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Be careful what you wish for!
When Buddy Pancake and his drinking buddies stumble across the Wish List website, they jokingly post their "impossible" wishes. Imagine their surprise when, one by one, the wishes start coming true! But Buddy and his pals neglected to read the fine print explaining the price they must pay for the wishes they've been granted.
Wish list is a compelling, nail-biting, laugh-out-loud thriller in the tradition of Saving Rachel.

245 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 6, 2010

186 people are currently reading
672 people want to read

About the author

John Locke

55 books390 followers
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information. This is the novelist (2x spaces), not the philosopher (1x space).


New York Times best-selling author John Locke is the international best-selling author of sixteen books in four different genres. He is the 8th author in history to have sold one million eBooks on Kindle. Locke has had four books in the top ten at the same time, including #1 and #2. His Donovan Creed thriller series has sold more than 1,700,000 copies since January, 2011, and foreign rights have been acquired by six major publishers for Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Hungarian, and Lithuanian translations. (Amazon's brief biography)

NY TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR!

8th MEMBER of the KINDLE MILLION SALES CLUB!

First self-published author to hit #1 on Amazon/Kindle!

First self-published author to hit Kindle Million Sales Club!

John sold 1,100,000 eBooks in 5 months by word of mouth!

John wrote and published 6 best-selling books in 3 separate genres in 6 months, part-time!

John has had 4 of the top 10 eBooks on Amazon/Kindle at the same time, including #1 and #2! He’s also had 6 of the top 20, and 8 of the top 43 at the same time!

Every eBook John Locke has written and published has become a best-seller.

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5 stars
733 (26%)
4 stars
931 (33%)
3 stars
794 (28%)
2 stars
251 (8%)
1 star
108 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
Profile Image for Shyla Power.
39 reviews15 followers
March 11, 2011
I got this book because it showed up as a recommendation after book 1 of the hunger games trilogy on my Kindle. Good thing it was only 99 cents or $2.99..even then it was overpriced. 202 pages doesn't exactly lend to much plot development. It was like he was told "you have 200 pages to write a story and that's it." Because there were some unbelievable "coincidences" just thrown in towards the end of the book to explain away the ease with which Donovan Creed mopped up the mess.

I noticed that Donovan Creed is a series. One series I won't be hurrying out to continue anytime soon.
Profile Image for Henry C..
8 reviews3 followers
March 16, 2011
Wow, what can I say about Wish List. I'm not a serious reader, I don't schedule dedicated time during the day/week to read. When I find a book I like, I read it.

The only reason I bought Wish List was because it had rave reviews on the Kindle Book Store. I read the first two chapters last week. Then, last night I stayed up until 2:16am finishing it. I literally could not put it down! I went from 28% done to 100% in one night!

This book is a roller coaster of a story, half the time you're just itching to turn the page to see what's going to happen next. There are so many twists and turns after a while you're trying to guess what's coming next! I won't spill any spoilers, lets just say this is one wild ride of a book!

Profile Image for Harry.
319 reviews421 followers
July 4, 2012
Continuing with my pursuit of the lone Hero (see reviews for Joe Pike novels, John Rain novels, and Jack Reacher novels) Donovan Creed is probably the most unique character I came across.

I'd never heard of John Locke until I received my Kindle DX in the mail. Locke made his fame and fortune self-publishing his books in the Kindle world. For the Kindle, his books are ridiculously inexpensive (around $0.99 to $1.99). I was surprised at what I read and hooked from the start. Unlike my other series books, however, there is a difference in the books in terms of ratings...so I have not given them the standard 4 or 5 star ratings across the entire series.

