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Nine Lives
Nine strangers receive a list with their names on it in the mail. Nothing else, just a list of names on a single sheet of paper. None of the nine people know or have ever met the others on the list. They dismiss it as junk mail, a fluke - until very, very bad things begin happening to people on the list. First, a well-liked old man is drowned on a beach in the small town of Kennewick, Maine. Then, a father is shot in the back while running through his quiet neighborhood in suburban Massachusetts. A frightening pattern is emerging, but what do these nine people have in common? Their professions range from oncology nurse to aspiring actor.
FBI agent Jessica Winslow, who is on the list herself, is determined to find out. Could there be some dark secret that binds them all together? Or is this the work of a murderous madman? As the mysterious sender stalks these nine strangers, they find themselves constantly looking over their shoulders, wondering who will be crossed off next....
FBI agent Jessica Winslow, who is on the list herself, is determined to find out. Could there be some dark secret that binds them all together? Or is this the work of a murderous madman? As the mysterious sender stalks these nine strangers, they find themselves constantly looking over their shoulders, wondering who will be crossed off next....
320 pages, Hardcover
First published March 15, 2022
1268 people are currently reading
69932 people want to read
About the author
Peter Swanson
21 books13k followersPeter Swanson is the author of six novels including The Kind Worth Killing, winner of the New England Society Book Award, and finalist for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, Her Every Fear, an NPR book of the year, and his most recent thriller, Eight Perfect Murders. His books have been translated into 30 languages, and his stories, poetry, and features have appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction, The Atlantic Monthly, Measure, The Guardian, The Strand Magazine, and Yankee Magazine.
A graduate of Trinity College, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and Emerson College, he lives in Somerville, Massachusetts with his wife and cat.
A graduate of Trinity College, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and Emerson College, he lives in Somerville, Massachusetts with his wife and cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,089 reviews
January 12, 2025
Wow! I had so much fun with Nine Lives. I found it unputdownable and pretty much devoured it in one go.
Nine strangers receive the most puzzling piece of mail: an identical list with their names on it. What could it possibly mean? They each chalk it up to nothing, and move on. But soon, bad things start happening to them, one by one, and they can no longer dismiss it as coincidence.
If you're thinking that sounds a bit familiar, you're right. It's a nod to And Then There Were None, arguably Agatha Christie's most well-known and beloved mystery. But rest assured that Swanson has put his own spin on it with this tale. And the end result is fresh and exciting.
It must not be easy to write a book that riffs off of such a famous work. You have to appeal to two different audiences, those who have already read the original work and those who haven't. I think Swanson does a good job balancing the two and appealing to both. This is a wholly self-contained story if you haven't read the original (although, what are you waiting for?) but it's still surprising and fun if you have.
The book even mimics Christie's style. It's pretty common for her to introduce all her characters in one go while providing a list at the beginning for easy reference. And so we have the same here. I found it useful reading a physical copy of the book and being able to flip to the character list whenever I needed it. If you're reading an ebook, I recommend taking a snapshot of the character list or just copying it out beforehand. It'll make for a much more pleasant reading experience.
I particularly enjoyed how mystery-focused and concise the narrative is here. Other than the initial 30 pages of introduction to all the characters, which is a bit slower due to the setup, the rest is so tautly paced. There is no meandering, no wasted time, no eye-rolling pages spent in a paranoid narrator's head. We just dive right into the unfolding story and are treated to one development after another.
One thing to note: if you haven't read And Then There Were None, this spoils it thoroughly, which would be a crying shame. So do read that first and without delay. It's one of the most beloved mysteries of all time for good reason, and lately so many books are either retelling it or taking inspiration from it.
I feel like Peter Swanson really outdid himself with this one. It's thoroughly entertaining and a marvelous homage to one of the most famous mysteries of all time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
The Kind Worth Killing
The Christmas Guest
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
Nine strangers receive the most puzzling piece of mail: an identical list with their names on it. What could it possibly mean? They each chalk it up to nothing, and move on. But soon, bad things start happening to them, one by one, and they can no longer dismiss it as coincidence.
If you're thinking that sounds a bit familiar, you're right. It's a nod to And Then There Were None, arguably Agatha Christie's most well-known and beloved mystery. But rest assured that Swanson has put his own spin on it with this tale. And the end result is fresh and exciting.
It must not be easy to write a book that riffs off of such a famous work. You have to appeal to two different audiences, those who have already read the original work and those who haven't. I think Swanson does a good job balancing the two and appealing to both. This is a wholly self-contained story if you haven't read the original (although, what are you waiting for?) but it's still surprising and fun if you have.
The book even mimics Christie's style. It's pretty common for her to introduce all her characters in one go while providing a list at the beginning for easy reference. And so we have the same here. I found it useful reading a physical copy of the book and being able to flip to the character list whenever I needed it. If you're reading an ebook, I recommend taking a snapshot of the character list or just copying it out beforehand. It'll make for a much more pleasant reading experience.
I particularly enjoyed how mystery-focused and concise the narrative is here. Other than the initial 30 pages of introduction to all the characters, which is a bit slower due to the setup, the rest is so tautly paced. There is no meandering, no wasted time, no eye-rolling pages spent in a paranoid narrator's head. We just dive right into the unfolding story and are treated to one development after another.
One thing to note: if you haven't read And Then There Were None, this spoils it thoroughly, which would be a crying shame. So do read that first and without delay. It's one of the most beloved mysteries of all time for good reason, and lately so many books are either retelling it or taking inspiration from it.
I feel like Peter Swanson really outdid himself with this one. It's thoroughly entertaining and a marvelous homage to one of the most famous mysteries of all time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
The Kind Worth Killing
The Christmas Guest
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
January 28, 2022
Nine Lives is my fifth Swanson book and it is the only one so far I haven't liked.
I appreciate how the author keeps trying to do new things, experimenting with new concepts and styles, as it makes opening each of his books a bit of a mystery in itself, but a number of things didn't work for me in this one. Many POVs, slow pacing and a disappointing reveal are the main reasons.
For the first time with a Swanson book, I was bored out of my mind. Few authors move successfully through this many perspectives-- nine people who all receive a mysterious list with their names on it and then begin dying one by one. I already know the author is a fan of And Then There Were None (tell me, isn't everybody?) and there's some inspiration from that coming through here, but Nine Lives is no Agatha Christie.
It's probably bad when you feel relief over a character's death because at least it means you get to cut down on some of the jumping between perspectives. It was tiring, dull, and the major problem I almost always find with more than 2-3 perspectives is that it becomes impossible to really get to know any of them or become absorbed in any of the characters' stories. There's not a single memorable character in here.
The slow pacing is also an issue. There's very little investigation or plot progression across the novel. The beginning introduces the problem of the list, we then move back and forth between the many characters' daily lives as they are picked off, then the truth is revealed. And about that...
I was completely unmoved by the reveal of the novel. It seemed like such a lame reason for everything, so I couldn't even say I suffered through it for a "wow" ending.
I don't like giving one star and was going to go with two, but why? I can't think of a single thing I liked about this book. I'll read Swanson's next book, of course, but this one was not for me. If you're new to this author and also didn't care for this book, I highly recommend you try The Kind Worth Killing or Before She Knew Him.
I appreciate how the author keeps trying to do new things, experimenting with new concepts and styles, as it makes opening each of his books a bit of a mystery in itself, but a number of things didn't work for me in this one. Many POVs, slow pacing and a disappointing reveal are the main reasons.
For the first time with a Swanson book, I was bored out of my mind. Few authors move successfully through this many perspectives-- nine people who all receive a mysterious list with their names on it and then begin dying one by one. I already know the author is a fan of And Then There Were None (tell me, isn't everybody?) and there's some inspiration from that coming through here, but Nine Lives is no Agatha Christie.
It's probably bad when you feel relief over a character's death because at least it means you get to cut down on some of the jumping between perspectives. It was tiring, dull, and the major problem I almost always find with more than 2-3 perspectives is that it becomes impossible to really get to know any of them or become absorbed in any of the characters' stories. There's not a single memorable character in here.
The slow pacing is also an issue. There's very little investigation or plot progression across the novel. The beginning introduces the problem of the list, we then move back and forth between the many characters' daily lives as they are picked off, then the truth is revealed. And about that...
I was completely unmoved by the reveal of the novel. It seemed like such a lame reason for everything, so I couldn't even say I suffered through it for a "wow" ending.
I don't like giving one star and was going to go with two, but why? I can't think of a single thing I liked about this book. I'll read Swanson's next book, of course, but this one was not for me. If you're new to this author and also didn't care for this book, I highly recommend you try The Kind Worth Killing or Before She Knew Him.
March 15, 2022
Nine Lives by Peter Swanson
Before I began reading my Kindle version of Nine Lives, I took a picture of the cast list, with descriptions of the nine people on a very special list. Although I went over it at the beginning of the book I really never had to refer to it again because I was able to keep track of the nine people. I think this is because each chapter of the story is quick and simple and moves on to another character without getting bogged down and allowing me to forget the others in the story.
Another thing that makes the people easy to remember is they quickly start being eliminated. The first person on the list to die is holding his list in his hand when he dies, which gives investigators a starting part to where to look for clues to the man's murder. Because this man was murdered, without a doubt. Then another man on the list dies and his death is clearly a murder, too. Hardly a coincidence, right? All doubt is removed when a third person on the list dies. This is all happening too quickly and there seems to be no connection between the people on the list.
