TBR Tarot Reads - Nine Lives Review

At the end of 2022 Wendy over at Literary Feline posted about these fantastic TBR Tarot Cards she had picked up on Etsy and that sounded too good to resist so I immediately ordered my own set.  So when I'm not feeling strongly about what to read next I pull out my cards and pick a book based on the prompt.  Here is a book the fates chose for me recently.

Prompt:  Book by a Male Author

Choice:  This month I decided to get the book from my library.  I didn't want to pick a book that was already on my list or a nonfiction so I wandered around the shelves and let the books tell me what to read.  I ended up with Nine Lives by Peter Swanson which has been on my TBR for awhile.  

Goodreads:  Nine Lives by Peter Swanson

Blurb:  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 Thoughts:  I tend to not read many men authors - not on purpose it's just kind of how it works out - but I loved the sound of this one and I know several bloggers who are a fan of this author.  I wasn't sure exactly what to expect but I ended up thoroughly enjoying this.  The writing style was cleanly done and I loved the setup with the chapters counting down the people on the list.  This could of been a confusing mess and the book skipped between the nine people on the list plus an investigator or two but the writing was so clear that I had no issue keeping track of who was who and what they were doing.  I also liked that this was more a fly on the wall type mystery than a come along with the investigation style.  While there is an investigation going on the reader is simply watching as the story develops - and what a story it was!  I enjoyed it from the first page to the last and the Agatha Christie references made me gloriously happy.  This was my first Peter Swanson book but it absolutely won't be my last.  Once again the Tarot cards chose another fabulous book!  My Rating: Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars)