The Never List

ESCAPE IS JUST THE BEGINNING... A shocking, edge-of-your seat thriller from a stunning new voice in crime fiction

Throat-clutching from the outset! The Never List stands as a sterling example of psychological thriller writing at its best. Cancel appointments and give up on sleep. It's that kind of book

Sent icicles down my spine. One of the scariest thrillers I've ever read. This should be on every mystery reader's must-read list

Instantly enthralling and relentlessly addictive, The Never List will have your eyes boggling and your jaw dangling from the very start - not least because of an absolutely genius humdinger of a twist... A thrilling, frightening, fast-paced and thought-provoking triumph of a debut. Turn off your phone and disable the doorbell, because you will not want to be disturbed

A read-in-one-go sort of book, and if you’re after a genuinely disturbing thriller to take on holiday this summer, it’ll be hard to beat

From the first page of The Never List you have to know how this terrifying book will possibly end...it’s impossible to put down. Even a casual glance will tell you this is no ordinary thriller: you will lose sleep over it. A book to devour in one sitting

A hauntingly gothic story of captivity, escape and revenge

The Never List got its sticky, sharp talons into me on the first paragraph and wouldn’t let go until I’d finished it in less than two days…a stylish and impressive debut thriller

A nonstop thriller with heart-wrenching twists

A book never to be missed.  Zan's razor-sharp debut combines the very best of page-turning suspense with classic head-game thrills and chills

Cleverly plotted and highly entertaining, The Never List is a haunting psychological thriller that begs to be read in one sitting. Be prepared

The Never List is a perfect entertainment. Thrilling, super smart, witty, and just about the most distracting thing in my recent life. I've stayed up past my bedtime, missed whole subway stops, left children at the playground. First readers will have to know what happens, and then they'll be awed by the flair with which Koethi Zan makes it happen. This novel deserves all the success it is sure to have

This fast-paced debut turns the traditional crime novel on its head

If             you like dark and disturbing thrillers, this stylish debut is for you... This will hook you in till the end but should come with a warning – it’s not for the faint-hearted

Full of heartbreaking twists and turns, you'll not be able to put it down

This dark twisting thriller is perfect for those looking to fill the void left by Gone Girl

The Never List is the best kind of entertainment, one that thrills while bringing new awareness of the world in which we live. I predict some earlier bedtimes for Koethi in the future as, no matter how good a lawyer she is, there seems to be a brighter future beckoning as a novelist and screenwriter

This is an astonishingly assured debut, and a thoroughly absorbing book which will keep you gripped to the very end. Set aside a whole block of time to read it, because you won’t want to put it down

Warning: don’t read this psychological thriller late at night

A thoughtful, profoundly unnerving psychological thriller

A huge page-turner. This is the perfect beach read, absolutely gripping and with a pacey storyline that’s guaranteed to see you racing to the final page within days

This is a rare thriller that manages to be thoughtful and frantically compelling

I found it hard to put down, with several ingenious twists

This is the perfect beach read, absolutely gripping and with a pacey storyline that’s guaranteed to see you racing to the final page within days

Absolutely loved The Never List. Absorbing, innovative and thought provoking. Great read too! Fantastic new voice in fiction

If you’re looking for an edge-of-your-seat thriller, then this one is sure to suit

Koethi Zan was born and raised in rural Alabama. She attended Yale Law School and currently lives in an old farmhouse in upstate New York. The Never List is her first novel.

‘As gripping as Gone Girl’ Elle 
 
NEVER GO OUT ALONE AFTER DARK 
 
For years, Sarah and Jennifer kept the Never List: a list of things to be avoided at all costs. 
 
NEVER GET IN THE CAR 
 
But one night, they broke their own rules – with horrifying consequences. 
 
NEVER TAKE RISKS 
 
Sarah has spent ten years trying to forget her terrifying ordeal. But it seems the killer has not forgotten her… 
 
NEVER TRUST ANYONE

the most terrifying thriller you’ll read this year

Her First Mistake

‘Absorbing, innovative and thought provoking. Great read too!'

‘Page-turning suspense with classic head-game thrills and chills’

'A stylish and impressive debut thriller’

‘If you like dark and disturbing thrillers, this stylish debut is for you’

‘A read-in-one-go sort of book, and if you’re after a genuinely disturbing thriller… it’ll be hard to beat’

Koethi Zan was born and raised in rural Alabama. She attended Yale Law School and currently lives in an old farmhouse in upstate New York. Her First Mistake is her first novel.

Two best friends. One fatal mistake. Can you ever escape the past? 
 
‘Page-turning suspense with classic head-game thrills and chills’, international bestselling author Lisa Gardner 
 
 Childhood friends, Sarah and Jennifer, have always been careful. 
 
 After Jennifer’s mother was killed in a car accident, the two young women grow up determined to protect themselves from trauma. Together, they draw up a list of actions to avoid in order to keep them out of danger: 
 
Never go out alone after dark. 
 
Never get in the car. 
 
Never take risks. 
 
Never trust anyone. 
 
 But one fateful night, Sarah and Jennifer make a mistake; after a party, they accept a cab ride home, with horrifying consequences. 
 
 Ten years on, Sarah is still struggling to resume her normal life but the scars remain. 
 
 Now Sarah must confront her demons to unravel a case even more terrifying than her own. 
 
 ‘Absorbing, innovative and thought provoking. Great read too!’ MARTINA COLE 
 
 'A stylish and impressive debut thriller’ S.J. BOLTON 
 
 ‘A read-in-one-go sort of book, and if you’re after a genuinely disturbing thriller… it’ll be hard to beat’ OBSERVER 
 
 **Her First Mistake was previously published as The Never List**

Koethi Zan

The gripping, heart-pounding psychological thriller

SHE'D DO ANYTHING FOR HER HUSBAND. 
 
Julie has the perfect life 
 
A kind boyfriend, loving parents and good grades. She has everything ahead of her. 
 
Cora’s life is a nightmare 
 
A psychopath for a husband, a violent father and a terrible secret. There’s no way out. 
 
But one night, their worlds collide 
 
Locked in an isolated house together, they must work out what has happened – and who they can trust to set them free. 
 
From the bestselling author of The Never List, this is a breath-taking new thriller about the wife of a kidnapper and her relationship with his last victim. 
 
Praise for Koethi Zan: 
 
'Psychological thriller writing at its best' Jeffery Deaver 
 
 'Should be on every mystery reader's must-read list' Tess Gerritsen

Koethi Zan

Books by Koethi Zan

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