A wonderful addition to the Ali Reynolds series. I love the way Ms. Jance wrote this book as after a brief glance in to Ali’s current life, the story “goes back in time” and gives a back history of Ali from the time she was an on-air investigative reporter. One of the last stories she reported involved Ali helping a mother find a kidney donor for her son. As the story unfolds, it is believed that the doctor who did the insemination used his own sperm. Although the parents involved try to find evidence of wrong doing, this would not happen until years later. Danger will confront those who targeted the guilty doctor, for his illegal actions, as even from prison he has plans to make them pay with their lives. He has the initials of an “Annihilation” list tattooed on his arm and has help, from an unexpected source, on the outside to take care of these unsuspecting people. I have read every book in every series that Ms. Jance has written and she is one of my favorite authors. I can count on her “easy to read” writing style, an involved story that captures and holds my interest and characters that become like family to me. I can’t wait to see how she wraps up the case, while regretting that the book has to end. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

A young man comes forward with a human interest story. He needs a kidney transplant but he is the product of a sperm donor and hasn’t been able to find out the identity of his biological parents because the clinic used for the procedure claims records were lost. Unknown to the parents at the time, the Dr was using his own sperm. Ali does a human interest story on the young man which leads to the eventual conviction of the Dr at the sperm clinic for murdering his ex wife. Now the Dr has plenty of time on his hands and is determined to get revenge for anyone who helped convict him, which includes Ali.

This story goes back and forth in time explaining the events that lead up to the conclusion of the book. You know from the beginning who the bad guys are and what their agenda is. The story isn’t as much about Ali as it is the crimes being committed. Ali is the character that is used to pull it all together. Even tho you know who the bad guys are, their is still plenty of suspense. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

This work was written in an interesting manner. While not truly a mystery, it keeps the reader hooked because you want to know what happens next. You know who are the villains from the very beginning...the book details what they did and how they accomplished MOST of their evil plots.
I enjoyed most of it, but didn't like a couple of the twists. It kept my imagination jumping which is great but somehow I felt like the person at the horror movie peeking through fingers because I really didn't want to see the negative parts.
Overall, the book is well edited and the writer is excellent in making you see what she has pictured in her mind as the scene. Good job.

J. A. Jance is able to start off the book with characters who bring a chill down the readers spin wondering what they are capable of doing while they are behind bars.

The story is well crafted from the characters who have passion to find the truth. The Villains are dark and ripped from the headlines of news.

J.A. Jance is able to blend fact ad fiction weaving between characters who become more and more real as the story progresses. The author the ability to bring the world she created in technicolor, riveting story telling and a book readers will not be able to put down.



This is the first book I have read by J.A. Jance and while it is book 14 the story keeps readers up to date and in the know without slowing down the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Gallery Books for the advance copy of J.A. Jance The A List.

Ali Reynolds had a successful broadcasting career. But she had good reason to retire ten years ago. Life has been good to Ali. Not only does she have a new husband, but they have a growing cybersecurity business. Saddened by the news of the death of an old friend brings Ali's old career front and center. Not only is Ali traumatized due to the death of her friend, Ali herself may be in danger.

The story that started it all was due to an Dr. Edward Gilchrist, an uncouth fertility expert who was using his own semen in his practice. The book of donors he and his second wife provided to prospective mothers was fabricated from yearbooks of various years. It was when a desperate mother whose son needed a kidney transplant pursued Ali while she was in broadcasting to strive and discover the paternity of her son in order to find a donor. Upon investigation, and the successful location of a donor, it was shockingly discovered that Gilchrist was actually the father.

After the successful transplant, Ali and some parents in common formed something called the Progeny Project to try and find anyone else inseminated by Gilchrist. Meanwhile, it was proven that he murdered his ex-wife and was sentenced to a life in prison. Gilchrist devised a heinous revenge plan, and set up the (A)nnihilation List. Anyone connected to his sentencing he wanted to have killed. Ali was on that list.

What a story! Superb on every level. Sadly, the story was based on real-life cases when doctors actually supplied their own sperm during these procedures. So, fact and fiction make for a marvelous blend in this compelling story by J.A. Jance. Told in both the past and present in tragic detail, this story excels in pacing and storytelling. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Many thanks to Gallery Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Another hit from Jance. I'll probably read it again before the publication date, even. It's a series I've been reading for a while now, and luckily they've not declined in any way.

