Member Reviews
I read the entire novel of The Ten Worst People in New York and it seemed that if focused on only three. And then you wonder ...the ten worst...according to whom. The answer isn't very satisfying. So I went from someone intrigued by the book to someone feeling deceived. I do want to concede that much of it is well-written and somewhat interesting, but why not be straight with your readers off the bat?
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.
The premise of this book hooked me, it's very Dexter-esque. I usually love multiple POVs but this book did seem to be a little cumbersome when keeping up with all the characters. The twists were great and definitely appreciated not knowing what was coming, and being totally blindsided by them. This book did fall a little flat throughout the bulk of the story. I found my mind wandering from time to time. Overall a decent book.
short for me.
I kept putting it down for other books and returning to it and it finally became like a homework assigned that I had to finish. It was very slow and there are many characters and plot points to keep track of where it lost its allure.
So in all it was just too much book for me to enjoy
I am thankful to have gotten an eARC for free from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley to enjoy which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.
My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.
⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again
This story, as the title suggests, is about 10 people who are the worst in New York for various reasons, the list was created by a night talk show (something like Jimmy Fallon I would guess) and not long after, one of the ten is killed. The FBI is tasked with investigating and soon another one on the list is killed and the pressure increases Special Agent Alex, she's leading the investigation, she comes up with some information that appears to be related to the crimes, but can't connect it. Jacob has traveled from Europe to visit his sister Elizabeth, who he is estranged from and has not spoken to for four years. Jacob tries to track her down and each time he does, she slips away, Jacob soon finds himself a suspect in the investigation of the 10 worst people and desperately trying to stay one step ahead of the police. The concept for this book was good, though the execution lacked a bit, there were so many people to keep track of and the middle portion really dragged, I finished it and I did enjoy it. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Crooked Lane Books for the ARC.
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The book is full of unexpected twists and filled with suspence as it blurs the line between justice and revenge. It sets in legendary. The backdrop was amazing, compelling flawed characters against rich atomospheric NYC. However the pacing was slow, and the book loses some of the intial compelling hook, and diminished the foundation of intrigue and suspense.
This is a story about ten people who have committed horrendous acts in one way or another and people are out to make them pay, but who are they? As the first few deaths come to the attention of FBI Special Agent Alex Bedford, he knows there is something terrible occurring and his department needs to act before more deaths happen.
Jacob Felle is a film director who has been estranged from his sister Elizabeth for the last four years and he is unsure why. Elizabeth had many anger issues from childhood but Jacob cares about her very much and tries to reconnect with her. Once he begins to try to track her down, he is faced with a situation much more complex than he previously thought. Soon Jacob finds himself embroiled as a suspect in these deaths and now he is out too clear not only his name, but Elizabeths.
I found this book to be very slow, there are numerous characters to keep track of which was mentally exhausting, and my original thought of such an interesting premise began to wane and I struggled to get through it. When I first saw the title, I thought this was going to be a very exciting read, but unfortunately, I found this was not to be.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.
I received a free copy on my ereader but was unable to fully dive in due to formatting and potential GSP issues.
The concept is super cool, cover is neat. I'll keep an eye out for this one once it is finalized and check it out.
Thank you for allowing me to sample this book early!
A late night TV show called The Ten Worst People in New York has made a splash, but when those ten people start to be systematically targeted and killed, the FBI must step in and solve these murders.
There are a lot of characters to keep track of and a lot going on, but this book is written in a way to keep you interested. Agent Alex Bedford is a very likable guy who must work quickly in order to stop this killing spree.
This is a great thriller with enough twists to keep you turning the pages. Thank you, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the eARC.
The Ten Worst People in New York has an intrguing plot that kept me turning the pages.
These ten people from the list are being systematically killed off one by one.
FBI Agent Alex Bedford is brought in to investigate these deaths and I quite liked him and hope to see him return at some point.
The author did a good job with twists and turns but I found my atteniont wandering in the middle but I did want to finish the book and I am certainly glad I did.
I found there were alot of characters to follow but that could have just been me on the day I was reading it.
I will certainly pick up the next book that Matt Plass writes and I look forward to seeing what he has in store for the reader next.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and review The Ten Worst People in New York.
This fast-paced novel hooks you from the start with its unique premise: the ten worst people in New York are being killed off one by one. The blend of a gripping murder mystery and deeply personal stories makes this book hard to put down.
FBI Agent Alex Bedford’s investigation into the suspicious deaths is as compelling as British filmmaker Jacob Felle’s journey to reconcile with his estranged sister. Their paths intertwine in surprising ways, creating a tense and unpredictable narrative. The author keeps you guessing about the motives behind the killings while delivering plenty of twists along the way.
