The List by Steve Berry (2025)
Maybe not the fastest paced of thrillers but I found myself immersed and invested in the lives of expertly detailed characters and the richly imagined setting a small 'company' town in the heart of the Georgia forests.
And the overwhelming evil conspiracy that's befallen this town is simply mind boggling and scary to behold.
Caught up in these terrible murderous events is lawyer Brent Walker, a former Atlanta prosecutor returning to his home town to serve as assistant General Counsel to the company for whom almost everybody in Concord works for - Southern Republic Pulp and Paper. Still shaken by the tragic end of his already failed marriage, Brent must now also look after his ailing mother. And, he knows he'll encounter his long time love Ashley Reed and his old friend (and Ashley's dad) Hank Reed, a tough, canny Union rep and negotiator on behalf of Southern Republic's factory work force.
It isn't long before Brent and Hank stumble upon the company's most shocking secret, something that has led to decades of deaths among some of Southern Republic's retirees. The revelations of what's been going on now puts them and everyone they care about and love in terrible danger.........and getting the truth about before they're all permanently silenced dials up the suspense to maximum levels.
Steve Berry creates a vivid, expansive portrait of the town, its history, residents and the extent to which Southern Republic and its corporate masters control every element of its life and fortunes. Everyone here, both the people you ache for and root for and the ones you despise are deeply drawn with care and nuance.
It's always a pleasure to dive into a book that functions more than just a thrill machine, one that surrounds you with a unique place and a solid drama you want to see through to the very end. 'The List' has it all, so that's an automatic 5 stars for me.
5 stars (*****).
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