The Smart One

by Drew Yanno

The ASIN (B01M66D07W has been moved to the latest edition.

A SIMPLE LIST. TWELVE NAMES. NONE FAMILIAR. When an elderly small town doctor dies, his widow contacts his most famous former patient, a noted author and neuroscientist. It seems that the doctor has left him something. A list of names. A mystery of sorts. One that the doctor has taken great pains not to explain. But one that he feels the scientist alone can solve... What starts out as a lukewarm promise to honor the doctor's dying wish soon turns into a race halfway across the country to find out what those names have in common before the two men who have demanded the return of that list can stop him... using any means necessary.

ebook

Published October 18, 2016

About the author

Drew Yanno began writing for film in 1993 and has been a member of the Writers Guild of America since 1995. His first script was a finalist in the 1994 Massachusetts Film Office Screenwriting Competition. One year later, his script No Safe Haven was the subject of a bidding war, selling in less than eight hours to Universal Studios.

Drew also founded the screenwriting program in the Film Department at Boston College where he taught for eleven years.

In addition to writing and teaching, Drew has worked as a script consultant for writers, producers and directors, including actor Will Smith.

Prior to screenwriting, Drew was a practicing attorney and taught law in the Carroll School of Management at Boston College.

His first novel In the Matter of Michael Vogel was released February 26, 2013 and was a bestselling e-book in the Kindle Store.

The Smart One is his second novel.

Reviews

[Edit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really got me hooked. Although I guessed right away what the list could be about, I had to wait until the end of the book to learn I was right, so there was suspense as well.

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I thought this was an excellent book! I liked the main character right off the bat and since threats and deaths begin almost immediately upon this man taking on "the list" you are prepared for the long haul of finding out just what is so important about this list of people who seemingly have nothing in common. This book is a real page turner with enough twists and turns to carry you through to the well done ending! Even thougb most characters in the book have no name, this hit me at the end of the book when I went to do my review, it is a vey well done mystery! I highly recommend this very suspenseful book!

[Eric Rickstad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this novel. Yanno's writing is crisp, precise, and deft, and this is a whip-smart suspense novel in every way. The premise is ingenious, the twists clever, the plot turns quick and sharp, and the ending circles back around to reveal a mystery deeper and more insidious than I ever imagined while reading.

[David Liscio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't see the end coming until I was almost upon it. Excellent storytelling. Makes you wonder just what it means to be "smart." Five stars all the way.

[LuAnn Rodriquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a story! This author's creativity had me constantly guessing the final outcome and whether the main character was just paranoid or dealing with legitimate danger along the way. I very much like books that make me think, and this one did that quite effectively. The repaired relationship between brothers is heartwarming, but throughout all the story we learn everything in first person from the man telling it, and ironically enough, we never learn his name. His life has been very successful but he has reached a stage where it is empty in new and frightening ways. Starting with a surprising proposition at the beginning that he cannot ignore, the story describes his efforts to do as requested. Given a chance to understand the blessings of who you are and why you became that person, can you predict your reactions? With an additional twist, that is the unusual and interesting premise of this book, which I recommend to all the serious readers and thinkers of the world!

I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.

[Anne Schendel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book needs to be a hundred pages longer!
I just about tossed it across the room when I realized it was going to be one of those quest stories -- citizen with too much available time & money travels about to hunt down some government secret conspiracy. Usually exhausting because the lead character is running on adrenaline and no sleep.
Well, this case, there was adequate rest involved. And just enough subterfuge.
I neeeeeded to know what happened next -- AND was actually surprised a few times!
And also, I couldn't put it down. It wasn't quite "the literary equivalent of crack", but close.
I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.

[Ketzie Diaz · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was one of the worst books I have ever read. So it started out as a cool concept, I was interested to find out what this "list" was about. But the main character was so boring, bland, and a sociopath. But I kept going allllll the waaaay to the very end only to have the worst, laziest, and most unbelievable explanation EVER. What a waste of time. I don't believe any of the reviews on here.

[Sharon Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling adventure that grabs your interest at the start and refuses to let go until the end. Well done! I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.

[Alex Haber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will get you get hooked from the first few words in the first page that I must say is very impressed and I couldn’t let it down till I finished it with the perfect amount of details and the right language tone. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.

[Donna Frasor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, easy read that had me hooked from the beginning. I wasn't smart enough to figure the connection between the names on the paper, but I enjoyed reading how the main character attempted to solve this mystery. A little far fetched ending, but a most enjoyable read.

[teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mind boggling

No matter how I tried i never would have dreamed the conclusion. What an extraordinary book. It took me right into the life of this character and you just hung on for the ride!

[Rich Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, easy read. I wasn't smart enough to figure it out. Can you?

[Stan Stepak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

Fun read started off very slow picked up fast, at some points it was actually pretty hard to put down

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I seldom read mysteries, this was a smart one (sorry)! Thanks, Susan!

[BabeOBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

A renowned theorist/author is given a list of names by a dead man's wife and told not to disclose the list to the police. Thus begins the wild ride that is THE SMART ONE. While I guessed the 'secret" of the book right away, it was still fun to tag along and the protagonist bumbled his way toward the truth. The writing was decent and the protagonist relatable but some of the situations he gets himself into really made me question whether he was above average intelligence. It seemed that the author was creating completely unbelievable situations to carry the story forward. So while the book was enjoyable, I doubt if it will be memorable. The ending also fell a little flat for me.

[Aletha Pagett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read- a thriller with a most unusual twist.

[Stephen Dorneman · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a thriller, THE SMART ONE was... not that thrilling. For most of the book, our nameless protagonist is running towards or away from the Men in Suits, and an awful lot of time is spent on means of transportation and cell phone calls during those runs, interrupted by implausibly close encounters of the possibly-deadly kind. The big reveal is telegraphed by the introduction, leaving little surprise, at least for this reader. And the protagonist doesn't even get to save himself. Not recommended.

[Bill Dowis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely agree with other reviews. The hook is set after the first chapter. Drew had me wondering what was going on at the very beginning of this story. This kleptocracy me reading a little bit more to find out where this story was taking me. Until I realized that I had finished the book,,,,In a couple of hours. I absolutely could not put it down. Thanks Drew! "I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review."