Black List

Ryan Drake #4

by Will Jordan

A nerve-shredding action thriller from the bestselling author of Redemption With no money and no prospects, hacker Alex Yates 's life is going nowhere until he is given a lucrative but dangerous offer - £100,000 to breach the Central Intelligence Agency's network and recover a file known as the 'Black List' At first reluctant to get involved, the disappearance of an old friend leaves Alex with no choice but to return to a world he'd sworn to leave behind. But before he can unlock the file's secrets, he suddenly finds himself the target of an nationwide manhunt. Someone wants him out of the picture fast. Plunged into a deadly race against time, and wanted by police, intelligence operatives and a ruthless covert unit, Alex is left with no choice but to accept help from the violent and unpredictable woman who first hired him. For in the Black List may lie his salvation, or his death... Fast-paced and gripping throughout, Black List will appeal to fans of David Baldacci, Lee Child and Vince Flynn

Genres: Fiction, Spy Thriller, Thriller, Audiobook, Action

300 pages, Paperback

First published August 10, 2015

About the author

Will Jordan was born in Fife, Scotland in 1983. He is best known as the author of the RYAN DRAKE series of action thrillers, and for his YouTube alter-ego, THE CRITICAL DRINKER, amassing well over a million followers and quickly becoming one of the most popular movie critics on the internet. Having always enjoyed a passion for storytelling, he began writing short stories from a young age, eventually moving up to full-length novels and the publication of his first Ryan Drake novel in 2012.

His works to date include:

Redemption (Ryan Drake 1) - 2012
Sacrifice (Ryan Drake 2) - 2013
Betrayal (Ryan Drake 3) - 2014
Black List (Ryan Drake 4) - 2015
Deception Game (Ryan Drake 5) - 2015
Second Chances (Ryan Drake novella) - 2016
Ghost Target (Ryan Drake 6) - 2016
Shadow Conflict (Ryan Drake 7) - 2017
Deadly Cargo (Co-written with James Patterson) - 2017
Trial by Fire (Ryan Drake novella) - 2018
Downfall (Ryan Drake 8) - 2019
Something to Die For (Ryan Drake 9) - 2020
Dark Harvest (2022)

Reviews

[Sean Peters (A Good Thriller) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley, the publishers and author for a copy for a honest review.

With no money, no prospects and a long list of computer crimes against his name, Alex Yates's life is going nowhere until he is given a lucrative but dangerous offer - £100,000 to hack into the Central Intelligence Agency's network and recover a file known only as the Black List. At first reluctant to get involved, the disappearance of an old friend leaves Alex with no choice but to return to a world he'd sworn to leave behind. But before he can unlock the secrets contained within the file, he suddenly finds himself the target of an nationwide manhunt. Someone wants him out of the picture fast.

Now plunged into a deadly race against time to recover the Black List, and hunted by police, intelligence operatives and a ruthless covert unit dispatched to take him down, Alex is left with no choice but to accept help from the violent and unpredictable woman who hired him. For in the Black List may lie his salvation, or his death...

One of the fastest books I have read, with great characters, especially Anya, Mitchell, Alex.

Action packed, tension, pace, gripping and tense, with a great hint of humour between Anya and Alex, full of twists and faster paced than a rollercoaster ride.

A great idea for a story(especially as I like the series The Blacklist), with plots all over the world from the UK, Norway, Turkey.

Will has given us the reader in this book strong characters, plenty of action, I read the last 30% of this book in one evening, I just could not stop!

Highly recommended, and a easy five stars

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve had Black List on my kindle for far too long, and my first question when I came up for air with this book was why did I leave it so long?! Black List is bloody brilliant!!!! It’s got everything you could want in a thriller!

I am late to the Ryan Drake series, but I will be buying the entire back catalog on the back of this book. Black List is so full of action that I found myself flying through it. I didn’t want to put it down once I got stuck in!

Will Jordan has an excellent story telling ability. Feeding you little bits of information, but leaving just enough to keep you reading. At no point in this book did the plot drag. It’s full of dynamic and interesting characters with some seriously cunning bad guys thrown in for good measure.

There is mystery, intrigue, corruption and so much more in Black List. It reads like it should be a big screen blockbuster which I love. I would highly recommend it, and I’m pretty sure I will say the same about all of the books in the series!

