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The List
A bold and successful scheme to outwit the biggest players in publishing and film animates this novel by the bestselling author of The Judge–a suspenseful thriller in which the price of fame becomes terror. Gable Cooper has penned a novel to kill for. Six million dollars in book and film rights are looming just off the table for this unknown author. But there is a problem: Gable Cooper doesn't exist.Abby Chandlis is an attorney turned novelist and the creator of Gable Cooper. In an age when glamour, not grammar, is often the secret to selling books, Abby has an intriguing plan to keep her writing career alive: find a charismatic male face to pose as the phantom author for the knock-dead thriller she has written. Jack Jermaine is a man with dangerous good looks and a shadowy past. Trained by the military to kill, his obsession is to pen a blockbuster book. He has a trunk filled with rejected manuscripts and a gnawing problem that has turned him bitter: Jack can't write. Desperate to find a man to play the role of Gable Cooper, Abby is about to give up when Jack forces his way into her life. Reluctantly she is convinced that Jack's humor and looks will clinch success for her novel. She uses her legal wits and makes a deal with the devil. Jack becomes Gable Cooper. When Jack is propelled into the orbit of celebrity, Abby finds herself at once seduced and trapped by her own creation. Success turns to terror.
The story careens from the Pacific Northwest to New York City and finally through the islands of the Caribbean as Abby races for her life to the one person she can trust--the one person who can prove to the world that she wrote the novel, and put an end to the nightmare that was once her dream, the dream of making The List.
451 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 10, 1997
198 people are currently reading
6878 people want to read
About the author
Steve Martini
94 books694 followersSteven Paul "Steve" Martini is an American writer of legal novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
August 20, 2012
Rarely do I have enough ambition to summarize the books I read, and I don’t like to give away the plot, but this time I’m making an exception. Why? Because this book sucked so bad! Do I need to give a disclaimer? Okay, I will. This is simply my opinion. Mr. Martini can certainly write a book better than me. Absolutely. No doubt. Okay?
September 27, 2022
Трилър за издателствата и книгите, за това по какъв начин създават бестселър. Много интересно беше да разбера как се създава реномето на един автор, как се рекламира, за да стане известен, как издателите изстискват авторите и ги обвързват с договори. Ако нямаш хубава фигура, хубаво лице, каквато и книга да напишеш, няма да се вдигне такъв шум, особено ако си застаряваща писателка. Аби няма шанс да издаде книга, след като наближава четиридесетте години, поради това, че нейните романи не са били бестселър. Решава да използва псевдоним, но зад него трябва да стои някой красавец с холивудска усмивка. Джак става Гейбриъл и печели симпатиите на цялата страна, а романът получава известност, дори започват да снимат филм по него. Цялата страна е полудяла по образа на Гейбриъл. А това са милиони долари и всеки ги иска...
Хареса ми, че действието е напрегнато и до края не знаеш кой е лош, кой е добър, всеки иска парите. Алчността беше водещ мотив в цялата книга, разголи издателите и изкара наяве човешките слабости. На какво само са готови хората, за да се сдобият с милиони...
Хареса ми, че действието е напрегнато и до края не знаеш кой е лош, кой е добър, всеки иска парите. Алчността беше водещ мотив в цялата книга, разголи издателите и изкара наяве човешките слабости. На какво само са готови хората, за да се сдобият с милиони...
September 12, 2012
Totally not his best. Not even close to his best. Not that Martini's all that hot, but at least his other books aren't so trite. I would have put it down but I had nothing else to read. It's an intriguing idea that turns stupid, fast. If the main character is so smart, how come she makes so many lame brained mistakes. You know how you're watching a horror movie and you start getting mad at the main character because they don't turn the lights on, or call the cops, or do something that demonstrates even a modicum of intelligence? Yeah, it's like that.
July 12, 2016
A good story. The only complaint I have is the author refers to characters by both first or last names, sometimes in the same paragraph. It was difficult to keep them straight.
September 30, 2013
Maybe it's unfair to count this book as read and rate it when I didn't come close to finishing it, but when I don't finish a book that means it's beyond bad. I finished Twilight. I couldn't keep reading The List.
I started reading the book because I thought it might be like a John Grisham book. Maybe Steve Martini is like him in one way, in that half his books are disgusting and the other half are brilliant, but I wouldn't give him the second chance to find out. It comes across as amateur when someone doesn't know when it's appropriate to swear. He's got everyone cussing every second word. It doesn't make it realistic, it makes you wonder what world this guy lives in.
I found it ironic how someone in the story was saying how the author (in the story) had such an insight into females, and Martini himself has none whatsoever. He has no business trying to write about women. I wonder if he gets his ideas from other books instead of real life. That would explain quite a bit.
I notice another reviewer who gave it a low rating acknowledging that they couldn't write a book as good as this one. I'm not even going to do that. I have no doubt I could write a better book.
I started reading the book because I thought it might be like a John Grisham book. Maybe Steve Martini is like him in one way, in that half his books are disgusting and the other half are brilliant, but I wouldn't give him the second chance to find out. It comes across as amateur when someone doesn't know when it's appropriate to swear. He's got everyone cussing every second word. It doesn't make it realistic, it makes you wonder what world this guy lives in.
I found it ironic how someone in the story was saying how the author (in the story) had such an insight into females, and Martini himself has none whatsoever. He has no business trying to write about women. I wonder if he gets his ideas from other books instead of real life. That would explain quite a bit.
I notice another reviewer who gave it a low rating acknowledging that they couldn't write a book as good as this one. I'm not even going to do that. I have no doubt I could write a better book.
April 5, 2007
This book was a total stinker. I found it in the garbage, where it belonged, with a handwritten message on a piece of notebook paper inside that said part of the book took place on St. Croix, which is where I am right now. For the hell of it, and for lack of better reading material, I gave it a shot. Oh, for shame.
February 16, 2017
3.75 Stars.
This was my first Martini book and according to a lot of people this is “not one of Steve Martini’s best books.” If that is the case, I might have to start reading some more of his works because this was quite entertaining.
We start with a prologue of Abby Chandlis aboard a cargo ship hiding from two guys who are trying to kill her. We don’t know who they are or why they are trying to kill her, but we know it has something to do with copyright paperwork. Abby is looking for her friend Morgan aboard the ship because she is afraid they are going to kill him also. If you read this and hope this is an action packed book throughout, you will be disappointed.
