I just finished this novel which was our (Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse) October Book Club Pick. It was an enjoyable, fast-paced environmental thriller full of intrigue, betrayal, lies, secrets, and corruption. There were some great action scenes that I could picture as I read the novel.

I liked that the main character was a middle-aged gutsy woman determined to save her family. I’m so happy to see more stories with older main characters driving the story.

I could easily see this being turned into a movie and I’ll be there for it with popcorn at the ready!

Thanks to Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse for putting this one on my radar. Thanks also to SharKen for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

This one just wasn't for me. Felt too much like diving into a conspiracy theory meets a spy thriller. Both aren't my favs.

An intense game of cat and mouse drew me in quickly. Anita lost her son two years ago in a California wildfire. How do you ever come back from that depth of loss? Her marriage has suffered. Anita feels like she is living with a cardboard cutout of what used to be her husband, Julian. When Julian asks her to accompany him to a climate change rally in Washington DC. She jumps at the chance. This will be a turning point in their marriage. It is also a way they both can honor their son. The exact opposite happens, Julian disappears. The police say he has been released. However, Anita cannot find him or contact him. She is approached by a man that Juilian knows and is told to hide. What has Julian gotten himself wrapped up in?

This is a fast paced read that left my mouth hanging open. Climate change is the backdrop and who is for it and against it is very apparent. I loved that some of the book is set in Vermont. A few of the characters set me off a bit. Just a little too in your face, a little too much. However, the story kept pulling me in and the ending is so worth it. Thank you to Sharon Dukett and Thriller Book Lovers the Pulse for my #gifted copy.

The Shutdown List
Sharon Dukett
June 18, 2024
SharKen Publishing
Available Now on KU

The Shutdown List is an intense high stakes environmental thriller lead by our courageous heroine Anita. Her husband Julian was arrested at a climate change rally. The problem is, she can’t locate him at a jail so where is he? After losing her son, Anita will stop at nothing to find Julian and she is in unchartered territory.

Julian has left her breadcrumbs to figure out what to do and how to save him. Anita has no idea what Julian has gotten himself into and page by page, she never gives up, and continues to battle this learning curve with strength and tenacity.

Climate change, clean air, clean fuel, fossil fuels and other topics are in the news daily. The Shutdown List brings some of these issues to life for the reader and what is driving the fight between saving Earth, powering our planet and putting money in the right pockets. Someone has to fight for the plant and the little guy, but what the bad guys have to lose is far more important than climate pledges (or so they think).

If you are a fan of books that tackle subjects like this (I totally am), this would make a great faced paced thriller to add to your TBR.

📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚

The Shutdown List By Sharon Dukett
Publication Date: June 18, 2024
Publisher: SharKen Publishing

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚MY REVIEW:

A timely read, The Shutdown List is a fast-paced action thriller that combines climate activism with political intrigue. Everybody at Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse has been so excited about this book being our Book Club Pick in the weeks ahead, and this one definitely lived up to the hype.

Told from multiple characters' perspectives, this one gave me such a comprehensive look at the motives behind the actions of both the good guys AND the bad guys, which I really enjoyed. From the beginning of the book, I got pulled into this story and I was riveted as I devoured this one in just one sitting.

There was definitely a lot going on in this book: climate change activists, big money oil magnates, unjust imprisonments, social activism, betrayals, intrigue, secrets, and even a little bit of a love story. This wasn't your everyday expected thriller - there were some interesting storylines that felt really well-timed with the current political climate in the United States. There were a lot of twists and turns too, which really kept this one moving at a quick pace. This book has all the markings to easily become the next big political action thriller on Netflix or the big screen.

If you enjoyed Robert Swartwood's Killing Room series, this book is for you! While the storyline is different, this one gave me similar vibes as I read it. If fast-paced, political action thrillers are your jam, you're gonna love this one too!! A huge thank you to Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse, NetGalley, and SharKen Publishing for this advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review. I'm looking forward to discussing this one in Book Club!!

#TheShutdownList #SharonDukett #thrillerbookloversthepulse #bookclub #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARC #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #bookrecs #thrilleraddict #actionthriller #booklover

The Shutdown List is an action-packed environmental thriller pitting climate activists against special interests in the fossil fuel industry. During a protest, Anita’s husband Julian is apprehended by police and a stranger warns Anita to flee for her safety. What follows is a twisty cat-and-mouse race against formidable opponents to find Julian. This fast-paced story is packed with political intrigue and corruption but also surprisingly deep emotion. If you enjoy a strong midlife FMC who courageously stands up against evil, this one may be for you!

