Peter Swanson has written some of my favorite thriller and suspense books. Nine Lives, his latest, falls under this genre. While it started a little slow, it picked up speed a little over halfway through. Then it moved so quickly that I was surprised when I finished the book!
Nine random people receive a list with their names and eight others. There is no explanation or clues as to who it is from or the significance of those names. One by one, each person is murdered, even when under police surveillance. Who is behind this and why? And while we’re on the subject of murders with numbers in them, you can rest assured that there are plenty of references to Agatha Christie.
At first, I was confused because many of the characters seemed similar, and I could not keep them straight. However, as soon as some of the minor characters were done away with, it was easier to track who was who.
Whether or not you’re a diehard Peter Swanson fan, this will be a satisfying read. It kept me guessing right through to the very end.

I really wanted to read this book because I loved Peter Swanson's last book Eight Perfect Murders. This one was similar, an Agatha Christie like mystery story (inspired by Christie's Ten Little Indians). If you are looking for a fast paced thriller, this is probably not the book for you! But if you are looking for a good old fashioned mystery that slowly unravels into an unpredictable, satisfying conclusion, you will love this book! The way Swanson pulls all the clues together at the end is what changed this from a three star to a four star book for me. Recommended.

This book was very fast pace and was nice to read in one sitting. The author did a great job of bouncing between multiple perspectives without overwhelming the reader. Since there were multiple narrators the chapters felt fast and kept the momentum of the story going. I was surprised by the killer. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a quick who did it murder mystery.

I enjoyed this book and was impressed with how the author played with timing and perspective to lead up to a big reveal, which seems to be a specialty of Swanson's. Very nice sendup of And Then There Were None, although if you're looking for something wholly original this probably isn't it.

This story started off strong and kept me engaged right up to the last few chapters. The end fell completely apart and I was disappointed.

Peter Swanson has been hit-or-miss with me in the past, but the books of his that I love, I love enough to keep coming back for more. And when I read the synopsis for Nine Lives, I knew this would be one more tally in the "love" column. It definitely lived up to my assumptions. Why did nine strangers receive a list with their name on it? Why have the people on that list begun to die in mysterious circumstances? Who will be next? For FBI agent Jessica Winslow, whose name appears on the list, time is running out to find out what these nine people have in common and who could wish them dead. This one is fun and fast-paced, and I highly recommend it for readers who enjoyed Swanson's previous novel, Eight Perfect Murders.

This was an amazing homage to the Queen herself, Agatha Christie. I loved the way the story unfolded and was very surprised with the twist at the end. I also loved how we got to know a little about each of the Nine Lives but not TOO much information. Will be recommending this to customers!

Peter Swanson is in my top 5 favourite authors! So when I saw he had a new book I requested immediately.

I read this a few days ago and have been trying to come up with a review. Unfortunately Nine Lives fell flat for me.

With that being said I will always look forward to what's to come!

Thanks so much for Harper Collins Canada for my gifted copy.

Imagine getting a list of nine names, one being your own. Just names. Nothing else. You might toss it. You might set it aside. But you might not jump to the conclusion that these are Nine Lives to be ended. The latest psychological thriller by Peter Swanson includes one FBI agent on the list, Jessica Winslow, and before long, she starts putting clues together.

The first to die is an old man who retains an aging family inn, which he uses as his personal watering hole. Once a heralded vacation spot for families, the inn is a shell of what it used to be, but it is on the beach in the small town of Kennewick, Maine, which is handy for the killer who drowns the first victim.

Since the list of nine is found near the body, the investigation begins, with the FBI getting involved, deeply involved since one of their own is on the list. Meanwhile, another person on the list is shot in the back. So far, investigators have learned from the listees that none of them even know each other.

What is the connection then? Is it a perfectly random list? Is there some connecting thread all the detectives are missing? Are they looking for a crazed serial killer? Per usual, the author keeps everyone guessing before planting the twist he has come to be known for.

Peter Swanson writes novels, short stories, poetry, and features. His work has been printed in Asimov’s Science Fiction, The Atlantic Monthly, Measure, The Guardian, The Strand Magazine, and Yankee Magazine. The Girl with a Clock for a Heart, his debut novel, is still my personal favorite. Swanson lives in Somerville, Massachusetts, with his wife and their cat.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting December 10, 2021.

I’d like to thank William Morrow and Custom House and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

Another compelling mystery from Peter Swanson. I have snapped up every one of his books since I first read Eight Perfect Murders, and I've never regretted it. He is strongly influenced by classic mystery novels but they never read as dated, or cozy. He is able to create compelling snapshots of characters quickly - essential in a novel with so many characters. It was easy to remember who was who, and I felt something for all of them - be it sympathy or disgust. A great read for anyone looking for a new mystery - especially fans of the classics who have reread Agatha Christie too many times already.

Nine lives has been my least favorite of Peter Swanson’s books, mostly because the pacing seemed really stilted. Some characters got minimal development, and some were overdeveloped. That said, I love his writing style, and I appreciate that the way he kills people off is never gratuitously violent (which is a hard balance in a thriller). I honestly think most mystery/thriller lovers will enjoy this, even though I found it lacking in some areas.

I really enjoyed Swanson's Eight Perfect Murders so of course I enjoyed this book that felt like an original continuation of the last. There is something about a re-imagining of great mysteries that just checks all my boxes!

Enjoyable, straightforward, and fast paced while retaining a dark edge that feels more fluffy than sinister. You know these characters are going to die, and because it's Swanson, you guess that the murderer probably won't get caught. (No spoilers?)

Not as windy and tricksy as 8 perfect murders (my fave of his) but plenty readable.

He's still like reading Christopher Pike, and apparently, that's what I like about him.

Despite numerical relativism, NINE LIVES by Peter Swanson is not a sequel to EIGHT PERFECT MURDERS by Peter Swanson. It's true! I thought this book was great - the author has been extremely hit or miss for me before but this book moved along at a pleasant clip. The pace of this type of book cannot be overstated. NINE LIVES gets it right.

This mystery suspense will thrill fans of Agatha Christie. I read it in one plane ride and now have to wait months for others to be able to read it! This author really helps me get out of my reading slumps.

Peter Swanson never fails to deliver a terrific read. This had a unique and original plot line and all that elements that constitute an excellent psychological thriller. Swanson did his own interpretation of Christie’s And Then There Were None with lots twists and intricacies. There were one or two things that I found to be a bit of a reach, but this did not affect the overall outcome. Fans of Swanson’s will be thrilled.

This is definitely one of his better books although I LOVED "Every Vow You Break" this was a close second to that one. Worth the read!

Unfortunately, this book proved to me that Peter Swanson is not the author for me. I wanted to give him another try despite not being a fan of his 2021 release, Every Vow You Break. My main issue with this book was how repetitive the storytelling was. I felt that the concept of this book could have worked if each chapter from a new perspective continued the story rather than repeated it so it didn't feel so slow. Sadly, the book ended up being too slow-paced for me and I felt that it lost a lot of momentum because of how it was told.

Peter Swanson had already rocketed onto my "must-read" authors list. He gives me absolutely no reason to re-consider that decision with his latest, Nine Lives. Who doesn't love a good Agatha Christie inspired mystery, especially when it's done right? The pages practically turn themselves!

Nine Lives is an engrossing, thrilling murder mystery that successfully evokes the tradition of Agatha Christy's And Then There Were None. Nine strangers receive a printed list of names in the mail, including their own. One by one, the people on the list start turning up dead, with the FBI desperately trying to figure out what connects the names on the list. I read it one sitting; I couldn't put it down! This is a fast-paced read that mystery fans will love trying to puzzle out.