The story starts before the prologue (which I personally hate… but I’ll get into that later). Abby is a lawyer and writer. She has published three books that were flops, but now has written a marvelous book about…. I don’t know… we never know what this book was about. She shows it to her friend Morgan Spencer or Spencer Morgan… I don’t remember, but this can be a little confusing because sometimes he is called Spencer and sometimes Morgan (both of which can be first or last names) but it is the same character. I shall call him Morgan. Morgan loves the book and thinks it will be a big hit, but Abby is concerned because of her past publishing records. She decides to use a pseudonym which isn’t uncommon, everyone does it… King, Rowling, etc. She picks Gable Cooper. She goes a step further and decides to hire a model to pose and sign and everything for Cooper. The story goes from there.
This isn’t the type of story that will keep you on the edge of your seat in anticipation or up all night worrying about the characters, but it will keep you entertained. This book is actually pretty believable. It’s obviously not magic and unicorns but its also not like other books where there is an explosion and shooting every five seconds but the hero never gets caught and escapes at just the right time. If I didn’t know better, I could believe this book actually happened (for the most part).
One of my favorite parts of this book was the publishing information in it. I have always wanted to be an author, so seeing the publishing world from the eyes of an author (Martini) who has gone through it is pretty interesting. There is a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes that I would never have thought happened and it made me seriously question some of the writers I have cast aside because of their marketing and sequels. They could have not known what they were doing and gotten a raw deal with a publisher and now are stuck doing what they agreed to. It’s a thought provoking book if you’re interested in that stuff.
I found the “surprise” ending to be completely predictable thanks to the prologue and some other obvious hints throughout the book.
Overall a pretty decent, entertaining book that I would recommend to anyone especially people who are interested in writing and publishing books.
For my complete review and thoughts on the ending please check out my site: miketsbookblog.weebly.com
Thanks for reading!
This was my first Martini book and according to a lot of people this is “not one of Steve Martini’s best books.” If that is the case, I might have to start reading some more of his works because this was quite entertaining.
We start with a prologue of Abby Chandlis aboard a cargo ship hiding from two guys who are trying to kill her. We don’t know who they are or why they are trying to kill her, but we know it has something to do with copyright paperwork. Abby is looking for her friend Morgan aboard the ship because she is afraid they are going to kill him also. If you read this and hope this is an action packed book throughout, you will be disappointed.
The story starts before the prologue (which I personally hate… but I’ll get into that later). Abby is a lawyer and writer. She has published three books that were flops, but now has written a marvelous book about…. I don’t know… we never know what this book was about. She shows it to her friend Morgan Spencer or Spencer Morgan… I don’t remember, but this can be a little confusing because sometimes he is called Spencer and sometimes Morgan (both of which can be first or last names) but it is the same character. I shall call him Morgan. Morgan loves the book and thinks it will be a big hit, but Abby is concerned because of her past publishing records. She decides to use a pseudonym which isn’t uncommon, everyone does it… King, Rowling, etc. She picks Gable Cooper. She goes a step further and decides to hire a model to pose and sign and everything for Cooper. The story goes from there.
This isn’t the type of story that will keep you on the edge of your seat in anticipation or up all night worrying about the characters, but it will keep you entertained. This book is actually pretty believable. It’s obviously not magic and unicorns but its also not like other books where there is an explosion and shooting every five seconds but the hero never gets caught and escapes at just the right time. If I didn’t know better, I could believe this book actually happened (for the most part).
One of my favorite parts of this book was the publishing information in it. I have always wanted to be an author, so seeing the publishing world from the eyes of an author (Martini) who has gone through it is pretty interesting. There is a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes that I would never have thought happened and it made me seriously question some of the writers I have cast aside because of their marketing and sequels. They could have not known what they were doing and gotten a raw deal with a publisher and now are stuck doing what they agreed to. It’s a thought provoking book if you’re interested in that stuff.
I found the “surprise” ending to be completely predictable thanks to the prologue and some other obvious hints throughout the book.
Overall a pretty decent, entertaining book that I would recommend to anyone especially people who are interested in writing and publishing books.
For my complete review and thoughts on the ending please check out my site: miketsbookblog.weebly.com
Thanks for reading!
December 12, 2024
I’ll definitely read this author again. This had a twist I didn’t see coming.
February 2, 2012
Are you ready to publish that novel of yours? You know, the one that’s headed straight for the bestseller list as soon as you can convince a publisher of your genius? Well, take some tips from Mr. Steve Martini and his novel The List. Here are his 10 ways to make the top 10 bestseller list:
1. Write according to formula.
2. Create a new genre.
3. Hide any previous published works that didn’t make the bestseller list.
4. Hire a good-looking model.
5. Choose a sexy pen name.
6. Make up a bio filled with adventure and sexiness.
7. Send the novel to an agent using the pen name.
8. Take the good-looking model to New York and pretend he’s the author.
9. Make the rounds of high-powered meetings and fancy parties to publicize the book
And finally...
10. Make sure you have plenty of legal backup so that later you can prove the novel was really yours.
Perhaps I should end all resistance and admit that I like thrillers. Typically, I deny that. I've never read a Stephen King novel and was disappointed in the only Dean Koontz novel I've ever read. But every so often I forget to send back that Mystery Book Club slip and I get a surprise in the mail that leaves me reading late into the night.
The List by Steve Martini was one of those "pleasant" surprises that I've since re-read many times and thrilled to each new reading. Perhaps it could be classified as a mystery, but the suspense level is such that it is just as close of a fit in the thriller genre.
The heroine of The List, Abby Chandlis, is a published writer who can't sell another book because her first effort never made the "list"--the New York Times Bestseller List. She’s also determined that a middle-aged, mildly attractive but graying woman will never make a book sleeve.
A lawyer by day, she’s figured out how to make her fortune as a writer of bestsellers so that her more literary works can also make their way to a publisher. She hires a model–Jack Jermaine–to be the “author,” whom she has named Gable Cooper, and sends her action-packed formula thriller off
to New York. She then plays the part of the “author’s” legal advisor as the New York literary agent goes ga-ga over what she is certain is a gold mine.
Then things start going awry. Jack Jermaine, himself a frustrated author with lots of ambition but little talent, charms the literary agents. Abby has tried to protect herself with legal copyright documents proving that she owns the novel, but suddenly people close to her start showing up dead. She flees the country with Jack and learns that he is more dangerous than she suspected.
