It takes some talent to tell a story about medical research studies and the risks/impacts it has on the human body. Then amongst the medical jargon to throw in side stories of refugees, corporate crime, domestic violence, animal rights and being a vegan. To her credit, Susan Hurley has produced an enlightening insight into what can go wrong in the world of pharmaceutical and medical testing. Her characters are a mixture of the likeable, the gullible, the greedy, the egotistical and the evil. A well rounded collection of individuals who make the book and it's story very real.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher (Affirm Press) for granting me an ARC of this title, which is due to be published on 26 March 2019.
The plot unfolds from the perspectives of five individuals who are each closely connected with the untimely and tragic death of brilliant Vietnamese-Australian immunologist David (Dung) Tran. The nature of his death only becomes apparent by about the half-way point of the book, and is closely tied to his groundbreaking research into a "SuperMAB". (By way of explanation, MAB is the acronym for monoclonal antibody, an extraordinary class of pharmaceutical which are able to specifically target antigens and stimulate immune responses at a molecular level in some autoimmune or inflammatory dieases and certain types of cancers).
While the author was very effective in presenting the quite complex science in a format that was accessible to a non-scientist reader like myself, my feeling is that #EightLives would be most appreciated by readers who have a general interest in medical science and a basic understanding of how the human immune system works. Personally, I found the scientific and medical information contained deftly within the plot absolutely fascinating.
The plot revolves around the often fraught intersection between scientific research for the benefit of mankind and the "big pharma" interests who seek to commercialise these discoveries. The rigorous ethical context within which animal and human trials take place can become clouded by issues of budget, marketing and reputation.
Another major plotline explores David (Dung)'s experience as one of a wave of "boat people" refugees who arrived in Australia in the aftermath of the Vietnam war. As an extraordinarily bright high-school student, he is drawn into the world of Melbourne's private school elite, where opportunity beckons, but he remains to a large extent socially excluded. He maintains an uneasy relationship between his dual identities, adulation as the high flying David and obligation as the frequently absent son and brother Dung (pronounced "Yoong"). While the future looks bright, his past in Vietnam and Hong Kong are somewhat clouded.
I found the structure of the book, whereby elements of the story are gradually revealed from the quite disparate perspectives of the five narrators, was successful in maintaining suspense while also building empathy for the challenges each face in their own lives and in navigating the relationship they have to David and his research. Some of these voices are necessarily more sympathetic than others, and perhaps that's where the reader brings their own background, experience and prejudices to the table.
Overall, I found this a thought-provoking and stimulating read, and would recommend it thoroughly to those readers who enjoy a complex personal drama and like to pick up a little new techical understanding along the way. #NetGalley #EightLives

Eight Lives by Susan Hurley is a medical mystery loosely based on a tragic real life story. It tells the story of former refugee David Tran, who develops a highly sophisticated treatment for a multitude of immune system disorders. Set to make him and his investors very wealthy, all seems golden for this golden boy, so what on earth made him decide to carry out the first trial on himself? When it ends in tragedy, his family, friends, colleagues and girlfriend are left to try to work out what happened and why, and as each of their perspectives give us more of the full story we learn that there may be a lot more to his death than suspected.
While the story has a tragic real life basis I could not fail to be impressed by the amount of research into the field of immunology and monoclonal antibodies , and the process involved in getting a new drug through trials and into use, that the author has done. I work in the pharmaceutical field, and take a similar type drug for an autoimmune disorder, and I could not fault the science described in the book. I also thought that it was really well explained in a way that most people would find easy to understand, which is important as it is essential to the story.
The use of multiple perspectives was really well handled, each character was written with a distinctive voice or style that made them stand apart from the others, a very important skill when so many voices are telling parts of the same story. The use of these narrators to gradually unveil the full story worked very well, Also the characters displayed a range of morality , and the differing degrees of their relationship to David gave us a great overall perspective . It's always fun to know more that the narrator, and since each of these voices know almost nothing of the other aspects of the story they speculate along with the reader.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Eight Lives by Susan Hurley was an interesting read. The story was good but there was so much medical jargon that I found myself getting a bit bored. I get that it is a medical book but some of it was just a bit over the top. There was also so many characters to try to keep track of that at times it hard to keep up. Overall I enjoyed this book but it is one that I loved. In saying that I did red it quickly.

It tells the story of David Tran, a former refugee who is now the golden boy of Australian medicine. He has invented a wonder drug that is going to change the world. But as the first trial on humans is set to start David dies under mysterious circumstances. Suddenly everybody in his life - family, friends and colleagues are all under scrutiny and they all have a motive. Was David really as wonderful and he was made out to be? And who wanted him dead.

