Nine strangers across the US receive a list in the mail with their names on it. They don't know each other or recognise any of the names and all work in very different fields. Most are in their thirties but two are a generation older. Mostly they ignore the list and get on with their lives, until they start being killed one by one.

Sam Hamilton, the detective who was involved in the first murder in Kennewick, Maine, notices the similarity to an Agatha Christie novel, 'And Then There Were None', as Swanson once again references classic crime from the golden age. The plot is tidy and fast paced with short, punchy chapters, as the investigators try to track down all the people on the list before they are killed and try to work out how they are connected. There is little time for character development as characters are killed off, although some characters we get to now better than others and two in particular have time to develop a bitter sweet relationship. I didn't pick the killer, but thought his motive in picking the people on his list was a little weak, but overall this was a very entertaining mystery.

I have really mixed feelings about this book, hence the three star rating. I loved The Kind Worth Killing so will always pick up a Peter Swanson book, even if previous reads have been a bit hit and miss for me. I enjoyed the premise of this book and my need to know exactly why these nine people were on a list spurred me on through the plot.

As others have said, there are a lot of characters to get your head around in this book but I felt the author did a good job of quickly reminding us who each one was. It was a lot more characters than I would typically like in a book (2/3 please!) but when said book is called nine lives, how can you not cover each character? As a result of so many characters, it was hard to probably engage with any of them on a deeper level other than probably Sam and even he needed more pages in my opinion.

I half guessed the culprit but I wish more time had been spent on fleshing them out as it felt a bit rushed. I also didn't get the point of including the very last chapter in the hospital, it just didn't add anything to the story and felt a bit odd. Overall an interesting ready that intrigued me but could have been orchestrated better.

I was so excited when I was approved for Peter Swanson’s latest release, Nine Lives, as I’ve loved all his books so far (the ones I’ve read anyways).

Unfortunately this one didn’t quite hit the mark. It’s a clever concept: nine seemingly random people receive a list in the post with their names on it. Then they start dying.

As before, Swanson leans heavily on an Agatha Christie mystery, And Then There Were None, and I love these connections he makes.

My problem with this book was that there were just too many POVs and we didn’t get to know any of the characters well enough so they remained pretty two-dimensional. There was never enough time to dive into their backstories and, in the end, the book left me wanting. Real shame but it won’t stop me from continuing to make my way through his backlist.

Nine Lives was an Intricate Puzzle!

The List

Alison Horne
Arthur Kruse
Ethan Dart
Jessica Winslow
Caroline Geddes
Jay Coates
Matthew Beaumont
Frank Hopkins
Jack Radebaugh

Nine strangers, spread across the US, receive an envelope in the mail, with no return address. Inside is a single sheet of folded paper, a computer-generated list of nine names, including the recipients.

One by one they are murdered, until there was…

Why? What connects these people? And who is targeting them?

I was all prepared to add a location and profession to the nine, but then realised that even that was too much of a spoiler, so apologies for the short synopsis. Nine Lives was a true homage to, you guessed it, Agatha Christie, but in no way was it a copy. Okay, so there were some similarities, but the kind you 100% are rooting for because you love those tropes when they are expertly implemented, but with a uniqueness, and Nine Lives was. I was completely blind sighted, scratching my head in confusion the entire time. To be clear, I wasn’t confused because the plot was hard to follow, it was easy as, but I simply couldn’t figure it out for the life of me. I had goosebumps the entire time.

As I expected going in, the body count was high, but I didn’t expect to be so affected by some of the deaths – a testament to Peter Swanson for writing characters that you cared about, even one’s who only appeared in a couple of chapters, you still really got to know the in’s and out’s of their lives in a short space of time.

An action-packed, fast-paced, adrenaline-rush. Hold your breath, and prepare to be blown away. Who will survive? Will anyone survive? My top read of 2022, thus far. A strong contender for my end of year favourites list.

I’d like to thank Netgalley, Faber and Faber, and Peter Swanson for the e-ARC.

Add Nine Lives to a different list, your tbr, immediately, in time for the Publication Date of the 3rd March, 2022.