If you want more plot details, you’ll have to read the book. But you’re not here just to read about the plot or to find details you could find on any dust jacket. You want to know why I think you should read this book, right?
The List is a fast-paced thriller that is as suspenseful as it is action-filled. Martini builds an atmosphere of terror through simple human paranoia, fear, and lack of knowledge. Lies get interwoven so tightly that it becomes impossible to know who to believe. That Abby is in danger, we can feel certain of. How she will get out alive is an entirely different story and one we don’t get to figure out until taking a ride filled with many twists and turns.
Perhaps one of the reasons that I enjoyed this book was its pure believability. Martini does not rely on goriness or far-out weirdness to get your attention. There is nothing supernatural, nor does it rely on the stuff of which urban legends are made. While the plot becomes outlandish at points, it always remains completely plausible and believable.
The ending was a pure delight. It left me with an, “Oh man, you got me,” reaction. I laughed aloud when I realized the cleverness of what he had done.
This is also a book with a fair amount of not-so-gentle poking at the publishing industry. He strips away their facade and shows all of the nasty games that make a book a bestseller. We get to watch as Martini skewers literary agents, booksellers, and the bestseller list itself. We see how marketing is the name of the game and how little literary effort or skill matters.
I find myself re-reading this book frequently, seeing if on a subsequent time through I’ll pick up the clues I missed the first time. It’s a great book for anyone who likes thrillers, mysteries, or wants to publish that best-selling novel.
1. Write according to formula.
2. Create a new genre.
3. Hide any previous published works that didn’t make the bestseller list.
4. Hire a good-looking model.
5. Choose a sexy pen name.
6. Make up a bio filled with adventure and sexiness.
7. Send the novel to an agent using the pen name.
8. Take the good-looking model to New York and pretend he’s the author.
9. Make the rounds of high-powered meetings and fancy parties to publicize the book
And finally...
10. Make sure you have plenty of legal backup so that later you can prove the novel was really yours.
Perhaps I should end all resistance and admit that I like thrillers. Typically, I deny that. I've never read a Stephen King novel and was disappointed in the only Dean Koontz novel I've ever read. But every so often I forget to send back that Mystery Book Club slip and I get a surprise in the mail that leaves me reading late into the night.
The List by Steve Martini was one of those "pleasant" surprises that I've since re-read many times and thrilled to each new reading. Perhaps it could be classified as a mystery, but the suspense level is such that it is just as close of a fit in the thriller genre.
The heroine of The List, Abby Chandlis, is a published writer who can't sell another book because her first effort never made the "list"--the New York Times Bestseller List. She’s also determined that a middle-aged, mildly attractive but graying woman will never make a book sleeve.
A lawyer by day, she’s figured out how to make her fortune as a writer of bestsellers so that her more literary works can also make their way to a publisher. She hires a model–Jack Jermaine–to be the “author,” whom she has named Gable Cooper, and sends her action-packed formula thriller off
to New York. She then plays the part of the “author’s” legal advisor as the New York literary agent goes ga-ga over what she is certain is a gold mine.
Then things start going awry. Jack Jermaine, himself a frustrated author with lots of ambition but little talent, charms the literary agents. Abby has tried to protect herself with legal copyright documents proving that she owns the novel, but suddenly people close to her start showing up dead. She flees the country with Jack and learns that he is more dangerous than she suspected.
If you want more plot details, you’ll have to read the book. But you’re not here just to read about the plot or to find details you could find on any dust jacket. You want to know why I think you should read this book, right?
The List is a fast-paced thriller that is as suspenseful as it is action-filled. Martini builds an atmosphere of terror through simple human paranoia, fear, and lack of knowledge. Lies get interwoven so tightly that it becomes impossible to know who to believe. That Abby is in danger, we can feel certain of. How she will get out alive is an entirely different story and one we don’t get to figure out until taking a ride filled with many twists and turns.
Perhaps one of the reasons that I enjoyed this book was its pure believability. Martini does not rely on goriness or far-out weirdness to get your attention. There is nothing supernatural, nor does it rely on the stuff of which urban legends are made. While the plot becomes outlandish at points, it always remains completely plausible and believable.
The ending was a pure delight. It left me with an, “Oh man, you got me,” reaction. I laughed aloud when I realized the cleverness of what he had done.
This is also a book with a fair amount of not-so-gentle poking at the publishing industry. He strips away their facade and shows all of the nasty games that make a book a bestseller. We get to watch as Martini skewers literary agents, booksellers, and the bestseller list itself. We see how marketing is the name of the game and how little literary effort or skill matters.
I find myself re-reading this book frequently, seeing if on a subsequent time through I’ll pick up the clues I missed the first time. It’s a great book for anyone who likes thrillers, mysteries, or wants to publish that best-selling novel.
August 2, 2019
WOW, WOW, WOW, I so enjoyed this book. Abby, Jack, Jess, Morgan and guess what, you have to read the book to see who the bad guy is. There is a very bad guy.
December 16, 2016
It was better than I thought it would be, although there is a leering interest in big busted young women in short skirts, and an easy acceptance of violence. But the energy between main characters Abby and Jack is good. I think that characters lived up to their particular slot in the book whether wife beating drunk or always looking out for #1 small potatoes criminal lawyer or clever psychopathic killer.
The story goes like this; Abby works as a lawyer during the day, her time off is spent writing. She writes an excellent book but thinks that women authors, especially if they are over thirty and previously published, don't get the kind of attention and publicity push that young good-looking male writers do, especially if said young male is a first time author, a new discovery. So Abby decides to hire a good looking actor, give him a pen name, and pass him off as the author of the book while holding the copyright herself. She enlists one of her best friends, fellow lawyer Morgan Spencer, to help her. She finds her actor but ends up with his older brother instead, a guy named Jack who is a frustrated writer himself. Jack has the looks, Jack has the charm, eventually Jack has Abby. Morgan has a problem with that. Jack tells her one thing, Morgan tells her another. Who to trust?
OK, just as note here. Writer, editor, what happened to Jack's brother Jess??? Last we hear his name he is in a bad situation, a critical situation, and then we never hear his name again.
The story goes like this; Abby works as a lawyer during the day, her time off is spent writing. She writes an excellent book but thinks that women authors, especially if they are over thirty and previously published, don't get the kind of attention and publicity push that young good-looking male writers do, especially if said young male is a first time author, a new discovery. So Abby decides to hire a good looking actor, give him a pen name, and pass him off as the author of the book while holding the copyright herself. She enlists one of her best friends, fellow lawyer Morgan Spencer, to help her. She finds her actor but ends up with his older brother instead, a guy named Jack who is a frustrated writer himself. Jack has the looks, Jack has the charm, eventually Jack has Abby. Morgan has a problem with that. Jack tells her one thing, Morgan tells her another. Who to trust?