Thanks to Affirm Press and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

A thriller set in the fascinating, high-stakes world of immunotherapy drug research sounds like winner but "Eight Lives" is more a multi-character drama and it suffers from a busy plot that is modulated confusingly. Don't get me wrong, there is much to like here, and if the topic zings for you, as it did for me, this debut novel is an engaging read. The milieu of pharma drug testing is interesting and the background of immigration offers an interesting twist. The basic plotline - a refugee surgeon who invents a new wonder drug dies a baffling death that ignites a quest for the truth - is sound but Hurley tells the tale through five interlocking characters, with such copious ongoing explanation, that the exoskeleton of the plot blurs, as does tension. The convolutions at the end would serve a better book well. Flawed but a topical diversion.

Eight Lives by Susan Hurley is the based on a true story of a drug trial gone bad.

David Tran is the centre character. He is the “Golden Boy” who developed a miracle drug that can cure many incurable diseases. But when something goes wrong and David dies. Many blame themselves for his death.

This tale is told through five different characters. I found them all very relate able and likeable. They each give us their side of the story of what could have happened to David.

I enjoyed reading this book very much. I loved how even the hardest concepts in Immunology was explained so well that even a simple person like me who has never worked or studied medicine could understand.

Thanks to Netgalley and Publishers Affirm Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Wow, what a book! Clever yet immensely accessible, written in a fresh voice (or is it voices?) of very diverse characters - no matter whose head you're in, you like that character, even if it's only for the duration of their narrative. A psychological thriller, a why-dunnit, call it what you will, but be sure to read it. Un.Put.Down.Able.

I'm sorry to report that I could not finish this book. I read 25% of it and was....well..bored, sorry to say. There were so many POV's that I found the shifts between them jolting where they should be smooth and seamless. I couldn't care about any of the characters, not even the Golden Boy doctor who came across as some sort of medical god.

The premise was intriguing - a dodgy medical trial and a dead doctor prodigy - and if you like medical thrillers I would suggest giving it a go. But I felt smothered by the medical and legal particulars - and I am no dummy! - but they were delivered in a dry, matter-of-fact kind of way.

Maybe it improves further along. It certainly has positive reviews, but unfortunately for me there was no connection.

Copy received from Affirm Press via Netgalley for an honest review

Eight Lives is an intriguing story, based on a true story.

At first the medical jargon (there is a bit of it, but not unexpected with the author's background) can feel a bit overwhelming, however we are given plenty of explanation so it should not be a barrier for readers.

We are told the story through many sets of eyes, however they all have distinct voices, so whilst it could be easy to get lost in them all, this reader didn't.

when the "golden boy" of Australian medical research dies, it sets the wheels in motion and will have the reader wondering if these drug trials are worth it in the end?

Some of the descriptions can get a bit icky, so it may not be for every one to read.

i did find the first half and all the set up did drag a bit, however once that was out of the way the story took off and it was one heck of a ride, that would not always take us where we thought it would.

This story is a bit confronting, however I could not put it down once it got going.

This is a little bit different than the books I normally read, so I wasn't sure if it would capture me. While the first half moved a little slowly, the contents were so necessary in order to truly set up the second half of the book. I felt like the author did a great job of outlining and educating the reader on the necessary terminology, and the development on how each character related to the story was well done. By the time I got to the second half of the book, I had no idea how it was going to end. I was hanging on to every word until the end. I would definitely recommend this read to others.

David Tran, a Vietnamese refugee who grew up in Australia to become a doctor is the "Golden Boy" of Biomedical Research. He's developed a powerful immunotherapy, a super drug that shows a lot of promise and could be used to treat a number of diseases including cancer. He's completed all the laboratory work and the pre-clinical testing in rats to show that it works and now he's on the verge of starting a phase one clinical trial, which will test the safety of the drug in eight healthy people. If successful the drug will go on to clinical trials to treat a range of diseases and make a lot of people very rich. But something goes badly wrong and David dies.

Told from the viewpoint of David's friends, relatives and business associates this is a multifaceted mystery. Each of the narrators sheds a different light on the tragedy and their role in it. Not many of the characters are very likeable and don't have David's best interests at heart but that just adds to layers of the story. The novel is well written and the medical basis of the drug well explained in simple terms. The underlying motive for David's death is revealed at the end and may be confronting for some readers. I very much enjoyed this debut medical mystery from Susan Hurley and hope she goes on to write further novels of this type.