The A List – JA Jance

I was fortunate to receive this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review.
Years ago, Ali Reynolds was approached by a woman who was desperately seeking answers. Her son, conceived via an infertility clinic with the aid of a sperm donor, is critically ill, and needs a kidney transplant. The infertility clinic has no answers, as it claims old records were destroyed by a disgruntled former employee. So, Alexandra Munsey turned to the press – and to Ali for help, which resulted in a regional scandal, and a respected physician going to prison for murder.

Still imprisoned years later with no hope of parole, Dr. Edward Gilchrist has nothing but time on his hands, and only his wealthy, aging mother Hannah to visit him. He crafts a crude tattoo on his arm with initials of those responsible for his downfall – his ‘annihilation’ list. But money and fame have their place, and Edward is invited to share the lunch table of a connected crime Lord, who can make things happen on the outside, for a price……and Ali Reynolds is on that list…

I have been a fan of J.A. Jance for years and I’ve read every book that she has written! For those who are fans of ANY of her series, this book will not disappoint! Told in increments of past and present, you’re quickly pulled into the story, and won’t want to put the book down!! (And long live Frigg, the AI – love him!!) A must read from a great author!!

Title:The A List
Author:J.A.Jance
Series:Ali Reynolds #14
Genre: General Fiction ( Adult)
Pages:352
Publishers:Gallery Books
Netgalley

book synopsis
More than ten years after the abrupt end of her high-profile broadcasting career, Ali Reynolds has made a good life for herself in her hometown of Sedona, Arizona. She has a new house, a new husband, and a flourishing cybersecurity company called High Noon Enterprises, where her team of veritable technological wizards hunts down criminals one case at a time.

But the death of an old friend brings Ali back to the last story she ever reported: a feel-good human interest piece about a young man in need of a kidney to save his life, which quickly spiraled into a medical mismanagement scandal that landed a prestigious local doctor in prison for murder.

Years may have passed, but Dr. Edward Gilchrist has not forgotten those responsible for his downfall—certainly not Ali Reynolds, who exposed his dirty deeds to the world. Life without parole won’t stop him from getting his revenge. Tattooed on his arm are the initials of those who put him behind bars, and he won’t stop until every person on that Annihilation List is dead

My thoughts
rating:
Would I recommend this series: yes
Would I read anything else by this author: Yes { In fact I have and own one of her books :Downfall ( Joanna Brady #17) and I loved it )
Would I read more of this series: yes
Even though is this the second time I've read anything by her I can say that this is one series I want to going with , its fast pace and even though this is book 17 I was able to understand what was going on, loved the characters ( will most of the characters) , loved how the story just pulled me into and before I knew it I was hooked, loved how you get the backstory of the characters and how will the story flows together. As for the characters themsleves I couldn't stand Dr.Edward Gilchrist , no take that back I won't say I couldn't stand him ,in fact that's to easy , I would say I despised him and the way he thought it was ok to do what he did those who came to him for help, and that part of the story made it more realistic because sadly there are doctors who does in fact do the same thing he did and probably still gets away with it to this day , all he cared about was the money , not about how he was hurting the families and how he might be casing harm to them.In fact I wouldn't call him a Man ( BECAUSE IF HE WAS ONE THEN HE WOULD HAVE ADMITTED TO HIS WRONGDOING ) HIS LESS THEN A MAN, HIS A MOUSE NO TAKE THAT BACK HIS LESS THEN A MOUSE, HIS A NO ACCOUNT RAT.To find out more you have to read The book ,with that said I want to thank Netgalley for Lee me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion ,and I can't wait to read more by this author.

Another fantastic novel by JA Jance. Having read most of her books, I love the Ali Reynolds series. This continuation has all the usual characters. I thought the part where the AI (Frigg) recapped the whole story was a bit long winded (and a bit unbelievable), it was an entertaining story. I look forward to reading the next one! Thank you for the advanced copy.

The A List by J.A. Jance is a suspenseful and highly intriguing mystery. It is an intricate drama with multiple scary characters and an extremely clever and thoroughly entertaining plot. I found this a really gripping book, particularly towards the end where the story unfurls from different angles and different time lines. It is well written and is a fascinating read that absolutely loved and highly recommend. I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

J.A. Jance has some entertaining books out there. This one is a good addition to the collection. It is suspenseful and follows a storyline that is all tied up neatly by the end.

