Tag Archives: J. A. Konrath

The List, by J.A. Konrath

15 Sep

Format: Kindle Edition, 301 pages
Published: April 13, 2009
Publisher: Self-published
Back cover blurb:
JA Konrath is the author of six novels in the Lt. Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels thriller series, the latest of which is Cherry Bomb.

THE LIST is a bit of a departure for Konrath. It’s a technothriller about a group of ten people who all have tattoos of numbers on the bottoms their feet, and don’t know why.

One of them, a Chicago Homicide cop named Tom Mankowski, has had one of these strange tattoos since birth. When he investigates a violent murder and discovers the victim also has a tattooed number, it sets the ball rolling for an adventure of historic proportions.

To say more would give away too much.

Like the Jack Daniels series, The List combines laugh out loud humor with serious suspense and thrills.

If the Kindle had back jacket copy, it would read:

A billionaire Senator with money to burn…
A thirty year old science experiment, about to be revealed…
Seven people, marked for death, not for what they know, but for what they are…

History is about to repeat itself.

My review:
Fantastic premise: a group of people with numbers tattooed on their feet discover they are clones of famous historical figures, and one by one they are being murdered. Tom, a Chicago cop, is called in to investigate the death of a Thomas Edison clone and finds out he is a clone of Thomas Jefferson. Along with his partner Roy and the Albert Einstein clone, they uncover the plot and track down the other clones, some of whom are evil to the core.

Although it was full of horrendous violence, the best thing about this book was the humour. I loved Roy and Bert’s playful exchanges, especially their punch-buggy games, and Abe, the Lincoln clone, was a hoot. Anyone who suggests he and Einstein form a band and go on tour – “I’ll sing The Politics of Dancing. You can sing He Blinded Me with Science…” – is a winner in my book 🙂 And when they go to the restaurant: “Can’t we sit in a booth?” “I hate booths,” Abe winked. “Especially John Wilkes.”

The ending is exciting and surprising, and when I read the last page my first thought was “it can’t end there!” Given this was never picked up by a publisher, I doubt there will be a sequel but I certainly wish there was.

My rating: 4/5