Most of the people are likable, though flawed, although one clearly would leave the world a better place if he wasn't on it. There is even a FBI agent on the list so she is involved in the investigation of the murders. Once the pattern of deaths to members on the list becomes clear, the remaining list members are provided protection but that doesn't stop the murders. Whoever is committing the murders seems to be a fan of Agatha Christie and if you are familiar with her work, especially one of her most famous stories, you know all nine of these people are doomed. But why does the list have just nine people, why not a nice round number of ten, like her book?
This is a quick, easy story to read, and at first I had no idea who would want to do what and why. But eventually some clues come together although there are things taking place that keep us confused and on the wrong foot when trying to ferret out the murderer. There seems to be no hiding from this executioner, no avoiding the doom of being on this list. I enjoyed discussing this book with DeAnn, Jayme, Mary Beth, Pat, and Susan.
Publication: March 15th 2022
Thank you to Scene of the Crime, William Morrow and Custom House, and NetGalley for this ARC.
Before I began reading my Kindle version of Nine Lives, I took a picture of the cast list, with descriptions of the nine people on a very special list. Although I went over it at the beginning of the book I really never had to refer to it again because I was able to keep track of the nine people. I think this is because each chapter of the story is quick and simple and moves on to another character without getting bogged down and allowing me to forget the others in the story.
Another thing that makes the people easy to remember is they quickly start being eliminated. The first person on the list to die is holding his list in his hand when he dies, which gives investigators a starting part to where to look for clues to the man's murder. Because this man was murdered, without a doubt. Then another man on the list dies and his death is clearly a murder, too. Hardly a coincidence, right? All doubt is removed when a third person on the list dies. This is all happening too quickly and there seems to be no connection between the people on the list.
Most of the people are likable, though flawed, although one clearly would leave the world a better place if he wasn't on it. There is even a FBI agent on the list so she is involved in the investigation of the murders. Once the pattern of deaths to members on the list becomes clear, the remaining list members are provided protection but that doesn't stop the murders. Whoever is committing the murders seems to be a fan of Agatha Christie and if you are familiar with her work, especially one of her most famous stories, you know all nine of these people are doomed. But why does the list have just nine people, why not a nice round number of ten, like her book?
This is a quick, easy story to read, and at first I had no idea who would want to do what and why. But eventually some clues come together although there are things taking place that keep us confused and on the wrong foot when trying to ferret out the murderer. There seems to be no hiding from this executioner, no avoiding the doom of being on this list. I enjoyed discussing this book with DeAnn, Jayme, Mary Beth, Pat, and Susan.
Publication: March 15th 2022
Thank you to Scene of the Crime, William Morrow and Custom House, and NetGalley for this ARC.
January 24, 2022
Nine names. Nine random people receive a sheet of paper - a list with just nine names on it - nothing else, no clue as to what the list signifies. None of the nine know the other names on the list, some throw it in the trash, others just dismiss it as some kind of joke.
One of the named people who received the list is FBI agent Jessica Winslow, who has a distinctly bad feeling about it, and she begins a search trying to identify the others, trying to find some connection, some common thread, no matter how tenuous, but she comes up with nothing. However, when one of the names meets an untimely death, Jessica realises that the bad feeling she had, has been confirmed. As a couple more deaths follow, the hunt is on to find a killer, but with nothing to go on, no connection, no motive, it’s looking increasingly impossible!
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!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Faber and Faber Ltd for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
One of the named people who received the list is FBI agent Jessica Winslow, who has a distinctly bad feeling about it, and she begins a search trying to identify the others, trying to find some connection, some common thread, no matter how tenuous, but she comes up with nothing. However, when one of the names meets an untimely death, Jessica realises that the bad feeling she had, has been confirmed. As a couple more deaths follow, the hunt is on to find a killer, but with nothing to go on, no connection, no motive, it’s looking increasingly impossible!
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!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Faber and Faber Ltd for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
April 13, 2022
Nine people receive a list of nine names, including theirs, in the mail. No other information, just the list. The temptation is to ignore it as a prank or junk mail. Then, one person on the list is murdered. Coincidence or by design? When the second murder occurs, it’s clear there’s a diabolical plot in play. Who is next? One by one, they go down.
One of the names on the list is an FBI agent who quickly becomes part of the investigation, and works diligently to find the connection between the people on the list, as well as the motive for the murders. Be assured, there is one but this review will be light on plot so as not to ruin the fun for other readers.
Don’t worry in the beginning if you can’t keep all the names straight. You won’t need a cheat sheet, just keep reading. The author makes each character distinct enough to remember them, plus one by one they die, so as you read, there are less people to remember 😉 Each person gets a POV, and the short chapters keep things moving along at a brisk pace. If murder isn’t your thing, know the murders are not gruesome or graphic. In fact, they all die quickly and painlessly.
Once again, I love the author’s nod to books and other authors. There are hints of And Then There Were None, the classic by Agatha Christie. This is not a rehash of it, but a fresh new spin, which I appreciated, because who could possibly compare to Agatha Christie? There were no eye-rolls from this reader, and I loved seeing all the pieces click into place.
I didn’t try to figure it out as I read and I loved the resolution. Be aware this is not a shocking thriller with a massive twist. It’s an intelligent, solid mystery, that is well-plotted with great characters. This is just the kind of mystery I love. The audiobook narrator was terrific, and enhanced the story.
Compared to many of the books I’ve read and/or dnf’d recently, this is a masterpiece that kept me entertained from beginning to end, so 5 stars from me!
One of the names on the list is an FBI agent who quickly becomes part of the investigation, and works diligently to find the connection between the people on the list, as well as the motive for the murders. Be assured, there is one but this review will be light on plot so as not to ruin the fun for other readers.
Don’t worry in the beginning if you can’t keep all the names straight. You won’t need a cheat sheet, just keep reading. The author makes each character distinct enough to remember them, plus one by one they die, so as you read, there are less people to remember 😉 Each person gets a POV, and the short chapters keep things moving along at a brisk pace. If murder isn’t your thing, know the murders are not gruesome or graphic. In fact, they all die quickly and painlessly.
Once again, I love the author’s nod to books and other authors. There are hints of And Then There Were None, the classic by Agatha Christie. This is not a rehash of it, but a fresh new spin, which I appreciated, because who could possibly compare to Agatha Christie? There were no eye-rolls from this reader, and I loved seeing all the pieces click into place.
I didn’t try to figure it out as I read and I loved the resolution. Be aware this is not a shocking thriller with a massive twist. It’s an intelligent, solid mystery, that is well-plotted with great characters. This is just the kind of mystery I love. The audiobook narrator was terrific, and enhanced the story.
Compared to many of the books I’ve read and/or dnf’d recently, this is a masterpiece that kept me entertained from beginning to end, so 5 stars from me!
April 13, 2022
"The things we worry about are not the things that eventually happen."
3.75 stars
Nine Lives is a thriller about nine strangers targeted by a killer.
When nine strangers receive an anonymous letter listing nine seemingly random names, some recipients are alarmed, whereas others choose to ignore it…until they start being killed off, one by one.
This was an enjoyable and entertaining read. Be prepared for many characters to keep track of beyond the nine targeted in the mysterious letter. I think it would have been helpful for each chapter to have a heading with the narrator's name. However, each character has some distinct behavioral characteristics, making it easy to identify who is who as the book progresses. FBI Agent Jessica Winslow and Detective Sam Hamilton stood out from the others.
The characters are not all that important as this book is focused on the mystery of how these strangers are linked and why they are being targeted. I had fun trying to figure out how the strangers were connected and trying to identify the killer. I found the reveal behind what was linking these people together a bit of a letdown, and the killer’s motive was lame, but I was surprised by one twist.
I enjoyed the many literary references, the most prominent being Christie’s And Then There Were None. There is also some enjoyable tongue-in-cheek commentary. The characters didn’t do much for me, but the mystery held my interest--I was determined to solve it, but sadly I failed as I overlooked some key clues.
This isn’t Swanson’s best work, but his clever voice shined through.
3.75 stars
Nine Lives is a thriller about nine strangers targeted by a killer.
When nine strangers receive an anonymous letter listing nine seemingly random names, some recipients are alarmed, whereas others choose to ignore it…until they start being killed off, one by one.
This was an enjoyable and entertaining read. Be prepared for many characters to keep track of beyond the nine targeted in the mysterious letter. I think it would have been helpful for each chapter to have a heading with the narrator's name. However, each character has some distinct behavioral characteristics, making it easy to identify who is who as the book progresses. FBI Agent Jessica Winslow and Detective Sam Hamilton stood out from the others.
The characters are not all that important as this book is focused on the mystery of how these strangers are linked and why they are being targeted. I had fun trying to figure out how the strangers were connected and trying to identify the killer. I found the reveal behind what was linking these people together a bit of a letdown, and the killer’s motive was lame, but I was surprised by one twist.
I enjoyed the many literary references, the most prominent being Christie’s And Then There Were None. There is also some enjoyable tongue-in-cheek commentary. The characters didn’t do much for me, but the mystery held my interest--I was determined to solve it, but sadly I failed as I overlooked some key clues.
This isn’t Swanson’s best work, but his clever voice shined through.
March 15, 2022
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!
This is one list you don’t want to be on.
In Peter Swanson’s latest mystery/thriller, nine people each receive a list of names in the mail. It’s their names. None of them know each other. They all assume it’s junk mail…that is, until the people on the list start dying in various fashions.
Each individual is completely different from the next, so what’s the link? FBI agent Jessica Winslow is determined to find out…even more so since her name is on the list too.
Whose name will be crossed off next? And by whom?
