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A review by what_heather_loves
Nine Lives by Peter Swanson
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"So here's the thing. There was an envelope at the scene of the crime, addressed to Frank.'.'He had the list?'. 'Exact same list. The one with your name on it.' 'Shit' Jessica said."
Imagine receiving a list of names, including your own, in the post and discovering other names on the list are people being killed. A man, Frank Hopkins, is found drowned on a beach in present day Maine in the USA. His hand is a piece of paper with a list of nine names, including his own. When another name on the list is found dead the FBI get involved, as well as a local Maine detective, Sam Hamilton, working the case alone. They try to track down all the names on the list, to offer police protection, with a couple of agents (including one whose own name is in the list, Jessica Winslow) begin to suspect the connection. Will the killer, and their motive, be discovered in time?
Influenced by Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, which is referenced in the book as being re-read by one Sam Hamilton, the readers is given the perspectives of each of the names on the list, nine people who don't know one another and don't appear to be linked. The readers gets to know and like, or dislike, the eclectic mix of characters and I become invested in seeing them survive, or equally felt it would be no loss to the world for those who are horrible people; there's also the perspectives of the FBI Agent Jessica Winslow and the Maine Police Detective Sam Hamilton, following the killer's trail and trying to protect the names on the list. I found it a fascinating concept and was surprised it held my interest bearing in mind the number of protagonists and how the story moved about between them and different locations, but it's well crafted, fast-paced with short chapters and it worked. An ingenious whodunit for fans of classic and contemporary mysteries.
Imagine receiving a list of names, including your own, in the post and discovering other names on the list are people being killed. A man, Frank Hopkins, is found drowned on a beach in present day Maine in the USA. His hand is a piece of paper with a list of nine names, including his own. When another name on the list is found dead the FBI get involved, as well as a local Maine detective, Sam Hamilton, working the case alone. They try to track down all the names on the list, to offer police protection, with a couple of agents (including one whose own name is in the list, Jessica Winslow) begin to suspect the connection. Will the killer, and their motive, be discovered in time?
Influenced by Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, which is referenced in the book as being re-read by one Sam Hamilton, the readers is given the perspectives of each of the names on the list, nine people who don't know one another and don't appear to be linked. The readers gets to know and like, or dislike, the eclectic mix of characters and I become invested in seeing them survive, or equally felt it would be no loss to the world for those who are horrible people; there's also the perspectives of the FBI Agent Jessica Winslow and the Maine Police Detective Sam Hamilton, following the killer's trail and trying to protect the names on the list. I found it a fascinating concept and was surprised it held my interest bearing in mind the number of protagonists and how the story moved about between them and different locations, but it's well crafted, fast-paced with short chapters and it worked. An ingenious whodunit for fans of classic and contemporary mysteries.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child death