So nine random people receive a list of nine seemingly random names (including their own name). No one thinks much of it until one by one, the random people on the list start to become eliminated.

I’m a massive Swanson fan, I have enjoyed a few of his books. This one starts out fab, it’s well paced, easy to follow and I kept wanting to turn the page. At the beginning we have no idea what possible connection there could be.
As the story goes on, we start to get some bits and pieces of info. Without spoiling anything, there is a massive twist that I didn’t see coming. I thought it was brilliant! The book would have been a top read for me but the way the story ended for me wasn’t great. It had this big build up and then when I got to the end I felt a bit deflated.

*Many thanks to Peter Swanson, Faber and Faber Ltd, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
A so-so read, rather predictable, with an array of characters I could not relate to. Good writing is the biggest asset of this mystery. however, it did not make up for the general feel of the book in my case.

Ah, loved this. My first Swanson: An enjoyable, pacy thriller with some great twists and turns. It's an homage, of course, to Agatha Christibut with it's own fresh elements, This one lets us know up front who's in peril, and one of those people happens to be the one searching for answers behind the scenes.. Good set-ups, good characters, a neat twist on the lead detective character, and some brutal final scenes. Really solid Summer book. Will read more Swanson.

A gripping read about a list of 9 names sent to 9 people, but each of those people keep being killed. Couldn’t put it down

this was soooo good. I love peter swanson so i will read anything he writes but this was definitely one of my favourites. it was a wild ride from start to finish.

Told from multiple points of view, ensuring that we got a great insight into each character, Nine Lives is a crazy murder mystery that kept me guessing the whole way through. A great whodunnit with a totally unexpected ending!

I really enjoyed this novel. Although there were nine people, all of whom were important to the plot, they each were distinguishable from one another, which I really liked about this thriller. I hate having to look back and clarify for myself who is who while reading a novel. I found ti gripping. It held my attention throughout. It had a great premise, nine people, nine lists of names, each with their own included in the list. What was the connection, why were each of them included on it? I made for great reading. I flew through it as I was dying to learn the connection. I'd highly recommend this read!!

This is one of those books that bombards you at the start with characters and POV’s and you think you’re never going to keep it all straight but then they start dying so it’s ok, you don’t have to!

Easy reading crime thriller, I would read others by the author.

This book was ok. It wasn’t great it wasn’t bad. It won’t stay in my memory for long.

I LOVED the premise and what it could have been but ultimately there were far too many characters that I cared far too little about. Which is a real shame.

It was a quick enough read and there were parts that were suspenseful but ultimately wasn’t the best.

A gripping murder mystery, one of the best I’ve read in a long time. An original concept, told well - I couldn’t put it down.
Nine people, all seemingly unrelated, receive an envelope containing a list of their names. One by one they are murdered, despite protection the list gets shorter and shorter. What connects them and why is this happening?

A good twisty thriller a bit odd ending but a good read to pass a rainy afternoon. Would happily read more from this author

Gripping from start to finish, I really struggled to put it down! The twists and turns kept me guessing and there were so many I definitely did not see coming! Certainly worth a read!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A homage to Agatha Christie. A reasonably good read. I enjoyed it. Great writing, a great plot, and interesting characters. Recommended

Good story from an accomplished mystery-thriller writer - complex and challenging at times, yet ultimately a satisfying read.

I’m not usually a fan of too many characters because it often prevents me from bonding with any of them and it takes a lot of energy to keep them all straight in my mind. However, after a few doubts in the beginning of NINE LIVES, I found that this wasn’t a problem here, as Swanson managed to highlight those particular character traits in each person that made them stand out from the rest. They all piqued my interest, even though a few of them barely made it through one chapter before the grim reaper got to them. I soon regretted any bond I had with a few of the more intriguing characters, as they gradually fell victim to the murderer. If you have read Agatha Christie’s book AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (which is referred to often as the nine ill fated members of the murder list contemplate their lot), then you will know that no one gets spared.

