When Mary Ellis receives a seemingly innocent diary for Christmas, she doesn't think anything of it. Gathering donations for the charity shop in January, she grabs the diary and flicks through. Realising there are 4 months marked, she looks closer. 4 months, 4 murders. The first has already happened - and the last is hers.

I love these 'murder list' style stories! They have such a way of gripping me, making me wonder who it is / what the connection is. This one did not disappoint!

A fantastic story that had me hooked the whole way through - I did not expect the killer OR the secret! An absolute shocker of a story!

This book hooked me in right from the beginning, it was fast paced and twisty and such an enjoyable read I got just past 60% and it lost me, I felt the pace really dropped and I was less invested. The end wasn’t to my liking either but that’s subjective

Mary, a free lance crime writer, receives a diary for Christmas but she doesn’t take the time to look at it until the end of January. When she does, instead of blank pages, she finds a list of four dates with four first names and an indication that each will be murdered at the beginning of each successive month. January 1st has already passed and Mary realizes the name in the diary is a woman who was murdered on that day. Moreover, the last name on the list is Mary.

Wow! What a great set-up. Now Mary is racing against time, with the help of the authorities, to try and figure out if she is an intended victim and what, if any, are the ties between the names.

The Murder List is fast-paced, twisty, and unpredictable. The characters are well-defined and varied, and the plot is stellar. Many readers, like myself, will not be able to determine who the killer is until the very end. All in all, this psychological thriller is entertaining and so very hard to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I will be on the lookout for the next book by Jackie Kabler.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

A fast past and intriguing read.
From page one I was hooked and I liked how complex the characters were and it always threw me off as to who it could be. So many twists and turns that keeps you guessing and it is a page turner

Even if the concept is not totally original it was well developed, entertaining and gripping.
The author did an excellent job in developing a gripping and twisty plot that kept me on the edge.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Loved this book! I thought i had it all figured out from the beginning, but all my suspicions were wrong. It truly surprised me. I can’t say much without giving things away, but the final twists really changed everything! Love Jackie Kabler and definitely recommend this book.

The murder list by Jackie Kabler is a fast paced who done it with a list of suspects longer than an Agatha Christie!

The premise, Mary is a crime writing journalist and finds she has been given a list of 4 first names , cites and dates of murder victims, the problems is 3 of the dates are in the future and she's on the list.

Due to her crime writing background and the lack of success with the police, she sets about sleuthing her own would be murderer.

I read this as part of a readalong which was certaining entertaining, everyone was a suspect at some point! There were all sorts of motives thrown around and some fantastical situations imagined. The book certainly makes the most of the red herring.

The characters were difficult to gel with as they were all a bit suspicious. Pete, Mary's best friend and flatmate since university seemed like a close friend then found to be in the vicinity of the first few murders. Edward, Satish and Elanor her colleagues at a hot desk office. Mary doesn't know enough about either of them but some of their actions get them on that suspect list!

I really enjoyed reading this book, it certainly made me involved in the hunt for the suspect. The motive on the other hand, I'm not sure it would stand up to Christie scrutiny. There is another main plot line which begins as a twist in the middle of the book which I did enjoy. It filled Mary's character with purpose and certainly surprised.

Overall I would recommend this book to those who like a cosy mystery, or those interested in more psychological thrillers. It's a fast paced, easy to read mystery, can you solve who wrote the murder list? 4*

Thanks to Netgalley and One More Chapter for the ARC and access to the readalong.

The book was fast paced and kept me engrossed throughout. It definitely kept me guessing till the end and even though I found the end slightly disappointing, it was a great read.

Mary received a diary with a difference when she realises it isn’t any ordinary present. It’s not blank, but on the first of each month, January to April, are women’s names and cities. April may seem to be the cruellest month for Mary when her name and home city, Cheltenham, is pencilled in for April 1. Thinking it’s a sick joke, she wants to ignore it… that’s until a murder of Lisa from Oxford is announced, killed on January 1. Is there a killer out there planning to commit a new murder on the first of each month? Is the Mary mentioned in mere weeks time her? Partnering with the police, she sets out to discover what’s going on and who is responsible, at times not trusting the people closest to her. Let’s just say that not everyone is telling the truth about what they know… The plot twist is especially impressive and will make you keep reading.

