The October List

By: Jeffery Deaver

Narrated by: January LaVoy

Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's Summary

Gabriela waits desperately for news of her abducted daughter. At last, the door opens.

But it's not the negotiators. It's not the FBI.

It's the kidnapper.

And he has a gun.

How did it come to this?

Two days ago, Gabriela's life was normal. Then, out of the blue, she gets word that her six-year-old daughter has been taken. She's given an ultimatum: Pay half a million dollars and find a mysterious document known as the "October List" within 30 hours, or she'll never see her child again.

A mind-bending novel with twists and turns that unfold from its dramatic climax back to its surprising beginning, The October List is Jeffery Deaver at his masterful, inventive best.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2013 Jeffery Deaver (P)2013 Hachette Audio

Yuck

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Different plot Better characters.

Would you ever listen to anything by Jeffery Deaver again?

Yes.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of January LaVoy?

She wasn't bad, but hard to judge with the story

What character would you cut from The October List?

all of them

Any additional comments?

Can I go lower than one star? I LOVE even crave Deaver books this was pointless annoying and due to style gave you no way of having any connection with the characters. Flat Flat Flat.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Not my Favorite Deaver

What disappointed you about The October List?

I really didn't care for the backwards timeline. The story had all the twists that one becomes used to and enjoys with a Deaver novel. To be true, some of the twists would not have been possible had the book been written sequentially. I figured one before we were told, but the others left me saying, "HUH??".

What do you think your next listen will be?

Already queued up -- John Sanford's "Storm Front"

What does January LaVoy bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

January brought some of the characters -- especially Josephs "sing song" voice.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The October List?

I wouldn't cut -- but perhaps cut-and-paste -- the scenes in their correct order.

Any additional comments?

I am perchance too linear...

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Ugh!!!

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I did not like the concept or how the book was performed...I don't think it could be improved to make me feel it rates more than a 1 or 2.

What could Jeffery Deaver have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Too stereotypical and too much name dropping....not necessary for an author of Deaver's talent.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Ok performance, but I have heard much better.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Not really, it had too many twists to be realistic as a thriller.

Any additional comments?

I look forward to better works from Jeffery Deaver.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

One you will listen to again

What made the experience of listening to The October List the most enjoyable?

The story is told in reverse, so once you listen to it the first time you have to listen again with the knowledge you've gained. The narrator did an excellent job with character voices. Best I've heard.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Hard to follow because it is in reverse. But a second listen really makes the story more interesting than before.

What does January LaVoy bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Reality and entertainment.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Things aren't always what they seem.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Stop. Find another book.

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

When did Deaver start writing Bodice Rippers? OMG one more "unfurling" in her "lower belly" and I thought I might throw my IPhone that I downloaded on out the window. Also, there is a character that the book keeps saying looks just like that movie star with the short black hair. Turns out you were supposed to be thinking George Clooney but the writing forced a picture of Fabio in my mind and he wouldn't leave. Bad.

I hated the backward story. Is there any real proof that Jeffery Deaver wrote this book?

Would you ever listen to anything by Jeffery Deaver again?

Not until I read all the reviews. Unfortunately for me, I pre-ordered this one.

How could the performance have been better?

I did not care for Ms. LaVoy. She does have a voice suitable for a dime store romance so I can see why she was selected. Maybe they should have put Fabio on the cover and marketed it as a bodice ripper ... then it all would have made sense and it would have saved me money because I would not have bought it.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

This man is brilliant!

Would you consider the audio edition of The October List to be better than the print version?

Yes

Any additional comments?

I have to admit, when I first started this book I turned it off because I was lost! I returned to it a day later and listened through the whole thing and absolutely loved it! Jeffrey Deaver is a master in his writing! I have over 500 titles in my library and have never commented on a single one of them. I had to comment on this book because it is his best book since The Bone Collector!

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Save your money.

What disappointed you about The October List?

Couldn' t get passed the caricatures the narrator made of the characters. Didn't like the reversed timeline.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of January LaVoy?

Scott Brick for one.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Gave it up before any surfaced.

Any additional comments?

I don't write reviews as a rule, but this audio book was so bad, I felt it necessary to keep others from spending their hard earned money or credits.

Memento on paper - stay with it!

Would you listen to The October List again? Why?

Not likely. For the same reason I haven't watched Memento again. The backward style makes for a one time thing.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Not as much as Deaver's other books, but I did stick with it, because of the style.

Have you listened to any of January LaVoy’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No. I compared and rated based on other people's performances. I thought she did OK. I do agree with another review in that she did well with Joseph's character.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The last chapters.

Any additional comments?

I agree with the comments as to the backwards style of the book being difficult to follow. HOWEVER, that is what interested me to get this book. I rated it a little higher than I would have, compared to Deaver's other books, because I feel that low ratings were based solely on the backwards style. Conversely, I believe that the originality and the brilliance of Jeffery to begin the book with the ending and yet not give the true ending away makes it stand out. It's a little hard to follow at first, but if you stick with it you may be surprised by how much you enjoy it.

Different experience than others...

I am a huge Deaver fan and bought this book without looking at the reviews first. When I did I was surprised to see so many negative reviews. This only made me nervous since I had already bought it and it's Deaver, but I thought I will give it a go and see how I feel about it. I did and I liked it! It made me want to go back and listen to the whole thing again and when I did it was a different experience than the first one! I definitely recommend this book. Yes it is strange at first but the story is intriguing and the ending (or beginning, I should say) is great! What a unique idea for a book.

Slow starter but stick in there

The story is a slow starter but get pretty interesting as it goes. The characters are very intriguing so they make you want to continue listening.