OK, just as note here. Writer, editor, what happened to Jack's brother Jess??? Last we hear his name he is in a bad situation, a critical situation, and then we never hear his name again.
July 26, 2015
Не знам какво да кажа. Възможно най-динамичен и овъртян трилър-сюжет и възможно най-слабото изпълнение като литература. Книга, която четеш и се ядосваш на безумно плоските образи, на слабите диалози, на изсмуканите от пръстите любовни сцени и екшън-гонитби, на тоновете клишета, а в същото време ти се иска да стигнеш до развръзката, защото сюжетът е интересен, по дяволите! И се развива на фона на една доста реалистично звучаща картина на издателския бизнес. Впрочем, ако изобщо в книгата има силна страна, то това е тя. Личеше си, че авторът има лично отношение по въпроса и например преговорите по правата върху бъдещи книги бяха сред малкото сцени, които четох с интерес и известно удоволствие.
Иначе, "Класацията" е сготвена по рецепта за тюрлюгювеч: вътре са напъхани 5-6 убийства, 2-3 взрива, загадъчен красавец, суперталантлива и супернаивна хубавица, латиноамерикански милиардер, голи къпания, алчен бивш съпруг, нахални журналисти, подозрителни следователи, семейно насилие, стрелба, уличен бой, тайни и лъжи на кило и много милиони. Абе, от всичко по малко. Ако готвачът беше качествен или поне имаше някакво по-осезателно чувство за хумор, можеше да се получи дори истинска пародия на рецептите за сготвяне на бестселър. Защото, пак повтарям, плотът е интригуващ и държи в напрежение до края. Но тая книга е като скелет без плът.
Иначе, "Класацията" е сготвена по рецепта за тюрлюгювеч: вътре са напъхани 5-6 убийства, 2-3 взрива, загадъчен красавец, суперталантлива и супернаивна хубавица, латиноамерикански милиардер, голи къпания, алчен бивш съпруг, нахални журналисти, подозрителни следователи, семейно насилие, стрелба, уличен бой, тайни и лъжи на кило и много милиони. Абе, от всичко по малко. Ако готвачът беше качествен или поне имаше някакво по-осезателно чувство за хумор, можеше да се получи дори истинска пародия на рецептите за сготвяне на бестселър. Защото, пак повтарям, плотът е интригуващ и държи в напрежение до края. Но тая книга е като скелет без плът.
July 2, 2014
I liked this story, but for all the wrong reasons. The suspense portion was pretty weak. I just did not feel it to be very compelling. There wasn't enough fear build up to the end. The characters were not all that interesting. I did not have any sympathy for the villain. A good story at least gets you to feel something.
What I really liked were the book publishing insights. Why books are marketed the way that they are was interesting. I complain about too many books marketed as trilogies, but this makes me wonder if it was the author's idea or the publisher's. Is a good looking, unknown male author going to command a better contract than a woman? How are movie rights determined and who drives a good book character into a successful series. It make me rethink some of my past criticisms of book reviews I have previously made.
So, go have a Goodreads.
What I really liked were the book publishing insights. Why books are marketed the way that they are was interesting. I complain about too many books marketed as trilogies, but this makes me wonder if it was the author's idea or the publisher's. Is a good looking, unknown male author going to command a better contract than a woman? How are movie rights determined and who drives a good book character into a successful series. It make me rethink some of my past criticisms of book reviews I have previously made.
So, go have a Goodreads.
October 13, 2017
When I began this book I had no idea or preconceptions to what the title was referring. However, it did not lake long before that became clear and book quickly developed into a quick, fast paced page turner.
It is an entertaining book about the entertainment industry (media). The interesting thing about this book is that the plot is happening.....now!
My second Steve Martini book....and I will be seeking more.
It is an entertaining book about the entertainment industry (media). The interesting thing about this book is that the plot is happening.....now!
My second Steve Martini book....and I will be seeking more.
August 3, 2007
Blech. This was the first Steve Martini book I'd ever read, and it will also be the last. Poorly drawn characters, mocking cliched literary tropes while simultaneously writing them, and a ridiculous "twist" ending.
Also, writing a novel about the publishing industry that laments the attention paid to specific real-world writers just makes you sound jealous, Mr. Martini.
Also, writing a novel about the publishing industry that laments the attention paid to specific real-world writers just makes you sound jealous, Mr. Martini.
September 14, 2015
Before, I read the book , I thought it would be entertaining, the idea is somehow new,if it wasn't for the fast twist in the end, I would have given it 2,,, some details , I wasnt convinced by, the most important that not all successful book authors are beautiful,,, the word "ass" was repeated in nearly every page , also there was some sex content.
December 29, 2021
A си мислех, че трилър се пише лесно, но явно не било така.
Номер 3 от общо 5 леки четива на Санома блясък.
Нещо като опит за трилър, нещо като американски екшън с яките екшън герои ала Брус Уилис, нещо като любовна драма, нещо като нищо.
Нито четенето, нито коментирането на тази книга си заслужава.
Номер 3 от общо 5 леки четива на Санома блясък.
Нещо като опит за трилър, нещо като американски екшън с яките екшън герои ала Брус Уилис, нещо като любовна драма, нещо като нищо.
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June 18, 2013
About the “seductive world of entertainment.” A lawyer turned writer conspires to outwit the big guys. I found the first 95 pgs slow, and the plot confused by the many characters that I found difficult to separate. When he starts getting very graphic about horrific spouse abuse, I quit.
January 5, 2023
I noticed that reviews either hated or loved this book = not much middle ground. For those who complained that they wanted total realism in the plot, I say it's FICTION. A definition of fiction is "imaginative - not restricted to fact = not real"!!! Therefore, I read it for what it was and enjoyed it immensely. Martini is one of my favorite authors, especially his courtroom drama series. This plot is different, but still compelling with plenty of twists and turns. It has action, romance, adventure, and a suspenseful climax with a major twist in the last sentence of the epilogue - so satisfying and a fist-pumping moment. It also gives the reader insights into book publishing, the politics of a highly successful book that makes the bestselling list, movie rights, and bestseller marketing.
