Nine seemingly unconnected people, all living completely different lives receive a letter with a New York postmark, containing a single sheet of paper. The only thing on this paper is a list of nine names including their own.

Convinced that this has been sent in error, most of them forget about the list and carry on as normal - that is, until one of the nine turns up dead in suspicious circumstances.

Can the police, or any of the remaining people on the list, work out who the killer is and what their motivation is for selecting this group of nine before another name is crossed off?

Peter Swanson writes crime fiction for crime fiction fans. His love for the genre is so obvious in his stories and Nine Lives is a stellar example of this. Perfect for fans of the classic Agatha Christie tropes, clever and twisty whodunnits and for anyone who loves to play detective.

I've read and enjoyed most of Peter Swanson's previous books so was really looking forward to reading Nine Lives. Loosely based on Agatha Christie's book And Then There Were None, nine seemingly unconnected people receive a list of names including their own. Soon it becomes clear that these people are being targeted and murdered one by one. I was rather disappointed with this book and didn't find it as compelling as the author's other books. Hopefully I will enjoy his next one more than this one.

3.5 stars
This is a good read that centres around nine people who each receive a note in the post with nine names on it (including their own).
There is a brief introduction to each character but it's unclear what the link is between them.
When people on the list start to die Detective Sam Hamilton tries to work out why this is happening.
The book mentions several Agatha Christie novels but especially focuses on And Then We Were None.
The narrative switches between each of the nine characters plus Detective Sam Hamilton who is desparate to solve the mystery of what links these people together.
A good read.
Thanks to Faber and Faber and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a good story and kept me interested. It was quite creepy a guy following young women all over town. Made me shiver. I read this quickly and enjoyed this one. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Nine Lives

9 names on a list. None of them know each other and they all live in different locations. But soon they will be united by a common bond. They’re all on the list typed onto a single, folded sheet of paper in an envelope which is mailed to each of them.
The book begins with a one line introduction to each of them to establish their disparate identities – they vary from an FBI Special Agent to a songwriter and an oncology nurse amongst others. They go about their daily, busy lives after momentarily wondering about the list of strangers names that they received in the mail but it makes no sense and so they soon forget.
Frank Hopkins, in his 70’s, is the first to die. He is the owner of the faded, down at heel, beachfront Windward Hotel. Someone holds his head down in a rock pool until he drowns and this murder is personal. Det Sam Hamilton, newly arrived in the area, finds a copy of the list of names clutched in Frank’s hand. What does it mean?
And so, the names on the list begin to be picked off one by one but these are more impersonal and professional. Is it revenge? Can Sam stop them? But the answer doesn’t lie in the victims but rather in those closest to them. The sins of the fathers as they say.
How many will die before Sam puts the pieces together and realises that the answer lies in the Windward’s faded glories and an innocent family holiday before the victims were even born?
This is the first Peter Swanson book that I’ve read and I could tell fairly early on that he was an Agatha Christie fan or, at the very least, inspired by her. One of her most famous books, ‘And then there were None’, is referenced in the book and I could see similarities in the plot.
However, I didn’t really believe in the characters as they seemed very 2 dimensional and their only function seemed to be to receive the letter and then be killed. The FBI agent, Jessica, attempts to give her nemesis the slip but to no avail and there is a red herring where the police contact the wrong person as he has the same name as one of the unfortunate people on the list. There is one big twist that I didn’t expect and a couple that I did. Also, the reference to skyping seemed ready old fashioned now in the days of Zoom and Teams.
I think that the main interest for me was the creative ways in which the victims were murdered and I won’t spoil it for readers by discussing them.
The book’s pace really zips along and that added to my lack of involvement with the characters as it didn’t have enough character development to make me care about them. I wasn’t convinced by the ending either as I felt that it would have better to end with the unmasking of the villain.
However, this was a quick read and would be a great book to take on holiday. I would certainly read more by the author.
My thanks to Faber and Netgalley for an ARC.

A great who dunnit , pull up your favourite chair and enjoy !

Nine random people have a list sent to them with their names on it. One by one they are murdered. What is the connection between them?
The writing makes it an easy read and an entertaining one at that, we learn more about each of the victims and their lives , and it keeps you guessing to what links all of them.

There is more than a nod to the Queen of Crime Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, but it adds to the story perfectly. It’s also mentioned throughout the story but doesn’t distract from the calibre of the story
An enjoyable enthralling read , highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and Faber and Faber .

Oh, my! Settle down with your drink of choice, it's going to be a long night!

I loved this riveting tale of a list of 9 people, no obvious link and no obvious reason to be received. But, 9 people do and then there is a murder.
It's so well written, it absolutely gripped me from the off and kept my interest throughout. The characters of each of the 9 (and a few others) are so well rounded that I couldn't put it down as I was intrigued to see what happened next.