The Murder List is a taut, tense thriller that will keep you on your toes until the very end. It's a fast-paced and engaging, and you won't want to put it down.
The story follows Mary, a crime writer, who receives a diary as a gift. Thinking she'll never use it but not wanting to be rude, she opens it to find out who sent it so she can thank them. Only, Mary now realizes there's more to the diary than she expected. Inside, she finds names, locations, and dates. Once a month, someone will die. And on April 1st, Mary from Cheltenham will be murdered. But is she the Mary on the list, or is there someone else at risk? Who sent the diary, and why did it come to Mary specifically? Can Mary help the police uncover the truth behind the murder list before it's too late?
I really enjoyed this book. It's definitely one of those stories that keeps you guessing right up until the end. And for me, I honestly had no idea where the story would go. I was just as confused as Mary and the police while trying to untangle the web of mystery. But I enjoyed that aspect, because I enjoyed being surprised by how it all played out.
If you're a fan of thrillers/mysteries, definitely check out The Murder List.
4.5 stars!

A new psychological domestic suspense thriller from Jackie Kabler, is always a reason for me to get excited. The Murder List totally tops every book I have read by her. I started reading it with the hope I would love it as much as her others... I wasn't let down at all!

Mary Ellis has been given a diary that she hasn't used. She is clearing out and sending things to charity. She opens the diary to find entries inside. Dates, areas and a first name,a murder list. The first dates have passed so she involves the police, as it could be possible she may be a named victim in the list too.

As the story develops we get to know the characters, or think we do anyway. It's a tale in which the twists are even more twisted than you could imagine! So many red herrings that I didn't know, at all, how this would end. Mary is a woman we get to know well, as the story is told from her perspective while she attempts, along with the police to find the killer before her time runs out too.

I was thoroughly intrigued to see how the police dealt with threats to kill, with only first names, dates and areas to go on. It had me really thinking how they would go about these, very real, but so vague threats. I did wonder how seriously they would take Mary's murder list diary. It does show four police forces pooling resources and attempting to catch the very twisted and sick person who created the list.

The tension ramps right up as the plot unfolds. I was crippled with a need to know...and NOW, as I read such an addictive read that absolutely grabbed me and held me in in its grip until I had read the final word! Never mind page.

This is up in my top reads of this year, I enjoyed it so much. A must read for anyone who loves an addictive, tense and intriguing read. Thanks to One More Chapter and NetGalley.

Wow this was a wild ride. I absolutely loved the concept of this book, Mary Ellis receives a diary for Christmas and inside are the names of 4 people with the dates of their murders and one of the victims is her...
There are so many twists and turns in this book. It's a who dunnit murder mystery and a race against time to catch a killer, but there's also a really interesting back story which will keep you guessing.
I tried so hard to guess the killer and still got it wrong! The ending is intense and will have you holding your breathe.
Thank you One More Chapter for the gifted copy.

This was a five star read up to the final few chapters. Even then I have to admit I did enjoy reading it just that the author took it one step too far so stopped£ me liking Mary at all. I can’t say more without spoiling the story and it’s well worth the read to find out if you agre3 with me.

There are blurbs on the back of some books that quite literally blow my mind when I read them. This one did it for me.
The Murder List by author Jackie Kabler is a psychological thriller that will intrigue you, grip you and keep you guessing until the very
end.
Imagine finding a diary with the name of a person that has been murdered recently in it and then reading ahead to find more names
and places of murders about to take place. Now imagine your name is on that list.
Wouldn’t that be absolutely terrifying? Watching, waiting and suspecting everyone you meet.
We meet a young woman Mary in this story. Mary is sharing her house with her lodger Peter. Working as a crime writer and freelance
journalist, she struggles to comprehend what she is facing.
Taking the decision to inform the police, she must put her complete trust in them to solve the murders before her murder date arrives. Mary feels vulnerable as she hasn’t her family around her.
Quite a clever plot and if you are looking for plenty of twists and turns, you have picked up the right book.
Well worth your time.