First of all, the books are short but packing a powerful punch, a mixture of excellent humor (left me laughing at the insanity of what I was reading) and the grim reality of a hero who kills people. Lethal people introduces us to Creed, the business he is in, his side-kicks and his insane relationship within his own world and certainly the world most of us live in (let's just say Creed is not fit to live a normal life and does not understand it). Get ready for a roller coaster ride and, above all...enjoy! You will find that towards the end of each book you will be filled with disappointment that the ride is over...and almost certainly you will hunt down the next Donovan Creed thriller.
Profile Image for Drama Diva.
3 reviews
May 19, 2011
Wow. I can't even describe how upset I am that I bought this book, even for .99. I tried to sample but 70% of the sample (yea I looked at the percentages and this is true) is a huge list with pages and pages and pages of 5 star reviews. So even though I didn't get to sample the book really, I figured I can't go wrong, right? Oh boy was I wrong. Dialogue was so unrealistic, actually the whole thing was so unrealistic. And I can only conclude the author hates, or bare minimum has no respect for, women. I can't even describe how frustrated I am. And this is an Amazon bestseller?!?
Profile Image for Catherine.
Author 57 books21k followers
February 25, 2012
Wish List by John Locke

I’m not going to recap what this story is about. The author did that on the back cover. What I will do is tell you why I thought Wish List was so compelling.

You must know that I haven’t read outside of my genre in years. To pick up a suspense, mystery, or however the author categorized this book, obviously isn’t my norm. So let’s break down why I read Wish List.

First is the cover. Have you seen it? Even before it went into mass-market paperback under John’s own label, this cover was striking.

Second would be the description of the book. You know when someone is granted wishes that payback is going to be jacked up so I assumed the ride to The End would be great.

Third would be the overall ratings and mood of the reviews I’ve seen online. I do look at both extremes. Those five star ratings were full of words and phrases like captivating and couldn’t put it down. The one star reviews were people who didn’t care for the writing style (1st person) or how morally bankrupt the characters in the story were. I never do understand why people would read the first few pages or an excerpt, then buy the book, then proceed to bitch because the book is in first person. It’s not my favorite either but I’m not going to rate a book a one because of the authors choice in character point of view. As for the morality of the characters in Wish List…sadly, I’ve seen plenty of scum in my day in real life and we’ve all watched the evening news. But this is fiction so I’ll leave it at that.

Forth would be the opening of this page-turning, suspense novel. I read those first few pages and knew this was going to be a fast ride with edgy characters who manage to screw up their lives for greed, sex and revenge. I opened page one and didn’t stop until I was finished. There was several times I had a bad taste in my mouth with the images John painted between the pages of Wish List. But guess what? He wanted me to experience the aftertaste of sin. And that, dear reader of this review, is what makes a great author in my world.

Wish List is a captivating story about greed, sex, revenge and the very worst and even best of human nature. Well done John Locke…may you sell a million more copies of your books in the coming year.
Profile Image for Lori Anderson.
Author 1 book112 followers
February 1, 2011
Yet another of my "trolling through Kindle" purchases. It ended up being a rather good read!

Think of [The Monkey's Paw] gone even more horribly wrong. A web site allows a person to wish for four things. Suddenly, people appear on your doorstep to make them come true. But of course, there's a catch, because of course you didn't read the fine print -- you owe them four deeds of their choosing, to make four other people's wishes come true. And those deeds? They ain't pretty.

Sure there's some bumpy writing and some gratuitous sex, but every time you turned a page, something new was happening -- a new twist on a wish, a new deed to be done.

The only thing I didn't like was the crashing change from the original voice of Buddy Pancake to Chase Donovan. It took me a bit to switch those voices in my head -- no neat segue, no gentle merge. Once I got rolling again, though, I did alright, and from what I understand, this isn't Donovan's first appearance in a Locke book.

If you want a quick read with a fast pace, give this one a try.

But don't make any wishes any time soon.



Lori Anderson

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Profile Image for Byron Washington.
732 reviews4 followers
October 18, 2020
That's More Like It!!

Now that's what I expect!! The last two books in the series were subpar, IMHO. This tales gets everything back on track. They're quirky, strain credulity and are extremely violent, but when they're good, they're very good.

Buy it, read it and enjoy.👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥
45 reviews
January 30, 2012
Read this somewhere over the summer. As with many if not all of the Creed series, I find these books very disturbing yet incredibly addictive. I have serious questions as to Mr Locke's sanity, and/or the sort of things he's done in his life. To come up with some of the scenarios, situations, responses and thought processes of many of these characters, I'm greatly disturbed by that. Yet I love how strange and unusual is their thought processing and how they view these various situations.