Just to clear the air, I found this to be MUCH better than Swanson’s previous novel, Every Vow You Break. That was the first time he let me down, and I’m glad to say this is much more his signature style.
This is a fast-paced, entertaining story that kept me intrigued from start to finish. I enjoyed some of the characters and enjoyed hating other characters. The mystery itself is intriguing, and Swanson does a fantastic job balancing multiple POVs and keeping the reader hooked from one short chapter to the next.
I know a lot of readers will be wondering if this has a classic Swanson twist. For me, I was underwhelmed. The motive was questionable at best and silly at worst. My thoughts were: That’s why this is happening? However, even though I wanted something a bit more shocking, I do have to say it works. Fans of Agatha Christie will appreciate the last couple pages.
All in all, I enjoyed getting to know this eclectic cast of characters and was chomping at the bit to find out what would happen next. There were definitely clever moments, and I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next. 3.5 stars rounded up.
Pro-tip: The first two pages gave a brief description of the cast of characters…which indicated to me that I needed to take notes. I did just that…and it was super helpful keeping things in order during my reading journey.
Thank you to William Morrow and Scene of the Crime for a widget of the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 3/15/22.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
This is one list you don’t want to be on.
In Peter Swanson’s latest mystery/thriller, nine people each receive a list of names in the mail. It’s their names. None of them know each other. They all assume it’s junk mail…that is, until the people on the list start dying in various fashions.
Each individual is completely different from the next, so what’s the link? FBI agent Jessica Winslow is determined to find out…even more so since her name is on the list too.
Whose name will be crossed off next? And by whom?
Just to clear the air, I found this to be MUCH better than Swanson’s previous novel, Every Vow You Break. That was the first time he let me down, and I’m glad to say this is much more his signature style.
This is a fast-paced, entertaining story that kept me intrigued from start to finish. I enjoyed some of the characters and enjoyed hating other characters. The mystery itself is intriguing, and Swanson does a fantastic job balancing multiple POVs and keeping the reader hooked from one short chapter to the next.
I know a lot of readers will be wondering if this has a classic Swanson twist. For me, I was underwhelmed. The motive was questionable at best and silly at worst. My thoughts were: That’s why this is happening? However, even though I wanted something a bit more shocking, I do have to say it works. Fans of Agatha Christie will appreciate the last couple pages.
All in all, I enjoyed getting to know this eclectic cast of characters and was chomping at the bit to find out what would happen next. There were definitely clever moments, and I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next. 3.5 stars rounded up.
Pro-tip: The first two pages gave a brief description of the cast of characters…which indicated to me that I needed to take notes. I did just that…and it was super helpful keeping things in order during my reading journey.
Thank you to William Morrow and Scene of the Crime for a widget of the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 3/15/22.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
Want to read
April 22, 2021Goodreads: untitled Swanson novel #8: a novel
Me: Yes.
Me: Yes.
March 28, 2022
im always more critical of mystery/thriller books because it takes more to impress me and, sadly, this didnt quite do it.
this is written really well, but story is just a lot of introducing a character only to to kill them off shortly after. because there are 10 POVs and the book is pretty short, there wasnt any time for me to develop a connection to any of the characters. i felt literally nothing for them. not only that, but its not even until the 70%ish mark that some sort of connection is formed and the story seems to have a direction.
so this didnt work for me, personally. but this is definitely a tribute to agatha christie, so if you prefer the old time classic mysteries, then this might be for you!
↠ 2.5 stars
this is written really well, but story is just a lot of introducing a character only to to kill them off shortly after. because there are 10 POVs and the book is pretty short, there wasnt any time for me to develop a connection to any of the characters. i felt literally nothing for them. not only that, but its not even until the 70%ish mark that some sort of connection is formed and the story seems to have a direction.
so this didnt work for me, personally. but this is definitely a tribute to agatha christie, so if you prefer the old time classic mysteries, then this might be for you!
↠ 2.5 stars
February 8, 2022
3.5 STARS
Nine strangers marked for death!
The "List-of-Nine case" as the Detective Sam Hamilton refers to it, wants to learn how nine names on a list are related and why the list is dwindling.
The author injects Agatha Christie throughout, which had me comparing this tale to And Then There Were None and added entertainment. There are also other books mentioned that pleased this bookworm. I love seeing characters bookshelves!
There are nine characters to keep track of, but no worries as they are quickly eliminated as the chapters help you countdown. And then there were .....8,7,6,5,etc...
An entertaining read, but as the characters were being killed off, I wanted more clues, more bread crumbs, a trail to follow. I like to play armchair detective.
I wasn't a fan of the conclusion/reveal. Boo!
Thanks to NG and Scene of the Crime. OUT March 15, 2022
Nine strangers marked for death!
The "List-of-Nine case" as the Detective Sam Hamilton refers to it, wants to learn how nine names on a list are related and why the list is dwindling.
The author injects Agatha Christie throughout, which had me comparing this tale to And Then There Were None and added entertainment. There are also other books mentioned that pleased this bookworm. I love seeing characters bookshelves!
There are nine characters to keep track of, but no worries as they are quickly eliminated as the chapters help you countdown. And then there were .....8,7,6,5,etc...
An entertaining read, but as the characters were being killed off, I wanted more clues, more bread crumbs, a trail to follow. I like to play armchair detective.
I wasn't a fan of the conclusion/reveal. Boo!
Thanks to NG and Scene of the Crime. OUT March 15, 2022
March 15, 2022
WHO EVER SAID LIFE WAS FAIR??
A sheet of paper listing 9 seemingly unrelated names. Mailed to 8 -and hand delivered to just 1-the first to be killed.
The book is broken down into sections beginning with NINE- We learn what each of the characters are doing when they receive the letter. And, we meet Detective Sam Hamilton, local police and first on the scene.
The next section is EIGHT- The FBI gets the case when one of their own, Jessica Winslow from the Albany field office finds out she is one of the NINE…what are the others doing when they are told?
SEVEN-when two have been murdered, things become more urgent.
Sam continues to work the case locally-he cannot help but notice the similarities between this case and the Classic Agatha Christie novel, “And, then there were None”. Ten strangers, who have never met, brought together because they have all been targeted for death.
WHY? Why was also a prevalent theme in that book. He is convinced that it holds the key to this situation if he can just decipher the WHY, of how they were selected…..
BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE
All seem like regular people, all imperfect but none deserving to die…except maybe one? 🙄
SIX-FIVE-FOUR-THREE-TWO-ONE-NONE??
WHO will be next?
WILL anyone survive?
I was engaged throughout and wanted to know!!
This was a quick read, not very complex, and easy to devour in one sitting. I found it to be entertaining from start to finish! Now about that ending that you are hearing about….
Did my mouth drop open? 🤭 No…
Did our PERP have a good reason to kill? Nope.
But, really, does MURDER ever make sense?
I did like how Detective Hamilton’s knowledge of Christie’s books-delivered us the answers in the end.
If you have been waiting impatiently for your next Peter Swanson fix-as I was-your wait is over!!
AVAILABLE NOW!!
A group read which we all enjoyed! Be sure to check out the rest of our reviews-Pat, Susan, MarilynW, Mary Beth and DeAnn-for additional insights! 💖
Thank You to “Scene of the Crime” for providing an ARC for review! It was truly my pleasure to offer a candid review!
A sheet of paper listing 9 seemingly unrelated names. Mailed to 8 -and hand delivered to just 1-the first to be killed.
The book is broken down into sections beginning with NINE- We learn what each of the characters are doing when they receive the letter. And, we meet Detective Sam Hamilton, local police and first on the scene.
The next section is EIGHT- The FBI gets the case when one of their own, Jessica Winslow from the Albany field office finds out she is one of the NINE…what are the others doing when they are told?
SEVEN-when two have been murdered, things become more urgent.
Sam continues to work the case locally-he cannot help but notice the similarities between this case and the Classic Agatha Christie novel, “And, then there were None”. Ten strangers, who have never met, brought together because they have all been targeted for death.
WHY? Why was also a prevalent theme in that book. He is convinced that it holds the key to this situation if he can just decipher the WHY, of how they were selected…..
BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE
All seem like regular people, all imperfect but none deserving to die…except maybe one? 🙄
SIX-FIVE-FOUR-THREE-TWO-ONE-NONE??
WHO will be next?
WILL anyone survive?
I was engaged throughout and wanted to know!!
This was a quick read, not very complex, and easy to devour in one sitting. I found it to be entertaining from start to finish! Now about that ending that you are hearing about….
Did my mouth drop open? 🤭 No…
Did our PERP have a good reason to kill? Nope.
But, really, does MURDER ever make sense?
I did like how Detective Hamilton’s knowledge of Christie’s books-delivered us the answers in the end.
If you have been waiting impatiently for your next Peter Swanson fix-as I was-your wait is over!!
AVAILABLE NOW!!
A group read which we all enjoyed! Be sure to check out the rest of our reviews-Pat, Susan, MarilynW, Mary Beth and DeAnn-for additional insights! 💖
Thank You to “Scene of the Crime” for providing an ARC for review! It was truly my pleasure to offer a candid review!
April 20, 2022
2.5 ⭐
Rounding down since I wanted to DNF multiple times until around 70% when I thought I may as well finish it. So 2-star it is!
Nine Lives has too many POVs to enjoy as an audiobook especially when most of the characters weren't memorable. I didn't connect with any of them so that made it challenging to care knowing their fate. There's a lack of suspense, yawn...I was hoping to be on edge of my seat before each one was killed off, but that never happened.