If the police knew about a murder in advance, could they stop it taking place? That is the premise of the new book from Jackie Kabler, The Murder List. 

Protagonist Mary Ellis receives a diary for Christmas with four entries. On the first of January, February, March and April the entry consists of a name and the location of a murder. Why did Mary receive the diary and why is she named in one of the entries? 

Yet another amazing book from this author, well written, great characters and a plot that keeps you turning the pages. It's fast-paced, myterious and just the type of book that gets you suspecting everyone and trusting no one. 

If you haven't read anything from this author before, I highly suggest you do. The books just keep getting better and better. I can't wait for the next one! There is a next one...right?!

The Murder List is right up my street, I love a good crime story with lots of twists and turns and I was NOT disappointed with this book by Jackie Kabler.

This is the first book by Jackie I have read and was very glad to join the tour to be involved in reading.

Talk about a rollercoaster ride, I couldn't put the book down, it kept me reading and wanting to read more. Loved the twists at the end and didn't expect them. I had no idea who the murderer was and was so surprised when it was announced.

The Murder List is a well-written story, with good characters, and lots of twists to keep you guessing. Do I recommend this book? Damn right I do, I will definitely keep an eye out for more books by Jackie.

Since I enjoyed Jackie Kabler's The Perfect Couple I was looking forward to reading The Murder List.

Meet Mary who works in a publishing house. When she receives a journal with a list of names, dates and towns she doesn't quite know what to make of it in the beginning.
It quickly turns out to be kind of a hitlist with people who should be murdered . And what's more, the name Mary is on the list as well!!

This story was what I call fast moving and addictive. I really wanted to find out if Mary finds the killer before he finds her!
Thanks #NetGalley #HarperCollins UK for this ARC

This was the first book I've read by Kabler and it's definitely not going to be the last, The Murder List was the book that just kept giving!

It starts off slowly and builds to a full on roller-coaster ride, full of twists, turns and plenty of mouth agape OMFG moments. The ending completely blew me away and I'm still trying to get my head round it all now.

Very well written and such a cleverly thought out plotline, that's suspenseful, full of tension and absolutely gripping.

The characters were complex, flawed and well rounded, all of them hiding a secret or two.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read, and my nerves are slowly beginning to recover.

Many thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book has all of the ingredients of a great thriller:
suspense, twists and pace. The plot is told from two
narratives- the first person narrative of the main
character 'Mary' and a third person perspective of the
police investigating. Following the mysterious delivery
of a diary, Mary finds the details of 4 planned murders-
the last being her own! When the first murder becomes
reality it's a race against time to solve the mystery of
who the killer is. The plot was really well thought out
and the characters were well developed and believable.
The author has included some great twists along the
way too to keep us gripped. One negative would have
to be the amount of dialogue in the third person police
narrative chapters. Sometimes I felt that not all of the
dialogue was necessary and actually slowed the pace
down a little. I also thought that once the killer had
been revealed the plot could have been a little more
developed... don't want to give away too much though.
On the other hand, I particularly liked how the author
has crafted twists throughout the plot in order to keep
everyone guessing even up to the final pages!! Overall
an enjoyable and suspenseful read

If like me you enjoy playing armchair detective then I wish you good luck with this book. I had more theories than a loony conspiracist and my number one suspect was more changeable than the weather here in the uk.

Mary was a brilliantly believable protagonist but the people in her life were seriously shady (insert Eminem song). I mean imagine being given advance warning of your own murder and having to look closely at everyone you interact with on a daily basis. Friends, family, colleagues, maybe even your friendly barista who serves you your daily fix of coffee every morning. Any one of them could be plotting to kill you and you don’t have long to work it out as the rest on the list are quickly dropping like flies. Soon it will be your turn!

I had quite a strong theory fairly early on in this book as one character stood out like a sore thumb and I found their behaviour a bit strange, so imagine my surprise later on when it looked like I was actually going to be right for a change. Then the author may as well have clocked me round the head with a tennis trophy as I was so mistaken. That wasn’t the only thing I got wrong either and my head was spinning when all was finally revealed.

Part thriller, part police procedural and with a great premise this is a fast paced read with clues, misdirections, twists and a killer ending!