The List: Alyssa's Revenge

Deep State Mysteries, Book 2

By: Casi McLean

Narrated by: Kristin James

Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's Summary

USA Today best-selling author, Casi McLean's new Deep State Mystery, The List – Alyssa’s Revenge, is a fast paced, cross-genre novel that combines supernatural, romantic suspense, and an NCIS mystery into a stunning thriller. Evil oozes from the story as she takes us on an incredible journey through the underbelly of society. 

When her fiancé is injured in Afghanistan, Harper Drake immerses herself in her military career. Now, as NCIS Director, she heads a secret faction, fighting corruption and terrorism — until she’s abducted by a trafficking cartel.

Wyatt Rose can’t overcome his loss — especially after his sister’s murder. When the New Patriots recruit him, he finds a traumatized girl that spirals him down a rabbit hole of conspiracy, drug smugglers, and slavery.

Obsessed with revenge, can a ghost save Wyatt and Harper before her rage explodes, or will she spin them all through the gates of Hell?

When revenge sparks danger — karma is hell!

"So many twists and subplots pepper this suspense, but they all come together into a tapestry of amazing imagination and powerful writing! Casi McLean has pulled off another genre bending tale that will draw readers in like bees to honey!" (ToMeTender Book Blog Reviews) 

"Casi McLean takes us on an incredible journey through the underbelly of society…[the reality of] a 15-year-old caught in the web of human trafficking…and a supernatural element I couldn’t put down." (N.N. Light’s Book Heaven)

©2019 Casi McLean, Inc (P)2020 Casi McLean, Inc

Narrator makes this a unique listening experience

Summary –

Wyatt Rose thought the worst thing he had to deal with was his sister, Alyssa, being murdered by a Deep State operative. While working for the New Patriots with his ex-fiancé Harper, he discovers a drug and human trafficking cartel right in his own backyard. Suddenly, he and Harper are working closer than they did when fighting in Afghanistan. When Harper is kidnapped, feelings long-buried unfurl from deep inside. Can his sister help bring down the cartel from the great beyond or will Alyssa's rage put them all in mortal danger?

Narrator’s overall voice –

Kristin James has a gift for bringing stories to life through her interpretation. I think her voice works really well for one of my favorite books of all time. She genuflects the sensitive subject matter using a variety of inflections and tones.

Does the narrator fit the characters?

Characters so real and accurately portrayed, you'd think you were experiencing it for yourself. So yes, the narrator fits these characters, even the evil ones.

Narrator’s reading style –

While some readers may not like her reading style, I loved it. She uses different voices for each character in addition to the narrator to make the story come alive.

Narrator’s impact on reading experience –

Kristin James makes Casi McLean’s impactful suspense come alive. It’s a wonderful partnership and makes for an unforgettable listening experience.

Narrator’s pacing –

The pacing is well done with just the right amount of dramatic flair.

Audiobook flow –

The audiobook flows really well. There are times when I got so caught up in the story, I stopped what I was doing, like housework.

What makes this audiobook unique –

The different voices Kristin James uses make this a unique listening experience. Her talent for orating really comes across in this audiobook.

Would I recommend this audiobook –

YES! It’s one of my favorite books of all time and with the help of Kristin James, this has become my all-time favorite audiobook.

My Rating: 5+ stars

The Deep State Conspiracy Intensifies

After reading the compelling second book in the Deep State Mystery series, “The List: Alyssa’s Revenge” by Casi McLean, I was excited to see it was available as an audio book. The narrator, Kristin James, has a wonderful ability to develop different realistic sounding voices for the characters, bringing the story to life. This sequel is a ghost-driven high stakes thriller that dwells deeper into the secret society that caused Alyssa’s death. Hanna, a sixteen-year-old, escapes from a human trafficking ring, vowing to get help for the others held captive and continuously abused. Outside her prison, Alyssa’s ghost aids Hanna and directs her down the river to where the New Patriots, an NCIS faction dealing with terrorism and corruption, are stationed. Wyatt, Alyssa’s brother, is a member of the New Patriots. He finds and comforts the traumatized teenager. Harper, Wyatt’s ex-girlfriend, is the Director of the New Patriots. Even though Wyatt ended their relationship after he was injured in Afghanistan war, she still loves him. Sparks fly inside Wyatt when he’s around Harper. He refuses to act on his feelings toward her in order not to burden her with his physical injuries and mental damage he suffered in the war and the loss of his sister that continues to haunt him. With the assistance of Alyssa’s strong-willed ghost, Wyatt and Harper along with his sister and her detective boyfriend work to track down the trafficking ring and tackle Alyssa’s list. In the process of their investigation, Harper is abducted. Can they find her before it’s too late? Can Wyatt overcome the demons that torment his existence? “The List: Alyssa’s Revenge” captivates the listener immediately and is exhilarating to the very end. The author, Casi McLean, has created a winning thriller with well-defined characters that readers and listeners will care about along with a gallery of villains that they’ll hate. This engaging story will appeal to fans of political intrigue, crime, ghost, and romance novels alike. Highly recommended.