I may not understand why all nine names were repeated before each section. To me, it would make more sense to only list the names who are still alive. The worst part is the reason for the murder isn't even logical. My least favorite Peter Swanson to date.
Rounding down since I wanted to DNF multiple times until around 70% when I thought I may as well finish it. So 2-star it is!
Nine Lives has too many POVs to enjoy as an audiobook especially when most of the characters weren't memorable. I didn't connect with any of them so that made it challenging to care knowing their fate. There's a lack of suspense, yawn...I was hoping to be on edge of my seat before each one was killed off, but that never happened.
I may not understand why all nine names were repeated before each section. To me, it would make more sense to only list the names who are still alive. The worst part is the reason for the murder isn't even logical. My least favorite Peter Swanson to date.
May 24, 2022
I have been so excited to read this one after seeing so many amazing reviews, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Nine Lives involves a list with nine names on it. Every person on that list is marked for death, and they all get sent a copy to their homes. As people start being killed there is a race to try and find out what they have in common, and who is behind this.
My favourite thing about this book was the structure! I loved that it was separated into sections counting down from 9. I also loved that we saw the perspectives of different characters. There is such a large number of characters in this book that I felt the different perspectives helped to add a much needed depth. Initially I did have to keep flicking back to the character list to follow who was who. But my main issue with the characters is that because there was so many, I didn’t end up connecting with all of them. I did however end up loving Ethan, Caroline and Jessica. I also would have loved to have seem more of Detective Sam, he had so much potential!
The chapters were really short which helped to keep the pace up! I loved the nods to popular culture and books! Even though I adore Agatha Christie, I haven’t actually read And Then There Were None yet, but I have now been inspired to grab it from my tbr pile as soon as possible! I did find things slowed for me at the end, but I really enjoyed one final twist that I just did not see coming. I felt this was a very inventive and enticing book, I can’t wait to read more by this author.
I would recommend this to thriller fans who enjoy books with multiple points of view!
Nine Lives involves a list with nine names on it. Every person on that list is marked for death, and they all get sent a copy to their homes. As people start being killed there is a race to try and find out what they have in common, and who is behind this.
My favourite thing about this book was the structure! I loved that it was separated into sections counting down from 9. I also loved that we saw the perspectives of different characters. There is such a large number of characters in this book that I felt the different perspectives helped to add a much needed depth. Initially I did have to keep flicking back to the character list to follow who was who. But my main issue with the characters is that because there was so many, I didn’t end up connecting with all of them. I did however end up loving Ethan, Caroline and Jessica. I also would have loved to have seem more of Detective Sam, he had so much potential!
The chapters were really short which helped to keep the pace up! I loved the nods to popular culture and books! Even though I adore Agatha Christie, I haven’t actually read And Then There Were None yet, but I have now been inspired to grab it from my tbr pile as soon as possible! I did find things slowed for me at the end, but I really enjoyed one final twist that I just did not see coming. I felt this was a very inventive and enticing book, I can’t wait to read more by this author.
I would recommend this to thriller fans who enjoy books with multiple points of view!
March 22, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up. I liked it for the most part.
Part of the reason I probably liked this book was because I really didn't like his previous book and I thought this one was much better in comparison. Another reason was that it is a semi-homage to And Then There Were None which I consider to be one of the most brilliantly written mysteries ever.
Nine people receive a typed list of nine names, their own name plus eight others that they have never heard of or met before. FBI agent Jessica Winslow receives a list and while she wants to ignore it, something inside of her makes her decide to investigate. Then one person on the list is murdered. Then a second. Citing what she calls the "second plane" (referring to 9/11 when the first plane could have been considered an accident, but when the second plane hit there was no denying they were connected), Jessica realizes that they might all be targets and searches for the connection between the nine people.
At first I thought this book was a bit tedious because we were going through each of the nine people when they get the letter, and stories about their lives, etc. Yet once it got going, I was intrigued to find out what the connection was and why this was happening. I was pleased by the way things came together and the twist toward the end that I probably should have seen coming, but didn't. I love to be surprised so it elevated the book for me.
This leads to what I feel is the main shortcoming of this book. I didn't find the motive to be compelling enough for the choice of victims. The plethora of POVs might be a detraction for many people because you could easily get lost or bored with all of the introductions of characters. It worked for me, but it won't work for everyone for sure.
Overall though, I liked this story and found it to be intriguing.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Part of the reason I probably liked this book was because I really didn't like his previous book and I thought this one was much better in comparison. Another reason was that it is a semi-homage to And Then There Were None which I consider to be one of the most brilliantly written mysteries ever.
Nine people receive a typed list of nine names, their own name plus eight others that they have never heard of or met before. FBI agent Jessica Winslow receives a list and while she wants to ignore it, something inside of her makes her decide to investigate. Then one person on the list is murdered. Then a second. Citing what she calls the "second plane" (referring to 9/11 when the first plane could have been considered an accident, but when the second plane hit there was no denying they were connected), Jessica realizes that they might all be targets and searches for the connection between the nine people.
At first I thought this book was a bit tedious because we were going through each of the nine people when they get the letter, and stories about their lives, etc. Yet once it got going, I was intrigued to find out what the connection was and why this was happening. I was pleased by the way things came together and the twist toward the end that I probably should have seen coming, but didn't. I love to be surprised so it elevated the book for me.
This leads to what I feel is the main shortcoming of this book. I didn't find the motive to be compelling enough for the choice of victims. The plethora of POVs might be a detraction for many people because you could easily get lost or bored with all of the introductions of characters. It worked for me, but it won't work for everyone for sure.
Overall though, I liked this story and found it to be intriguing.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
February 28, 2023
And Then There Were None NINE...
Nine strangers, one list, and one secret that binds them all...but this is far from your average '911' call...
It's the strangest mail they've ever received...a list of nine names, with no explanation, no other information and no return address. Of course, each recipient notices their own name, but most figure it's a random prank or junk mail. That is, of course, until the old man on the list drowns. Then another name on the list falls prey...and suddenly, the coincidence doesn't seem so much like a coincidence, but an expertly crafted scheme.
Jessica Winslow is the only member of law enforcement on the list, however, so her impending demise leads to a sense of hyper vigilance and determination to figure out the nexus between the group and how to stop the perp before she meets a devastating end. Can she find the connection before her time is up...or will this group quickly spiral from NINE to NONE?
After skipping Swanson's last (for now) after some so-so reviews, I was thrilled to see such an enthusiastic reception for this book and was ready to jump back into Swanson's world. I've always had solid luck and success with everything he writes, and thankfully, this was no different! Despite NINE POVS (who could have guessed it, I know!) Swanson keeps the narrative moving and doesn't let things get too convoluted. He also includes a list of characters at the beginning, just for quick reference until you know them well enough to ditch the list. (And frankly, I wish ALL authors did this when there are this many important characters. It takes such little effort but can be SO HELPFUL!)
Most of the POVs were engaging and interesting (except you, Jack Radebaugh...sorry, but I seriously kept forgetting who you were) and I thought the mystery was well-concealed until the end. Again, no idea how it compared to the source material, but this was engaging and well-paced for the most part. Not my favorite Swanson, but a solid read that kept me speculating and I appreciated that it stayed coherent from beginning to end.
Because this is a Peter Swanson book, it is HEAVILY inspired by one of his mystery writer favorites...and 2022 must be the year of And Then They Were None, because alongside Feeney's Daisy Darker, this one is yet another homage. Of course, I am STILL unfamiliar with the source material (I know, I know...how can I call myself a mystery and thriller lover 🙈) so I'm not sure if this does that book justice. However...Swanson sure doesn't let you forget that this book is about that one. I didn't count, but the characters themselves mention the book many, many times...almost to the point where it became a little OTT and took me out of the story a bit. I appreciate what he was trying to do, but NOBODY needs a constant reminder in a situation like this one.
I also was a bit bummed that Swanson didn't finish with his requisite ode in his author's note to whatever book inspired him. In the past, he's also included little reading suggestion lists too, which I always found fantastic. His acknowledgements in this one are a bit strange, or perhaps just an ode to the story in and of itself...since the page is simply a list of names. 😏
Though this was firmly in mystery land rather than twisty thriller territory for me (and even for Swanson, by comparison!) this ticking time bomb of a tale kept me guessing, pondering, and page-flipping!
And as for the next must-read mystery classic on my list?
At the risk of being redundant...I think you can probably guess!
😉
4 stars
Nine strangers, one list, and one secret that binds them all...but this is far from your average '911' call...
It's the strangest mail they've ever received...a list of nine names, with no explanation, no other information and no return address. Of course, each recipient notices their own name, but most figure it's a random prank or junk mail. That is, of course, until the old man on the list drowns. Then another name on the list falls prey...and suddenly, the coincidence doesn't seem so much like a coincidence, but an expertly crafted scheme.
Jessica Winslow is the only member of law enforcement on the list, however, so her impending demise leads to a sense of hyper vigilance and determination to figure out the nexus between the group and how to stop the perp before she meets a devastating end. Can she find the connection before her time is up...or will this group quickly spiral from NINE to NONE?
After skipping Swanson's last (for now) after some so-so reviews, I was thrilled to see such an enthusiastic reception for this book and was ready to jump back into Swanson's world. I've always had solid luck and success with everything he writes, and thankfully, this was no different! Despite NINE POVS (who could have guessed it, I know!) Swanson keeps the narrative moving and doesn't let things get too convoluted. He also includes a list of characters at the beginning, just for quick reference until you know them well enough to ditch the list. (And frankly, I wish ALL authors did this when there are this many important characters. It takes such little effort but can be SO HELPFUL!)
