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Tom Barber
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Nine Lives (Sam Archer Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Tom Barber (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 6,091 ratings
Praise for Nine Lives:
‘One of the best books I've read - certainly for a first novel’
‘One of the best thrillers in the recent past’
‘I’ve read a lot of books in the past two years since I owned a Kindle, but this was the most compulsive reading I have come across’
‘One of the best books I have read in this genre’
‘An impressive start to a great series. I've now read all 6 books, and it just gets better and better’
‘My new favourite in the genre'

It’s New Year’s Eve. A major terrorist cell is planning a series of attacks across London over the next forty-eight hours. The government has surveillance on the group, a man undercover, and prepare to move in, to take out the terrorists before they can strike. But they lose contact with their inside man. And the cell vanishes into thin air, dispersing into the streets, armed and intent on completing their assault on London. The best Counter-Terrorist teams in the country are told to take them down before it's too late.

Nine terrorists. Nine lives.

The Armed Response Unit is one of these teams. Efficient and ruthless, the task force is ordered to locate the leader of the cell. As they hunt him down, they begin to realise that this is far bigger than any of them could ever have imagined. Bombings, rocket attacks, betrayal and a series of unexpected and shocking twists leave the ARU fighting to stay alive.

There's Archer, the youngest member of the team, keen to prove himself and justify his spot on the task force. His best friend, Chalky, who is forced to fight both the terrorists and his own demons. Porter, Deakins and Fox, tough and experienced men who’ve never dealt with anything of this magnitude. And Mac, their sergeant, who must make the quickest of decisions and lead his men against the invisible enemy. As events unfold, other people are drawn into the danger. The Prime Minister, desperately trying to find a solution and protect the capital. A mysterious female Mossad agent, who appears out of nowhere and joins the fight against the cell. Two Special Agents from the DEA, one of whom was a member of the SEAL team that stormed Osama Bin Laden’s compound and who for some reason is struggling with the memory. And the vicious, powerful leader of a Middle Eastern drug cartel, who operates in the shadows and is somehow connected to the terrorists.

With crowds all over London celebrating the New Year, and with nine terrorists somewhere amongst them, the Armed Response Unit is faced with the most dangerous night of their lives. As the savage, shocking plans of the enemy are fully revealed, the ARU officers are faced with the ultimate question.

How many times can a man cheat Death before Death evens the score?
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  1. Book 1 of 14
    Sam Archer
  2. Print length
    404 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    16 Jan. 2014
  6. File size
    2.5 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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 See full series
There are 14 books in this series.

Product description

About the Author

Born in Sydney, Australia and raised in England and Brunei, Tom Barber has always had a passion for writing and story-telling. It took him to Nottingham University, England, where he graduated in 2009 with a 2:1 BA Hons in English Studies. Post-graduation, Tom moved to New York City and completed the 2 Year Meisner Acting training programme at The William Esper Studio, furthering his love of acting and screen-writing. Upon his return to the UK in late 2011, Tom set to work on his debut novel, Nine Lives, which has since become a five-star rated Amazon UK Kindle hit. The following books in the series, The Getaway, Blackout, Silent Night, One Way, Return Fire, Green Light and Last Breath have been equally successful, garnering five-star reviews in the US, UK, France, Australia and Canada. The Sam Archer series has sold over 80,000 books worldwide and each title is currently being adapted into audiobook format. Tom spends most of his time back and forth between the US and the UK. He can be contacted at http://www.tom-barber.co.uk/ For info on all upcoming releases: http://tom-barber.us6.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=b0781b8bbbf40dd4814d66d1a&id=25304e0ab3

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B008219O1K
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 16 Jan. 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.5 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 404 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 14 ‏ : ‎ Sam Archer
  • Customer reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 6,091 ratings

About the author

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Tom Barber

Tom Barber

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Born in Sydney, Australia and raised in England and Brunei, Tom Barber has always had a passion for writing and story-telling. It took him to Nottingham University, England, where he graduated in 2009 with a 2:1 BA Hons in English Studies. Post-graduation, Tom moved to New York City and completed the 2 Year Meisner Acting training programme at The William Esper Studio, furthering his love of acting and screen-writing.