Get ready for an action-packed ride!

Get ready for an action-packed ride!

The opening of this book is a chilling reminder that horrific things happen to children every day. Once you read the first chapter, I promise that you will not be able to put this book down. I had to know what was going to happen to Hannah and I was scared to death for her.

Allysa's Revenge is a paranormal thriller. It is the story of Hannah's escape from slavery and her journey to save her sister. Wyatt's struggles with the horrors that he experienced in the military. Will Wyatt ever let love into his heart? Don't forget Allyssa! She is back with a vengeance. Now, she has better control of her powers. Watch out, bad guys!

I gave the narrator 4 stars because she overdramatized every declaration statement in the book. It comes off as cheesy and I didn't like it.

Sensitivity Warning: There is at least one scene with graphic sexual content between two consenting adults. Child rape and sex trafficking are also discussed in this book.

A good read

Although it has a ghost it's still a great story. The connection between the siblings is awesome. The terrifying journey that Harper chose to save the children was a nail biter. And once again I loved the dog. A very entertaining story

Alyssa is dead but her vision is perfect.

Wyatt stumbles on a girl trying to escape a sex trafficking ring. The young lady tells him that a lady Alyssa helped her get to him. Wyatt and his boss Harper work to find the others who were still in the building that she has escaped from. This story takes you from the US to across the globe. They are aided by Alyssa's ghost, his sister and her partner. This is a thriller with a ghost as one of the main characters. This is a perfect 2nd book in this series, I will definitely be looking for the next one. I was given an ARC copy of this book at my request and this is my honest review.

Loved This Book!

Title: The List: Alyssa's Revenge
Author: Casi McLean
Format: Audio
Narrator: Kristin James
Genre: Romantic Suspense, political, second chance, human trafficking, paranormal (ghost)
Standalone: Yes but better if you read Book 1 first
Part of a Series: Book 2 of the Deep State Mysteries
POV: Mostly Wyatt and Harper
Steam Level: Minimal, some kissing
5/5

This is the fifth book that i've read by Casi McLean. I enjoy her writing style and The List is no exception. I love the intermingling of suspense and paranormal. This List was both funny and emotional and I loved the characters. I look forward to more books in this suspenseful series.

I received this audiobook for free from StoryOrigin. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Captivating!

This is the second book in the Deep State Mysteries Series. This story is suspenseful, intricate, emotional, fast-paced, and breathtaking! The characters are wonderful. The storyline is captivating. I like the paranormal elements of this story. I enjoyed it. Kristin James did a great job with the narration.

Wonderful Strong Women

This is the second audiobook I listened to by this author and I was memorized by the story and understand how Wyatt was having a hard time after his horrible injury in Afghanistan and the tragic death of his sister he loses his self worth. With the help of his previous love, Harper who was also in the military and is now the the NCIS Director and the ghost of his sister, Alyssa they work on saving children and Wyatt. I do believe in guardian angels.

keeps you guessing

WOW... Novel 2 is just as good as the first novel. this one keeps you guessing and you totally don't see the ending but your praying for it during the storyline.
really good. hope there is a contination, sounds like it will be.

Loved it!!!

I loved it!!!! I was into it from the first to the last. The book is well written and flows well. The narrator was very, very good. I wish I had gotten book 1 first, then I would have known more of what was going on, but I caught on quickly. The characters were written well and had the best of intentions for all they did. Human Trafficking is a huge problem all over the world and the author has a good grasp of the problem. Throw in a ghost with awesome powers and it just gets better and better. And then you have a love story completed during the whole thing and it is just wonderful. I will be looking for more.

I received a copy of this audio book for free from story origin for an honest review.

A fantastic supernatural story!

As the title implies, there is some payback coming in this well written thriller. For anyone who is sensitive to human/child trafficking, this story is about that. As someone who has personal experience in this matter, it took a huge amount of strength to keep holding on and reading. If this is you, though, please do read the entire book. Moving forward for survivors is hard, and it's easy to be triggered, but please don't let that best you. The end is empowering and so worth the angst. It's actually helped me to remove my hesitation with anything that brings it all back. In fact, I'm going to read it again! I highly recommend this book!
The audiobook was just as powerful and the narration was excellent!

wow

Wow I just love these thrillers from Cassi McLean, I really do get right into them and feel all the excitement, terror and emotions along with the characters xxxxxxxxxx