P.S. I adore the cover art for the UK/AUS/NZ version.

P.P.S. I loved that one of the characters was reading a Lisa Gardner book, and talk about brave, because it was one of the characters on the list!

Nine strangers each receive a letter containing just a list of nine names, nothing else, no clue as to who sent it. One by one the names on the list are eliminated.

The premise of this book is good, and whilst described as Christie like, it is far from that.

However, once I’d got through all the different POVs, I did enjoy and I liked the pace of the book. What I didn’t like was the ending. Why? Are FBI agents indestructible? The final chapter was an unnecessary addition, the denouement, if a little far fetched, would have been a better finale.

Thank you NetGalley.

SO MANY POVS!!!!! But it worked well! This is the first time I've tried this author but definitely want to read more by him.
When this comes out on Audible I'd definitely spend a credit and re-read/listen to it

I very interesting story. Well crafted and plotted throughout.
Author Peter Swanson likes nothing better than the idea of a perfect murder. He is knowledgable in this genre and for this book he let’s his imagination leap from a plane as he considers a version of the ‘death list’.

Nine individuals receive a printed list with their name on it. In the main this seems so random that it is considered by many to be a computer glitch and some misplaced direct marketing.

When one and then two of the names end up as deceased individuals the FBI get involved and police protection is offered; but the killings continue.

It reminded me of And then there were none by Agatha Christie and there are similarities and differences to demonstrate the author’s talent for weaving a new story.

Indeed, the lack of motive leaves both the police and federal agents unable to solve the escalating crimes. The reader is similarly caught up in the mystery and this sense of dread for each name on the list, as the number of victims steadily rises. Speculation is also offered for this pattern, mentioning also the plot to Christie’s “ABC Murders”, and the idea that the list includes one target and the other names just unfortunate distractions to blur motive and a closer scrutiny of the intend victim.

Quite a difficult story to pull together.
The need to introduce characters we can empathise with and distinguish from the other eight who need to be similarly made credible players in this unfolding drama.

For me there is a balance struck. We are not presented with mere cyphers nor stereotypes but with well rounded individuals who carry the story well and show normality rather than fear and a sense of dread, awaiting a bullet. Indeed this is the task a writer has to get right; some control is maintained. The sense of fighting back works for a few, most assuming the killer will be revealed quickly. So among these characters, a range of emotions and reactions are demonstrated to bring a complex and multilayered thriller to life.

I loved the nuances to previous writers and familiar texts while noting the original elements Swanson brings to his offering. This is a clever piece that may frustrate some and appear superficial but there are some great locations and comic moments.
However, Swanson also raises the idea that we must be on some list with the rest of humanity. We must face our own mortality. His consideration of this aspect of life, where death is brought to the forefront on one’s mind is explored well and adds an additional element to this wonderful novel.

Nine strangers receive a list of names, nine names including their own names. Their characters are described well, and the mystery remains to be solved. This was a real page turner and I couldn't put it down until I had finished the novel. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book.

If you have ever read Then There Are None you will see where the author is coming from, it is however quite distracting having so many POV but a clever premise

Quite the page-turner! Loved the characters and their stories, but found all the PoVs were a bit confusing at first.
Overall another good book by Peter Swanson.
Thanks for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Nine POVs - what was I thinking, I normally can’t handle more than 4! The author takes us to the day the nine individuals receives their letters. These strangers do not know each other so what is their connection? Why were they sent this list? One by one they begin to die. FBI agent, Jessica Winslow, also on the list is determined to find out who is behind it. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for a gifted copy. This is my honest review.

This book was one of my most anticipated thrillers of the year and it didn't disappoint! I was gripped from the very beginning and dying to know what was going on, who was killing these people and what their connection was. It was truly un-put-downable. I loved the variety of the different characters, and I got invested in all of them which made the events of the book that much more emotional. The ending wrapped everything up amazingly. Now, I would love love love to have a full book written about each of the characters because I thought all of their storylines were so interesting. It's not often a multi-POV book comes along and makes me like every character in one way or another. Highly recommend!