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine, I’ll repeat what every other review has already said about Black List: this is the fourth instalment in the Ryan Drake series but almost entirely omits the titular protagonist and his team. This definitely does not invalidate the novel’s great narrative, accompanied by the well-rounded characters and fast-paced plot that define Jordan’s writing. The emphasis on Anya and the ‘cat and mouse’ structure especially reminded me of the aspects that I enjoyed most about Redemption. While Black List does delve further into Anya’s past, Jordan also pursues the character arc of Alex Yates brilliantly, in addition to several others that will no doubt return in future novels. In ways that a spoiler-free review cannot explain, the revelations that occur during the final pages were both incredibly exciting and somewhat unsatisfactory - but I will likely appreciate them more as the series continues.

Rating: 4.2/5

[Ally C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will Jordan has always done an excellent job or creating characters I can relate to and support, and this book is no exception! A little light on Drake but otherwise and very entertaining read

[Lisa Barbour · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really into this series of books.

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me just begin this by saying that I am a big fan of Will Jordan and I absolutely loved his previous three novels. That is why I was a little disappointed when I originally found out that this book isn’t another Ryan Drake novel. Don’t get me wrong, I knew it would be good but Ryan Drake is such a great character and I had been patiently waiting for his next adventure.

However that disappointment did not last long at all. Within the first few pages of Black List I was hooked, just as I had been with all of Jordan’s previous work.

Black List follows on from the story set in Jordan’s Ryan Drake series through the eyes of Alex Yates, an English computer hacker. While trying to move on from his previous life as a hacker, Yates receives a USB stick from an old friend that puts him on the run from the CIA with only the mysterious Anya for company.

Black List is interesting because it builds on the story told through Jordan’s Ryan Drake novels without really featuring Drake himself. Instead this book builds on the story from the other side, by focusing on Jordan’s other main character Anya and her motivations for going against the CIA that she used to work for.

For me, the best feature of this book is the characters. Jordan had already created a range of great characters in his other books and he has added to that with Alex Yates. I really enjoyed the fact that Jordan was able to use an average person as the main character in a spy novel while still making the story feel realistic. While I started the book with disappointment, by the time I finished I was hoping that Jordan would use Alex Yates again in future books because I loved the character.

All the other features of a great spy thriller are there too. There’s a lot of action and the plot is gripping and fast-paced. There are twists to the story that I didn’t expect and the book ends on a cliffhanger that has me excited for the next book in the series. The only issue I have with the book is some of the dialogue. There’s nothing wrong with it, I just feel that sometimes Jordan overuses ellipses and it can make it a little jarring to read at times.

All in all, Black List is a great thriller that is a must read for all spy thriller fans. I really enjoyed it and I am looking forward to starting Jordan’s next Ryan Drake novel Deception Game which was released about a month ago. I can’t speak highly enough of Will Jordan’s writing as he is definitely someone that everyone should be reading.

Is it worth a read? Yes, it is definitely worth a read. If you haven’t read any of Will Jordan’s work then you are missing out. Black List is action-packed, fast-paced and well thought-out and if you enjoy Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, Brad Taylor or anyone else in the spy genre then you’re probably going to enjoy Will Jordan too.

This review was originally published at Worth a Read.

[Best Crime Books & More · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never read any Will Jordan but have to admit the synopsis sounded interesting. I got stuck into this and quickly found it’s one of those books you don’t really want to put down. It’s a bit like one of those films, where you are worried to put the kettle on in case you miss the best bit! The only criticism I have after reading the book and looking at the other books is that the book says on Amazon that it’s a ‘Ryan Drake’ book. It seems that Will Jordan has written 3 books in the Ryan Drake series and allegedly this is the forth. I have to disagree and say that is a total ploy. Ryan Drake does not feature in the book AT ALL, and is mentioned in the final chapter only. This is a major ‘no-no’ in my book, as if I was following a series and read this book I would feel a little cheated. Okay that negative out the way on to the book itself.

Alex Yates is the lead character and he is so ordinary it’s ridiculous. He works in a dead end job and doesn’t have a lot to show for himself. However, as you read on it soon becomes clear that Alex has paid a high price for his skill…’hacking’. After a year in prison, he is made an offer of £100k to hack into the CIA’s systems to retrieve the ‘Black List’. This all happens within the first few chapters and I have to say it certainly draws you in. This has a high octane feel to it and as soon as you realise Alex has no choice but to take the offer things get even more frenetic.

What follows is Alex being helped by Anya, the woman who hired him. Anya is an interesting character, but it’s clear from the outset that she is a ruthless and violent soldier. The story picks up pace until the very last page and to be honest, although the ending may have been what I expected, the journey there was very exciting to read. There is loads of action and things take place that are far from Alex normal and mundane life. Don’t get me wrong, this borders on the far side of the believable, but frankly I don’t care. Simon Kernick writes in a similar way and I always enjoy those books.