Thank you to Sharon Dukett, SharKen Publishing and NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I had a really hard time getting into the plot. Even though the summary seemed very appealing, I found the execution lacking.
The characters seemed flat, dimensionless and not tangible. Anita, who is sold as a super-strong woman, wasn't exactly that in my eyes. Several points of conflict were dropped very quickly.
The plot itself is fairly predictable.
I couldn't wait to finish this book.
On the other hand, perhaps it would do well adapted as a film, with less focus on the characters' thoughts, which aren't very deep, and more on the kidnapping of climate activists and the tense chase with a hit man.

This was such a suspenseful, intense and mysterious book. A lot of things happens in this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat. Anita has lost her son Steven two years ago and she is still dealing with the trauma but now two years later when the unthinkable happens with Julian, it turns her life upside down. She is both heartbroken and devastated. Julian kept dark secrets from her. While all the unthinkable happenings, tangles her in danger, mystery and secrets. All the things not only destroys her peace but also brings her life at stake. She is determined to find her husband and bring herself out of this political web of secrets, mystery, conspiracy and crime. The revelations at the end were heartbreaking.

A climate fueled political thriller awaits the reader who picks up The Shutdown List. When Anita’s husband is arrested at a political rally she is confused. Her husband does not do that. She is quickly warned that she may be next and is thrown into a car and mouse game with the climate in the balance.

I loved the characters and the climate activist storyline. A lot of twists will keep you guessing. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I thought it was great. It’s amateur detective meets crime thriller. Full of action the read is never left thinking of anything but this story.

A disturbing, futuristic picture of what could be. I loved the fast pacing and the dystopian elements woven into the mystery as Anita tries to find Julian after he's arrested during a protest. The external conflict is so loaded with tension from politics, conspiracy theories, murder, and so many other things. There is so much happening that you can't stop yourself from reading to find out how the story will play out.

This was a story about Anita and a holy lot of secrets like when her husband is suddenly dragged away during a protest. That’s when she learns there is so much more to this and has a hard drive that needs to get to a safe place and not in the wrong hands. Anita goes through a lot during this story from losing her husband, going over past mistakes, and even finding love. This is all to save our climate and get rid of corruption.

A fast-paced thriller with lots of twists and turns! A lot of secrets and lies…the best kind of thriller.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book!!!

Anita Forester is at a protest and see's her husband dragged away by the police, a stranger tells her to run and she does. This is a fast paced thriller full of twists. Who can Anita trust. Love the book, could see this as a movie. Thanks to SharKen publishing and Netgalley for this review ARC.

This was my first book by this author. My colleagues at Thriller Book Lovers-The Pulse chose this for a book club read. Had some down time so I read early.

Anita and Julian are suffering a loss when they lose their son Steven. They are just going through the motions. Julian is a professor and is arrested. After a list of contacts is given to Anita, the action begins What could this list mean?

Non-stop drama filled with politics, conspiracies, murder, corruption, mystery and more. This novel will have your head spinning with all the secrets. Will Anita be able to save her husband? Will she want too? A very intense novel.

How well do you really know your spouse?

A fast paced, full of twists and turns thriller that I could not put down. I read this in one sitting - and really enjoyed it!

Anita is mourning the loss of her marriage and the death of her son, Steven when she and her husband attend a rally in memory of their son. What follows is a journey that you cannot predict! This story follows multiple points of view- with all of the characters making you feel all emotions! I was rooting for Anita throughout the book and was pumped when she was able to persevere to the end!

I didn’t want this to end and am so glad & thankful for the advanced copy from NetGalley. An awesome read, great thriller that is absolutely worth recommending to other thriller/suspense lovers!

A grieving wife witnesses her deceitful husband’s kidnapping. Can she rescue him before they both end up dead?

Anita Forester worries her marriage is doomed. When the estranged couple attends a petroleum protest in Washington D.C., she witnesses her husband storm the United States Capitol.