With well-drawn characters and a plot that builds to an explosive climax, this book is perfect for fans of smart, character-driven thrillers.
This book is quite interesting. It took me awhile to figure out the connection between the list, the ex-cult, and the FBI agent, but in the end it all flowed together nicely. I really enjoyed the climbing aspect and learning something new.
This was my first book by this author. I enjoyed this. Didn’t see the twist coming but I enjoyed the characters and the plot.
I was really intrigued by the premise of this book—the concept was fresh, and the idea of a dark mystery centered around a 'worst people' list sounded like a thrilling ride. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t live up to the promise.
The plot twists were wild, and I appreciated the effort to keep the reader guessing. However, between those twists, the pacing dragged, and I often found myself losing interest. The main character, FBI Agent Alex Bedford, was likable and one of the better aspects of the story, but the sheer number of other characters—especially those from the List—became overwhelming and hard to keep track of.
Many of these characters seemed like they had potential but were left underdeveloped, making it difficult to connect with them or care about their fates. Add to this a dry writing style that lacked the emotional depth or tension to truly grip me, and the book became more of a chore than an enjoyable read.
While the premise and twists kept me from giving up entirely, I can't say really enjoyed it. It just didn’t click for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
When I saw this I had to have it, Thank you netgalley and to the publisher. I was captivated by the authors writing and the plot of the story. From the very beginning I was taken in. I found the pacing to be mid-level and it was perfect. I can’t wait to see what else the author writes.
The author’s ability to create an immersive atmosphere and introduce complex themes is commendable, and I found myself eager to turn the pages, anticipating what would come next.
However, as the narrative progressed, the story began to lose some of its initial momentum. While the beginning laid a strong foundation, the plot started to meander, and certain character arcs felt underdeveloped. I found myself longing for the intensity and engagement that characterized the early chapters. As the pacing slowed, some of the tension that had been so captivating dissipated, leaving me feeling somewhat detached from the characters and their journeys.
Man, this was hard to get through. Honestly, it was sluggish from start to finish for me with annoying characters and so many moments deserving of an eye roll. It was too far fetched for me to really get into, and I found my attention fading every page or so. Unfortunately, I won’t be reading again.
This is one of those books where the blurb is more exciting than the book. The plot is so dominated by lengthy dry conversations that it is difficult to feel any emotional connection to the characters. What could have been a thrilling read ended up being a slog to get through.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for the advanced reader copy.
The premise to this book--that a night time talk show host creates a crowdsourced list of the worst people in New York and those people start dying--was interesting and sounded like a good plot. Unfortunately, I couldn't hang with this book because the writing made it clear that the author isn't American, in ways that kept me from being able to sink into the story. In the chapters centered on the police detective, who is American, and is working in New York, there were too many British-centered words and phrases that made it feel unrealistic that the book was happening in New York. It might seem like a small thing but consistently seeing distances measured in kilometers and having lawyers referred to as councilmen, made it hard to just sit back and enjoy the story.
The Ten Worst People in New York by Matt Platt is a great full length debut novel. Nighttime television host Ricky Talon has a list of ten truly hideous individuals living in New York and one-by-one they keep ending up dead, but by different means. Told from multiple perspectives, from people on the list, to an FBI agent trying to solve the crimes, in addition to others seemingly unconnected to it all. Can they solve the mystery before another member of the list is murdered?
Also, a personal aside, as someone with living with chronic migraine, I appreciate the way the disease is unflinchingly portrayed. It is shown to be painful and unpredictable, which is completely true to life. As someone who has seen this disease brushed off as a small nuisance and just a tiny little inconvenience, I greatly appreciated the inclusion of such truthful commentary.
I really enjoyed this exciting, fast paced thriller. Told from multiple perspectives, it kept me guessing until the last chapter, throwing out multiple twist and plot along the way. I didn’t ever figure it all out which is my mark of a good thriller. Five stars, definite recommend.
I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.
This is such a cool concept, and I really liked the way it started. Unfortunately as the story went on it felt disjointed, like it skipped over a number of important facts - like, for example, the third death - and pieces seemed to be missing to the extent that the narrative felt full of holes. Add to that a rather dry writing style and characters that were introduced and seemed to have great potential to be interesting components of the story but whose personalities were never fleshed out in any way that allowed you to connect to them or understand why they were behaving as they were, and the result is a bit of a jumble... There is interesting stuff here, but you have to work pretty hard and accept a lot of things on faith to tie all the pieces together. This one was a bit of a miss for me...