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. 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. 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. 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!

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. 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. 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: 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.

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….. 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.

Very unique characters who all seem different which is impressive for how many characters are in this book. 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. 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? 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! Although Peter Swanson has written a book which I mostly enjoyed, unfortunately the ending was an unsatisfying anticlimax for me.

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. 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. 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! 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?

Thank you so much to Peter Swanson, William Morrow, and NetGalley for my electronic copy publishing on March 15, 2022. 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. 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.

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. 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?! 😂 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. 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. 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.