What. A. Ride. this book is! An easy 5 stars for me.

“The envelope drops through the mail slot like any other piece of post. But for the nine complete strangers who receive it – each of them recognising just one name, their own, on the enclosed list – it will be the most life altering letter they ever receive. It could also be the last, as one by one, they start to meet their end.”

I don’t want to give any spoilers, but what a fantastic premise for a book, I was hooked almost immediately. It’s told through multiple POVs and while I’ve seen others say this was a downside I loved it! I properly didn’t see most of what happened coming, and just as I was starting to think ‘ok, now what…’ BAM it got me! The nine main characters are a mix of genuinely wonderful and wonderfully awful, with the FBI Agent, Jessica, probably being my favourite.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

And then there were none ★★★☆☆

Nine strangers receive a list of names. At first it seems like a mistake but then people on the list start to be murdered… What links the names and will any of the characters find out before it’s their turn?

This was an interesting Agatha Christie-esque premise as the characters are singled out one by one. However, as with any novel with so many leading characters, it was hard to keep track of who was who, especially at the beginning.

The possible connection between the characters was intriguing but it was difficult to piece together the possibilities ourselves due to so many players. The possible link was also established relatively early on but genuine forgetfulness and deliberate evasion masked the truth for too long.

The grand reveal was clever – I made a sudden connection with one of the remaining characters just moments before – but the complex identity of the killer was not something the reader could have worked out.

An interesting read which has a few too many characters and too little opportunity for the reader to solve the mystery.

Nine people receive a sheet of paper with nine names, including their own, on it.
None of the nine people know each other.
Then one by one they start dying.
Its a race against time to discover who is killing them and why and will it be solved before they all die?

The premise sounded so interesting and I’ve loved the last two books from Peter Swanson so I was excited to read this. I’m happy to say that I was not disappointed! I will definitely recommend this book.

I was so keen to read this book, because I've written something with the same name! I read it on holiday, and stayed up late every night to read the next chapters! It was very easy to read, and I looked forward to returning to it each day.

I found myself surprised that I could keep up with 10 or more characters, but they were so well described that I had them straight in my head perfectly. It helped that we were reminded of the list every section - perhaps a device like crossing them off as they were killed would help this too?

Initially I wondered why they all assumed that this was about murder. Some other suggestions (mailshot, etc) were mooted, but many of the characters assumed pretty quickly that their lives were in danger. Reading back, there were lines where this was discussed, but on a first read-through I thought it strange.

Nevertheless, I suspended my disbelief and was carried along by this plot, the characters, etc. Well done! I particularly liked that the FBI officer was killed (apparently), as this meant she wasn't the hero, which one assumed at the beginning - a nice twist.

I didn't predict the ending (who it was, etc), and found it believable in the context of the book.

This is one for lovers of the Golden Age and I enjoyed the many Christie references. I quite liked the multiple povs of the people on the list because it made it harder to see the connection. The characterisation was a little thin, but it is tricky to bring that many characters to life in the space of a book, without making it cumbersome and detracting from the mystery. I’m a great fan of the puzzle element and I felt there were not enough clues early in the book. Anyone who has read ‘And Then There Were None’ will guess at some of the reveal, but not the whydunnit . This was the main sticking point for me as it felt a little thin as a motive for multiple murders. I liked the little touches in the book, such as the attention seeker who claims to be a victim, the next door neighbours and where the final letter is found. The hotel is so well described you can smell the beginning of decay as you are reading. A solid four stars from me as the intriguing start drops in the final few chapters.

This was such an enjoyable read! I thought that I would struggle with all the characters, but a couple of pages in had me flying through it. I was on the edge of my seat, trying to figure out how the nine were all connected & what was going on. I thought that this was an intricately woven thriller that hooked me right from the start.

Thanks to NetGalley and The Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I did enjoy reading this - quick and full of suspense. There was some quirkiness to the characters but I found their abrupt endings disjointed as it kept everything very superficial but this is also what kept me intrigued. However, the not so big reveal wasn't very climatic. Not the best but not the worse either.