Upon his return to the UK in late 2011, Tom set to work on his debut novel, Nine Lives, which has since become a five-star rated Amazon UK Kindle hit. The following books in the series have been equally successful, garnering five-star reviews in the US, UK, France, Australia and Canada. The Sam Archer series has had over a million books downloaded worldwide and each title is currently being adapted into audiobook format.

Tom spends most of his time back and forth between the US and the UK. He can be contacted at http://www.tom-barber.co.uk/

For info on all upcoming releases: http://tom-barber.us6.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=b0781b8bbbf40dd4814d66d1a&id=25304e0ab3

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
6,091 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book thrilling from start to finish, with a gripping plot and well-developed characters. The writing style is easy to follow with action from the beginning, and customers praise its fast-moving pace and brilliant start to the series. They appreciate how difficult it is to put down, with one customer noting it keeps readers engaged until the last page.

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198 customers mention ‘Readability’190 positive8 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as fantastic and fun to read, with one customer noting it's a really absorbing crime book.

"I was blown away by this book. The plot was gripping from the first page and the characters (especially Archer) really drew me in...." Read more

"...The story was very believable and all the places and events felt very real which helped picture all the scenes in my head...." Read more

"...Tom Barber has written a really absorbing crime book that lets you totally engage with the protagonist's in it...." Read more

"...However, the book was so enthralling that the niggles seemed totally trivial so it is worth the 5 stars but I'd hate to make Tom Barber too..." Read more

155 customers mention ‘Suspense’146 positive9 negative

Customers find the book thrilling from start to finish, with a gripping plot from the first page and engaging twists throughout.

"I was blown away by this book. The plot was gripping from the first page and the characters (especially Archer) really drew me in...." Read more

"...The story was very believable and all the places and events felt very real which helped picture all the scenes in my head...." Read more

"...The story was good and plausible, but I think that I preferred SAS Para-Ops series. Mainly because that author wrote three quick novellas...." Read more

"...A great debut book, a real page turner, with lots of action, I couldn't put it down and finished it over a weekend...." Read more

78 customers mention ‘Pacing’62 positive16 negative

Customers appreciate the book's pacing, describing it as fast-moving and brilliantly researched, with one customer noting how it kept them guessing until the last minute.

"...If you want a thriller of a read, well written and brilliantly researched, buy this book !!" Read more

"...It was fast paced from the start and the characters were easy to follow...." Read more

"...The story was good and plausible, but I think that I preferred SAS Para-Ops series. Mainly because that author wrote three quick novellas...." Read more

"...This book was more fast paced and a lot more of the good guys get their "moment of glory"...." Read more

70 customers mention ‘Writing quality’59 positive11 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, finding it intensely readable with engaging action from the start and well-crafted dialogue.

"...If you want a thriller of a read, well written and brilliantly researched, buy this book !!" Read more

"Excellent book, fast-paced, edge-of-seat story, well-written...." Read more

"Liked it from the 1st page, good charactor descriptions but not over emphasised...." Read more

"Odd read this, quite easy reading, but I finished it a week ago and had to pick it up again to remind myself of the story!..." Read more

43 customers mention ‘Character development’34 positive9 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with several noting the well-developed characters, and one customer highlighting how the hero is portrayed as a common Englishman rather than a typical British action hero.

"...I loved that the characters weren't all typical hero's and that it wasn't always obvious that they were going to save the day!..." Read more

"...The characters are realistic and believable, with a nice hint of fallibility...." Read more

"...Think 24. The characters in this book are well defined and what I enjoyed most was the fact every single page had relevance and was not there to pad..." Read more

"...I also found the characters kind of stereotyped and just too much - except for Chalky with his demons...." Read more

28 customers mention ‘Start’28 positive0 negative

Customers find this book to be a brilliant start to the series, with several noting it's the best first book in the series.

