Anonymous letters which consist solely of a list of nine names are being delivered to at least some of the people on the list. I say “at least” because we are only given information about the receipt of the letter by some of the people. One of the recipients is Jessica Winslow, an FBI agent, who starts an investigation, initially just trying to find contact details for the other names – a difficult task given that the only clue is the names. It is also uncertain if the letters are a threat or something more innocuous. That is resolved fairly quickly when one of the people is found murdered, closely followed by another. The first of these is Frank Hopkins, owner of the Winward Resort in Kennewick, Maine, who was found drowned. His letter including the envelope is found on the body and, unlike the others, it is unstamped. The local detective, Sam Hamilton, begins an investigation but is relieved of this by the FBI when it is clear that there is a serial killer working across states. Needless to say he continues in his own time. What links these names? Who sent the letters and more importantly why? How many will die before the case is resolved. Scraps of information appear, but these are mostly not evident to the investigators who are much slower at putting the reasons together than is the reader.
The model for this story is clearly the classic Agatha Christie novel “And Then There Were None”, and the writer, in the character of Sam, makes this point several times. Of course there are many other books and films which have adopted the same principle. The structure is mostly built around the fates of the individuals, which is a valid approach although it makes it feel a bit fractured. It is well written, otherwise. The chapters are headed by the dates when the events occur, which means it is set in 2016. Everything is neatly solved by the end, although it does close with a surprise which I wasn’t expecting. At first I thought it was a cheat, but then I realised that there’s an incidental, and apparently unrelated, comment earlier which provides a justification.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

I enjoyed this book. The story is gripping and the characters interesting (although a little cliched). The ending surprised me, and although there weren't many twists, the story was well-written so that the reader is kept guessing throughout. I would definitely read more from this author.

Thank you to netgalley for an arc on this one.

This is only my second Peter Swanson read and I really enjoyed it. Kept me guessing ‘who dunnit’ and I enjoyed that it was told from several peoples points of view.

I really liked the idea of this novel, but like many others I really struggled to remember who the 9 people were and develop any empathy with them, which I suppose didn’t matter really. The chapters were short, which to me at the start meant quite a bit of confusion. In the end I took a picture of the opening page as there was a short description of each person there. I really wanted to enjoy the story as the idea was great but I’m afraid, although I did finish I wasn’t a huge fan. But I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an advance copy of the novel, which I’m sure will sell well.

First time reading this author and although there have been other reviews stating that this isn't his best work, I quite enjoyed the story. Yes, it has similarities to Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" however Peter Swanson does refer to this novel throughout the story. Nine people all receive a letter with the names of the nine who will die including their own but these people are from all over America and seem to have absolutely nothing in common and yet there has to be a common factor. It is only towards the end that we are made privy to this. The only downside to reading this on a Kindle is that after each murder there appears to be a list however you cannot see this on the ebook! An enjoyable read.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

Another favourite of my Sixth Formers right now is Murder Mysteries and Peter Swanson's previous 2 books are some of our most popular titles. This new book is yet another fast paced edge of your seat masterclass.

A great, gripping book, which keeps you turning the page from the start. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it .

It took me quite a long time to get into this. I couldn’t keep track of the characters and found the short chapters meant that I didn’t really care about any of them for a good portion of the book. I got there in the end, though, and was quite hooked by the story. The author is clearly an Agatha Christie fan and I enjoyed the references to And Then There Were None that were peppered through the book.

Unlike And Then There Were None, though, the twist at the end wasn’t quite as ingenious as I’d hoped for. I think the references to Christie left me expecting more. It was still a neat and well thought out conclusion, it just didn’t make me gasp when I read it.

In short, this is a good and paced thriller type mystery. Perfect for a holiday or a long train journey.

Peter Swanson has written a couple of my favorite novels, but most of the time it is hit or miss for me#


Nine lives was a miss for me, I did not feel connected to the story or characters, nor did I really enjoy the whodunit at the end

I really couldn't get into this book at all there were so many characters and changes of narrative that I started to lose interest. The final reveal of the killer was strangely underwhelming , and I didn't feel, like in many books, that I could look back and realise the clues I'd missed
thank you to netgalley and faber and faber for an advance copy of this book

Nine names appear on a list, each one of them is going to die. Told from multiple points of view, nine strangers each receive a list with their name on it. They don’t know the others on it, and attribute it to a random computer mistake. Then they begin to be killed off one by one……

I think I expected a little more from this book. Peter Swanson has become known for inventive and new concepts and plots, but for me this fell short. I found the multiple points of view tedious and confusing. There are many characters that I didn’t get to know very well, and the constantly changing narrative was jarring. I think that if there had been a few less characters it would have been a little more successful. This negatively affected the plot as we didn’t get a clear storyline apart from reading about each of the characters’ everyday lives, and there was very little insight into the investigation.

