‘SC Cunningham has done it again! What a fantastic writer. This second book in the series is just as brilliant as the first and has you gripped from the very first page. Tara has been through hell, and just when she thinks things are going back to 'normal' things start to happen and its 'here we go again!'.
I don’t like to say too much about the story as it spoils it for other readers; all I will say is pick it up when you have plenty of time because you won't want to put it down. It’s very erotic, brutal and well and truly graphic. I said in my last review of the first book it was 50 shades crossed with Martina Cole, I still stand by that! Well done Siobhan! Can't wait for the film to be released and book 3!’
AMAZON REVIEW, 5 Stars, Cliffy, UK.

‘I read a lot of books and this book moves up to one of my top 5 reads. It is very erotic and intense at the same time. I like the way it goes into the past then back to the present. It keeps you on edge not knowing what is going to happen next. I read this book in 3 days because it is one of those books where you just don't want to stop reading it. Thumbs up to the author. Very well done.’
AMAZON REVIEW, 5 Stars, Steven Raffensburger, USA

'Couldn't put it down, totally reeled me in, had me reading & reading to the small hours. Gripping! Can't wait for the third in the series.'
AMAZON REVIEW 5 Stars, Stuart, UK

'OMG!! Finished ‘Unfinished business’! You certainly know how to have an ending AGAIN. Thought 1st one was good but this 1 fab. '' ( )

READER REVIEWS

The Penance List (Paperback) 5 out of 5 stars.
Great novel about sex. Dynamic Characters. Cunningham has crafted an epic in proportion novel here. Her characters are sultry and as real as they can get. I recommend this book very highly.
Glen Cantrell, Amazon Review, California USA

'The Penance List is a compelling novel. Even though the read is 470 pages, I found myself snatching it up every chance I could, wanting to see what David would do next. The book is dark, naughty...sometimes downright nasty. Cunningham's first novel will hold your attention to the very end'.
Susan Whitfield, Author, Amazon Review, USA.

‘I bought this book yesterday and have just finished it this morning. I could not put it down and have been the most anti-social person since picking it up. Siobhan, if you carry on writing books like this I will not have any friends left!!!!! It was BRILLIANT, fantastic stuff and can't wait for book two to see what Helen and David get up to, poor Tara!!!!! Well done’
Samantha Anderson, Facebook Review, London, UK.

'A really good read preferably in daylight! One minute horrified the next laughing out loud, I finished the book covered in goose bumps'.
Amazon review.

'Have to say the book is fabulous ... I'm pretending it's not my cup of tea as supposedly a girlie read but genuinely brilliant!'
Richard, Monaco

'My God you shocked my shoes off. Excellent work! '
Authonomy Author, Harper Collins.

''Couldn't put it down - a real page turner. Nicely crafted and highly unusual format with all the threads coming together right at the end. It's in a category all of its own and would make a great film. I look forward to the sequels. Well done'.
AMAZON BOOKS review

"Boy, if anyone can write about sex this lady can! It's a complete turn on from start to finish - I'm ashamed to say even the sadistic bits have erotic appeal - and no writer's ever done that for me before!! I love the characters - they involve you straight away and the plot keeps you hooked right to the end.... what end? I'm going to read the next two parts of the trilogy as soon as I can get hold of them. You're a very brave lady Ms Cunningham, and I love what you've done: you've somehow given us all the things we want to read about in one. It makes you shiver, it makes you laugh out loud, it intrigues you, it arouses you... you don't feel guilty lapping up the horror because the characters in one way or another seem to deserve it (or get their revenge for it).
AMAZON BOOKS 5.0 out of 5 stars Giving sex a bad name by Jeni Ivatts

''Bravo! Cunningham artfully weaves a compelling tapestry of murder, mayhem, and Martinis in her latest work, ''The Penance List." Delicious and salacious, this novel offers a new twist on the modern romance and the classic psychological thriller. It is a riveting tale filled with colorful characters, suspenseful sequences, and titillating twists. A fabulous read for those who dare!''
Sharon Gutierrez Grgich.LA.

'This reminds me a little of American Psycho only so very much better! You are a talented writer and I WANT MORE!'