"...second book 'The Getaway' which, by the way, is shaping up to be a great sequel!..." Read more

"...A great debut book, a real page turner, with lots of action, I couldn't put it down and finished it over a weekend...." Read more

"...On the whole though worth a read and a very promising debut by a young author I suspect may turn out really rather good!" Read more

"This series of books are phenomenal. I've read the entire series in a week and a half, and they are all incredibly enthralling...." Read more

21 customers mention ‘Grip’21 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging, with multiple reviews noting they were gripped from start to finish.

"...is like all the reviews say, well written a page tuner and grips you from the start...." Read more

"...Read all 7 of them in 6 days. Gripping from start to finish every single one. Great characters and interaction between them. You can sense..." Read more

"I'm not a detective novel reader, but this one had me gripped form beginning to end...." Read more

"...It is a real 'can't put down' book that keeps the reader gripped to the end. What a great talent this young man is...." Read more

14 customers mention ‘Difficulty to put down’10 positive4 negative

Customers find the book difficult to put down.

"...was a free download so I thought I would give it a go and could not put the book down, love the main character and the fast pace of the book,..." Read more

"...I am so glad I persevered! It is a real 'can't put down' book that keeps the reader gripped to the end. What a great talent this young man is...." Read more

"...it really keeps you on the edge of your seat,I found it very hard to put my kindle down,just had to keep reading.Loooking forward to the next book." Read more

"...Read a few books by Tom Barber and enjoyed them all so far. Really easy to pick up and get in to" Read more

Fantastic read
5 out of 5 stars
Fantastic read
A summer read. Bought it bought a coffee and read it! Family cross with me as didn't swim as wanted to read on. Great hero great plot and all round great story. Give it a go have bought second already
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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • SBL
    5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put this down..........what a great read !!!!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 August 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I was blown away by this book. The plot was gripping from the first page and the characters (especially Archer) really drew me in. I bought it as a 'holiday read' and I can honestly say that it's turned me from someone who has never really enjoyed reading to someone who couldn't put it down and I've now moved on to the author's second book 'The Getaway' which, by the way, is shaping up to be a great sequel! If you want a thriller of a read, well written and brilliantly researched, buy this book !!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Melchard
    4.0 out of 5 stars Even better as we met the author
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 September 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I read this book as it was choosen by one of my fellow book clubbers as she knew the author. It's the sort of book I like anyway so it was a good choice. It was fast paced from the start and the characters were easy to follow. The story was very believable and all the places and events felt very real which helped picture all the scenes in my head. I loved that the characters weren't all typical hero's and that it wasn't always obvious that they were going to save the day! I really enjoyed the book and enjoyed even more meeting the author at our book club meeting. I would love to now read the rest of the books in the series.
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  • M. E. J. Andrus
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wow
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 September 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I wasn't sure what to expect with this book having read the reviews I thought what the hell I will give this ago, my word how glad am, think I have found genre of crime books in the Sam Archer series.
    Tom Barber has written a really absorbing crime book that lets you totally engage with the protagonist's in it.
    Nine lives is the story of a British government agency specialising in foiling potential terror cell's after 9/11.
    Sam Archer is the youngest man on the division made up of the elite of London's police offers including his best friend Chalky who together form the cog's of this highly organised division under the keen guidance of "Mac".
    The government receives information that a terror cell plans on striking the capital on the busiest night of the year New Years Eve, to make matters worse the government learn that it's not just one target they have to find the cell is 9 separate suspects targeting 9 separate locations. They team up with the DEA who have vital information that the cells ringleader who is planning on meeting up with his uncle Henry a man who is wanted by the DEA on suspicion of being the ringleader in a worldwide drugs cartel.
    Can the two agencies join together and prevent a major tragedy from happening on British soil, time is ticking.
    Nine lives will leave you totally drained afterwards, but i assure you it will leave you wanting more in the Sam Archer series.
    One person found this helpful
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  • The Elite Book Group
    3.0 out of 5 stars Ok....ish!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 September 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Nine Lives - Tom Barber

    Normally when I do a review, I give a bit of a resume of the story, however, looking at the review on Amazon, I feel that they've covered it and I wouldn't necessarily be adding anything new.

