Nine Lives: A Novel

This was a really good book, but I sort of disliked the way the mystery unraveled. It wasn't terrible, but it definitely could've been better. Other than that minor complaint this was a page turner. The ultimate story of revenge and retribution. I'll be reading more by this author!

Nine Lives had me going from the very beginning! First of all, what a great narrative tool to have the parts counting backwards. That made you know that somehow, within the chapters of those parts, at least one person would not make it to the end of each. The tension! Even after the "Who" & the "Why" start to slowly piece together late in the reading, there is a huge plot twist that stops you with a screeching halt. Wait, What?? LOVE when that happens! My only critique is the very last chapter. It felt like an epilogue of sorts. I can't say much without risking a spoiler & I certainly don't want to do that. I just felt that it was wholly unnecessary & a little incredulous. The story was quite complete and satisfying without it. And I can only think of 2 reasons for it to have been added on. But again, to propose my theories would be spoiler territory. Sorry. You won't hear it from me, LOL!! Even with that, I so thoroughly enjoyed this book! Will look into the author's other novels. Very highly recommended!

For me it was so hard to keep all the names straight and by the time the reveal happened I felt so lost.

Nine perfect strangers receive a mysterious note listing their names. At first, most dismiss it, but when one person on the list appears to have drowned in Kennewick, Maine, Detective Sam Hamilton senses something is wrong. The next day, a second person on the list is shot. The FBI gets involved quickly—because Jessica Winslow, an FBI agent, is also on the list. It becomes clear that whoever is behind the list wants them all dead, but why? They seem to have nothing in common—or do they? I appreciate this homage to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. Peter Swanson provides a subtle clue about the murderer’s identity, yet one of the twists caught me completely off guard. I wouldn’t say this was my favorite of Peter Swanson’s books, but the plot kept me engaged. Cliffhanger: No 3.5/5 Fangs

Eight Perfect Murders was my first Peter Swanson book and it blew my mind with the inventive way it used books-as-plot. Then, someone told me about The Kind Worth Killing which was published in 2015. I was late, but I was hooked. Nine Lives, which is not a sequel to Eight Perfect Murders (aka Rules for Perfect Murders), is the one that had me emotionally attached. Earlier today, a picture of the book appeared on a fellow bookstagrammer’s page and I quickly commented “this book is breaking my heart rn.” Nine names appear on a list. … and nine must die. It is an homage to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None (Swanson deftly handles the dirty laundry and problematic history of its title). He also goes to great lengths to ensure we do not forget. One of his characters is a Christie buff. I pitied a couple of Christie’s characters; most notably Vera, and I wanted Lombard/Morley to win; but never felt supremely attached to them. Although I read the book, I visualize the movie, which unfortunately, in my favorite version (1965) crapped out because Vera and Lombard live. This also occurred in the 1974 version. Nevertheless, Swanson makes you feel our nine have a chance. Two die early – I’m not giving anything away by telling you this; c’mon now, someone’s got to die. But there’s also a surge of hope. There’s police protection. The FBI gets involved. What could go wrong? The ages of the nine vary. There are men on the list as well as women. Swanson gives you just enough back story to loathe the budding psychopath and adore a fledgling romance. We’re in New England again and Swanson uses the weather; cold, wet, dreary, to great effect. I was particularly struck by his ability to make you care while simultaneously prolonging the inevitable. The inside flap calls Nine Lives ‘heart-pounding.’ I call it heart-wrenching.

Nine lives had a captivating plot, but I with so many characters and the changing POVs, it felt like none of them were fully developed. I enjoyed the book, the twists, and the overall arc of the story, but it fell a little short when compared with Peter Swanson’s other novels. The mystery was intriguing and I loved the ending. It’s definitely worth the read, but if you’ve read his others, know that it has a different feel to it.

When I finally got to this book, I couldn’t remember what had made me put in on my list. It is something of a “remake” of an Agatha Christy I knew well, so usually I’d skip as “I’ve already read the Original gem”. I must have chosen it based on a strong review. Thank goodness I did! Yes it follows the pattern of Ten Little Indians (which had an original title I was completely unaware of!), but it is clever and engaging, well written, and kept my on my toes regarding where it would or would not overlap with the original story. A thoroughly enjoyable read!!

3.25 Stars: I’ve recently become such a Peter Swanson fan, albeit this is not my favorite book by PS. Nine random people are sent a list with their names plus eight others who are doomed to be murdered. Although there’s a murder per day, it was a wee bit of a slow burner for me and not very exciting or thrilling compared to his other books I’ve read.

A good storyline that keeps, one engaged right through … the later in any book you figure out the ending the better it is in my opinion. This book kept me guessing until close to the end, its well written and fast flowing easy to read.

I could hardly wait for it to be delivered to my kindle. It sounded really promising at the beginning, but I felt cheated at the end. The motive for the murders is implausible. I suspect that the editor was half asleep when they left the wrong name Caroline, which ought to be Alison, untouched on page 264.

Neun Namen stehen auf einer Todesliste. Was die neun Menschen gemeinsam haben und warum sie auf der Liste genannt sind, ist völlig unklar. Und dann stirbt der erste. Eine wunderbare Hommage an Agatha Christie und ihr Buch "and then there was none" (Das hieß zunächst anders, aber wer den Originaltitel nennt, wird von Amazon zensiert, albern...). Temporeicher geschrieben als das Werk der Altmeisterin, aber mit der gleichen boshaften Kreativität. Swansons Bücher sind immer wieder ein Genuss.

Un bon roman policier avec énigme , bien mené, aux personnages intéressants. J’ai oassé un bon moment un peu comme avec Agatha Christie .

A very good read. Thank you.