'Just to let you know that I have received your book yesterday and I just love it, can't put it down. I really like the way you write (and it's sooo interesting — well anything about sex normally is). I have let everybody know about it so they will buy it too!!'
Marie Ange, France.

'A thrilling dark mystery with twists and turns galore, you will be on the edge of your seat, or with all of the lights on in your house when immersed in this novel. I'm a grandmother, so some of the subjects were a bit intense, but the well written story really held my interest. I can hardly wait for the following two books'.
Pat, Amazon Review, Dallas Tx, USA.

'Thanks for the warning, what an explosive and visceral start. You have created a very compelling scene which should draw us more deeply into the book and quickly. Not sure about the tag Chick Lit or Erotica, this seems like a psychological thriller at the moment. I like the title, very interesting, creates a number of questions from the off. Your writing is bold and delivers the narrative quickly and simply, a compelling read, well-constructed, if a bit graphic for my personal tastes, best of luck with it'
Authonomy author review, Harper Collins.

'I wholeheartedly back this. You know how to elicit exactly the reaction you want readers to feel. That's an awesome gift'
Authonomy Harper Collins.

'Hello SC, I must applaud you for the wonderful descriptions. Very vivid.You also did a great job bring your characters to life in this story, a testament to the fact that your characterization is perfect. Very intuitively observed. You came up with an amazing setting and an intriguing plot to go with it. By the smooth flow of your writing, wittiness, effective dialogue, and descriptions, you did an excellent job taking me along the ride in what proved to be a compelling read'
Janvier, Authonomy author, Harper Collins.

'Unfinished Business is every bit as good as The Penance List. You did not disappoint. Well done. Cheers'
Andrew B, Author, Harper Collins.

'My God! Good for you! You are one gutsy broad!!!! Think about selling this one to Hollywood!'
Authonomy Author review, Harper Collins.

'Wow! What an exciting author SC Cunningham is. I understand this is book one of a trilogy. Bring on book two and three. This sex fuelled thriller is not one to be read by your parents...but it is a great read and I'd highly recommend it. Murders, sex, London girls, a beautiful psychopath called David and a hot blooded Italian footballer, this book has it all'.
Lucy, Amazon Review, Monaco.

''Hi Siobhan, I love the idea for this book, a list of people being crossed off. Some powerful and emotional writing with bags of tension. A classic psychological thriller. Loved it.''
Author, DPW.

'I raise a glass, I'd love to meet anyone who writes like this. Blown away to the point of speechless. Shocking, vivid and bloody well written!! '
Authonomy review, Harper Collins.

'The Penance List. I'm loving it! I would just say how good it is :) Best of luck to you !'
Fran, London.

'God I loved your book! It was intense, great narration, and wonderful dialogue'.
Authonomy author review, Harper Collins.

'This reminds me a little of American Psycho only so very much better! You are a talented writer and I was compelled to keep reading and now I'm frustrated because I WANT MORE! I'd not only buy this but I'd buy it for friends!! BACKED 100%'.
Liz, Authonomy Harper Collins.

'It's probably because of the graphic detail of David's treatment of the girl that I quickly grew to loathe him and yet in that loathing is the fascination; partly because I wonder what he might do next and partly because I wonder whether there is any way I can conceive of him as being redeemable. It's very clear that you put your craft at the service of creating emotional tension; anger, fear, even the poignancy of destroying that which could have flourished between a man and a woman. You quickly grab the reader and I have to confess, I became a part-time voyeur for the duration of your first chapter'.
Ray, Authonomy Harper Collins

'Your prologue grabs the reader and doesn't give us a chance to catch our breath. Right of the bat with naked bodies - ready to be cut - drugs - we know something very strange is happening here. We are left wondering - how does she know this guy and what he's done? By leaving her name out, we are left wondering in chapter two who the victim is. The conversations - on sex - will keep anyone's attention as we gladly listen as a fly on the wall. Your narrator is top rate. You've managed to do what I've seen very few people do - give your narrator a personality. That gives this a tone / mood - sometimes tense and scary and sometimes light. How could one not be drawn into their conversation with the creepy "clicks" going on in the background. In chapter three, you've given us a reason for David's behaviour. Not an excuse - he's a scary, sick, bastard - a very scary character. But giving us his background provides some clues to why he's so sick. Abuse, Catholics, etc. All of this draws us in. You've written a very engaging book. It's hard to stop reading it - I'm backing this one without a doubt. '
Authonomy Harper Collins.