Chasing after her him, Anita expects some answers. But the police tase him and shove him inside a van. Before she understands what’s happening, a mysterious man grabs her and says, “Run!” With her life now in danger, she’s told to spend the five thousand dollars her husband left on a place to hide.

As an oil tycoon tracks her every move, Anita fears her husband was murdered. When she receives a call from his phone number, an unfamiliar voice interrogates her about his activities. Confused by the man’s inquiries, and frustrated at not getting any clarity, she examines a cryptic email list her husband gave her, which includes an address in Rhode Island.

Anita takes the money and runs. With her life in danger, and a handful of murky clues, will she rescue her missing husband before a greedy magnate murders the planet, and kills them both?

The Shutdown List is a political thriller. If you devour fast-paced climate-crisis suspense novels, then you’ll love Sharon Duckett’s intriguing and relevant thrill-ride. Read The Shutdown List today and discover the choices Anita makes when pushed to her limits.

In a somewhat dystopian future, a DC couple grieving the tragic loss of their adult son heads to a protest of oil-favoring environmental laws downtown. Julian, a professor at Gettysburg College, is arrested and taken into custody. In the fracas, a mysterious man hands his wife, Anita, a one-time tech exec, a list of names to contact for help to find him, and urges her to disappear. One of the contacts leads her to a bed and breakfast in Newport, RI, operated by a secretly brilliant physicist with a revolutionary idea for clean energy. But soon the bad guys, set in motion by an evil oil tycoon, close in. They want to eliminate both the energy idea and anyone associated with it. Soon Anita contends with a violent, ruthless private investigator intent on making a name for himself in this frightening new world.

It's the kind of book that’ll make you clean your carbon footprint! Not only are the ideals for a carbon-free world there, but the actions to make it happen are also clearer than I’ve ever seen. For me, these are common-sense, but I was happy to hear the movement get some attention and description. Anita and Paul (the B&B owner / scientist), among others, share their vision in a very natural way, through dialogue and action. Sure, there’s an agenda here, and yeah, if you’re not a “green” person, you probably don’t bother with this. But if you have even a small interest in environmentalism, this is your book.

The action is swift and non-stop. There’s something happening on just about every page, nothing lost in inner monologue or thought. Mostly it’s told from Anita’s POV, although we often get a look inside the bad guy’s heads. That’s not as strong a narrative, as to me they seemed not so realistic. But I liked Anita: she makes for a good underdog protagonist.

The plot and storyline are interesting, not often bogged down in explanation, a pitfall into which other science or spy books often fall. It’s clean, easy to understand, and there aren’t any loose ends to tie. I enjoyed the chase to find Julian and the attempts to break him out. That said, I came across several moments I found hard to believe. The PI (Mike) struck me as amateurish, and some of Anita’s choices stretched the imagination a smidge. I liked the ending, but there were aspects that drew an incredulous grin. Perhaps it’s unfair, as I compare it to the seamless, polished, veteran styles of Le Carre, Forsyth, Follett, and Larsson (of the “Millennium” / Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series). But it has all the elements of a good thriller, and I ended with a REAL smile on my face, happy the story caught my interest for a few days.

The Shutdown List looks like Dukett’s first foray into this genre, and she gets points for an intense, intricate story, even with its minor flaws. It has all the edge-of-your seat action you want, while at the same time advocating for a cleaner, happier world. It makes for a great, quick, and fun beach read.

Loved this, pls see goodreads link for my review
I really appreciate the opportunity to read and review.

A climate activist disappears and his wife is warned to flee before the same thing happens to her. She has a list of contacts but isn't sure who she can trust. Will she find her husband and learn the truth about what he is involved in?

This book is well written and suspenseful. However, I could not engage with the main character, Anita, and so much of the early part of the books seemed so far-fetched to the point where my skepticism overrode my desire to find out what happened in the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Shutdown List
By Sharon Durkett

This book has everything from the seat of your pants thriller, action, and opens your eyes to Climate activism and the a lot of secrets. Anita Forester has only breadcrumbs to follow and cryptic clues left by her husband when he is arrested at a protest for climate change. She travel from Vermont, Canada, Switzerland and back to the US again trying to find her husband and the detention center he's in. There old lovers and secrets but this book will have you looking at what if....and the dedicated folks fighting for a better planet.


Thank you to Victory Editing Net Galley Co-op and the author for producing a very thought provoking book.