Abby Chandlis is an attorney, closing in on her 40's, at Star, Hobbs and Carlton law offices. She's also a part-time author. She has written three published books that didn't do well. Now she has written an excellent novel but knows, that no matter how good it is, it will be turned down because of the three previous books. So, she submits it to a publisher under the unknown name of Gable Cooper. Abby is posing as his lawyer watching out for his rights. It's an ingenious plan to make a fresh start in her writing career. But the problem is that Gable Cooper doesn't exist and now her literary agent, Carla Owens, and book publisher, Alex Bertoli wants to meet him because six million dollars in book and movie rights have been offered. Oh, what to do? The plan is to travel to Hollywood with her best friend Terry Jenrico and find the perfect unknown actor to play handsome and charismatic Gable Cooper. Someone who will look fabulous on the dust jacket.
Abby is ready for the meeting and interview with Carla and Alex to present them with Jess Jermaine who will play the part of Gable. Abby becomes panicked when he doesn't show up; but in the nick of time, in walks his older brother Jack Jermaine who is more than perfect for the role. He's great at the interview because he has a desk drawer filled with rejected manuscripts that testify that he can't write! Abby immediately has her good friend and lawyer, Morgan Spencer, write up the legal copyright documents to protect herself and prove she wrote the novel.
Then Terry is murdered; Terry's abusing husband Joey Jenrico who, through mistaken identity, tries to weasel money out of a movie producer by saying he is Gable Cooper while at Abby's house trashing it is murdered; and Abby's ex-husband Charlie who is trying to cash in on Abby's upcoming fortune is also murdered. Abby/Gable has fled to a Caribbean Island to write a sequel for the publisher and movie producer. But Abby has her doubts about what Jack is after. After all, he has macho good looks and a shadowy past. Spencer hires a P.I. to look into Jack's military career. He finds out why Jack is a mercenary trained by the military and was forced to retire early. Abby begins to have misgivings about hiring Jack. He is now getting all the kudos, glory, and celebrity status for writing the now famous book - "she had created a mirage so alluring that it now threatened to consume its own maker".
Then success turns to terror when someone feeds her false thoughts and misdirection about Jack, and she begins to think that Jack is out to kill her. Why does Jack have a passport in the name of Kellen Raid? As her book hits #4 on the bestseller list, Jack calls and says the publisher is now clamoring for the outline of the sequel, but Abby won't give it up yet for fear Jack will use it to get what he wants. The reader gets a touch of the climax in the prologue when Abby finds herself on a cargo ship searching for the one person who can save her life while she thinks Jack is pursuing her to kill her. But did Jack really betray her?
Interesting dissection of cutthroat world of publishing, especially commercial book publishing and agents, editors, movie studios, etc. who are all more than eager to generate something related to the bestselling novel on the LIST! A line from the book "In every way commercial publishing was a game of chance, the right book at the right time with the right publisher and the right budget. Writing a novel was like pulling the handle on a slot machine. If you were lucky enough to line everything up at one time, you won. If not, you went to work on the next book". Highly recommended for the reader who can overlook minor flaws and questionable plot points.
Abby Chandlis is an attorney, closing in on her 40's, at Star, Hobbs and Carlton law offices. She's also a part-time author. She has written three published books that didn't do well. Now she has written an excellent novel but knows, that no matter how good it is, it will be turned down because of the three previous books. So, she submits it to a publisher under the unknown name of Gable Cooper. Abby is posing as his lawyer watching out for his rights. It's an ingenious plan to make a fresh start in her writing career. But the problem is that Gable Cooper doesn't exist and now her literary agent, Carla Owens, and book publisher, Alex Bertoli wants to meet him because six million dollars in book and movie rights have been offered. Oh, what to do? The plan is to travel to Hollywood with her best friend Terry Jenrico and find the perfect unknown actor to play handsome and charismatic Gable Cooper. Someone who will look fabulous on the dust jacket.
Abby is ready for the meeting and interview with Carla and Alex to present them with Jess Jermaine who will play the part of Gable. Abby becomes panicked when he doesn't show up; but in the nick of time, in walks his older brother Jack Jermaine who is more than perfect for the role. He's great at the interview because he has a desk drawer filled with rejected manuscripts that testify that he can't write! Abby immediately has her good friend and lawyer, Morgan Spencer, write up the legal copyright documents to protect herself and prove she wrote the novel.
Then Terry is murdered; Terry's abusing husband Joey Jenrico who, through mistaken identity, tries to weasel money out of a movie producer by saying he is Gable Cooper while at Abby's house trashing it is murdered; and Abby's ex-husband Charlie who is trying to cash in on Abby's upcoming fortune is also murdered. Abby/Gable has fled to a Caribbean Island to write a sequel for the publisher and movie producer. But Abby has her doubts about what Jack is after. After all, he has macho good looks and a shadowy past. Spencer hires a P.I. to look into Jack's military career. He finds out why Jack is a mercenary trained by the military and was forced to retire early. Abby begins to have misgivings about hiring Jack. He is now getting all the kudos, glory, and celebrity status for writing the now famous book - "she had created a mirage so alluring that it now threatened to consume its own maker".
Then success turns to terror when someone feeds her false thoughts and misdirection about Jack, and she begins to think that Jack is out to kill her. Why does Jack have a passport in the name of Kellen Raid? As her book hits #4 on the bestseller list, Jack calls and says the publisher is now clamoring for the outline of the sequel, but Abby won't give it up yet for fear Jack will use it to get what he wants. The reader gets a touch of the climax in the prologue when Abby finds herself on a cargo ship searching for the one person who can save her life while she thinks Jack is pursuing her to kill her. But did Jack really betray her?
Interesting dissection of cutthroat world of publishing, especially commercial book publishing and agents, editors, movie studios, etc. who are all more than eager to generate something related to the bestselling novel on the LIST! A line from the book "In every way commercial publishing was a game of chance, the right book at the right time with the right publisher and the right budget. Writing a novel was like pulling the handle on a slot machine. If you were lucky enough to line everything up at one time, you won. If not, you went to work on the next book". Highly recommended for the reader who can overlook minor flaws and questionable plot points.
May 11, 2022
I thought that the "heroine" protagonist was a simpering moron. She was unlikable from the beginning, and ridiculously naive. She's supposedly a "good looking woman" but she has no experience with men, and has only 1 close girlfriend who's also an idiot. But her girlfriend is a man hungry idiot, married to an abusive jerk. All really distasteful stuff.
