‘The List’: A Ledger of Evil

Steve Berry’s new standalone novel attempts an unconventional take on the standard thriller playbook.

"The List" by Steve Berry gives a tense, unconventional thriller. Carey Sheffield/Grand Central Publishing

Some standard plot rules in the thriller genre are considered essential for the story to work. One of these is pretty straightforward: to have at least one good guy who’s up against a formidable bad guy (or guys). The bad guy has a secret plan that must be stopped. The good guy must figure out what the plan is and use that knowledge to foil the baddie in time to save the day.

So what happens when the rule is broken? Can a thriller work when this isn’t the game plan?