Most of the POVs were engaging and interesting (except you, Jack Radebaugh...sorry, but I seriously kept forgetting who you were) and I thought the mystery was well-concealed until the end. Again, no idea how it compared to the source material, but this was engaging and well-paced for the most part. Not my favorite Swanson, but a solid read that kept me speculating and I appreciated that it stayed coherent from beginning to end.
Because this is a Peter Swanson book, it is HEAVILY inspired by one of his mystery writer favorites...and 2022 must be the year of And Then They Were None, because alongside Feeney's Daisy Darker, this one is yet another homage. Of course, I am STILL unfamiliar with the source material (I know, I know...how can I call myself a mystery and thriller lover 🙈) so I'm not sure if this does that book justice. However...Swanson sure doesn't let you forget that this book is about that one. I didn't count, but the characters themselves mention the book many, many times...almost to the point where it became a little OTT and took me out of the story a bit. I appreciate what he was trying to do, but NOBODY needs a constant reminder in a situation like this one.
I also was a bit bummed that Swanson didn't finish with his requisite ode in his author's note to whatever book inspired him. In the past, he's also included little reading suggestion lists too, which I always found fantastic. His acknowledgements in this one are a bit strange, or perhaps just an ode to the story in and of itself...since the page is simply a list of names. 😏
Though this was firmly in mystery land rather than twisty thriller territory for me (and even for Swanson, by comparison!) this ticking time bomb of a tale kept me guessing, pondering, and page-flipping!
And as for the next must-read mystery classic on my list?
At the risk of being redundant...I think you can probably guess!
😉
4 stars
January 16, 2022
Peter Swanson's latest offering is a tightly plotted piece of crime fiction that draws on and plays homage to the classic golden age mystery, Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, it is referenced through a reread for Detective Sam Hamilton of Kennewick PD, whilst charting its history and title changes through time. 9 people with no obvious connections are sent a list with 9 names on it, including their own, with some of them dismissing it as of no importance. One of the recipients is Jessica Winslow, an FBI agent in Albany, New York, who can't let it go, she knows none of the other people, but she tries to locate and find what could possibly link them, a task that is rendered more urgent with the drowning in a tidal pool of the elderly Frank Hopkins in Maine who is on the list, a murder that local detective Hamilton investigates.
As more of the people on the list begin to be murdered, it soon becomes clear that everyone is in danger, but not everyone on the kill list can be identified. The remaining people are offered police protection, although that does not prevent more deaths. The list has a diverse range of individuals, of different ages, working in numerous professions, including an oncology nurse, a wannabe actor, a college professor, and a musician, a singer-songwriter. We are given an intriguing glimpse into their characters, their lives, marriages, families, professions, and relationships, right up to the point of their demise. Two of them strike up a significant relationship because they are on the list, their feelings lent an urgency and growing passion with the shadow of death hanging over them. For what reason would anyone want this group of strangers dead?
Swanson writes a compulsive murder mystery, creating a range of characters, both likeable and dislikeable, that have the reader begin to invest in them, until their lives are cruelly cut short. Given the plot of Christie's And Then There Were None, I found myself paying close attention to each person on the list, wondering about each of them. This is an entertaining and engaging read that kept me glued to the pages, packed as it is with suspense and tension, and trying to identify the killer and why they have embarked on this murderous path. The author can always be relied on to come up with the kind of crime fiction that will garner a huge audience, and I have no doubt that this will be a big success on publication. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
As more of the people on the list begin to be murdered, it soon becomes clear that everyone is in danger, but not everyone on the kill list can be identified. The remaining people are offered police protection, although that does not prevent more deaths. The list has a diverse range of individuals, of different ages, working in numerous professions, including an oncology nurse, a wannabe actor, a college professor, and a musician, a singer-songwriter. We are given an intriguing glimpse into their characters, their lives, marriages, families, professions, and relationships, right up to the point of their demise. Two of them strike up a significant relationship because they are on the list, their feelings lent an urgency and growing passion with the shadow of death hanging over them. For what reason would anyone want this group of strangers dead?
Swanson writes a compulsive murder mystery, creating a range of characters, both likeable and dislikeable, that have the reader begin to invest in them, until their lives are cruelly cut short. Given the plot of Christie's And Then There Were None, I found myself paying close attention to each person on the list, wondering about each of them. This is an entertaining and engaging read that kept me glued to the pages, packed as it is with suspense and tension, and trying to identify the killer and why they have embarked on this murderous path. The author can always be relied on to come up with the kind of crime fiction that will garner a huge audience, and I have no doubt that this will be a big success on publication. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
August 13, 2022
I am definitely hit or miss with Swanson’s works. ‘The Kind Worth Killing’ was incredible and I keep giving Swanson chances looking for that gold mine again.
What worked:
✅ Pacing kept up and there didn’t seem like too much downtime to drag. The action started off the bat and stayed that way.
✅ Very unique characters who all seem different which is impressive for how many characters are in this book.
✅ It wasn’t a really long book so I didn’t feel like the story added in pointless side stories.
Things that didn’t work: (some of these sound a bit critical I’m sure but, I would be more lenient had this been an ARC. These are rough draft mistakes.)
❌ Aaron Berlin’s name changes to Aaron Levin about halfway through the book. No explanation. I thought briefly that it was a different character with the same first name until I realized both characters are Jessica’s good friend and co-worker. (See pages 13 and 202.)
❌ A certain character dies in this particular chapter on October 15th. (See pg. 231 for reference). The next chapter, on October 17th, this same character is talking to police about the list. (See pg. 241 for reference). So my initial thought was that he or she survived the attack. 2 chapters later, on pg. 251, two characters are talking about that person’s death on the 15th. Hold up. Character dies. Comes back to life to talk to police. But was really dead the whole time? What????
❌ The list of names after every time someone died not only caused distraction, but it also spoiled the chapter because I’d flip the page, see the list of names and realize that whoever’s chapter it was was about to die. The deaths hardly shocked me as this ruined much of the surprise. I also thought it was odd that every time the list of 9 names showed up after someone died, that person’s name wasn’t crossed off. It almost seemed pointless to have the lists at all. If you haven’t read this book and plan to, I highly suggest listening to an audiobook or reading it on kindle so this doesn’t happen to you. It reallllly spoiled the thrill.
Since I found 3 things I really liked and 3 I didn’t, I settled on middle of the road at 3 stars. My regret is not reading ‘And Then There We’re None’ first or listening to this in audiobook form.
3⭐️
What worked:
✅ Pacing kept up and there didn’t seem like too much downtime to drag. The action started off the bat and stayed that way.
✅ Very unique characters who all seem different which is impressive for how many characters are in this book.
✅ It wasn’t a really long book so I didn’t feel like the story added in pointless side stories.
Things that didn’t work: (some of these sound a bit critical I’m sure but, I would be more lenient had this been an ARC. These are rough draft mistakes.)
❌ Aaron Berlin’s name changes to Aaron Levin about halfway through the book. No explanation. I thought briefly that it was a different character with the same first name until I realized both characters are Jessica’s good friend and co-worker. (See pages 13 and 202.)
❌ A certain character dies in this particular chapter on October 15th. (See pg. 231 for reference). The next chapter, on October 17th, this same character is talking to police about the list. (See pg. 241 for reference). So my initial thought was that he or she survived the attack. 2 chapters later, on pg. 251, two characters are talking about that person’s death on the 15th. Hold up. Character dies. Comes back to life to talk to police. But was really dead the whole time? What????
❌ The list of names after every time someone died not only caused distraction, but it also spoiled the chapter because I’d flip the page, see the list of names and realize that whoever’s chapter it was was about to die. The deaths hardly shocked me as this ruined much of the surprise. I also thought it was odd that every time the list of 9 names showed up after someone died, that person’s name wasn’t crossed off. It almost seemed pointless to have the lists at all. If you haven’t read this book and plan to, I highly suggest listening to an audiobook or reading it on kindle so this doesn’t happen to you. It reallllly spoiled the thrill.
Since I found 3 things I really liked and 3 I didn’t, I settled on middle of the road at 3 stars. My regret is not reading ‘And Then There We’re None’ first or listening to this in audiobook form.
3⭐️
March 21, 2022
Nine people are sent a letter with a list of names that includes theirs... they start dying one by one.
I was intrigued by the premise but wasn't sure if I'd be able to remember every character.
It wasn't a problem and I overall enjoyed myself.
My two main complains might be spoilers if you really don't want to know anything but I'll keep them vague for anyone interested:
Overall this book isn't as good as "The King Worth Killing" but it would be a good beach read.
I was intrigued by the premise but wasn't sure if I'd be able to remember every character.
It wasn't a problem and I overall enjoyed myself.
My two main complains might be spoilers if you really don't want to know anything but I'll keep them vague for anyone interested:
Overall this book isn't as good as "The King Worth Killing" but it would be a good beach read.
April 30, 2022
After talking about this book in a live show with my friends, I'm lowering my rating to 1 star. There is little to no redeeming qualities of this book for me. Here's the live show: https://youtu.be/Zzw-EWDC_kw
Sadly, this is the second one star book I've ever had for my book club. /:
I included this in a thriller reading vlog: https://youtu.be/JYo8g2YQKtY
Sadly, this is the second one star book I've ever had for my book club. /:
I included this in a thriller reading vlog: https://youtu.be/JYo8g2YQKtY
October 15, 2022
I think this book is brilliant. The intricate plotting and economy of words ratchet up the tension. Nine names on a piece of paper are delivered to nine people. They don't know each other. Can they possibly be connected? Can FBI agent Jessica Swanson get to the bottom of the mystery before she herself is eliminated? There are some really shocking moments and sly moves on the part of our storyteller. I was riveted -- finishing this book in less than 24 hours. My opinion seems to be a bit of an outlier, but my brain thrives on making connections and setting things in order. It's why my library work can be so satisfying. This new release from Peter Swanson ticks all my mystery boxes.