This read has quite a bit of medical jargon in it due to the author’s experience in medical research. Fortunately most of it includes explanations as part of the dialogue and should not be a hindrance to non medic readers. All the characters are in the first person giving accounts of their relationships with Dr Tran and their involvement with the events that unfolded. The story is comprehensive and it is a good read, although it seemed a little bit like a powerpoint presentation. All the characters are colourful and diverse. The ending is disturbing and could have been edited out. It would have left Mai’s and Dr Tran’s illness diagnosed but not resolved. The author’s role is not necessarily to conclude all elements and in this instance most readers would accept the obvious ending.
I love the cultural mix of this read and the Australian vernacular which may have some international readers startled. The description “Fairweather Friends” a terminology used a lot in the past but doesn't seem to be in much use today, however it does ideally describe some acquaintances.
Dung/ Dr Tran/Davey is thought of amongst his colleagues as a Wonder Boy, a medical research doctor/professor, a Vietnamese refugee who in his early life in Australia has been lucky to attract a rich Australian benefactor, Sally Southcott who takes him under her wing. Son Miles Southcott is not particularly impressed at first with his mother's “cause”, however with young Davey’s reserved personality and high intelligence it's not long before Miles accepts his new bro. After his failed tennis pro endeavours Miles completes his own medical training and becomes an Admitting Officer at the hospital. He appears to be a bit of a flake throughout the story until the end when he does change for the better.
Rosa Giannini has returned to live in the isolated community over 100kms from Melbourne with Aunt Frankie and Uncle Pep after a relationship breakup and from where she commutes each day to the laboratory, she is a budding scientist looking to be accepted as a PhD entrant but after an unfortunate incident with one of her experiments she is tossed out. Dr Tran throws her a lifeline by involving her in his new wonder drug. This new drug Eight shows all the signs of being a huge success, however as with all things of this nature large monetary investment is needed. Charlie Cunningham, provides the investment through his father's wealth. However Charlie is an all round failure, typical offspring of rich parents. To cover his losses from a previous bad investment he manipulates the financial structure of his involvement with the Eight drug. In the meantime Rosa undertakes secret investigations into Eight, disclosing her concerns to Dr Tran. To add to the mix a standover man from Mai’s (Davey's ma?) past is causing trouble for her and her daughter, Natalie. Davey, Dr Tran has always taken care of Mai and Natalie. Mai’s and Davey’s escape from Vietnam reveals a time of extreme hardship with sad and terrible experiences. Combined with the manipulative financial changes, Rosa's concerns and family secrets revealed Dr Davey Tran makes a life threatening decision.

‘Golden Boy, that’s what we called him.’

As a child, Dung (David) Tran was a refugee from Vietnam. He and his mother were among those who undertook the perilous trip to Australia by boat. As an adult, Dr David Tran has become known as the Golden Boy of Australian medical research. He’s invented a drug which could transform immunology. But, just after eight volunteers have been recruited for the first human trial of the drug, David dies in very unusual circumstances.

What has happened, and why?

The story is told to us by five of David’s family, friends and business associates. Each of them must carry some responsibility for his death but finding out how (and why) takes a reader on a complicated journey. And you’ll need to pay attention because there are more than a few twists in this tale. This is not a book for the squeamish: details of some of the procedures involved in drug trials are upsetting. It’s the kind of reading that may have you questioning whether the costs involved in developing and trialling drugs justify the benefits.

The origin of this novel was in a real drug trial that ended in tragedy. This may have been Ms Hurley’s starting point, but there are several other issues covered in the novel. It took me a while to get into the novel (reading multiple perspectives often slows me down) but once I had the voices straight, I found it very hard to put the novel down.

And the mystery of David’s death? You’ll need to read to the very end to find that out.
I enjoyed this novel, although I found some aspects quite confronting.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Affirm Press for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Thank you to Affirm Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

With this book, Susan Hurley gives us an inside look into the shady world of pharmaceutical research and big pharma, the competion to succeed in academia, and the interaction between people from very different social strata. The story is told by different narrators, who each have their very unique POV, some likeable and some not very likeable at all - but all in their own way fascinating, as they look at events past and recount what they see as their part in the tragedy that ensues when a "golden boy" in the medical research world ends up testing his own product on himself. Or at least that's what we are meant to believe...

I loved this book, even as it provoked me to think about some very uncomfortable ethical issues. The author did a fantastic job of developing the characters, and letting their very diverse stories drive the narrative. The only criticism I might have is that the build-up in the first half to the "awful event" was a bit much, as each narrator referenced it from their own POV.

