Ciska's Book Chest

I am an eclectic reader with preferences for crime/thriller/suspense, historical fiction, literature and contemporary fiction. For more books and other bookish posts visit my blog at Ciska's Book Chest

Review: The Never List, Koethi Zan

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book on Netgalley from the publisher in return for an honest review*

The Never List, Koethi Zan cover
For years, best friends Sarah and Jennifer kept what they called the “Never List”: a list of actions to be avoided, for safety’s sake, at all costs. But one night, against their best instincts, they accept a cab ride with grave, everlasting consequences. For the next three years, they are held captive with two other girls in a dungeon-like cellar by a connoisseur of sadism.

Ten years later, at thirty-one, Sarah is still struggling to resume a normal life, living as a virtual recluse under a new name, unable to come to grips with the fact that Jennifer didn’t make it out of that cellar. Now, her abductor is up for parole and Sarah can no longer ignore the twisted letters he sends from jail.
Finally, Sarah decides to confront her phobias and the other survivors—who hold their own deep grudges against her. When she goes on a cross-country chase that takes her into the perverse world of BDSM, secret cults, and the arcane study of torture, she begins unraveling a mystery more horrifying than even she could have imagined.


Koethi Zan was born in Opp, Alabama, the “City of Opportunity.” Koethi put herself through Birmingham-Southern College with scholarships. After this she went to Yale law school. She started working for a law firm representing mostley investment banks but did not like the corporate life very much. She made a switch to entertainment law. When she worked as the Senior Vice President & Deputy General Counsil at MTV she decided it was time to fulfill a life long dream and wrote The Never List on the side. She lives with her husband and two daughters in upstate New York.

This book is a nerve-wracking psychological story which keeps you reading trough the night just because you need to know! Well honestly I did fell asleep but it gave me dreams and not very pleasant ones that is. The book takes you on a trip nobody wants to make. Into cellars where woman are held captive and are abused. As the story unfolds there are more details about what exactly happened to Sarah, Tracy, Christine, Jennifer and all the other people involved. The way the tension builds up just makes that you keep on reading and you really want everything to be ok. I had some problems connecting to Sarah but in a way I think that was not bad meaning, the hell she went trough and how she go out was so much of her personality and done so well I was glad in a way I could not connect to that. I did feel sorry for her so much that when it was mentioned that she hated the look on peoples faces when they knew who she was I felt a bit guilty. A big yes for people who love great psychological thrillers keeping in mind it is about woman and abuse which might not really be everyones topic.

The Never List
Author: Koethi Zan
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books (a Penguin Group Viking imprint)
Pages: 320
Format: eGalley
ISBN-10: 0670026514 (hardcover)
ISBN-13: 9780670026517 (hardcover)
Pamela Dorman Books: Hardcover | AudioBook