Nine people, with no obvious connection, receive a letter listing nine names, including their own. No return address and no message, just the list. Their group includes a nurse, an FBI agent, a college professor, and a businessman amongst others. The list starts out as being puzzling, but quickly becomes foreboding as one of the recipients is murdered. Then another and another. Who is responsible and why?
Skillfully crafted, there is much that makes this story engrossing. The author deftly presents and vividly brings to life the varied group of characters. Readers get to know them quite well through their own voices. Even so, their possible connection remains a mystery until the killer chooses to reveal it. When least expected, shock is smoothly woven into the narrative.
I found NINE LIVES to be a fascinating story and I had trouble putting it down. Never knowing what to expect, readers are drawn into the narrative. As for the conclusion, it was a total surprise. For those who want to become immersed in a true page-turner, this book is an excellent choice.
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…