Susan Hurley’s debut novel is a medical thriller of sorts. Eight Lives is loosley based on the true story about a drug trial in the UK that went horribly wrong. Hurley transfers this story to Australia and turns it into a more of a whydunnit, as multiple narrators reflect and contradict each other in an attempt to understand what has happened. Along the way Hurley explores the intersection between drug research and big business and the dangers inherent in this relationship.
Dung Pham, known now as David Tran, had a harrowing story as a Vietnamese refugee. With support of an Australian family (and who’s son he supported through school) he became a highly successful doctor and researcher. When the book opens, in 2006, David is spruiking a new wonder drug that he has discovered and not long after this he is dead. Plenty of people, whether they know him as David, or Dung, or Davey or even Golden Boy have a theory as to why. David’s story is then told by a number of narrators – his old best friend, his step sister, his girlfriend, his lab assistant and a “fixer” who works for his wealthy business partner.
Hurley has an interesting story but through the narrative technique she has chosen constantly falls into the trap of telling not showing. The first third of the book consists of the five narrators introducing themselves and explaining their connection to David, often with a portentous, unexplained comment about somehow being responsible for his death. As a result, tt takes a while for the plot to come into focus. What starts as the story of a terrible accident spins out in multiple directions including David’s past and the circumstances in which as a child he and his mother fled from Vietnam. Even when the plot picks up a little and it becomes clearer that this is also a mystery story, the action constantly pauses for characters to tell irrelevant stories about themselves, or to give alternate versions of the same event.
Narrative issues aside, this is a really interesting story dealing with serious and very real issues. Hurley looks at how drugs get to human trial, the type of people who “volunteer” for these trials and the very real risks that they face. She examines the very dangerous interface between business investment and the pursuit of science, particularly research of so called “wonder drugs” and the mechanisms that kick in when something goes wrong. And as an eye-opening expose of the experimental drug industry it is worth sending time with.

Pretty amazing, although as a biotech grad living in Melbourne this might just have been written for me (and maybe only me)!

The first half is ridiculously slow. We hear the back story of who all the characters are and their connection with a dead Vietnamese doctor and a drug trial

Then whoosh it takes off running and we have a Big Little Lies (In Biotech) novel. A Case of Need, a medical thriller, a "but what really happened" point of view mystery.
Delicious.

I didn't see how the end could wrap up, it reminded me of One of Us Is Lying (In a Laboratory) when it takes a swift left turn from where you think it's heading

Miles is that guy you can't stand in real life but I found myself in his corner for this one. Rosa was the most relatable but sometimes an insufferable stereotype
The novel made me nostalgic for 2006 and the biotech boom. Good times.

I thought the story sounded totally intriguing. A brilliant scientist is killed after he has just signed a deal to distribute a drug which will be a massive advance in medical treatments for millions.

We hear the story of this brilliant medical researcher Dung Pham through the eyes of five different characters. At first I was really caught up in the story. The refugee boy who was rescued with his mother after surviving awful circumstances. His almost adoption into a rich Australian family so that he had the best educational opportunities, it was all fascinating. And then it wasn't. I got lost in the number of characters, I found far too many of them unlikeable and I kept putting this book off to read other things.

This one wasn't for me sadly.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

This was a mind-blowing read. It's rare enough to find a novel set in my hometown, with familiar locations and references to real events, but to have one with such a compelling story as well? Fantastic!
This was a gripping read, a real page turner to keep you wondering and an immensely satisfying end. The characters were well written and familiar, the pacing excellent and the science approachable for the layperson. (I even read the authors notes, which I never do, to find out more about the real case that inspired the novel.) Highly recommended!

Review posted to Goodreads and Instagram

I struggled with the narrative structure. The 8 perspectives, presented as they were, fragmented my understanding and appreciation rather than what the author was intending it to do. The narrative was well written. The characters well drawn and engaging. The story-line relevant and interesting. However, a narrative structure that will appeal to many did not ‘jell’ with me and battled increasing frustration.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review..

This was a difficult book to initially get into. It is told from the perspective of many characters which was very confusing at first, it wasn’t easy to get someone clear in your mind. However once I did get to know them I began to understand and enjoy the story. While all the characters were certainly not likeable, they enriched the narrative and were able to show the many sides to the central story of medical research and the pitfalls and politics involved.

Certainly worth reading as it this a world we rarely think about but which really affects us all.