The story follows the deeds of a Dr. Edward Gilchrist, who was a popular doctor providing artificial insemination procedures in the L.A. area before the days of DNA tests. He was also somewhat cheap and saved money by being the sperm donor for his clinic, which meant that he ended up with many offspring. Unfortunately for those offspring, he had a genetic kidney problem passed down from his father. Some of the offspring inherited that defect. This led the parents to come looking for medical history for their supposed “donor” which the doctor could not provide them. He destroyed all the falsified files and tried to cover his tracks. That included murdering his ex, which is what landed him in prison.

He was not a nice character and was quite vengeful, blaming others for his downfall. He decided he would, with the help of others, get even by murdering all the people he assumed were responsible for his demise. He gets help from his wealthy mother, who has no other children and just wants to help her only child (a very misguided woman), and a fellow inmate who runs a criminal enterprise from inside the prison. Unfortunately for Ali Reynolds, she is on his list. Will she figure it out in time?

I found the story to have plenty of suspense and intrigue. The plot goes back and forth through time to tell the story from back in the early days, through 2017. The reader learns the entire story through a look at each character’s involvement in the whole picture. There are some interesting things going on in Ali’s workplace with an AI (artificial intelligence) too, and that was probably the highlight of the book for me. I won’t give spoilers, but I hope to see more of the AI character in future novels from this author. I think that is a unique and interesting angle for a novel and it has some great possibilities.

If you haven’t read any novels by J.A. Jance, what are you waiting for? The writing is top-notch and the stories are intriguing and interesting. Jance is one of the best suspense writers out there and this novel continues that tradition. I recommend it highly.

J. A. Jance has been one of my favorite authors since the late 1980s. Ali Reynolds was a TV Anchorwoman for a major Los Angles network until unfairly dismissed. She returns to Sedona, Arizona to rebuilt her life. She now married to a cybersecurity expert B Sampson and co-owns a company called High Noon Enterprises.
In 2008 Dr. Edward Gilchrist is found guilty of murdering his wife and sent to prison for life. He created a list that includes all those he feels responsible for his sentence. He included Ali as she had a human interest a story about a young man needing a kidney to live. He called The A-List which he tattoos it on his arm. With the aid of funds his wealthy mother and another lifer, he contracts for the death of each individual. At their death, he marks them off. He is successful until the person before Ali is murder. Will she be the next or with aid,b Frigg will be caught? Who is Frigg? You need to read the book to learn about her. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AND SERIES.
Disclosure: Thanks to Gallery for a copy through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.

This story was really convoluted but Ms. Jance brought it all together at the end. It was less about Ali Reynolds than about the criminals, though.

These characters were seriously scary. I guess it's true about there being no loyalty. There certainly wasn't with this bunch!

This book will not disappoint loyal Jance fans. Great storyline that will keep the pages turning.

This book was gifted to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.

I received a galley if this book, due out in April of 2019, from NetGalley.

J.A. Jance has written dozens of mysteries/thrillers. Previous to this one, I had read just two of her works. This is a solid, fast-moving, albeit predictable story.

With the current interest in the use of DNA to determine ancestry, we are starting to see the funny things that can happen when artificial insemination is utilized. In The A List, a doctor whose practice is built upon articulate insemination engages in fraudulent practices, using his own sperm on his patients. The end result is lots of step-siblings. Eventually the doctor ends up in trouble and in jail. But he is determined to gain revenge on his accusers, so he creates the A List, a list of people to kill. From his jail cell and using his mother’s riches, he creates a plan to systematically do murders-for-hire. How far can he carry this plan out? Will he be caught and stopped? How?

Ali Reynolds, a former TV newswoman, had exposed the doctor’s malpractices when she was an active newscaster and comes back to investigate when she sees the doctor’s victims start going down. Working with other associates, including a man who creates a robot with artificial intelligence, Ali tries to save the day.

This is entertaining and fast-moving. Not very realistic, but solid. Will meet expectations of the author’s fans.

I love reading J A Jance. Her Ali series is one of my favorite. The story is so true to life and characters are so believable. There are lots of twists in this story that will keep you reading until the end. You'll not be able to put it down.