It's got nods to the great Agatha Christie and it keeps you guessing right to the end.

A perfectly constructed thriller / whodunnit full 5 star read.

Congratulations to Peter Swanson and many thanks to NetGalley and Faber & Faber for the opportunity to preview.

Nine strangers, nine letters what is the link? A tale of twists and turns. Taking you in to each victim life as you try to figure what links the victims.
I really enjoyed the story and I am sure you will too.

An entertaining mystery, which played homage to Agatha Christie

This had a great premise! I hit the request button so hard as soon as I read the synopsis! Who wouldn't want to read about a group of strangers with nothing in common, apart from being on a death list?! 😂

Nine Lives was fast paced, with short chapters, which I liked. It was an easy read, which kept me guessing!

The characters were interesting, some more than others, I liked a few, hated reading one pov, but didn't really connect or overly care about any of them (except the detective, Sam).

I liked trying to figure out why these strangers were on this list, who would survive, and wanted to know who the killer was, it really puzzled me!

However..

There were too many references to And Then There Were None. I loved that book, and get it, the author's a fan, but I started to roll my eyes at how many times it was mentioned, plus spoilers for those who've not yet read that! This is the reason I haven't yet read Eight Perfect Murders, because I was warned that there are so many spoilers for other mysteries, if you're planning on reading them!

And *sighs* Both the reveal of the killer (just not enough clues) and the why were such an underwhelming let down! I didn't like the reasoning, the how, the why, the justification. Just urgh!

Although Peter Swanson has written a book which I mostly enjoyed, unfortunately the ending was an unsatisfying anticlimax for me.

This is a taut mystery. I Freudianly typed none lives instead of nine lives into the search bar, as this is the type of book it is. We are told there is a list and people begin to die. Will the killing continue? If so, why?

I liked the multiple POV, and the clues coming together.

The book is pretty bleak, however, and like Agatha Christie, relies on some peculiar psychology. The setting in Maine suited the premise and tone of the book.

It’s a clever addition to the genre.

Nine people are sent a list of names. They don't recognise anyone else on the and when one of the people on the list is murdered holding the list, the state police get involved. When another person on the list is killed the investigation is taken up by the FBI and they try to track down the other people on the list to give them protection. One of the people on the list is FBI Agent, Jessica. She thinks her Dad had a friend with the same surname as one of the people, but her Dad is suffering from dementia so she struggles to get answers.
As the book progresses, more people die and the FBI seems no further forward in discovering the who and the why.
To tell you anymore than this would be spoiling it!

We have a list of 9 people who are going to die. All happens quite soon and the police is really slow to understand whatvis going on.

For me it was a grepping book, nice to read. Make me turn pages and full of suspance. I was a little sad about the end. I suspected all the time the right person after the the first person was killed but I wanted to know why and that was a little crazy. Also the last turn was obvious for me but it did not bothered me that I knew.

There were some really nice moments of two people on the list that fall in love and they meet at the end. That was heartbreaking too. As the reason why the person decided to do all. I could not understand why at that moment was the right thing to do. It was really too late.

3.5⭐ Thank you to Netgalley and Faber and Faber Publishers for this Arc.

Nine Lives

Peter Swanson’s Nine Lives is a Christie-esque mystery that had me gripped throughout with great pace and perfect tension.

When nine seemingly unconnected people each receive a note in the post with nine names (including their own), most think its a bit odd but nothing more.

FBI Agent Jessica Winslow thinks so too, despite her name being one of the nine. However, when the named people start being murdered, it becomes a race to see if the killer can be unmasked before they all perish for reasons still unknown…

Harking back to the great detective novels of Agatah Christie, this novel was a pleasure to read. The book name drops several Christie novels but especially focuses on And Then We Were None, which may give fans of that title a clue as to what may be happening.

Despite there being many characters to keep track of, I found Nine Lives to be a very easy read. I loved the simplicity of the chapter titles counting down from nine. It subtly added to the tension.

The narrative switches between each of the nine characters plus Detective Sam Hamilton, an outlier whose name is not on the list trying to solve the mystery of what links these people together.

Swanson does a great job of characterisation as each of the nine are very different in temperament, personality and like-ability, which made the character-hopping chapters easy to navigate. In the case of one particular character I was half hoping they would die as they were so vile!

Each chapter was nailbiting as you never know if or when another of the nine may succumb to their fate. Exquisitely entertaining!

Nine Lives is out 3rd March. Thanks to Netgalley and Faber & Faber for the advanced approval.

