Nine Lives
by Peter Swanson
William Morrow
March 15, 2022
From the New York Times bestselling author of EIGHT PERFECT MURDERS comes the heart-pounding story of nine strangers who receive a cryptic list with their names on it—and then begin to die in highly unusual circumstances.
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.
First, a well-liked old man is drowned on a beach in the small town of Kennewick, Maine. Then, a father is shot in the back while running through his quiet neighborhood in suburban Massachusetts. A frightening pattern is emerging, but what do these nine people have in common? Their professions range from oncology nurse to aspiring actor, and they’re located all over the country. So why are they all on the list, and who sent it?
FBI agent Jessica Winslow, who is on the list herself, is determined to find out. Could there be some dark secret that binds them all together? Or is this the work of a murderous madman? As the mysterious sender stalks these nine strangers, they find themselves constantly looking over their shoulders, wondering who will be crossed off next…
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Praise for Nine Lives:
“I loved NINE LIVES. Swanson's sharp and insightful
characterization brought to life a fascinating premise.
The whole resolution is beautifully worked out.”
—Ann Cleeves, author of the VERA STANHOPE series
“With economical strokes of his pen, Peter Swanson presents us with a clever
homage to the Golden Age of Mystery and keeps us guessing right to the end.”
—Peter May, author of THE BLACKHOUSE
"Deliciously ingenious… With twist upon twist, and false clue
upon false clue, this is superb, elegant crime writing with more
than a nod to the genre’s past."
—The Daily Mail
“Swanson creates a rollercoaster for readers.”
—BookPage
“Peter Swanson is one of my go-to authors, and he keeps getting
better with each new book he writes. His latest effort, Nine Lives,
is no exception. Not only is it a terrific mystery/thriller that keeps
you guessing right up until the last page, it just happens to be
inspired by one of my all-time favorite novels: Agatha Christie’s
And Then There Were None.”
– Toronto Star
“Swanson alternates points of view with alacrity, unleashing a
varied and vibrant ensemble…Peter Swanson is the king of the high
concept thriller, and Nine Lives marks yet another ambitious addition
to his collected works. An ode to Agatha Christie’s classic And Then There
Were None, it expands on her premise by moving the killing grounds from
an insular island setting to America at large.”
—Criminal Element