There were a lot of characters that I didn't care about (or have time to get to know) and I just felt that "gripping suspense" element was missing. This was my first Peter Swanson book and I felt let-down.

The idea was a good one but I felt the execution was lacking - things seemed very rushed and I struggled to keep up with all the characters, as it wasn't just the nine on the list. Due to this, when there was a reveal, I wondered if I already knew that or should have noticed earlier? I did enjoy the "countdown" of the chapters though.

I found the lack of police investigation a bit baffling, plus the actions of one character in particular was very unrealistic. Also, without revealing spoilers, I struggled with the targets once I knew the reason - but I did like the reason.

Overall, it just lacked suspense and I couldn't fully immerse myself in the story. I have seen Peter Swanson fans saying it's not his best work, so maybe I'll give one of his other books a go.

*I received a complimentary copy of the e-book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

How would you react if you received a letter in the post with just a list of names including your own?

Told from multiple points of view, nine people receive a list of nine names with their names on the list. None of these people knows each other but there has to be a connection otherwise why would their names be on a list? As the days and weeks go by, each name on the list starts to drop off. They have all been marked for death and nobody knows why.

This is an interesting premise and I don’t know what I would do if I received a list like this one in the post. I hope I will never have to find out either! I did find all the names and the way it switched from person to person a bit confusing initially, however, once I wrote them all day it became easier to follow. My theories which I had pulled together by about halfway through did prove to be correct, but this did not detract from the story as there were lots of little details which I could not predict. I didn’t find this story to be spectacularly gripping but it was still enjoyable and my wanting to know the reason behind the list kept my attention.

For a quick easy read and interesting thriller mystery, or you’re in need of a palette cleanser, I recommend picking this one up!

A strange read, but a gripping one. Nine strangers receive a list in the post with their names on it – but while they of course recognise their own name, they don’t know the other eight. Surely it must be a joke, right? Many choose to ignore it, which is foolish because bad things begin to happen very quickly to the people on the list (much quicker than you’d expect). It’s clear the unlikely nonet have even a slither of connection but as the body count piles up – and deaths happen in a variety of ways – time is running out to discover who is behind the cruel killings… and their reasons why. Someone on the list – FBI agent Jessica Winslow – is super keen to find out what’s going on. Because she has no desire to keep looking over her shoulder, hoping she won’t be outwitted next. Peter’s books feel like extremely clever, puzzling reads and are hugely satisfying as the strands gradually unwind and the ending is revealed.

A great, twisted story full of twists and turns that keep you guessing for so much of it! Fantastically written.

An unusual thriller that kept mo on the edge till the end and made me root for some of the characters.
A list of possible murder victim that maybe or not have something in common. Wil they survive or will the killer succeed in achieving the goal ?
It'a gripping story, a page turner you cannot stop reading as you want to know what will be the next turn.
There're multiple POVs, one for any victim plus the detective. It's a great puzzle and a gripping read.
Loved every moment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Nine Lives by Pater Swanson
I have read a number of Peter Swanson’s crime novels and he there is always something a little bit different about each one. In this latest one nine people each receive an envelope enclosing a list one nine names including their own. None of them have any apparent link to the other names on the list and they are perplexed. They assume that it is not great importance until people whose name appears on the list begin to die.
One of the names on the list belongs to an FBI agent and she begins to investigate and the FBI pay visits to all of the people on the list. We follow each of the characters as they react in very different ways to the fact that their name is on this list. It is made clear that there are links between these names and the Agatha Christie novel which was retitled And Then There Were None.
Some of the characters do not have much to recommend them but the author is very adept at handling the many different points of view throughout the novel. Initially I was a little confused by the different characters but they become more fully defined as you read further and got to know them better.
I found myself reading the story very quickly to find out what happens to the characters but I did find that the motive for the perpetrator choosing this very complicated way to deal with these people was a little tenuous.
It is however a good read and fans of the author will not be disappointed. Many thanks to the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

Perfectly thrilling as usual.

I could not put this book down and finished in a day, and I am not a quick reader. It held my interest and was full of twists and turns.

A proper who-dun-it reminiscent of old police/crime dramas.

Highly recommended 5 stars from me.