    The story was good and plausible, but I think that I preferred SAS Para-Ops series. Mainly because that author wrote three quick novellas. This book dragged and ..... I hate to add,it had quite a few typo errors - such a shame when these slip through because you start looking for the next one which detracts from the actual story! I'm not sure how authors escape this problem.

    I also found the characters kind of stereotyped and just too much - except for Chalky with his demons. He was very real and the person I was most drawn to throughout the book. I wanted to get to the end to see how he'd coped.

    Before I start getting hammered for this review, I think I must quickly put in my defense and say that if I'd read this before the SAS Para-Ops novellas, I would have most probably given it 5 stars, because the plot is very plausible and I'm sure it's something that could happen.
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  • Huw
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nine Lives 5 stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 July 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I found Nine Lives completely by chance on a free kindle book Facebook page. A great debut book, a real page turner, with lots of action, I couldn't put it down and finished it over a weekend. Looking forward to reading more of the Sam Archer series
    Its New Year’s Eve, a major terrorist cell is planning a series of attacks across London over the next forty-eight hours, when the nine terrorists go missing from under GCHQ’s noses it’s up to Tim Cobb head of the Armed Response Unit and his team to find them.
    Sam Archer the youngest member of the unit, who was laughed at when he said he was trying out for the ARU, is desperate to get out there and justify his spot on the team.
    The ARU search the flat of the terror cells leader, finding it empty, after a tipoff from a member of the public Archer and two officers investigate a gun sighting a few streets away from the raid and go to investigate, finding a dead body, three of the terrorists some firearms and materials for making suicide vests. Archer’s best friend Chalky stares death in the face.
    Back at ARU headquarters American DEA agent Crawford turns up out of the blue and explains why Domainik has a vendetta against the UK, and his links to his uncle Henry, head of one of the most powerful drug cartels in the middle east, and how the London attacks are his way of gaining redemption, and a way of getting back into favour with him.
    A suicide attack at the Emirates Stadium leaves over two hundred dead, then things take a turn for the worse after a failed pub bombing the bomber is seen driving away in a stolen ambulance, the ambulance ends up at the Emirates stadium, before the ARU can stop him, he’s apprehended by a female mossad agent.
    The ARU raid a room at a Heathrow hotel but find the room empty, the DEA agent then spills the beans to Tim Cobb that Domainik is on a plane on his way to Paris to meet with him uncle. CCTV from the hotel shows Domainik leaving the hotel with a heavily pregnant woman getting in a taxi heading for Heathrow terminal five.
    The ARU race to terminal five, finding the pregnant woman killing her before she could detonate the suicide vest she was wearing.
    Back at the Marriott hotel suspect six is on the roof with an RPG-7 rocket launcher ready to bring down an airplane, when he’s shot dead by the DEA, and mossad agents just as he fires the weapon just missing the plane.
    The Prime Minister, desperately trying to find a solution and protect the capital cuts a deal with the ambulance bomber, with crowds all over London celebrating the New Year, ARU learn the location of suspect 1’s location finding him imitating a policeman before he could kill anyone.
    The following morning the final suspect is caught coming out of Canary Wharf, the second highest building in the UK, with over eight thousand people inside, finding a fridge packed full of explosives on the 33rd floor, EOD manage to diffuse it seconds before it went off.
    As the savage, shocking plans of the enemy are fully revealed the ARU begin to realize that this is far bigger than any of them could ever have imagined, with the ultimate betrayal and hidden identity of the mossad agent, and a series of unexpected and shocking twists leave the ARU fighting to stay alive. 
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Honest Reviewer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Solid debut
    Reviewed in Germany on 2 October 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Tom Barber has created a fast-moving action thriller with his first novel. He has managed to keep the suspense high at all times by plotting an unfortunately highly believable scenario (at least the Emirates incident).
    What bothered me a bit was the relatively shallow background information on the main characters but since this is the first in a series there will be time for that, I guess.
    Another slight flaw that irked me was the fact that the outing could also have been called “A Chalky Novel“ or even “A Mac Book“ (pun intended...) since Sam Archer is not really standing out as the protagonist, the supposed supporting cast seems equally important. At least that's the way I felt when I read the book.This all might sound very critical but I don't mean any harm. I enjoyed the novel, it just did not blow me away (OK, bad choice of words maybe...).
    The series has already grown to five books and I will keep following since I sincerely believe that it will get even better!
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  • Heather W
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read!
    Reviewed in Canada on 20 May 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I'm not a writer I'm a reader, so my reviews are not as eloquent as an actual author. That being said, this first book certainly deserves the 5 stars. It has everything I'm looking for in a good read - great characters and exciting twists & turns to keep you guessing. It was easy to read and follow the action and the writer didn't over describe the background scenery - too many books I've read contain way too much description and the plot & action seem to be secondary. In this book, the action was non-stop from beginning to end and in some scenes I think my heart was pounding as much as the characters'. Can't wait to get started on the second in this series. Barber can't write these fast enough! And since I just bought the other 4 books in the series (I really hope there will be more) I'll make sure to keep them in my collection. I'll be wanting to read these again some day.
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  • Graziella
    5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
    Reviewed in the Netherlands on 18 April 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Jam packed with action. Couldn't put it down. This is happening in the world right now for real. One can only hope that they are caught in time too.
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  • Pranav K.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wow
    Reviewed in India on 15 April 2023
    Verified Purchase
    What a book
    What a thriller
    Loved how every member of the team was pulling their weight and not at all dependent on the main character for everything, in fact it shows that the junior most agent among the team was actually a team player and not some lone wolf
    Wishing the author all the best for future and hoping the next reads from the author will be equally good
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  • Sheila LS
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Action is Non-Stop!
    Reviewed in the United States on 22 February 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Nine Lives (Sam Archer Book 1)