Thanks to Netgalley and Faber and Faber Ltd for the advanced e book copy of Nine Lives. What a fun read- which is a strange thing to say about a crime thriller where nine people receive a list with their name on it and no idea what it means or why. References to Agatha Christie throughout add a sprinkle of traditional ‘who dunnit’ and the cross- country race to work out if these people are linked in some way makes it extra chilling.
Easy to read, few twists and turns and an explosive ending.

What an unique plot. I really enjoyed this book. The story is told from 9 different points of view so I was afraid I’d get confused and irritated as I forgot each character but it’s so well written I didn’t lose track at all. Definitely recommend this unusual and clever read

Nine Lives is the latest stand-alone mystery by bestselling American author Peter Swanson. I had only read The Kind Worth Killing previously, and been underwhelmed after all the hype, but have read enough glowing reviews of his other books to give him another try so requested this from NetGalley, not really expecting to be approved. It’s a quick easy read and I raced through it, but was ultimately unsatisfied even though it didn’t turn out how I expected, nor did I guess the guilty party.

Nine strangers with nothing in common receive an anonymous letter with nine typed names on it - including their own. When the one of them is found dead on a lonely Maine beach, the FBI swing into action to try and protect the rest - especially as one of their own is on the list, but the killer is always one step ahead…

It’s not a secret or a spoiler to say that this is an homage to Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None”, (one of my favourite books from childhood), which is heavily referenced throughout. This is both a strength and a weakness here, as I enjoyed meeting all the nine potential victims and looking for the similarities in the plot; there was a degree of suspense wondering who would survive, and some surprises, but it meant the reveal and the ending was a disappointment. There are characters you feel sorry for, and others you can’t wait to see exterminated, but I can’t say I really cared about any of them apart from book loving detective Sam.

It’s not a bad read, and most of my book friends have rated this higher, but to me this is another thriller that will appeal most to those who don’t read a lot of thrillers. Thanks to NetGalley and Faber & Faber for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily.

9 people on a list, unconnected, all receive a letter with their names on it…..surprise, confusion, anxious a bit…it’s a much told tale and I don’t need to tell avid readers that there has to be something different about a story like this for it it to stand out and grab you or else, well, we pretty much know what is afoot
The 9 were interesting, a varied bunch at differing times in their life and I didn’t really dislike any of them, on the flip side nor did I particularly really care for any of them but they were passable to read about and get to know
The writing was quick and fastly told but then we were heading towards an inevitable end tbh so it had to be
Quite enjoyed it, not much else to say on it

6/10
3 Stars

This is an interesting read and a good concept for a thriller which I liked but had some reservations about it, hence the three stars.

The books starts with 9 seemingly random people across America receiving a letter with 9 names on it, one of which is their own. One by one the people on the list begin to die, being murdered in different ways. The challenge for the reader and the FBI investigating the case is who and why. Interestingly one of the 9 is an FBI agent and the others all come from very different places, jobs and backgrounds.

The characters were in some part difficult to get to know as some were dispatched early on and there were a few points in the book where I wasn’t sure if I was enjoying it or not. The end, however is very clever and the way in which the killer left an explanation for his crimes was well conceived.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a bit different in style and whilst modern very much based on a classic murder mystery plot of Agatha Christie. It worked really well.

I has the kindle version so the letter format was slightly lost - I think this would work better in a standard book format.

Overall, a gripping story and I read it in a few goes.

Thank you for the arc.

Anonymous letters which consist solely of a list of nine names are being delivered to at least some of the people on the list. I say “at least” because we are only given information about the receipt of the letter by some of the people. One of the recipients is Jessica Winslow, an FBI agent, who starts an investigation, initially just trying to find contact details for the other names – a difficult task given that the only clue is the names. It is also uncertain if the letters are a threat or something more innocuous. That is resolved fairly quickly when one of the people is found murdered, closely followed by another. The first of these is Frank Hopkins, owner of the Winward Resort in Kennewick, Maine, who was found drowned. His letter including the envelope is found on the body and, unlike the others, it is unstamped. The local detective, Sam Hamilton, begins an investigation but is relieved of this by the FBI when it is clear that there is a serial killer working across states. Needless to say he continues in his own time. What links these names? Who sent the letters and more importantly why? How many will die before the case is resolved. Scraps of information appear, but these are mostly not evident to the investigators who are much slower at putting the reasons together than is the reader.
The model for this story is clearly the classic Agatha Christie novel “And Then There Were None”, and the writer, in the character of Sam, makes this point several times. Of course there are many other books and films which have adopted the same principle. The structure is mostly built around the fates of the individuals, which is a valid approach although it makes it feel a bit fractured. It is well written, otherwise. The chapters are headed by the dates when the events occur, which means it is set in 2016. Everything is neatly solved by the end, although it does close with a surprise which I wasn’t expecting. At first I thought it was a cheat, but then I realised that there’s an incidental, and apparently unrelated, comment earlier which provides a justification.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.