex-wife and his daughter for execution.

The White Devil is working his death list getting closer to reaching Matt and his loved ones. Chief Inspector Karen Oaten and her police force suspect Matt is the killer as the White Devil cleverly leaves incriminating evidence that places the writer at the murder scene. Matt realizes he must risk his life before the police arrest him if he is to keep his beloved family members safe from a diabolical killer who knows him and watches his every move.

From the onset, this is an exciting thriller that will have readers guessing how the White Devil is performing his deeds that set up Matt who is under tight police surveillance; the climax reveals the means, which the audience in a Monday morning look back will say is obvious if one applied Holmesian logic. Although the characters are developed enough to matter, it is the anticipation throughout that the White Devil is methodically coming one corpse at a time towards the final kill that grips readers even when the plot seems over the Thames embankment.

Harriet Klausner