Pretty amazing, although as a biotech grad living in Melbourne this might just have been written for me (and maybe only me)!

The first half is ridiculously slow. We hear the back story of who all the characters are and their connection with a dead Vietnamese doctor and a drug trial

Then whoosh it takes off running and we have a Big Little Lies (In Biotech) novel. A Case of Need, a medical thriller, a "but what really happened" point of view mystery.
Delicious.

I didn't see how the end could wrap up, it reminded me of One of Us Is Lying (In a Laboratory) when it takes a swift left turn from where you think it's heading

Miles is that guy you can't stand in real life but I found myself in his corner for this one. Rosa was the most relatable but sometimes an insufferable stereotype
The novel made me nostalgic for 2006 and the biotech boom. Good times.

I thought the story sounded totally intriguing. A brilliant scientist is killed after he has just signed a deal to distribute a drug which will be a massive advance in medical treatments for millions.

We hear the story of this brilliant medical researcher Dung Pham through the eyes of five different characters. At first I was really caught up in the story. The refugee boy who was rescued with his mother after surviving awful circumstances. His almost adoption into a rich Australian family so that he had the best educational opportunities, it was all fascinating. And then it wasn't. I got lost in the number of characters, I found far too many of them unlikeable and I kept putting this book off to read other things.

This one wasn't for me sadly.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

This was a mind-blowing read. It's rare enough to find a novel set in my hometown, with familiar locations and references to real events, but to have one with such a compelling story as well? Fantastic!
This was a gripping read, a real page turner to keep you wondering and an immensely satisfying end. The characters were well written and familiar, the pacing excellent and the science approachable for the layperson. (I even read the authors notes, which I never do, to find out more about the real case that inspired the novel.) Highly recommended!

Review posted to Goodreads and Instagram

I struggled with the narrative structure. The 8 perspectives, presented as they were, fragmented my understanding and appreciation rather than what the author was intending it to do. The narrative was well written. The characters well drawn and engaging. The story-line relevant and interesting. However, a narrative structure that will appeal to many did not ‘jell’ with me and battled increasing frustration.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review..

This was a difficult book to initially get into. It is told from the perspective of many characters which was very confusing at first, it wasn’t easy to get someone clear in your mind. However once I did get to know them I began to understand and enjoy the story. While all the characters were certainly not likeable, they enriched the narrative and were able to show the many sides to the central story of medical research and the pitfalls and politics involved.

Certainly worth reading as it this a world we rarely think about but which really affects us all.

Eight Lives is definitely not a book for the faint hearted, as it open describes the cruelty of man and what happens behind closed doors to provide consumers with the next wonder drug. Obviously this is a drama/suspense, but the reality portrayed is confronting and hard to ignore; so be prepared for the troubling paragraphs that openly detail the atrocities that befall the animals that are used to trial these drugs, before human trails begin.

For those of you who love a good mystery, this is definitely going to be a winner, as the investigation is engrossing, and the unanticipated turn of events is mind-blowing! I highly recommend Eight Lives as a story that is all consuming, but more than that, it will make the reader question their own morale values and what is acceptable behaviour in the name of science. For me personally the book was devastating, but intriguing, and I will definitely be seeking out more books by this talented author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Susan Hurley and Affirm Press for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

See GoodReads for an overview of this book!

I thought this book was fantastic. It gripped me from the very first page and I had to keep reading to find out what happened. I thought I had the book cracked at 79%, but nope - I did not see the full extent of the ending coming - even after I started googling some medical facts.

The book is told from different perspectives, and it was obvious from their distinct voices, which persons view you were reading from. Not all characters are likeable, but it doesn't take away from the book at all. It just makes the book even better in my opinion.

This book probably isn't for you if you're squeamish - I don't reaaaalllly consider myself to be, but I definitely shuddered at a few passages and made a few weird noises when I was reading a few certain passages with my kindle at arm's length instead of right in my face..

This book is an easy 5 stars for me - I thought it slowed down slightly in the middle but the beginning and the and were just totally unputdownable.

