It may only be April, but I've fully shifted into summer reading mode. It probably helps that most of my go-to authors have been releasing thrillers that sound too good to pass up. After being disappointed with author Peter Swanson's last novel, I was eager to see if his latest effort would be a return to form. I decided that Nine Lives would be the perfect book to read as I set sail for a celebratory birthday cruise this week. His publisher was kind enough to send an advanced copy of the novel my way last month, but I knew I wanted to save reading it for the perfect occasion. I should have known better! A couple of days ago I allowed myself to read just the first chapter, and that was it. I couldn't stop reading!
Nine people, each with vastly different lives, have just received a mysterious envelope. The contents of this envelope are identical. Inside, they find a single sheet of typewritten paper containing their name and the names of eight strangers. There is no context for the list. The recipients recognize their own names but not the names of the others. At first, they mostly ignore the list. Why worry about something so inconsequential? But then the first person from the list is murdered. Shortly thereafter, another name is killed. For the seven remaining strangers, one thing is clear. Any one of them could be the next to die.
Peter Swanson has devoted his career to writing stand-alone thrillers. His ability to deliver a read that has compelling characters, an original plot and an unputdownable pace has made him one of my favorites. Nine Lives takes its inspiration from Agatha Christie's classic tale And Then There Were None. Swanson adds to the challenge of Christie's locked room mystery by placing his victims at different locations across the world. So intriguing was the setup of this mystery that I couldn't help but read the entire thing in a single sitting. My only complaint was the short length and large cast of the novel made the characters little more than surface-level stereotypes. There wasn't a single person whom I could latch on to. Character depth aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this modern take on a literary classic. The only problem now is that I have to pick a different book to read on my vacation!
For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2022, 14)
Great review Ethan. And I agree - a page turner.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it too!
DeleteThis does remind me of Christie's And Then There Were None. But that's okay; I really liked that one, and will probably really like this one, too. Great review. (And Happy Birthday!)
ReplyDeleteYou really should give it a read! Have you read any other books by Swanson? I think you'd like his writing.
DeleteOkay, characterisation issues aside, the premise of this has my attention and i need to know what happens. Also, these days, it’s not often you see authors focused on standalones.
ReplyDeleteThe characters weren't really an issue until I reflected on it and realized I didn't really know any of them. Still, it is quite the page turner!
DeleteLooking at all the snow outside I am not yet keen on summer reading ;)
ReplyDeleteI have not tried this author before, but it sounds thrilling
Feel free to send some of that cooler weather to Texas!
DeleteGlad your birthday pick was a hit. Hope the cruise was amazing.
ReplyDeleteWe just got back, and it was such a great time!
Delete