Intricately plotted. Very unusual and elegant ways to murder somebody.
Retribution from years gone by but someone still seethes with the need for revenge.
An excellent read

I have read Peter swanson previously and have loved everyone I've read. This however wasn't one of my favourites.
I really liked the concept behind this one, but in practice it fell a little flat.
It is twisty and certainly kept me reading to the end. I wasn't wholly invested in it and wasn't on the edge of my seat. I think it was mild curiosity that kept me reading .
I had hoped for something more unfortunate.


I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

9 people receive a list in the mail. There is no postmark on the envelope and all that is inside is a list of 9 names. These 9 people don’t recognise any of the names on the list but when one dies closely followed by another, the police soon realise this is a death list.
FBI agent Jessica Winslow is on the list. At first she’s not concerned but when she realises it’s a death list, her and the other names are given police protection. Can that stop the killer. Can the FBI find a connection for these 9 random names and will they catch the killer in time?
I did enjoy this story but I felt it could have been more juicier. I also wasn’t overly enamoured with the killers’ back story and his motives. I wanted something with a bit more suspense. I just felt it was a bit slow.
That said I enjoyed the characters. At times it was hard to keep up with all of their stories but I found I was rooting for some to survive.

Nine strangers receive a list with their names on it. The list is on a single sheet of paper with no clues as to who has sent it and then one by one they begin to die.

I enjoyed the little views into each person’s life and trying to work out what linked them and why they had been chosen. The idea for the book is not a new one but I think it was well handled and kept me turning the pages. It’s a hard task not to make the reason behind the list a disappointment when all is revealed but in this case I thought it stood up well. An enjoyable thriller.

Nine Lives is the eighth novel by award-winning American author, Peter Swanson. Nine individuals of diverse background, race and social standing receive an envelope that contains only a list of nine names, including their own. Puzzlement is the general response; some show or mention the list to others; some dismiss it, set it aside, discard it; one uses it as inspiration for writing a song; another ignores the chill it gives her sixth sense; for some it later becomes the basis of a relationship.

With her list, Special Agent Jessica Winslow does what comes naturally to any FBI agent: she handles it carefully, treats it like evidence, an action that is vindicated when, the following day, she learns that someone on the list has been murdered. She immediately sets to work trying to find those on the list, with limited success. One name triggers a vague childhood recollection, and Jessica develops a theory that she shares with her supervisor. But two more murders in quick succession, by different means, see her going into hiding to avoid that fate.

The story has an intriguing premise that Swanson develops with skill and flair. There are several references made to Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” that offer a clue; there are red herrings and twists and surprises that keep the pages turning and the reader guessing. Even those astute readers who settle on a perpetrator early will be compelled to read on for the how and the why. Unputdownable crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Faber & Faber.

I have to admit, the blurb instantly caught my attention. Nine random people, all added to a kill list … seriously, what’s not to absolutely love about this? Unfortunately, the book itself didn’t entirely deliver for me.

The issue is the story’s told from the perspectives of the nine individuals. Which means, for a while at least, there’s a lot of jumping around. I have to admit, it’s not a situation where it’s difficult to keep people and their individual storylines straight, but it does make for a heck of a lot of waffle.

I think I was expecting a police procedural style novel (the topic lends itself to this, of course) so was pleasantly surprised by this slightly alternative take (I’m not necessarily a huge PP fan). However, I’m not sure it really worked, purely because there was so much ground to cover. As a result, none of the characters were fully defined. Even the ones that were slightly more interesting than others, didn’t have much detail, and it all fell a bit flat for me.

Ultimately, the reason for the list, and the killer’s plan is just … meh. It doesn’t really have any great power behind it and I found it a bit far-fetched. Perhaps told solely from the killer’s perspective might have given it a far more interesting twist.

A shame really, as I felt this had great promise. This is the first book for me from this author, and I’m reliably informed it’s not necessarily his best. So, I’ll definitely check out more of his earlier work and see if that has a bit more grit to it.

I have always found Peter Swanson books a bit hit or miss, but when I read the blurb for this one I thought it was an intriguing concept and I couldn't wait to read it.
However I never felt 100% drawn in to the story.
From the very start this is an easy read with short chapters, which I always like.
There are a wide range of characters, none which I disliked, but there was also none that stood out or I cared about.
This story was all about building to the ending in a very definite Agatha Christie homage, but I found the end to be dull and you could see what was coming a mile off.