After all this I was hoping that the reveal would be dramatic and make up for the rest of the book. Unfortunately it was anticlimactic. To those who love crime novels and figuring out who it might, there is no possibility of identifying the killer here. We do not get any facts until the killer reveals them themselves. I was disappointed with the ending and felt that it didn’t make sense. It was a disappointing read which left me feeling slightly bored.

Nine people get a list of names in the post. Their names are on the list and then they start getting murdered. It's a classic set up.

It's a pretty straightforward story. I liked the way the narrative switched between characters. But, I would have liked a few more twists.

Didn't quite live up to it's promise. Nine unrelated people receive a card. Jessica Winslow FBI agent receives one too but what are they for? Why have these people been selected? A short book but even so my attention did wander. It felt like I was being given too many facts and not enough story. There didn't seem to be any focus or point to the book. The ending felt very contrived and highly implausible, like the murderer had checked on Ancestry.com for potential victims.
Disappointing. Could have been a lot better

The idea for this story really stood out for me. I thought it had so much potential for a lot of intensity, and I was very ready to get swept up in the story.

Unfortunately, that never happened.

I think part of the problem is that there are so many characters that we are expected to keep track of, but there was very little care given to helping us do so. The story jumped around quite quickly - something I usually don't mind - but it had no logic to it, and I spent more time than I would have liked going back to try and remember who was who.

Then there was the story itself. The idea was sound, but I think the execution was quite poor. There isn't a lot of detail given about the characters, or even the story as it is progressing, and by the time we got to the climax of the story I wasn't invested enough to be more than mildly interested in the way things were going.

There’s no denying that Peter Swanson is good at creating characters and landscapes but I think with this book he forgot he had to write a story too!

Whilst not a very long novel, this book felt like it was drifting and meandering without pace or direction. Each chapter is told from the perspective of those who are on ‘the list’. Detailing their lives, history and movements following the letters arrival.

But there’s no interaction at all from the person/s responsible for the letter or their untimely deaths. No trail to follow, no mystery to unravel, no urgency to the plot. Just pages and pages of character plot.

This endless plotline focused on each character, whilst engaging to read is actually counterproductive to the overall story. You realise early on that there’s no point to any of it! None of it provides any clue or connection and whilst the author is trying to make you connect with the people on ‘the list’ you soon realise there’s no reason to as they’re all marked for death soon.

It was only as I got to about 85% through that the big reveal happens but it’s just weak and convoluted and did not make up for anything that had come before. The finale was a long overdue explanation from a dead murderer.

It just didn’t do it for me. Thank you to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve read previous Peter Swanson titles and have enjoyed them but feel that this one really missed the mark. It was full of very dull stereotypes, lazy writing and very little suspense. The first few chapters where we were introduced to the 9 people on the list really dragged and were far too formulaic to properly capture my attention and everything following that was cliched and boring. The fact that it was inspired by And Then There Were None left it quite predictable but offered up nothing new or interesting. The use of a slur about half way through the book was also completely unnecessary.

So, what is this weird list of nine perfect strangers and how are they all connected apart from the fact they are all being murdered? FBI agent, Jessica Winslow makes it her mission to find out. Another pacy thriller from Peter Swanson. I didn't love this one as much as his previous but enjoyed it all the same - definite shades of then there were none but brought into modern day.

Nine random people with no apparent connection receive a list of names in the post with their own name amongst them. Suddenly the purpose of the list becomes clear and the killings begin.

I did enjoy this book. It was an easy read which I finished in almost one sitting. As there were so many characters, remembering who was who was a little tricky at first but I quickly became immersed in their back stories and in trying to establish a link between them.

If I were to make one suggestion, it would be that the characters themselves were given more depth. I found that I wasn’t really invested enough in any of the characters to care what really happened to them.

It would also have added an extra dimension to the book to have a great understanding of the FBI‘s perspective on the killings and why they were happening.

The book did reach an interesting and satisfying conclusion. There were a few hints along the way. All in all it was a good read.

You cannot go wrong with a Peter Swanson book, he never fails to write an extremely engaging thriller!

Nine strangers receive an anonymous letter with nine names on it, including their own. Then they start dying, one by one. Each one has their own POV and I was never confused - which just shows how amazing his writing is.

This is a great, fast-paced thriller that is so tense and unpredictable the whole way through.

Nine people receive an envelope containing a letter with a list of nine peoples names. None of them seem to recognise the other name. One of the names is that of FBI special agent Jessica Winslow. One by one, people on the list are being killed. The FBI need to work out the connection between these people and who can be behind the killings before it is too late.
A fascinating concept and a compulsive read. Lots of likeable, well developed characters with an ending you’ll never guess.