The story is told via the points of view of all nine people on the list, plus the investigating officers. Sam is an absolute honey. As more of the people on the list begin to be murdered, it soon becomes clear that everyone is in danger, but not everyone on the kill list can be identified. The remaining people are offered police protection, although that does not prevent more deaths. The list has a diverse range of individuals, of different ages, working in numerous professions, including an oncology nurse, a wannabe actor, a college professor, and a musician, a singer-songwriter. We are given an intriguing glimpse into their characters, their lives, marriages, families, professions, and relationships, right up to the point of their demise. Two of them strike up a significant relationship because they are on the list, their feelings lent an urgency and growing passion with the shadow of death hanging over them. For what reason would anyone want this group of strangers dead? It's probably bad when you feel relief over a character's death because at least it means you get to cut down on some of the jumping between perspectives. It was tiring, dull, and the major problem I almost always find with more than 2-3 perspectives is that it becomes impossible to really get to know any of them or become absorbed in any of the characters' stories. There's not a single memorable character in here. Since I found 3 things I really liked and 3 I didn’t, I settled on middle of the road at 3 stars. My regret is not reading ‘And Then There We’re None’ first or listening to this in audiobook form.

When the first person dies, it’s not certain that it wasn't an accident. However the second person was most definitely murdered and the FBI and police begin asking questions. Then they take notice. seriously, we're going with ████████? first of all, the math on that doesn't wash: how does murdering nine innocent people ████████████? is this inflation? The characters were interesting, some more than others, I liked a few, hated reading one pov, but didn't really connect or overly care about any of them (except the detective, Sam). Just to clear the air, I found this to be MUCH better than Swanson’s previous novel, Every Vow You Break. That was the first time he let me down, and I’m glad to say this is much more his signature style. One thing to note: if you haven't read And Then There Were None, this spoils it thoroughly, which would be a crying shame. So do read that first and without delay. It's one of the most beloved mysteries of all time for good reason, and lately so many books are either retelling it or taking inspiration from it.Although Peter Swanson has written a book which I mostly enjoyed, unfortunately the ending was an unsatisfying anticlimax for me. All in all, I enjoyed getting to know this eclectic cast of characters and was chomping at the bit to find out what would happen next. There were definitely clever moments, and I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next. 3.5 stars rounded up.

but i suppose we can write off all the flawed logic as ████, right? what a tepid end to a pretty hooky book. A sheet of paper listing 9 seemingly unrelated names. Mailed to 8 -and hand delivered to just 1-the first to be killed.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.

Nine Lives was fast paced, with short chapters, which I liked. It was an easy read, which kept me guessing! 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. Nine people receive a typed list of nine names, their own name plus eight others that they have never heard of or met before. FBI agent Jessica Winslow receives a list and while she wants to ignore it, something inside of her makes her decide to investigate. Then one person on the list is murdered. Then a second. Citing what she calls the "second plane" (referring to 9/11 when the first plane could have been considered an accident, but when the second plane hit there was no denying they were connected), Jessica realizes that they might all be targets and searches for the connection between the nine people. Nine names on a list....your name is one...the FBI assures you there is nothing to worry about...yet there is...you see.... you are marked for dead...except you don't know it....yet...until people on the list...start dying...

One of the named people who received the list is FBI agent Jessica Winslow, who has a distinctly bad feeling about it, and she begins a search trying to identify the others, trying to find some connection, some common thread, no matter how tenuous, but she comes up with nothing. However, when one of the names meets an untimely death, Jessica realises that the bad feeling she had, has been confirmed. As a couple more deaths follow, the hunt is on to find a killer, but with nothing to go on, no connection, no motive, it’s looking increasingly impossible! The envelope drops through the mail slot like any other piece of post. But for the nine complete strangers who receive it - each of them recognising just one name, their own, on the enclosed list - it will be the most life altering letter they ever receive. It could also be the last, as one by one, they start to meet their end. The storyline unfolds from the perspective of all nine characters as well as the police. Yikes! The thought of keeping all those POV’s straight had me shaking in my shoes! 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. 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?