What I will say is although it may be a tad unbelievable and a little predictable it’s a solid and fast paced thriller which will keep you highly entertained from start to finish. I would certainly read more by this author and may well look into the Ryan Drake books now. This would make a great holiday read and I would definitely recommend it!

[Joonas · Rating 2 out of 5]

The fourth installment in the Ryan Drake series is as much a Ryan Drake novel as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a Harry Potter book - they share the same setting and some characters, but the story is told from a different point of view with the titular character Ryan Drake absent from the whole novel except for a brief cameo appearance in the epilogue. True to the series there's action, espionage and backstabbing to spare in a story that's now told from the perspective of someone who is not a soldier or a hero but rather a loser, a nerd, and in every respect a very average guy - save for his incredible hacking skills, that is.

Unfortunately I must say I found this the weakest book in the series thus far. Part of it may have to do with my own expectations - having found the previous book a riveting read, I didn't want to read the book summary before delving into this one at all, so I spent several hours listening to the audio book waiting for Drake to appear until I finally gave up. But it's not only that, I found more plotholes in this one than the previous ones and the twists were either incredibly easy to see coming or made no sense at all.

Nevertheless I commend the author's boldness in subverting the readers' expectations and changing the perspective of the story so drastically. I guess bringing in a new main character from whose very different point of view to experience the story was a gamble, and while it took me a long time to warm to it, it seems like many other reviewers liked it. Maybe the fact that we're stuck with Anya, who I still don't find to be a very compelling character regardless of the author's obvious efforts to make her be the fan favourite, prevented me from enjoying this story that much. And as I said in my review of the previous book, it feels like Anya is the true protagonist of the overarching story, and though I don't like her as much as I do Drake and his team, I do like the concept (in this book the character of Alex seems to momentarily channel the author himself as he says the same about the main character not being the protagonist of the story). However, omitting our hero Ryan completely wasn't to my liking.

But if it weren't for the fact that I like this series and I'm already invested in the overarching story I'd probably have dropped the book without finishing it. The story dragged more, the characters were less interesting (though not necessarily bad) and the plot more implausible, filled with errors or depending on luck and coincidence in order to get to where it wanted to go.

I mean (some heavy spoilers here), and pardon me if I misunderstood something, but here we go:
Sinclair faked his own death in order to get Alex involved.
Fine, let's just assume that Anya fell for it, whatever, but if the point was to get Alex working for them then why on earth risk everything and not even warn him about the trace program on the USB stick? Heck, Alex was tortured and all but murdered because of this. Even Anya herself was just about to murder him and just changed her mind at the last minute. Even if nobody cared for his life, they supposedly wanted Alex to succeed so why take such risks?
Oh, because the story needed to happen, that's why.

And the fact that Alex and Anya decide to flee to Norway to use his old friend's computer rig (did Sinclair foresee this as well?), happen to survive the fight with Hawkings' team, and eventually seek out Halvarson, just the man who had been pulling their strings all the time, seems pretty damn lucky to me.

And if Halvarson himself wanted to "return the black list" to its owners (=prevent it from falling to the wrong hands), why go through the plan to steal if from the server room at all? Why not alert the CIA to capture Anya and Alex at the Norwegian safe house? If Sinclair was working for him why would he agree to recruiting Alex to steal the list in the first place? If the program on the USB stick that Sinclair sent to Alex was so unique and important in order to access the CIA network, why would Sinclair send it to Alex instead of destroying it if he was working for Halvarson - and why did Halvarson approve of this? Surely he could've gotten paid well enough for doing this as well. And was Cain truly the only one who knew that the black list was no longer there? Because otherwise there was no need to try and stop Anya and Alex from stealing it - apart from killing off Anya, of course. F%&¤ off, book!

As for the plot twists, the final twist with the switching of the USB sticks was way too easy to see coming, whereas the re-appearance of Sinclair just seemed like a cheap and unnecessary trick that made the story seem much worse. And was it really, truly necessary to introduce another generic shadowy group of powerful people running the world in secret? I mean, the storyline seemed just fine to me without the necessity to come up with some Illuminati-like secret society that's pulling everyone's strings.

The only thing I'm happy with is that at last someone was able to best Anya in a fist fight. That may sound cruel but what I mean is that she's been way too overpowered for the entire series and the fact that she charges armed opponents with just her bare hands is absurd, and though the author sometimes reminds us that she's not as big, strong or resilient as her male colleagues, it's never affected her ability to kick anyone's ass before. Is it really plausible that among the most elite of the elites there's still only one man who's able to take down this 40+ years old woman who's suffered years of abuse in prison cells?


Anyway, I know I'm already too invested in this story to stop after one sloppy book, so here's to hoping the next one is better - and maybe the events of this book will contribute to the overarching storyline in a positive way.