So, the protagonist writes a book and knows it's really good. I mean, really really good!! Her friend has told her it's really really really good, too! BUT, despite the fact that she knows it's good, she believes that she needs a man's face/body persona as a nom de plume for the book if it's going to succeed. Because of course, no one buys women's books. Ugh what misogynistic BS.
She sets off to find Mr. Right, or rather Mr. Write. lol I'm laughing at my own joke! She gets a list of actors and travels to Hollywood to interview them. Long story short, she finds a guy and it complicates her life immensely. He saves her life repeatedly, and works out really well with the PR. But, despite being very attracted to the guy, and him to her, she doesn't know if she can trust him. So, she sleeps with him and STILL doesn't know if she can trust him. What a moron. The author throws a bunch of red herrings into the plot, and a bunch of murders happen. Well, we're talking $5 million for the book, so I guess that's worth killing for. There's a shady ex husband, a tenacious cop and other characters who populate this book.
The book starts with the end - and then goes back to the beginning. So, you kind of know the deal with her. I thought it started off with a bang then went to a simmering mess. The ultimate bad guy was exactly who I thought it would be, but his "skill set" was ridiculous for his profession. Where did he get those skills? Nowhere, that's where. For him to be the bad guy and for him to choose to do what he did is also ridiculous. He could've made loads of money at his chosen profession, if he'd actually worked at it and not these other stupid side gigs. It made no sense and annoyed me.
The ending also annoyed me. Suddenly, all is forgiven and she's living in paradise. I really liked the fake author and his friends, and family, much more than I liked the real author woman lawyer. I felt he was too good for her. But whatever.
1 star for writing a book. 0 stars for understand how women are. 1 star for having some action and interesting characters. -100 stars for who the bad guy is.
I've read Steve Martini books before, and they were good. He should stay in his lane as it were, and stick with writing courtroom dramas. (he's a former lawyer).
Sorry, I can't recommend this book.
So, the protagonist writes a book and knows it's really good. I mean, really really good!! Her friend has told her it's really really really good, too! BUT, despite the fact that she knows it's good, she believes that she needs a man's face/body persona as a nom de plume for the book if it's going to succeed. Because of course, no one buys women's books. Ugh what misogynistic BS.
She sets off to find Mr. Right, or rather Mr. Write. lol I'm laughing at my own joke! She gets a list of actors and travels to Hollywood to interview them. Long story short, she finds a guy and it complicates her life immensely. He saves her life repeatedly, and works out really well with the PR. But, despite being very attracted to the guy, and him to her, she doesn't know if she can trust him. So, she sleeps with him and STILL doesn't know if she can trust him. What a moron. The author throws a bunch of red herrings into the plot, and a bunch of murders happen. Well, we're talking $5 million for the book, so I guess that's worth killing for. There's a shady ex husband, a tenacious cop and other characters who populate this book.
The book starts with the end - and then goes back to the beginning. So, you kind of know the deal with her. I thought it started off with a bang then went to a simmering mess. The ultimate bad guy was exactly who I thought it would be, but his "skill set" was ridiculous for his profession. Where did he get those skills? Nowhere, that's where. For him to be the bad guy and for him to choose to do what he did is also ridiculous. He could've made loads of money at his chosen profession, if he'd actually worked at it and not these other stupid side gigs. It made no sense and annoyed me.
The ending also annoyed me. Suddenly, all is forgiven and she's living in paradise. I really liked the fake author and his friends, and family, much more than I liked the real author woman lawyer. I felt he was too good for her. But whatever.
1 star for writing a book. 0 stars for understand how women are. 1 star for having some action and interesting characters. -100 stars for who the bad guy is.
I've read Steve Martini books before, and they were good. He should stay in his lane as it were, and stick with writing courtroom dramas. (he's a former lawyer).
Sorry, I can't recommend this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2019
Kirkus Reviews
So you thought it was all fun and games having a breakout novel? Come listen to Martini, on leave from his series about defense attorney Paul Madriani (The Judge, 1996, etc.), spin this wild and wooly tale of a pseudonym caper from hell. Life hasn't been kind to Abby Chandlis. She's going nowhere in her Seattle law firm; her second career as a novelist is stalled; her shiftless ex is behind in his payments, leaving her dining on cat food. But Abby has an ace in the hole: a new novel that could hit the bestseller list with the force of a pile- driver. Could hit, if only Abby weren't so unglamorous (she's pushing 40), so shopworn (those old novels turn out to be worse than no help), so unpromotable. So Abby and her roommate Theresa decide to find a front, some male model who'll masquerade as
··Gable Cooper" for a percentage of a take that stretches higher than Jack's beanstalk. And even though the front that Abby ends up with, soldier-of fortune/ failed novelist Jack Jermaine, isn't exactly what she was looking for, the two storm through a brightly malicious pipe dream of literary celebrity, as Abby sticks like glue to her supposed client's side while big-ticket agents, publishers,
and producers fight over them like so many jackals. But even before ta ke-charge Jermaine spirits his dazzled ghostwriter off to the Caribbean for some sun and sex, clouds have gathered on the horizon. Theresa has died in a suspicious accident
that seems meant for Abby; Theresa 's low-life husband Joey follows apace; the Seattle police are looking for Abby; so is a scandal-sheet reporter; and finally Abby wonders whether her own legal claim to her chart-busting novel might be a lot more slender than she thought--and might be based a little too exclusively on the testimony of her late friend. Absolutely irresistible balderdash- -The Pelican Brief for everybody who isn't John Grisham
So you thought it was all fun and games having a breakout novel? Come listen to Martini, on leave from his series about defense attorney Paul Madriani (The Judge, 1996, etc.), spin this wild and wooly tale of a pseudonym caper from hell. Life hasn't been kind to Abby Chandlis. She's going nowhere in her Seattle law firm; her second career as a novelist is stalled; her shiftless ex is behind in his payments, leaving her dining on cat food. But Abby has an ace in the hole: a new novel that could hit the bestseller list with the force of a pile- driver. Could hit, if only Abby weren't so unglamorous (she's pushing 40), so shopworn (those old novels turn out to be worse than no help), so unpromotable. So Abby and her roommate Theresa decide to find a front, some male model who'll masquerade as
··Gable Cooper" for a percentage of a take that stretches higher than Jack's beanstalk. And even though the front that Abby ends up with, soldier-of fortune/ failed novelist Jack Jermaine, isn't exactly what she was looking for, the two storm through a brightly malicious pipe dream of literary celebrity, as Abby sticks like glue to her supposed client's side while big-ticket agents, publishers,