Nine totally unconnected people receive a list of names. In each case, the only name they recognise is their own. That seems a bit strange but nothing to worry about. Until the people on the list begin to die.
This is Peter Swanson’s take on the famous Christie mystery ‘And then there were none’ and it works well. There was a very disparate cast of characters, some I really liked, one or two I really didn’t and the switching from one character to another kept things moving. If you know the plot of the original, then that means some of the plot twists might be a bit obvious but the author keeps it new enough to have kept me reading and wanting to know what was going to happen next.
The weakest point for me was the actual motive behind the killings as it didn’t really seem convincing. However, that didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying the book and not wanting to put it down until the final page.
Thank you to Net Galley and Faber and Faber for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I read this book in one day, it really had me gripped with its intriguing plot. Nine people get a list of names, including their own. Then they start being murdered…. As the story moves between characters we get to know more about them. But what is the link between them? I highly recommend this enjoyable book.

Nine Lives is an engrossing and entertaining read, successfully employing a multi-narrator format to tell a twisty and intriguing tale.

With references to classic crime fiction of the "golden age", principally Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (and its earlier iterations) and The A.B.C. Murders, sprinkled through the narrative, Peter Swanson utilises a well-known but always fascinating trope - that of the "murder list".

Nine apparently unconnected individuals across the USA receive a mysterious item in the post in mid-September - a relatively unremarkable envelope containing only a printed list of nine names, including their own. Their reactions range from dismissive to perturbed, but without having any links to each other, there's little they can do. Then one of their number is found dead, apparently forcibly drowned in a tidal pool on the Maine coast...

We follow the remaining characters from the list with a rising sense of inevitability as, one by one, they're murdered by an unseen assassin. Meanwhile, FBI Agent Jessica Winslow, whose name also appears on the list, tries desperately to find the link between those targeted, facing the realisation that the answer may lie in the distant past.

There are fleeting clues and red herrings sprinkled through the various narrative threads, but I didn't pick the twist until it was upon me, and while the book seemed to wrap up very quickly, it was a satisfying conclusion. The effective employment of ten separate but interlinked narrative threads, including Maine-based Detective Sam Hamilton, who investigates the first crime then works doggedly in the background to put the pieces together, is a challenging proposition. However, through the use of short, punchy chapters and well differentiated characters, I feel Peter Swanson has pulled it off admirably. Not all of the potential victims are particularly likeable, but they're well-developed and three-dimensional, even the few who are killed off quite early on.

I found Nine Lives a quick and entertaining read, and not overly dark in spite of the subject matter - it's a well-executed modern interpretation of the "golden age" style. I'd recommend it to any reader who enjoys twisty plot-driven mystery-thrillers.

My thanks to the author, Peter Swanson, publisher Faber and Faber Ltd. and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Thank You to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
Nine Lives follows the well-trodden path of individuals with no obvious connection being murdered. In this case, nine people receive a letter solely containing a list of names including theirs but they have no knowledge of the other people named.
As the story unfolds we are shown insights into the lives of each individual without being made privy to the connection between them until the very end.
Although I found this to be a very readable book it lacks that bit extra that would make it an exceptional example of its type.

A unique thriller for fans of Agatha christie but if you are an avid reader like me you may find it predictable or if you have read a certain book a copy cat although with some changes. I love the way you were meeting the MCs and i love that i was so invested that i could not care if i knew the twists because i wanted to know more

I have a dedicated review here on my channel: https://youtu.be/h3YS_DBsUKg

Thank you to Netgalley and Faber and Faber Ltd for the arc of Nine Lives by Peter Swanson.

5 STARS This is the twisty gripping thrilling story of nine total strangers whom ends up receiving a cryptic list in which had each of their names on it.. These nine people have never met each other or know of each other.. but for some reason their names are upon this list mailed to them.. They all decide to not think anything on it and discards it like it is a piece of junk mail.. until things start to strangely happen to the people upon this list A father was shot, an old man drowned.. There is even an FBI agent on this list and she is driven to find out more.. This was such a rollercoaster of a ride of thrills! He's done it yet again Peter Swanson at his best I have loved all of his previous book and i so love this one as well thank you for giving me a chance at an arc for a honest review and I highly recommend this book who likes Peter's books you wont be disappointed!