[Marcie Wegner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea this was the fourth book in a series when I started it. This book can be read as a stand alone with no problem. This book has great characters, lots of action and suspense, and a well thought out story line. Definitely a five star read. I will be picking up the other books in the series because I enjoyed this one so much. Go grab a copy and start reading now. You won't regret it. I received a copy of this book from netgallery for an unbiased review.

[M.J. Finley · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my opinion, this is Will’s best book so far. He took an enormous risk introducing a character with strong contrast to the previous ones and he makes it work. Alex is not daring, adventurous, or bold, if anything, he’s a nerd.
Against his will, Alex is thrust into a world where he lacks the basic abilities to survive, stumbling through a story populated by betrayal, deceit and unlikely alliances. This story is a must read for any thriller lover.

[Bodo Pfündl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black List is the first book which I have read from Mr. Jordan, but it defintely won't be the last!

With spot on writing, great characters and a lightening fast paced plot with a lot of twists near the end, this book is a must read for every fan of the Bourne movies!

Can't wait for the next one!

[Steve Popoola · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read indeed

Black List kept me turning page after page even when I should be sleeping. It is well written and full of intrigued and suspense. I loved it!

[Cindy Laing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to call this a Ryan Drake novel as he only appears in the epilogue. Still a fast paced and good read.

[Gaby Swank · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think this should have been considered part of the Ryan Drake series. The entire book had nothing to do with Ryan until the second last page. However as a book in itself, it was good.

[Zane Abbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black List by Will Jordan, the fourth in the Ryan Drake series, is a wild ride that had me hooked from the get-go. This time, it’s not Drake in the spotlight but Alex Yates, a hacker scrapin’ by who lands a £100,000 job to swipe a file called the Black List from the CIA’s network. When a friend goes missin’, Alex teams up with the fierce Anya, and they’re off—England to Norway to Turkey—runnin’ from cops, spies, and worse. That mix of breakneck action and a quiet nod to loyalty hits just right, and it’s got me itchin’ for the next one.
This story’s a straight-up sprint—Alex and Anya dodgin’ bullets, unravelin’ a conspiracy that twists like nobody’s business. Jordan keeps things rollin’ with shootouts, betrayals, and just enough mystery to pull you deeper. Alex is no caped crusader—he’s a regular guy way out of his depth, which makes you cheer louder, and Anya’s got a fire I’d back any day. It’s got a heart that speaks to family stickin’ together, which I’m all about. Sure, some tech bits stretch a tad, but it don’t dim the shine.
Black List lands with a punch that sticks with you—a thriller packed with speed, soul, and a strength I respect. I’m already starting the next book, and as a guy who loves a tale with grit and loyalty, this one’s a gem. If you’re lookin’ for a read that’s all action but still feels real, grab this one—it’s got that spark I’m thankful for.

[Keshav Nair · Rating 4 out of 5]

A high octane brilliantly composed action-packed thriller, fast-paced than a rollercoaster ride. This being my first reading by Will Jordan certainly did not dampen my expectations. The pursuit of a 'Black List' by the protagonists - Alex and Anya has a fantastic storyline framed around espionage and the plot taking the reader through different countries. The author has created magnificent imagery of several situations that grips the reader and hooks him on. As the conspiracy unfolds, I enjoyed the light chemistry growing between Alex and Anya despite the fact that they realize and acknowledge their paths are different. More interestingly, the chase for 'Blacklist' ends in a shocker with the protagonists parting their own direction. The appearance of Ryan Drake in the penultimate section of the machination was bewildering, but probably one needs to read the previous books in the series to connect the dots. Having read this first book in the series, that can be read as a standalone, I would make an attempt to read all the previous three books in the series and follow Ryan Drake's future series. Overall a fabulous plot that could be made into a blockbuster movie and a must read a book for all thriller lovers.

[Darryle B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

My gosh! This suspense thriller was so good, I could not stop reading. This is the kind of series that could easily be a hit TV show based off of these books (by the way, this particular book is NOT similar to the popular TV series of the same name). The story focuses more on one of the main characters, Anya and a talented computer hacker named Alex. While the story does not feature the main character Ryan Drake, Anya is an important character in this series, so digging deeper into her character development adds relevancy to how she is connected to Drake and his Shepherd Team and its history.

A new player brought into the fray who is employed by Anya's former mentor Marcus Caine (which is also Drake's employer). His name is Justin Hawkins and he is by far the deadliest and ruthless foe Anya has ever faced (for which they have a history dating back to when she led a covert team for Caine back in Afghanistan). Knowing how dangerous and deadly she is, that is saying something. Hawkins has a personal vendetta against her which is later revealed in the story. Other characters are also introduced which add elements to the story that made good through and through. I would say this story hit a home run for me even without the main character featured. Highly recommended.

