I quite enjoyed this book but it was a little far fetched at times especially towards the end. I did not become engrossed in the story but it was OK.
Thank you Netgalley and Joffre Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book and give my unbiased opinion.

An interesting turn which reignited my interest but also made me hate the main character. Nevertheless an easy weekend read. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It was just an ordinary Wednesday lunchtime when Detective Martha Munro’s life changed forever. The premise of this book sounded interesting from the very beginning. It was a quick, easy read and if you are looking for a quick, entertaining read then this is a great book for you!

It wasn’t until fairly recently that I discovered how flipping fantastic Michael’s work is. I haven’t read everything that he has written to date but I am getting there. I read the synopsis for ‘The List’ and it certainly sounded like the sort of read I have come to expect from Michael – a fast paced, gritty and thrilling story. ‘The List’ is the first book in a new series featuring Detective Martha Munro. I couldn’t wait to start reading so without further ado, I grabbed my Kindle, grabbed a cup of tea and settled down for what I hoped would be a fantastic read. I was sport on too because I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The List’ but more about that in a bit.
As with Michael’s other books, I was drawn into the story from the very first word on the very first page. After I had read the first couple of chapters I instinctively knew that I wouldn’t be able to put the book down until I had read the last word on the last page. My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I just couldn’t bear to miss a single word of the story. I found Martha to be a very intriguing character. On the one hand she is a career police officer following in her father’s footsteps but on the other hand she has friends that don’t exactly stay on the right side of the law. I had my own theories as to what was going to happen, so I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had the wrong end of the stick entirely. I became so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the story. All too quickly I reached the end of ‘The List’. I found ‘The List’ to be a gripping, tense and dramatic read, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘The List’ is superbly written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Michael. He certainly knows how to grab the reader’s attention and draw them into what proves to be one heck of a story. For me, the story hit the ground running and maintained a fast pace throughout. Reading ‘The List’ felt like being on an times scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with twists and turns aplenty. I love the way in which Michael makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story themselves and at the heart of all the action.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The List’ and I would recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Michael’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Joffe Books for the electronic copy.

I'm really in two minds about this book. On the one hand I could say that it is packed full of intrigue; on the other hand, well, I began to think I was reading a young adult adventure story embellished with violence.

Newly-promoted Detective Martha Munro receives news that two armed men had forced their way into her home, killing her mother and abducting her four-year old daughter Betty. Her father led an anti-corruption squad at Scotland Yard before his death two years previously and his oldest friend, Harry, blames himself for not protecting the family. Harry calls on his underworld contacts and he and Martha chase down the abductors, only for Martha to be charged with GBH.
However, Martha's father kept secrets within secrets - he'd work both sides of the Law if it meant the top criminals as well as corrupt police were brought to justice. Now, it appeared that someone wanted that information, and her father had apparently made intricate plans to protect his daughter for that particular time.

I'm afraid I thought this all a little too far-fetched; there was no depth to any of the characters and the plot was heavily led by vague memories and spur-of-the-moment fortuitous guesswork.

More negatives then positives for me I'm afraid, but that is only my opinion.

Maybe following in your dads footsteps instead the best thing to do….kidnapped daughter? Murdered mother? False charges? Falsely convicted? Someone is out to destroy this person and they don’t even know why or who. Maybe something daddy done in the past has came to haunt them? This was a book that I couldn’t put down, and most def. one that I will reread. It was perfectly written to where it was easy to follow, not to much going on at once. A great read and amazing storyline!

Armed men break into a house, shooting dead a grandmother and kidnapping the 4-year-old granddaughter Betty in a van in an horrific attack. These are the family of DC Martha Munroe, whose father was a former senior commander in charge of anti-corruption. Even Harry the Hat, the retired and much feared enforcer pledged to look after the family, wasn’t fast enough to stop them without a gun in his hand. When she receives a video from the kidnappers, Martha immediately decides she’ll have more success defying Commander Shaw’s orders and takes off with Harry in hot pursuit. Harry still has a lot of contacts and the trail soon leads them to the two kidnappers, beaten and bloody by their employer, who direct her to Betty. As they rescue her daughter, the police charge in. Was it all a trap, some kind of set up? This seems likely as Martha is swiftly arrested. Her interviews seem to bear this out, and aided by her late father’s solicitor and Harry, she learns a lot of things about her father that she never knew. Could it be related to the supposed list kept by her father featuring people on both sides of the law? Her father had a lot of enemies but also friends. It’s those friends that Martha needs to rely on now, even if she’s not entirely sure who can be sure and who has their own agenda. John Munro spent his life trying to protect his family and now it’s Martha’s turn.
This is quite a different and original type of fictional plot, fast paced, gritty and thrilling from the intriguing prologue right to the very last page. I really liked Martha’s character as the normally straight up police detective found herself discovering more about her father and having to find alternative methods to get to the truth, and I absolutely loved Harry!! I am eager to see what book 2 brings. 5*

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review the book. This was an ok read. Didn't grip me but ok

Love getting in at the beginning of a new series. The first in the Martha Munro series and a cracking start that’s got so much to offer. I really enjoyed this. Great characters, clever plot and lots of action including some tense courtroom drama. Looking forward to how this will develop

My first novel by Michael Leese and the first in a new British crime series. When a family tragedy happens Detective Martha Munro’s life changes forever and it’s up to her to find out why. This has a well constructed plot, full of likeable characters with plenty of intrigue along the way. A real page turner, I would definitely recommend.