Definitely one of my favorites from Peter Swanson so far along with Eight Perfect Murders and The Kind Worth Killing
Definitely one of my favorites from Peter Swanson so far along with Eight Perfect Murders and The Kind Worth Killing
March 19, 2022
One list, nine names!
All random. No one knows who the other names belong to. Or for that matter, why their own name is on that list. And trust me folks…this is one list you don’t want to be on!
One-by-one, people on the list are systematically singled out. Never knowing when their number would be up. So who is behind this list? And what is their end-game?
The storyline unfolds from the perspective of all nine characters as well as the police. Yikes! The thought of keeping all those POV’s straight had me shaking in my shoes!
But….at the very beginning of the book the author gives us a list of all the main characters (thank goodness)! I actually made screenshots for Susanne and myself. And found myself referring back to them until the characters developed more and I could keep them all straight.
I’ve always been hit or miss with Peter Swanson’s books. Glad to report this latest one was definitely a hit. Loved the heavy suspense as each character was picked off, hoping the police would solve this murderous case before my favorite was taken out!🙈
A fun buddy read with Susanne as we both rooted for our favorite characters survival!🤣
Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Thank you to Sam Glatt at Scene of the Crime and William Morrow and Custom House
All random. No one knows who the other names belong to. Or for that matter, why their own name is on that list. And trust me folks…this is one list you don’t want to be on!
One-by-one, people on the list are systematically singled out. Never knowing when their number would be up. So who is behind this list? And what is their end-game?
The storyline unfolds from the perspective of all nine characters as well as the police. Yikes! The thought of keeping all those POV’s straight had me shaking in my shoes!
But….at the very beginning of the book the author gives us a list of all the main characters (thank goodness)! I actually made screenshots for Susanne and myself. And found myself referring back to them until the characters developed more and I could keep them all straight.
I’ve always been hit or miss with Peter Swanson’s books. Glad to report this latest one was definitely a hit. Loved the heavy suspense as each character was picked off, hoping the police would solve this murderous case before my favorite was taken out!🙈
A fun buddy read with Susanne as we both rooted for our favorite characters survival!🤣
Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Thank you to Sam Glatt at Scene of the Crime and William Morrow and Custom House
February 27, 2022
An entertaining mystery, which played homage to Agatha Christie
9 strangers,
1 list,
1 found dead,
Will this be they last letter they all receive?
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.
Published 1st March
✉️✉️✉️
Many thanks to Netgalley and Faber and Faber Ltd. for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review
9 strangers,
1 list,
1 found dead,
Will this be they last letter they all receive?
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.
Published 1st March
✉️✉️✉️
Many thanks to Netgalley and Faber and Faber Ltd. for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review
March 18, 2022
Nine individuals receive a list of nine names printed on a sheet of paper in the mail. One of the names on the list is their own and the remaining eight are names of random strangers - the present owner of a family-owned inn, an FBI agent, the mistress of a rich man, a struggling actor, a suburban dad, an English professor, a retired businessman, an oncology nurse and a singer-songwriter- two of whom are female and the remaining seven male, each of whom reside in different locations across the country and have no apparent connection, either personally or professionally.
Junk mail? Advertising gimmick? A harmless prank? Apparently not.
When one of the people on the list is murdered quickly followed by another, it becomes clear to FBI Agent Jessica Winslow (whose name also features on the list) that the list is essentially a hit list - every one of those nine people is marked to be murdered. The FBI tries to locate the remaining potential victims and provide protection which proves to be a difficult and time-consuming task with nothing to go on but their names. Even those who are identified and provided protection are not safe with a killer on the loose who will leave no stone unturned in finishing off his intended victims. Though the FBI is heading the investigation, Detective Sam Hamilton of Kennewick, Maine (the location where the first murder took place), who also knew the first victim, has some theories of his own which he diligently pursues.
Is there any connection between the victims? Is this the work of a serial killer? Will they be able to catch the perpetrator before he/she is successful in accomplishing what he/she has set out to do or will it be too late?
The narrative follows the potential victims and gives us a glimpse into their lives and how knowing they are on a killer's target list impacts them. With multiple PoVs (thankfully the chapters are short and concise) and an engaging narrative, though a bit disjointed between chapters, Peter Swanson’s Nine Lives is an interesting read. Chapter numbers in descending order was an effective narrative device. It is admirable when an author pays homage to another author especially one as prolific as the Queen of Crime, Dame Agatha Christie. However, even if you haven’t read the Christie novel mentioned in the narrative, in light of Detective Hamilton drawing parallels between the case and Christie’s works of fiction (more than once in the narrative) and using the plot points to unravel the mystery behind the murders and the identity of the suspect, much of the eventual reveal feels anti-climactic. Was it absolutely necessary to spoil the suspense for readers who are yet to read the Agatha Christie novel in question and considerably diminish the suspense in the present novel in the process?
What also bothered me was that despite the FBI taking over the investigation, there really isn't much mention of the FBI's investigative efforts directed towards catching the culprit beyond a certain point, with the narrative focusing mostly on the lives of the victims and the acts of murder. If you carefully follow the narrative from the very beginning, you'll notice some not-so-subtle hints that are very revealing, even before the first murder takes place. It wasn’t difficult to guess the identity of the culprit and the logic linking the murders was not quite convincing. This was my first Peter Swanson novel and while it has its merits, overall I found it to be an average read and a tad disappointing in the suspense department.
I won an ARC of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway and would like to thank the author and publisher for the opportunity to read and review the same . All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Junk mail? Advertising gimmick? A harmless prank? Apparently not.
When one of the people on the list is murdered quickly followed by another, it becomes clear to FBI Agent Jessica Winslow (whose name also features on the list) that the list is essentially a hit list - every one of those nine people is marked to be murdered. The FBI tries to locate the remaining potential victims and provide protection which proves to be a difficult and time-consuming task with nothing to go on but their names. Even those who are identified and provided protection are not safe with a killer on the loose who will leave no stone unturned in finishing off his intended victims. Though the FBI is heading the investigation, Detective Sam Hamilton of Kennewick, Maine (the location where the first murder took place), who also knew the first victim, has some theories of his own which he diligently pursues.
Is there any connection between the victims? Is this the work of a serial killer? Will they be able to catch the perpetrator before he/she is successful in accomplishing what he/she has set out to do or will it be too late?
The narrative follows the potential victims and gives us a glimpse into their lives and how knowing they are on a killer's target list impacts them. With multiple PoVs (thankfully the chapters are short and concise) and an engaging narrative, though a bit disjointed between chapters, Peter Swanson’s Nine Lives is an interesting read. Chapter numbers in descending order was an effective narrative device. It is admirable when an author pays homage to another author especially one as prolific as the Queen of Crime, Dame Agatha Christie. However, even if you haven’t read the Christie novel mentioned in the narrative, in light of Detective Hamilton drawing parallels between the case and Christie’s works of fiction (more than once in the narrative) and using the plot points to unravel the mystery behind the murders and the identity of the suspect, much of the eventual reveal feels anti-climactic. Was it absolutely necessary to spoil the suspense for readers who are yet to read the Agatha Christie novel in question and considerably diminish the suspense in the present novel in the process?
What also bothered me was that despite the FBI taking over the investigation, there really isn't much mention of the FBI's investigative efforts directed towards catching the culprit beyond a certain point, with the narrative focusing mostly on the lives of the victims and the acts of murder. If you carefully follow the narrative from the very beginning, you'll notice some not-so-subtle hints that are very revealing, even before the first murder takes place. It wasn’t difficult to guess the identity of the culprit and the logic linking the murders was not quite convincing. This was my first Peter Swanson novel and while it has its merits, overall I found it to be an average read and a tad disappointing in the suspense department.
I won an ARC of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway and would like to thank the author and publisher for the opportunity to read and review the same . All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
March 13, 2022
And then there was........a new thriller by Peter Swanson!! Yes please!
First off- anyone that knows me...will know that Peter Swanson is in fact my favorite author. There is something almost magical about getting lost in his books. They are always fast, twisted and oh so entertaining. His latest being Nine Lives is no different. Perfection! Oh so clever!
Nine names on a list....your name is one...the FBI assures you there is nothing to worry about...yet there is...you see.... you are marked for dead...except you don't know it....yet...until people on the list...start dying...
I loved that we are provided a list of the characters....and the list is updated as each name drops off... I made my own list and checked them off ...one by one....I had so many questions!!! What did these people do to get on this list??? Why does it seem so random?? What is going on???
In typical Peter Swanson fashion- he put in one heck of a twist. Actually.... a couple- that I never saw coming. He kept me guessing all the way until the end! Again! I actually was so floored at the one twist that I was like...What?! Why did I not see that coming?
If you have not picked up a Peter Swanson book, I can't recommend them enough! He is the master of thrillers in my personal opinion. Fast, action packed and always an amazing twist!
This book is out March 15th so the wait is almost over! Again thank you so very much to bibliolifestyle and WillamMorrow for my gorgeous gifted copy!