This medical thriller was a fascinating look into the world of big pharma. The plot is fast paced and the story is told from various characters perspectives but never through the eyes of the main character. Disturbing and thought provoking.

Eight Lives is the based on a true story of a drug trial gone bad. Set in Australia, the "Golden Boy" doctor responsible for the trial dies under bizarre circumstances. He was working on an immunology drug. The story is told through multiple perspectives, and it's easy to get lost. Each voice is distinct with some likeable and others not. The characters have some relatable qualities and complex interactions and situations. The stakes are high in drug trials, and when things go bad, they go really bad. The story is engaging and suspenseful. As it unfolds, there are many twists and turns to keep you guessing. It's also informative about the process and procedures of some drug trials. It's also terrible in many ways. Honestly, I found it disturbing and fascinating because there is truth in this story. That truth is difficult to process. It's just the very nature of medicine and pharmaceutical companies and the corruption therein. It's a shady business at best with the profit based on human lives, and it disgusts me. The story is a good reminder of how pharma rules the world. It's an excellent read for everyone. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

A fascinating tale that kept me reading about the world of drug development and patient trials to say nothing of the hierarchical nature of the medical and academic world. The main character David is brilliant but has a lot of secrets about his private and family life. The story had a lot of twists and turns and just when you thought you were getting to the bottom of things another twist appeared.
I liked his friend Miles but I found it difficult to believe that Miles’ family would take David into the family home and pay David’s family for the privilege- that just didn’t ring true to me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Story line was very good. Back story to each characters were full; however, it was hard to follow each story characters' point of view the way it was written. Then to add on top of that the story went back and forth between the present and the past. From the beginning, I kind of guess that the "miracle" drug was not so much of a miracle. The story developed very slowly to the point as the reader, I wanted to give up.

This book is a great example of why it's great to receive such great reads from NetGalley (Thank you)! A complex, well-told mystery with science and tradgedy and great twists. This book is unique in several ways -- the different perspective, the weaving of the plot, and a great conclusion. Recommended!

Former refugee David Tran becomes the Golden Boy of Australian medical research and invents a drug that could transform immunology. Eight volunteers are recruited for the first human trial, a crucial step on the path to global fame for David and windfall gains for his investors. But when David dies in baffling circumstances, motives are put under the microscope.

With its origins in a real-life drug trial that ended in tragedy, EIGHT LIVES is told from the perspectives of David’s friends, family and business associates, who all played a role in his downfall. **from Goodreads**

Thank you NetGalley and Affirm Press for the eARC.
The 'Golden Boy' of medical research in Melbourne, Australia who supposedly came up with a wonder drug for immune diseases, dies in mysterious circumstances.
The story leading up to his death is told by several voices. He and his mother were 'boat people's who came to Australia after surviving a perilous boat trip. The book is excellent, a mystery set in the shadowy world of Big Pharma, a world that is filled with the promise of big money and people who work hard to find drugs that not only save and ease lives, but promises fame and fortune. There are passages that were quite shocking to me; the trials conducted on animals before human trials begin are graphically horrendous, I'm having a hard time processing them. The ethical questions are difficult to answer, but the fact that people can jeer and laugh at any creature in unspeakable pain as is described in the book made my blood boil. It's certainly an eye opener.
The solving of his death was incredible, what an unexpected turn of events!
So well written and informative, this book will stay with me for quite a while and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves a good, intelligent mystery.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.

This is a great read! It's a thriller that keeps a cracking pace. Set in Melbourne, the story reveals the ways wealth and power operate in Australia, the supposedly 'classless society.'

The story revolves around a medical prodigy who invented a wonder drug which will save the lives of many. But before the drug can be trialed the talented doctor is killed in bizarre circumstances. Eight Lives is told from several different perspectives, each unlikable and sympathetic at different times as the motivations and inadequacies behind their actions are brought to light.

Sometimes I find twists in thrillers are often a bit obvious but I did not see this one coming. I wasn't sure how I felt about the climax at first but it left me thinking for days.

Eight Lives is worth reading if you enjoyed The Dry by Jane Harper and We're All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler and The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas,