The novel, The Blacklister by Steven Piziks, is an addition to the series that has the same title. Based on the series, the novel follows Liz Keen and Reddington as the main characters. The relationship between the two is based on Reddington being a previous criminal with information about other criminals who he refers to as being on the blacklist. Working closely with Keen, Reddington helps to locate a criminal known as the body snatcher. As the story unfolds, the team finds out that the body snatcher is working for the beekeeper, Dr. Griffin. The case is very interesting as the details of the crimes begin to blend in with the background story of the show because it gives a lot of information about Reddington. Overall, the book was a good read as I enjoyed the way that the characters are shown and the different points of view.

One thing that I thought about when starting the novel was how the characters would be described in a way that someone who does not watch the show would be able to understand. I think that since it is based on a show there is an idea that only those who watch it would read the book. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the novel could stand alone as the author provided background information but did not spend too much time on it as this would bore those who know the show. For instance, the author briefly states that Keen had once been a fugitive and that Ressler had pursued her. This allowed for readers without prior knowledge of the show to understand the tensions between the two characters. It also allowed for a better understand of how the characters interact and why they are each so important to the overall plot. Of course, even though the characters are well developed for the most part there are a lot of questions left unanswered that would require watching the show to understand. I do not believe that this is any different than needing to watch an earlier season.

Another thing that I liked is the way that the author uses different points of view to allow the story to unfold. Keen is a profiler and it is really interesting the way that the author is able to bring the reader along through each step of her processes. She clearly analyzes every detail of a person and a situation which allows the reader to see the setting without using direct words. However, when the scene requires a different view, the author shifts to different narrators. By doing this, the reader is not limited to seeing things only through the analysis of Keen but also through a more direct experience. For instance, the reader can experience the hive through Mala’s perception and Reddington’s life of crime through his own. It is important to point out that the shifts in points of view sometimes made the book a bit confusing.

Overall, I enjoyed reading The Blacklist by Steven Piziks. The characters are well developed and the different points of view help to describe the setting and understand the plot line of the story. The book was easy to read and for the most part easy to follow the plot. The language used met the Moving back and forth between the characters and their points of view became a bit confusing at times and the novel would not have been as interesting without prior knowledge of the show. Yet, despite these minor issues, I would recommend the novel to both those who watch the show and those who have not.