The List by Michael Leese is my first book by this author. A crime mystery that kept me hooked for sure.A crime mystery that kept me hooked for sure.I am wondering why I have never read anything by this author previously as I thoroughly enjoyed this crime mystery set in the U.K. I am just happy that it is the first book in a new series and not book 3 or 4!
This is definitely a different and unique storyline. The main character, Martha, is put through the mill before I finished reading the first few pages. I wouldn't like to know what else Michael Leese has in store for the poor woman next. With a plotline that grabs you immediately, I was flipping the pages in anticipation every time. As you can guess, it is a truly intriguing crime mystery. I love Martha and Harry, who is her trusted friend. They are both relatable and very realistic. I enjoyed the fact that I couldn't decide on which side of the fence they landed. This made for a story that kept me guessing all the way.
The List is a story that has plenty of twists and turns, which just adds to the feeling that my heart was in my mouth all the way. A crime mystery series that I can recommend to any crime thriller lovers.
Thanks to Jill Burkinshaw,Joffe Books and NetGalley for the gifted copy of the book

Time Of The Essence…
The first in the Martha Munro series of mysteries finds the Detective dealing with a catastrophic situation. Who on earth would want to harm her own family and, moreover, why? Time is of the essence as she proceeds to investigate. A tense and gripping narrative, well drawn characters and an intriguing plot give rise to a promising start for this new series.

The list by Michael Leese.
Martha Munro Crime Mysteries Book 1.
It was just an ordinary Wednesday lunchtime when Detective Martha Munro’s life changed forever. Her sergeant is speaking, but she barely hears what he’s telling her. Your mother has been shot dead. Your four-year-old daughter has been taken.
There are no leads. Who would want to hurt her family? Martha realizes it’s time to ask herself some hard questions about her late father.
He led the anti-corruption squad at Scotland Yard. It’s rumoured he kept a list of everyone who worked for him, from coppers to criminals. And just being on the list was a sure-fire way to lower your life expectancy. Her mother was killed by someone trying to get their hands on the list. Now time is running out for Martha to get her daughter back alive.
Family is EVERYTHING. And she will do ANYTHING to keep them safe.
A good read with good characters. Likeable story. 3*

DC Martha Munro has a rough start as a detective and mother.

Her own mother is murdered and her four-year-old daughter is kidnapped. Who could do this in such a short time, and are these incidents connected in any way?

Because her late father was part of the police investigation that dismantled a large group of corrupts people, her thoughts go with all his targets and informants list.

From here onwards, we get to see her in action and the twists and thrilling turns don't take a break till the end.

There are a few unbelievable or unreliable things happening in the story overall but, I enjoyed it as a great suspenseful book and I’m looking forward to read more in the series as this was just the first instalment.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley

I found this a fast paced read with lots going on. The story was interesting but I found it a little too far fetched for my liking.

This is a great book! Instead of a ‘standard’ police procedural - this book is a rollercoaster ride until the end, part police thriller and part legal/action thriller. A highly enjoyable read, and I loved it.

Martha, cop and daughter of John Munro, an ex- cop working for an anti-corruption unit at the Met - finds herself in troubled waters when some of her father’s ‘old friends’ seems to want her out of the way; they murder her mother and kidnapp her little girl.

Her father’s working method of taking down the big boys in the criminal circuit by having the petty thieves he arrested work for him as infiltrants later on, didn’t gain him any sympathy in the force. Certain criminal lords and bent cops are now looking for his notebook, and they are, in fact, sure that Martha has it. Martha’s life is in danger, and she even finds herself in prison!
Together with some friends of her father’s, Martha is trying to find out what her father kept secret for so long. And what do the coded names in her father’s notebook refer to? And who can she trust?

This wonderful and exciting part legal, part police procedural kept me guessing until the end. Recommended!

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable read, although a little slow in places, great characters though. Very believable. Recommended.

this book for me started out very fast paced, I was interested to find out what was going to happen next and how it all connected. As I continued to read though I felt myself loosing interest and did not connect to any of the characters.

The premise of this book was very interesting but I’m afraid I will not continue this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an ARC for the List and an opportunity to read this and give an honest review!

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
What a thrilling book! Author Michael Leese begins a new series with a fresh investigative perspective. Martha Munro is a police officer, following in her father's footsteps. When a tragedy strikes her famiky, secrets come out and she must decide what side she is truly on. Justice is rarely straightforward and Martha must rely upon a secretive group of helpers to discover the truth. In doing so, she learns about her heritage, her father's perspective becomes clear and justice prevails. Great beginning for a thrilling series. It sets the stage for more and I'm excited to seek more of Martha Munro as she pursues justice in her own way.

A real page turner one of the best books I have read in a long while DC Martha Monroe daughter of a former police officer. His rather dubious and somewhat illegal ways of dealing with crime eventually gets his daughter and her family and friends into dangerous situations.Thoroughly recommended keeps the reader involved from start to finish.