Mr Locke's writing is gripping, fast paced, full of emotion, yet simple and easy to read. I am shocked to see these stories are 300 page paperbacks, as the speed with which I get through them, I would have estimated under 200 pages! In other words, I'm not the fastest reader, yet these books make me feel like I'm reading twice as quickly as I normally do.

If you are a fan of modern spy/hitman stories, with a little mob twist thrown in from time to time, you'll really enjoy this series. Just wait till you get a little later in the series, you're head is gonna explode with one of the revelations.

As for this specific story, I could actually see some of this really happening, and that in itself is a bit disturbing. Much like the feeling I had after reading Clancy's Rainbow Six. Just a bit too much potential to become reality to feel comfortable :)
Profile Image for Giuseppe Maxia.
32 reviews4 followers
February 15, 2013
I can't believe how many good reviews this book has got! It is, at best, a book where the characters lack any moral principles, villains and heroes alike. But that would only be if the book were readable, which it isn't. Its language is juvenile and unrealistic, the dialog unbelievable, and the plot is such a pile of dung that I marvel myself for finishing it. I don't mind if the author makes a few bucks, but I am really disappointed at how gullible his readership is.
Profile Image for Rosalind.
370 reviews12 followers
August 23, 2012
Such a surprise, Ive had this book on my Kobo for ages as a .99 purchase. Decided to start reading yesterday and couldnt put it down. It was riveting. A quick read with no unnecessary filler, just a great story with great characters. I will definitely looking for more in this line!! What would you do if you could have 4 wishes?? Just be careful what you wish for...it may just come true!!
Profile Image for Melissa Graham.
204 reviews3 followers
February 14, 2011
Interesting book...took a turn in the middle that I totally wasn't expecting!
6 reviews
May 8, 2013
Interesting story. I like the way moved.
798 reviews1 follower
May 31, 2015
Another fast paced intriguing plot and character driven work.
157 reviews3 followers
April 14, 2019
I am not the target audience for this novel. It was abandoned next to a stack of three year old shop worn magazines in a waiting room. It looked more promising than a copy of Field&Stream, so started reading.

It is a fast easy read. Beyond that? No.

I should have discarded it after the first use if the word "pussy". Yep, that kind of book.

The Wish List story idea probably appeals to most....who does not love the magic of wishes?

So, while not my jam, a fun romp for fans of the genre.
21 reviews
April 1, 2023
Another one

I gave a 5 although I wanted to give 4 1/2. My reason being that I’m so used to the first few books starting off with more so Donovan Creeds POV that it’s hard to get into other characters POV’s being told for so long. I love that people pretend to know Creed and even so, he seems to make decisions on the fly while simultaneously thinking them through fully. I love his moral code that we learned about in book 3 when he had to take care of August. I’m still sad and miss him having a male friend/partner.
Profile Image for Yvonne Strahn.
92 reviews
November 4, 2025
Donovan Creed gets involved in an online wish list scheme when he gets a call from Buddy Pancake. Buddy Pancake has made his four wishes and they were fulfilled. However, he finds out recipients are required to repay by completing four tasks given to them. These tasks are dark and illegal. Buddy is scared and wants to protect his wife Lissie from any repercussions from his actions, this is where Creed comes in. Creed figures out who is manipulating the game and works to shut it down.
Profile Image for Joshua.
36 reviews2 followers
May 16, 2017
Whew, finally a Donovan Creed book again. The last one was so confusing, I had to open another one and give redemption to Donovan Creed. This brought it back! It wasn't the best, but it was still darn good.
15 reviews
December 25, 2021
Another winner from Locke

I've read several of his books and loved them all. He just doesn't disappoint. Always easy to read and always sprinkled with humor . AND always a crazy plot with twists and turns that you just cannot expect.
Would love to spend a long lunch with him.
Profile Image for Gina.
Author 11 books97 followers
February 10, 2018
Much better than book four, definitely.
619 reviews3 followers
February 13, 2019
A different twist again