NINE LIVES was a quick read from beginning to end as the list of survivors got ever smaller, and the body count mounted quickly. Swanson’s prose is sparse and he kept his multi-perspective chapters short and on track, which moved the story along at a good pace. Blink, and there’s been another death. Keeping with Christie’s style, the murders are not exactly cosy, but not too gruesome or distressing either, and I was more intrigued than distressed as even my favourite characters fell off the perch.

Did I guess the culprit? No. Then again, I was not particularly impressed with the final denouement or the killer’s motivation for the murder spree, which ultimately let the story down for me. However, I did like the matter of fact way Swanson presented his nine victims, which made me feel invested and kept me reading and guessing until the end. Whilst this didn’t come anywhere close to the magic of THE KIND WORTH KILLING, it was entertaining enough and would make for a quick holiday or weekend read.

I had a lot of fun with this riveting mystery.

It all starts with a mysterious list. Nine names, belonging to seemingly unconnected people. They all get sent a copy of this list. Most just shrug it off. One of them, an FBI agent, thinks there's something fishy going on. And then the first person dies.

If you're thinking that this sounds an awful lot like Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, you are correct. It's clear that Peter Swanson found inspiration in that famous mystery novel. Don't worry though, he has definitely put his own spin on it.

Every character gets his or her own little introductory chapter, and the list of names is repeated constantly, so it's very easy to keep track of who is doing what and where they are. And even if you do find yourself mixing up some of the characters, it's not a big deal. The focus of this mystery is firmly on discovering the connections between these nine people with very different lives.

Aside from the introductions, which do tend to drag on somewhat, the rest of the novel is fast-paced. The story doesn't really linger on those that have already been killed, although they obviously get mentioned regularly in the chapters told from the investigators' perspectives.

All in all, I had a great time with this one.

In “Nine Lives” we meet nine characters, who seemingly have nothing in common other than the fact that they each received a letter featuring only their names. However, when they all start getting killed, it is up to Federal Agent Jess Winslow (whose name also happens to be on the list) to work out what connects them and why they are being killed before she becomes the next victim.

Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” is referenced several times within the book, and the storyline does give a rather vigorous nod to the earlier work. The characters are all intriguing (even if we don’t spend long with some of them!), and the plot did draw me in. I found the ending was unfortunately not as strong as the rest of the book, but it was still an enjoyable read overall.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Hard book to review! I enjoyed the premise...revenge definitely served cold but I'm not sure what I think about the actual story!! One thing I kept thinking was don't get too attached to any of the characters!

As the title suggests, this is a thriller which follows nine people. Initially the reader is introduced to each character and their reaction to this strange list. Bit by bit, more and more details emerge as the reader tries to work out what the connection might be and the motive behind the threats. In part, it was slightly confusing as there’s a lot going on with all the different back stories. Throughout, there’s a thread of Agatha Christie which added another mystery to the plot.

It’s an unusual premise and the plotting is skilled. I enjoyed it and thought it was quite clever. Well constructed and a wide range of plausible people. I’ll look for more from this author.

My thanks to the publisher for a copy via Netgalley.

I wasn't sure about this when I first started reading as it was told from 9 different people's perspectives, plus a detective also, and I thought that it would get a bit confusing.

But it was much easier to keep track of than I'd imagined - especially when people on the list were targeted and their chapters were then gone - and I found that I had to keep reading to find out who was behind it all and what the connection between the victims were.

I sort of half guessed the killer, although there was more to it than I'd initially thought. I didn't love the motive behind it all or the killer's reasons for explaining their actions, but that's ok because that's just my opinion and I didn't need to agree with the killer, but I still did like how it tied up together overall. Didn't feel the need for the last chapter because that opened up more questions for me.

The author is clearly a fan of Agatha Christie as she is mentioned throughout the book and the plot similarly follows some of her work. I quite liked this as it kept me guessing.

3.5⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Faber & Faber and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.