'Another referral, I'm pleased to say that I didn't back you out of kinship, you're a seriously good writer. Twisted, dark, nasty, but excellently written, the characterisation and dialogue (internal and external) reads like a dream.'
Authonomy Harper Collins.

'I hadn't seen this book before today. Where have I been? OMG, that is a vile prologue - horrible, graphically real. Am I put off by it? Not at all. This stuff happens, and it happens every day in towns and cities throughout the world. Why would it be taboo - murder isn't taboo. This is a glimpse into a human being ruined. We hate him, hate what he's doing to the girl, but then we learn what had been done to him as a kid. Something snapped. His anger was palpable - uncontrollable, and he went through the motions as those he was destined to them. And maybe he was. Maybe that's the whole point. I think perhaps readers misunderstood when they see the tag erotica - thinking that this is about kinky sex. But it's not. This kind of rage is never about sex, right? It's about pain and rage. You have taken a bold move to write this from his POV, but that's what will awaken readers to the heart of the story.'
Authonomy Harper Collins.

'My goodness you pull no punches, do you. It's a little too frank for my taste, but I can still appreciate good writing when I read it. The prologue is amazingly vivid. Chapter 1 is an excellent counter weight with the ladies. Nice touch with the "click, clicks".
Authonomy Harper Collins.

'Wow this is powerful and vivid. It is nice to see someone writing in the thriller/romance genre as I do and your contrast between the horror and the chick lit is fabulous. Several interwoven stories and delving into the past make this an interesting read'.
Authonomy review, Harper Collins

'A hard-hitting, forceful narrative that is about as powerful as anything I've seen. This won't be everyone's cup of tea, but writing doesn't get much better than this. This book is hard to ignore and damn near impossible to stop reading. Easily backed.'
Authonomy author, Harper Collins.

'Your opening paragraph starts out erotic and becomes disturbing, quite an achievement in three sentences. Chapter two, starts with David's back-story. We already know how the headmaster treated him, so the summons, early in the chapter is ominous. This whole passage was compelling. It shows the genesis of the devil we saw in the prologue, and yet he is sympathetic. I read the whole chapter without taking a single note, which is most unusual for me. This is an incredibly powerful piece of writing. Few could make a man they'd already shown as a monster into an object of pity. This is masterful, dark and suspenseful writing, with you expertly exploit tensions between the erotic and the macabre, and your characterisation of David is phenomenal.'
Authonomy author, Harper Collins.

Though they may have the best of intentions for their lives, best friends Helen, Tara, and Josie pursue the realization of their full potential in the worst ways: Helen’s wanderlust - emphasis on “lust” - often leads her astray...Tara’s tough corporate façade can’t hide her fragile vulnerability...and Josie’s salacious double life threatens to catch up to her before long. Ensnared by their many faults and foibles, the girls wend their way through their various scandalous affairs - but nothing can prepare them for the fallout that awaits them when a sadistic stalker tracking their every move finally decides to strike...
Definitely not for the faint of heart, David: The Penance List is quite the engrossing read. In her twisted psychological thriller, author S.C. Cunningham takes the reader deep into the demented mind-set of David, a psychopathic killer determined to exorcise the dark demons from his tortuous past - and the unwitting victims he chooses to serve as his means to an end. Though they are far from innocent, Helen, Tara, and Josie arguably don’t deserve David’s special brand of derangement - but, if nothing else, The Penance List serves as a cautionary tale of the dangers that often await us when we flirt with the dark side of life...in other words: if you make it a regular habit to taunt the devil, don’t be surprised when he finally comes knocking at your door...
A thoroughly entertaining debut, David: The Penance List is a mind-bending instant classic. Be on the lookout for more from this immensely talented rising literary star.
Apex Reviews, Josee Morgan ( )