First off- anyone that knows me...will know that Peter Swanson is in fact my favorite author. There is something almost magical about getting lost in his books. They are always fast, twisted and oh so entertaining. His latest being Nine Lives is no different. Perfection! Oh so clever!
Nine names on a list....your name is one...the FBI assures you there is nothing to worry about...yet there is...you see.... you are marked for dead...except you don't know it....yet...until people on the list...start dying...
I loved that we are provided a list of the characters....and the list is updated as each name drops off... I made my own list and checked them off ...one by one....I had so many questions!!! What did these people do to get on this list??? Why does it seem so random?? What is going on???
In typical Peter Swanson fashion- he put in one heck of a twist. Actually.... a couple- that I never saw coming. He kept me guessing all the way until the end! Again! I actually was so floored at the one twist that I was like...What?! Why did I not see that coming?
If you have not picked up a Peter Swanson book, I can't recommend them enough! He is the master of thrillers in my personal opinion. Fast, action packed and always an amazing twist!
This book is out March 15th so the wait is almost over! Again thank you so very much to bibliolifestyle and WillamMorrow for my gorgeous gifted copy!
November 16, 2021
4-5 stars
Following on from Eight Perfect Murders we now have Nine Lives, nine names on a list sent to each one. Nine names, nine strangers, it’s cryptic and puzzling so most of them dismiss it and throw the note away. That is an elderly man, Frank Hopkins is the first name on the list to die on a beach in Kennewick, Maine. The second to die is a father of two, shot whilst out of his morning run. Now the authorities and most of those on the list are paying attention. FBI agent Jessica Wilmslow, who is also on the list, is determined to find out who is behind this crime as is Detective Sam Hamilton who is involved in the investigation into Franks death. What is the connection between them, if indeed there is one? The race is on as the countdown to none accelerates.
This is a very enticing mystery with the author taking you by the hand into the intrigue and keeping a firm grip. It’s a clever, complex plot with multiple points of view which works extremely well in this skilled writers hand and it flows seamlessly from one to the other. It goes on the countdown to from Nine to One which I like as you hope against hope that the trend will be bucked. The chapters are short, sharp and very focused. There is nothing unnecessary, the premise remains clear throughout and despite the almost sparsity of the narrative the characters are extremely well portrayed and you know who you like or don’t. The pace is consistent throughout, there are no moments when it drops away. I absolutely love the frequent book references especially to Agatha Christies ‘ And then there were none’ and here the role of Sam Hamilton plays a key role via his grandmother in North Yorkshire (👍!!) who gives him a love for the mystery writer. It’s only towards the end the penny drops for me, kudos Peter Swanson and maybe the reason is a bit of a stretch but I enjoy it and that’s what counts. I love the use of Peter Pan in the ending and I really like how the book ends.
Overall, it’s another winner for me from an author who style of writing is one I especially enjoy and I always look forward to reading what he comes up with next.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially the Faber and Faber Ltd for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Following on from Eight Perfect Murders we now have Nine Lives, nine names on a list sent to each one. Nine names, nine strangers, it’s cryptic and puzzling so most of them dismiss it and throw the note away. That is an elderly man, Frank Hopkins is the first name on the list to die on a beach in Kennewick, Maine. The second to die is a father of two, shot whilst out of his morning run. Now the authorities and most of those on the list are paying attention. FBI agent Jessica Wilmslow, who is also on the list, is determined to find out who is behind this crime as is Detective Sam Hamilton who is involved in the investigation into Franks death. What is the connection between them, if indeed there is one? The race is on as the countdown to none accelerates.
This is a very enticing mystery with the author taking you by the hand into the intrigue and keeping a firm grip. It’s a clever, complex plot with multiple points of view which works extremely well in this skilled writers hand and it flows seamlessly from one to the other. It goes on the countdown to from Nine to One which I like as you hope against hope that the trend will be bucked. The chapters are short, sharp and very focused. There is nothing unnecessary, the premise remains clear throughout and despite the almost sparsity of the narrative the characters are extremely well portrayed and you know who you like or don’t. The pace is consistent throughout, there are no moments when it drops away. I absolutely love the frequent book references especially to Agatha Christies ‘ And then there were none’ and here the role of Sam Hamilton plays a key role via his grandmother in North Yorkshire (👍!!) who gives him a love for the mystery writer. It’s only towards the end the penny drops for me, kudos Peter Swanson and maybe the reason is a bit of a stretch but I enjoy it and that’s what counts. I love the use of Peter Pan in the ending and I really like how the book ends.
Overall, it’s another winner for me from an author who style of writing is one I especially enjoy and I always look forward to reading what he comes up with next.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially the Faber and Faber Ltd for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
March 2, 2022
Who’s Who.
It’s a list to die for…
When nine people receive a printed list with their name among the other eight, they’re understandably perplexed. There’s no explanation and no tie to the others listed. A few wonder but carelessly toss the paper in the waste.
When the first person dies, it’s not certain that it wasn't an accident. However the second person was most definitely murdered and the FBI and police begin asking questions. Then they take notice.
There are multiple characters in addition to the nine names so I wrote a cheat sheet from the opening page to avoid scrolling back to reference. Flipping pages to the front of a physical book is an easy process, but more arduous in an electronic book because I rarely seem able to find my exact place again.
My compilation came in handy though as I crossed off the protagonists in order of elimination. While searching for answers, one indirect clue to the killer’s identity appeared, but for the life of me (idiom intended) I couldn’t discern how they were all connected.
I would recommend this as a quick escapism. If Beach Read married Thriller, this would be the offspring. While most of the characters were likable and didn’t deserve their fate, we wouldn’t have a story without a killer and victims so it’s not quite the light fare I’m describing. AND I like books with high body counts so this worked for my tastes.
So, live a little. And be happy to have been excluded this time around.
Another fun buddy read and engaging banter with MaryBeth, Pat, DeAnn, Marilyn and Jayme. The analysis and who sussed it out in advance of the conclusion (which I rarely do) is always a good time.
Thank you so much to Peter Swanson, William Morrow, and NetGalley for my electronic copy publishing on March 15, 2022.
P.S. I love idioms and hardly a review escapes me without using one. So just for fun, an alternate title with a nod to the chapter numerations and familiar sayings:
Countdown:
Going down like ninepins.
Behind the eight ball.
7th heaven.
Six feet under.
Five o’clock shadow.
Down on all Fours.
Three strikes and you’re out.
No two ways about it.
The one and only ___.
Ground Zero.
It’s a list to die for…
When nine people receive a printed list with their name among the other eight, they’re understandably perplexed. There’s no explanation and no tie to the others listed. A few wonder but carelessly toss the paper in the waste.
When the first person dies, it’s not certain that it wasn't an accident. However the second person was most definitely murdered and the FBI and police begin asking questions. Then they take notice.
There are multiple characters in addition to the nine names so I wrote a cheat sheet from the opening page to avoid scrolling back to reference. Flipping pages to the front of a physical book is an easy process, but more arduous in an electronic book because I rarely seem able to find my exact place again.
My compilation came in handy though as I crossed off the protagonists in order of elimination. While searching for answers, one indirect clue to the killer’s identity appeared, but for the life of me (idiom intended) I couldn’t discern how they were all connected.
I would recommend this as a quick escapism. If Beach Read married Thriller, this would be the offspring. While most of the characters were likable and didn’t deserve their fate, we wouldn’t have a story without a killer and victims so it’s not quite the light fare I’m describing. AND I like books with high body counts so this worked for my tastes.
So, live a little. And be happy to have been excluded this time around.
Another fun buddy read and engaging banter with MaryBeth, Pat, DeAnn, Marilyn and Jayme. The analysis and who sussed it out in advance of the conclusion (which I rarely do) is always a good time.
Thank you so much to Peter Swanson, William Morrow, and NetGalley for my electronic copy publishing on March 15, 2022.
P.S. I love idioms and hardly a review escapes me without using one. So just for fun, an alternate title with a nod to the chapter numerations and familiar sayings:
Countdown:
Going down like ninepins.
Behind the eight ball.
7th heaven.
Six feet under.
Five o’clock shadow.
Down on all Fours.
Three strikes and you’re out.
No two ways about it.
The one and only ___.
Ground Zero.
April 12, 2023
I flew through this! SO good.
January 3, 2022
Though I began reading this in 2021, sadly I couldn’t finish it in time so I am starting off 2022 with a 1 star.
~ Quick Summary ~
9 strangers receive a letter containing 9 names including their own. Then, when those very people start to die, there is a clear target on that list. But why?
~ Pick this up if you enjoy/don’t mind the following ~
🧑🤝🧑 MANY characters and POVs (I’m talking several).
🐢 Slow pace.
~ What I didn’t enjoy ~
There were 7 too many POVs for me (2-3 is a sweet spot for me). My biggest fear was that we would go through all 9 characters…and it did, plus a few extras. At least when a character gets wiped out there are less POVs. We get a very high level overview of each one so it's not enough for me to connect, I don’t remember their significance and therefore I couldn’t care less about all of them.
The plot progression was dull and disjointed. There was barely any active investigation, we were teased briefly but it was so insubstantial it did not pique my interest whatsoever. Instead we jump all over the place to different POVs and meander through their mundane lives. In between the deaths it felt like absolutely nothing was progressing.
The reason behind the letter and the killings was so anticlimactic. Unless I missed some details that flew by my head due to struggling to concentrate, you can’t figure out who or why because the information is simply withheld (so I’d be interested to know if anyone actually figured it out! If so, you are a wizard!). Also, the reason wasn't explored or fleshed out whatsoever, I was simply told why rather than shown and slowly build up to it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Fable and Fable for this ARC.