and producers fight over them like so many jackals. But even before ta ke-charge Jermaine spirits his dazzled ghostwriter off to the Caribbean for some sun and sex, clouds have gathered on the horizon. Theresa has died in a suspicious accident
that seems meant for Abby; Theresa 's low-life husband Joey follows apace; the Seattle police are looking for Abby; so is a scandal-sheet reporter; and finally Abby wonders whether her own legal claim to her chart-busting novel might be a lot more slender than she thought--and might be based a little too exclusively on the testimony of her late friend. Absolutely irresistible balderdash- -The Pelican Brief for everybody who isn't John Grisham
Want to read
April 15, 2021From Follett: A bold and successful scheme to outwit the biggest players in publishing and film animates this novel by the bestselling author of The Judge a suspenseful thriller in which the price of fame becomes terror. Gable Cooper has penned a novel to kill for. Six million dollars in book and film rights are looming just off the table for this unknown author. But there is a problem: Gable Cooper doesn't exist. Abby Chandlis is an attorney turned novelist and the creator of Gable Cooper. In an age when glamour, not grammar, is often the secret to selling books, Abby has an intriguing plan to keep her writing career alive: find a charismatic male face to pose as the phantom author for the knock-dead thriller she has written. Jack Jermaine is a man with dangerous good looks and a shadowy past. Trained by the military to kill, his obsession is to pen a blockbuster book. He has a trunk filled with rejected manuscripts and a gnawing problem that has turned him bitter: Jack can't write. Desperate to find a man to play the role of Gable Cooper, Abby is about to give up when Jack forces his way into her life. Reluctantly she is convinced that Jack's humor and looks will clinch success for her novel. She uses her legal wits and makes a deal with the devil. Jack becomes Gable Cooper. When Jack is propelled into the orbit of celebrity, Abby finds herself at once seduced and trapped by her own creation. Success turns to terror. The story careens from the Pacific Northwest to New York City and finally through the islands of the Caribbean as Abby races for her life to the one person she can trust the one person who can prove to the world that she wrote the novel, and put an end to the nightmare that was once her dream, the dream of making The List.
January 23, 2017
I had high hopes for this book, but was sorely disappointed. I had read one other book (Double Tap) by this author and gave it a 4-star rating. With this book, The List, set in the entertainment industry, it seemed like this had the possibility of being a great book.
The book is about a female lawyer-author whose published works under her own name were all flops. So she decided to write a book from a male point of view and use a pseudonym. Further, she decides to hire an actor to play the part of the author. This sounds pretty silly already, but it is even sillier when you read it. As luck would have it, the book makes the bestseller list and is worth millions for its movie rights. But the author's scheme creates problems that turn this book into a thriller.
So, aside from losing credibility immediately, the author goes on to create miserable characters. You can't like anybody in this book. Then the plot twists are ridiculous. Finally, the extended chase scene at the end is spectacularly silly, almost comedic, except that the joke lasted w-a-y too long.
In the middle of the book, there were sections where you got what seemed like realistic insights about book publishers, which was about the only part of the book that seemed believable.
After reading Double Tap, I thought I was on to a reliable author. After reading The List, I am almost afraid to invest any more time into Steve Martini's other works.
The book is about a female lawyer-author whose published works under her own name were all flops. So she decided to write a book from a male point of view and use a pseudonym. Further, she decides to hire an actor to play the part of the author. This sounds pretty silly already, but it is even sillier when you read it. As luck would have it, the book makes the bestseller list and is worth millions for its movie rights. But the author's scheme creates problems that turn this book into a thriller.
So, aside from losing credibility immediately, the author goes on to create miserable characters. You can't like anybody in this book. Then the plot twists are ridiculous. Finally, the extended chase scene at the end is spectacularly silly, almost comedic, except that the joke lasted w-a-y too long.
In the middle of the book, there were sections where you got what seemed like realistic insights about book publishers, which was about the only part of the book that seemed believable.
After reading Double Tap, I thought I was on to a reliable author. After reading The List, I am almost afraid to invest any more time into Steve Martini's other works.
June 28, 2018
This one missed the mark for me for a number of reasons.
The premise should have been one that grabbed hold of me and didn't let go. Abby, an attorney, writes what she knows is going to be a blockbuster novel but chooses to publish under a nom de plume because she has learned that in the world of big time publishing, there are no second chances for an unknown writer. She decides to hire an actor to play the role of the author and off we go.
So where did it lose me? For starters, the sequence of events in which she settles on the man who is to portray the author seemed forced and highly improbable. Next came the gratuitous inclusion of a vicious abusive ex-husband who is stalking Abby's best friend Theresa. This was quite early in the narrative and believe me when I tell you that this aspect of the plot could have been omitted without a single impact on the rest of the story. So why did Martini subject the reader to graphic scenes of pain and violence against a helpless victim? Beats the heck out of me.
Not to mention the opening scene in which a freighter ship is sabotaged and sinks. This event appears to have no connection whatever to the rest of the story and in fact is just barely connected in the last twenty pages.
The fatal blow came when I realized that I knew who the bad guy was about 2/3 of the way through the book. I wasn't sure how it was all going to link together, but it was obvious to me.
This one gets a great big thumbs down from me.
The premise should have been one that grabbed hold of me and didn't let go. Abby, an attorney, writes what she knows is going to be a blockbuster novel but chooses to publish under a nom de plume because she has learned that in the world of big time publishing, there are no second chances for an unknown writer. She decides to hire an actor to play the role of the author and off we go.
So where did it lose me? For starters, the sequence of events in which she settles on the man who is to portray the author seemed forced and highly improbable. Next came the gratuitous inclusion of a vicious abusive ex-husband who is stalking Abby's best friend Theresa. This was quite early in the narrative and believe me when I tell you that this aspect of the plot could have been omitted without a single impact on the rest of the story. So why did Martini subject the reader to graphic scenes of pain and violence against a helpless victim? Beats the heck out of me.
Not to mention the opening scene in which a freighter ship is sabotaged and sinks. This event appears to have no connection whatever to the rest of the story and in fact is just barely connected in the last twenty pages.
The fatal blow came when I realized that I knew who the bad guy was about 2/3 of the way through the book. I wasn't sure how it was all going to link together, but it was obvious to me.