[S.J. Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

And just like that, I had a new favorite in the series.

I know a lot of people dislike when an entry billed as the next in an established series takes a side trip to explore a different character, but I find it to be a welcome change of pace...when done right. This book, to me, was done right.

Granted, I'm a sucker for an average Joe in way over his head, but Jordan goes a step further by pairing our new guy up with an established favorite. And the dynamic between them is fantastic! It's refreshing to be rooting so passionately for two characters to connect, not as lovers, but as vastly different people who respect each other and (hopefully) as friends.

The main plot of the book (which does carry over elements of the larger story) is made all the more nail-biting because we're following someone who doesn't have the wisdom, abilities, or experience of a veteran spy like Drake, and the new side characters are just as likeable or despicable as they need to be. Though a couple of the twists were a bit lackluster, the story and characters otherwise more than earn the stars, here. Don't sleep on this one!

[Dan Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Building on the Drake world by adding new character Alex Yates, Black List is slightly more standalone than other books. Some familiar characters do hwoever make an appearance and the book foreshadows some big events that I'm sure will come into play later. The different protagonist was a welcome change as he sees things from a different perspective and I loved the banter between him and Anya. Very much enjoyed!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this revolves around a man named Alex who was a hacker that got caught and spent a few years in jail in the uk. Trying to get his life back together, he's asked by his former hacking partner to help with a job that involves hacking. Alex refuses and after a while his former partner goes missing and is presumed dead.

There's more I can say but if you liked the first three books you'll like this one. I felt so many emotions that it felt like a Rollercoaster. It's great.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast pace, heart pounding and action packed, this series is just epic!
Black List is Will Jordan’s brave move to introduce a new character in the middle of the series and he did it smoothly and smartly well. This book focus on Anya and Alex’s mission to find the Black List which lead them into all kind of danger and of course….there’s a twist at every turn a la Will Jordan.
I’m ready for the next one!

[Ben-Roy Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Turns out, a Ryan Drake book without Ryan Drake actually works quite well.

You can definitely feel Will wanting to throw in a bunch more callbacks to his Scottish countrymen, and I fell that added a bunch of new texture to the world. With the hackers characters being drawn into this world of betrayl and espionage.

Anya getting her own dedicated story wasn't something I saw coming, but it was a welcomed change of pace. This series is quickly becoming a comfort listen for me.

[Niall Doorley · Rating 4 out of 5]

As interesting and fast paced as other books in this series

While this book only has a cameo from Ryan Drake it does allow us to spend more time with Anya and reveal some more of her history. A good introduction to characters I assume will become integral to the plot later in this arc\series of books. Have already purchased book 5.

[Caleb Matthew C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

In book 4 of the "Ryan Drake" series, Will Jordan finally comes to the realization that the star and true center of his universe isn't Ryan Drake but Anya.
She is the only reason I had made it book 4. Not Drake-- he's annoying AF. She is the true star of the show and without Drake, she shines brighter than ever!

[MR ALEXANDER DICKINSON · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is a little different to the others, in that Ryan et al don’t feature till the very end. The story is a little Terminator esque with Anya (the Terminator) protecting Alex (John or Sarah Connor) the nerdy tech geek to download the CIA’s blacklist. It reads like a ride along with a bad ass assassin. And again, Anya gets to face off to yet another person who betrayed her in the past.

[R.J. Southworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will Jordan takes a different approach in this fourth instalment of the Ryan Drake series, introducing a fresh protagonist who represents the common man rather more than Drake does, and throwing him together with the mysterious and implacable Anya. The result is a decent thriller but still the weakest in the series so far, with the good stuff not quite making up for the many action movie cliches.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a very good departure from the storytelling in the first three books. I love how Will Jordan keeps the reader on edge, expecting certain things to happen and certain people to appear, then taking the narrative in a completely different direction. Very entertaining.

[Moe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written and good-linked story just with a couple of irrational but ignorable part like how that caution super agent could blindly trust someone who hadn't seen for decades. anyway, it could be better if the he had cut like 10% of the book where just tell nothing but wasting time.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gripping series some of the books are better than other but definitely worth a read. Keeps you guessing as there are mysteries that don’t get revealed until many books into the series. Read the series in order!

[Calvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another hit!

Jordan does it again. Book 4 is awesome, full of twists and turns. You learn more about Anya and her background as she wages a one woman war against various enemies in order to get the information she needs to strike back.