~ Quick Summary ~
9 strangers receive a letter containing 9 names including their own. Then, when those very people start to die, there is a clear target on that list. But why?
~ Pick this up if you enjoy/don’t mind the following ~
🧑🤝🧑 MANY characters and POVs (I’m talking several).
🐢 Slow pace.
~ What I didn’t enjoy ~
There were 7 too many POVs for me (2-3 is a sweet spot for me). My biggest fear was that we would go through all 9 characters…and it did, plus a few extras. At least when a character gets wiped out there are less POVs. We get a very high level overview of each one so it's not enough for me to connect, I don’t remember their significance and therefore I couldn’t care less about all of them.
The plot progression was dull and disjointed. There was barely any active investigation, we were teased briefly but it was so insubstantial it did not pique my interest whatsoever. Instead we jump all over the place to different POVs and meander through their mundane lives. In between the deaths it felt like absolutely nothing was progressing.
The reason behind the letter and the killings was so anticlimactic. Unless I missed some details that flew by my head due to struggling to concentrate, you can’t figure out who or why because the information is simply withheld (so I’d be interested to know if anyone actually figured it out! If so, you are a wizard!). Also, the reason wasn't explored or fleshed out whatsoever, I was simply told why rather than shown and slowly build up to it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Fable and Fable for this ARC.
March 15, 2022
NOW AVAILABLE!!!
i'm not gonna talk about the plot, i'm just gonna talk about my reaction to the motive, and i'm going to be as courteous as possible, so i don't spill too many beans.
okay, so WHAT? why are we killing here? because the ████████?
that dog don't hunt.
seriously, we're going with ████████? first of all, the math on that doesn't wash: how does murdering nine innocent people ████████████? is this inflation?
i have numbered my grievances:
1) not all of the nine ████████ were equally ████ in ████, but all ████ the same ████.
2) ████████████████
3) how does taking the lives of nine (mostly) nice people ████ to a ████ if the ████████ jerks. how does killing a gentle grieving gay health care worker ████ "enthusiastically fascistic" ████ who'd already ████ which, yes, is addressed, but when the answer to a question is "because," it doesn't take you very far down that road to understanding.
4) it is ALWAYS creepy to ████ under ████████████████ whether or not you murder them afterwards.
5) ████. seriously.
it's pretty clichéd to punish ████████████ by ████, but it's even worse because most of the victims were ████████████ so who's being ████ here?. ditto for a ████ with ████. and maybe for the ████, if the ████ genetic legacy more than emotional weight. but that one doesn't matter, right because I HAVE ANOTHER NOTE:
if you're going to catch the reader off-guard by ████████████ - the only one taken out by a contract killer - earlier in the book than would typically be the case, don't ruin that win by ████████
and you're really gonna hide your confession in a ████ in a ████ in the ████? that's the culmination of your painstaking planning and execution? (no pun intended)
but i suppose we can write off all the flawed logic as ████, right? what a tepid end to a pretty hooky book.
ugh.
*************************
i'm giving this three stars because it was a fun, fast read. swanson is good at devising an interesting premise and setting up a puzzle, i love how often he namedrops other books and authors, and the head-spinning number of POV characters keeps the reader turning those pages, scene-change after scene-change, but that motive? that master plan? the WHY behind the book's existence?
i'll dig into this one more as soon as i can, but it's disappointing when a book starts out fun and then poops its pants at the end.
come to my blog!
i'm not gonna talk about the plot, i'm just gonna talk about my reaction to the motive, and i'm going to be as courteous as possible, so i don't spill too many beans.
okay, so WHAT? why are we killing here? because the ████████?
that dog don't hunt.
seriously, we're going with ████████? first of all, the math on that doesn't wash: how does murdering nine innocent people ████████████? is this inflation?
i have numbered my grievances:
1) not all of the nine ████████ were equally ████ in ████, but all ████ the same ████.
2) ████████████████
3) how does taking the lives of nine (mostly) nice people ████ to a ████ if the ████████ jerks. how does killing a gentle grieving gay health care worker ████ "enthusiastically fascistic" ████ who'd already ████ which, yes, is addressed, but when the answer to a question is "because," it doesn't take you very far down that road to understanding.
4) it is ALWAYS creepy to ████ under ████████████████ whether or not you murder them afterwards.
5) ████. seriously.
it's pretty clichéd to punish ████████████ by ████, but it's even worse because most of the victims were ████████████ so who's being ████ here?. ditto for a ████ with ████. and maybe for the ████, if the ████ genetic legacy more than emotional weight. but that one doesn't matter, right because I HAVE ANOTHER NOTE:
if you're going to catch the reader off-guard by ████████████ - the only one taken out by a contract killer - earlier in the book than would typically be the case, don't ruin that win by ████████
and you're really gonna hide your confession in a ████ in a ████ in the ████? that's the culmination of your painstaking planning and execution? (no pun intended)
but i suppose we can write off all the flawed logic as ████, right? what a tepid end to a pretty hooky book.
ugh.
*************************
i'm giving this three stars because it was a fun, fast read. swanson is good at devising an interesting premise and setting up a puzzle, i love how often he namedrops other books and authors, and the head-spinning number of POV characters keeps the reader turning those pages, scene-change after scene-change, but that motive? that master plan? the WHY behind the book's existence?
i'll dig into this one more as soon as i can, but it's disappointing when a book starts out fun and then poops its pants at the end.
come to my blog!
March 11, 2023
EXCERPT: She opened the wine and poured herself a glass, then looked through her mail. Two catalogues, an Amex bill, and an envelope with no return address. She opened it, curious, and pulled out a single folded sheet of paper, and stared at a list of names.
Matthew Beaumont
Jay Coates
Ethan Dart
Caroline Geddes
Frank Hopkins
Alison Horne
Arthur Kruse
Jack Radebaugh
Jessica Winslow
She frowned and pressed the sheet of paper flat onto the coffee table, telling herself that she'd show it to Jonathan. A shiver went over her skin, and she shook out her limbs to make it stop. There was something vaguely threatening about receiving a list of names with no explanation.
ABOUT 'NINE LIVES': If you're on the list you're marked for death.
The envelope is unremarkable. There is no return address. It contains a single, folded, sheet of white paper.
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.
But why?
MY THOUGHTS: Gripping and fascinating. An avid Christie fan, I have to admit that I greatly prefer Swanson's Nine Lives to Christie's And Then There Were None, which is made reference to often.
Nine Lives is a quick easy read that will give your little grey cells a workout. There is a list of characters complete with a brief bio of each at the beginning of the book, and I bookmarked this for quick reference, although I hardly used it. Swanson has defined his characters well, and they are not easy to confuse.
What is puzzling is the lack of connections between this disparate group of people, none of whom know the others.
The story is told via the points of view of all nine people on the list, plus the investigating officers. Sam is an absolute honey.
The author doesn't scatter many clues about - we are kept largely in the dark, garnering information only as Sam or the
FBI agents discover it. But there is the occasional clue to be found if you look hard enough.
I was greatly entertained and intrigued by Nine Lives, which kept me guessing and theorizing throughout. I enjoyed the ending.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.4
#NineLives #NetGalley
I: @petermswanson @faberbooks
T: @PeterSwanson3 @FaberBooks
#contemporaryfiction #crime #detectivefiction #murdermystery #mystery #suspense
THE AUTHOR: A graduate of Trinity College, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and Emerson College, Peter Swanson lives in Somerville, Massachusetts with his wife and cat.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Faber and Faber Limited via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Nine Lives by Peter Swanson for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
Matthew Beaumont
Jay Coates
Ethan Dart
Caroline Geddes
Frank Hopkins
Alison Horne
Arthur Kruse
Jack Radebaugh
Jessica Winslow
She frowned and pressed the sheet of paper flat onto the coffee table, telling herself that she'd show it to Jonathan. A shiver went over her skin, and she shook out her limbs to make it stop. There was something vaguely threatening about receiving a list of names with no explanation.
ABOUT 'NINE LIVES': If you're on the list you're marked for death.
The envelope is unremarkable. There is no return address. It contains a single, folded, sheet of white paper.
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.
But why?
MY THOUGHTS: Gripping and fascinating. An avid Christie fan, I have to admit that I greatly prefer Swanson's Nine Lives to Christie's And Then There Were None, which is made reference to often.
Nine Lives is a quick easy read that will give your little grey cells a workout. There is a list of characters complete with a brief bio of each at the beginning of the book, and I bookmarked this for quick reference, although I hardly used it. Swanson has defined his characters well, and they are not easy to confuse.
What is puzzling is the lack of connections between this disparate group of people, none of whom know the others.
The story is told via the points of view of all nine people on the list, plus the investigating officers. Sam is an absolute honey.
The author doesn't scatter many clues about - we are kept largely in the dark, garnering information only as Sam or the
FBI agents discover it. But there is the occasional clue to be found if you look hard enough.
I was greatly entertained and intrigued by Nine Lives, which kept me guessing and theorizing throughout. I enjoyed the ending.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.4
#NineLives #NetGalley
I: @petermswanson @faberbooks
T: @PeterSwanson3 @FaberBooks
#contemporaryfiction #crime #detectivefiction #murdermystery #mystery #suspense
THE AUTHOR: A graduate of Trinity College, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and Emerson College, Peter Swanson lives in Somerville, Massachusetts with his wife and cat.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Faber and Faber Limited via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Nine Lives by Peter Swanson for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
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