Nine Lives
Fiction
William Morrow
March 15, 2022
Hardcover
336
Free from publisher
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.
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.
My review:
I'm not going to lie, my last two reads from this author have been less than stellar. I have had a bit of a hit or miss with his books, but I always come back hoping this will be one of the hits.........and this one was! Super fast paced (which I love in a thriller), this one kept me guessing from the beginning right up until the end. What in the world tied these characters together, and why are their murders not even committed in the same manner to give any clues? As always, the writing was superb, no extra words thrown in that weren't critical to the flow of the story. It also follows a linear time frame, which I always appreciate, sometimes going back and forth just adds to making the plot and characters confusing. There is also a handy guide to the nine strangers at the beginning of the book which was helpful at the start since there are a lot of characters introduced at once. I really appreciated the closure at the end of this book, it made for a satisfying end to the journey, and had an unexpected bonus twist that I was more than happy to see.
This author impresses me once again with this excellent thriller, and now I will anxiously await the next book. Will it be a hit or a miss? There is only one way to find out.........
I was a bit underwhelmed with his previous two books too, so I'm happy to read that this one is a hit! I've got it set to read soon.