Just when you think you have seen it all, another suspense filled novel by this author. Can't wait for the next book.
Profile Image for Jay.
10 reviews
April 28, 2019
The only self-published novel I ever read. And will read. Implausible, far-fetched, ludicrous. A quick read, though.
Profile Image for Stacy Allen.
42 reviews
May 22, 2019
Dramatic read

This was a good book for the beach. It’s suspenseful and the story is captivating which makes it an easy read.
Profile Image for Janice.
470 reviews
April 19, 2020
5th book in Donovan Creed series. Loved it from start to finish.
25 reviews1 follower
January 8, 2025
Absolutely Hilarious and Exciting

As usual, Locke weaves a great story around our hero Donovan Creed. It's a great story and well written as always!!!!!!
Profile Image for Mary Catherine.
232 reviews4 followers
March 28, 2011
We hear it all the time.

“Make a wish,” is something that’s said on a birthday, immediately before the candles are blown out.

Shooting stars are said to grant wishes.

“If you had three wishes, what would you wish for (and no wishing for more wishes!)?” is a question that tends to get asked as a game.

WISH LIST is a mix of thrilling terror and dark humor that speaks to all readers in a single question – What would you do for four wishes, any four wishes?

It seems like such a simple concept but author John Locke twists it into such a way that readers will sit up and take notice. Buddy Pancake hears of a website where he can enter any four wishes of his choosing. Brushing it off as a hoax, he’s more than just a little surprised when they come true – including being given the chance to sleep with a well-known movie star.

What happens next is a whirlwind of events that will make readers question the very purpose of humanity. No longer is this a story about simple wishes from a simple man. It is, instead, a phenomenal chase that challenges every thought and emotion a person can have. The plot is original, both in idea and execution, and the narration is spot on in keeping readers interested.

The only problems I really had with WISH LIST were its length (a mere 226 pages) and its lack of character development. Many of the characters – Buddy, Jinny, Lissie, Donovan, the lesser characters even – really begged for more background stories. Had the book been longer, I think it would have opened up more explanations and delved deeper into the relationships between the characters. The quick jumps from one scene to the next were great for the pacing of a thriller but detrimental to a connection between reader and character.

For its novella-length and its low price for Amazon’s Kindle, I would tell people to read WISH LIST. It’s a very interesting read and really makes a reader think, “What would I do for my wishes to be granted?”
31 reviews
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September 20, 2012
Well, this was a strange book. Maybe it is the sign of the times, since we are moving away from in depth reading, maybe adult fiction is moving towards quick, intense reads. The 215 pages consisted of chapters 1 (yes one!) to 7 pages long. I found one chapter that was 8 pages, most ran 3-4 pages. I think most kids' book chapters run longer than that. 215 pages of fast, non-stop action. Then there were 20 pages before you get to the story itself, mostly promotion for his next novel, of which you get 2 chapters at the end of the book. This is supposedly a New York Times best selling author, who was the first to sell 1 million copies in e-books. So maybe this is the style for e-books. I don't get it.

The premise sounded like fun. There is an online program where you can enter your wishes, and they get granted, but there is a price. And I didn't even mind the raunchy guy talk of I would like to take so and so to bed. And Buddy Pancake was a likable character, loved his wife, hated his job, so I liked how his wishes started changing his life. But then it went into a lot of senseless killing. I have a hard enough time with murders in mysteries and spy novels and all those crime shows on TV, but this went beyond my tolerance level and not my idea of entertainment. Sorry Mr. Locke, I will not contribute to your further success. (Wasn't John Locke one of the strangest characters on the TV series "Lost"?)

The one thing this book made me think about was if I was given three or so wishes, what would they be? Mostly I think of the nebulous health and happiness for my son, family and friends. The rest of the things that come to mind seem like I can make them happen myself, if I set my mind to it - travel around the world, get someone to clean my house and redo my yard, have a meaningful conversation about reorganizing my work environment, create a foundation to support my ethnic libraries and archives. What ARE my priorities?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews

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