Nine Lives

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When she reaches out to her cousin, he proclaims his innocence and calms her nerves...until she comes across disturbing objects hidden in the apartment—and accidently learns that Corbin is not where he says he is. Could Corbin be a killer? And what about Alan? Kate finds herself drawn to this appealing man who seems so sincere, yet she isn’t sure. Jetlagged and emotionally unstable, her imagination full of dark images caused by the terror of her past, Kate can barely trust herself...So how could she take the chance on a stranger she’s just met? 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. Maybe if he hadn't waited so long? Maybe if he had let the loved ones know what he was doing and why? 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. The ever entertaining Peter Swanson pays tribute to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None amongst other crime classics in this lively novel. Nine people across the country each receive a list containing their name along with eight others, none of which they recognise. Reactions to it vary with some assuming it’s automated junk mail, one using it as the inspiration for a song and others momentarily perturbed. For FBI agent Jessica Winslow, whose name is on the list and receives a copy at her Albany office, curiosity is her business. Identifying the eight other recipients isn’t quite as simple as it might sound given they are distributed countrywide with differing economic circumstances and professions, although most seem to be in their thirties or early forties. Despite Jessica having a vague recollection of her father mentioning an Art Kruse, she knows it can’t possibly be the thirty-something oncology nurse, Arthur Kruse, whose copy of the letter is retrieved by his local field office. The task takes on a new sense of urgency when seventy-two-year-old Frank Hopkins, longtime resident of Maine and owner of the Windward Resort, is discovered having been forcibly drowned and with a scrunched up copy of the letter in his hand. And when a second death follows, and then a third, the list of nine names starts to look ominously like a death list with the connection between the remaining individuals staying worrying elusive as the body count rises.

There was always something slightly dangerous about Joan. So, when she turns up at private investigator Henry Kimball’s office asking him to investigate her husband, he can’t help feeling ill at ease. Just the sight of her stirs up a chilling memory: he knew Joan in his previous life as a high school English teacher, when he was at the center of a tragedy. 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. 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. strangers who receive it - each of them recognising just one name, their own, on the enclosed list - it

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 author doesn't scatter many clues about - we are kept largely in the dark, garnering information only as Sam or the 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. 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.

Ted talks about his marriage that’s going stale and his wife Miranda, who he’s sure is cheating on him. Ted and his wife were a mismatch from the start—he the rich businessman, she the artistic free spirit—a contrast that once inflamed their passion, but has now become a cliché. I especially liked Hamilton, who instantly sees the correlation between what is happening and Dame Agatha’s novel. So much so, in fact, that he actually reads the book twice while working the case. He is even astute enough to recall its two original titles, both of which were scrapped for being racially insensitive, and the role it plays in the story itself. 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. His ninth and most recent novel, The Kind Worth Saving, a sequel to The Kind Worth Killing, was released in March 2023. [2] Local police forces along with the FBI become involved seeking to protect the dwindling members of the list, which includes FBI agent Jessica Winslow.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. 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. 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! Maybe two-thirds or three-quarters through the book, the killer’s motive starts to become clearer. And, well, I had questions.