    When I first got this book was when it was free but did not read it right away—had too many other books to read first. Then this past month I joined Kindle Unlimited and saw where this series falls under this category. So I decided to start reading the series since I could read them all at once. I don’t usually like to read a series unless there are a lot already published because I hate waiting for the next book to be written.

    All I can say about this series is “WOW”! I put this book right up there with the Bourn series. I read the Bourn series years before they even thought making it into a movie. I can really see this series being made into movies too. I could hardly believe that such a young author wrote this book and that this was his first book. When I said that I put this right up there with the Bourn series it is not because the story lines are similar (they aren’t) but because the Bourn series was my all time favorite thriller series and I didn’t think I would ever like a thriller series as much—but this one is fast becoming my favorite.

    As a previous customer mentioned, it puzzled me why this first book was listed as a Sam Archer Series but don’t let that stop you from reading it—because as you read more of the series he does play a much bigger part. The first book just gives you a good feel of who he is and what he is all about.

    This story takes place in England and is about an Armed Response Unit. Sam Archer is part of this unit and is the youngest member and the least experience. But even so he is able to hold his own with the rest of the team. A terrorist cell decides to create a series of attacks all over London in less than 24 hours. It is the job of the Armed Response Unit to find and stop them. The action is non-stop and the tension rises as you wonder if and how these attacks will be stopped. There are many twists and turns to this story but the biggest surprise comes toward the end. You will have to read the story to find out what the surprise is.

    This is a stand alone story and very little foul language—you might find an odd word but not many and no F words at all. There are no steamy sex scenes which I really do appreciate. Now I am about to start the 4th book in the series.
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