This one gets a great big thumbs down from me.
January 6, 2020
A fast paced story about a middle aged, female, writer, trying to break into the publishing business. Abby knew she wouldn’t get her latest novel published under her own name. She wanted a person, a man, to impersonate her nom de plume. She found him and more trouble than she could have possibly imagined!
This was a quick read. Yes, it was predicable in many respects but it was fun. I figured out the twist partway through but still enjoyed reading to the end.
The book makes fun of the publishing industry, and, to some extent, the movie business, where anything goes to get that next big hit.
Abby decides to play their biases against them. As a lawyer, she uses her expertise to keep them guessing and out of control. She holds all the cards. She has involved her long time friend, Morgan, a fellow lawyer, in the game. Morgan makes sure that Jack can’t pull a fast one over in Abby. Morgan holds the contract and all other important documents, detailing the truth - Abby not Jack a Tu wrote the book.
Yes, Jack was the one that Carla and Bertoli believed was the author behind the Gable Cooper alias. He was the one that was wined and dined. Jack, a failed author himself, loved all the attention.
Things were going so well, then people close to Abby, the ones who knew the truth, began to die.
This was a quick read. Yes, it was predicable in many respects but it was fun. I figured out the twist partway through but still enjoyed reading to the end.
The book makes fun of the publishing industry, and, to some extent, the movie business, where anything goes to get that next big hit.
Abby decides to play their biases against them. As a lawyer, she uses her expertise to keep them guessing and out of control. She holds all the cards. She has involved her long time friend, Morgan, a fellow lawyer, in the game. Morgan makes sure that Jack can’t pull a fast one over in Abby. Morgan holds the contract and all other important documents, detailing the truth - Abby not Jack a Tu wrote the book.
Yes, Jack was the one that Carla and Bertoli believed was the author behind the Gable Cooper alias. He was the one that was wined and dined. Jack, a failed author himself, loved all the attention.
Things were going so well, then people close to Abby, the ones who knew the truth, began to die.
November 1, 2025
Abby Chandlis is an attorney turned novelist and the creator of Gable Cooper. In an age when glamour, not grammar, is often the secret to selling books, Abby has an intriguing plan to keep her writing career alive: find a charismatic male face to pose as the phantom author for the knock-dead thriller she has written. Jack Jermaine is a man with dangerous good looks and a shadowy past. Trained by the military to kill, his obsession is to pen a blockbuster book. He has a trunk filled with rejected manuscripts and a gnawing problem that has turned him bitter: Jack can't write. Desperate to find a man to play the role of Gable Cooper, Abby is about to give up when Jack forces his way into her life. Reluctantly she is convinced that Jack's humor and looks will clinch success for her novel. She uses her legal wits and makes a deal with the devil. Jack becomes Gable Cooper. When Jack is propelled into the orbit of celebrity, Abby finds herself at once seduced and trapped by her own creation. Success turns to terror.
The story careens from the Pacific Northwest to New York City and finally through the islands of the Caribbean as Abby races for her life to the one person she can trust--the one person who can prove to the world that she wrote the novel, and put an end to the nightmare that was once her dream, the dream of making The List.
The story careens from the Pacific Northwest to New York City and finally through the islands of the Caribbean as Abby races for her life to the one person she can trust--the one person who can prove to the world that she wrote the novel, and put an end to the nightmare that was once her dream, the dream of making The List.
December 11, 2021
Steve Martini usually doesn't disappoint me. His thrillers are full of action and legal maneuvers. This one is no exception-- however-- this time I'm not sure how to feel about this one. There are some really good moments and some moments when the characters all seem like carbon copies of other characters from the genre.
The heroine is a lawyer who writes novels in her spare time. She has been published but to little success. Now, she has written a blockbuster of a novel-- but decides to use a male pseudonym... when the book generates top industry buzz and offers, she decides to continue the charade because she does not feel she will get a fair shake. She hires a man to pretend to be the author and suddenly things start going wrong. Her fraud could be exposed at any minute, and people around her are dying.
Sadly-- Martini throws out a red herring that he plays with for most of the book. Is the man she hired a killer-- a deranged psychopath--- is he intent on stealing the book, which now is worth millions??? Who is the killer? How can the author keep control of her book?
Not as good as other Martini novels... The conclusion seems rushed.
The heroine is a lawyer who writes novels in her spare time. She has been published but to little success. Now, she has written a blockbuster of a novel-- but decides to use a male pseudonym... when the book generates top industry buzz and offers, she decides to continue the charade because she does not feel she will get a fair shake. She hires a man to pretend to be the author and suddenly things start going wrong. Her fraud could be exposed at any minute, and people around her are dying.
Sadly-- Martini throws out a red herring that he plays with for most of the book. Is the man she hired a killer-- a deranged psychopath--- is he intent on stealing the book, which now is worth millions??? Who is the killer? How can the author keep control of her book?
Not as good as other Martini novels... The conclusion seems rushed.
May 6, 2017
4 1/2 stars. A fabulous story of a woman attorney, Abby, who writes a blockbuster novel, under a male pseudonym, that garners serious interest from a publisher and from movie makers and a big-name actor. Finding someone to play the role of the author is her first challenge, but not an easy or uneventful one. When a friend who is living with her to escape an abusive ex-husband is killed, Abby blames the woman's ex-husband, but then he is found dead. With the novel sold for a record-setting price, Abby and Jack, the man playing the role of the book's author, hide themselves in the Caribbean so that she can work on the sequel. But problems continue to arise--and the body count climbs--even though Abby has a trusted attorney friend managing the money and business dealings for her. Who is causing problems and killing people, including attempts on Abby's life? Is it the author stand-in, who is a frustrated, unpublished author? Or does Abby have an enemy she is unaware of?
July 28, 2025
It should be noted I did not finish this book. I got to page 98 and just could not take anymore. I didn't really feel that I cared much for Abby or her friend Teresa. Abby's actions were just not something I could relate too and her friend more so. It was hard to keep reading so I started skipping around and then finally I just skipped to the Epilogue which told me all I wanted to know. I found The List to be filled with just too much over the top foes, and the short cuts that Abby was trying to take were of course going to cause her problems. I am not interested in watching a character get herself into a bad situation that is made worse by the unsavory characters that swirl around her. I am sure some people will enjoy this book, it just wasn't my thing, I enjoy most of Mr. Martini's books but sadly not this one.
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