Author(s): Susan Hurley

Fiction

Former refugee David Tran becomes the Golden Boy of Australian medical research and invents a drug that could transform immunology. Eight volunteers are recruited for the first human trial, a crucial step on the path to global fame for David and windfall gains for his investors. But when David dies in baffling circumstances, motives are put under the microscope. With its origins in a real-life drug trial that ended in tragedy, Eight Lives is told from the perspectives of David's friends, family and business associates, who all played a role in his downfall. A smart, sophisticated thriller that explores power, class and prejudice, Eight Lives will keep you engrossed until the last page.

CONSTANT READER STAFF REVIEW: CAELLI

How well do we know those we love?

This is the question facing the family, friends and colleagues of doctor David Tran, whose ‘miracle’ cure drug on the verge of human trials has inexplicably killed him. In alternating chapters, the people around David find themselves re-capping conversations, re-thinking decisions and re-living past moments, trying to answer the unanswerable: why did David’s ‘cure’ kill him? And why did he take it in the first place?

David is an intriguing and complex main character, all the more so because we never actually meet him in the flesh. Instead we rely on the impressions and memories of the different narrators, which are coloured by their own agendas, secrets and histories with David. Each of the narrators has their own distinct voice that lends a huge degree of realism to the story.

I don’t want to spoil the conclusion, but it’s well-constructed, multifaceted and truly poignant. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.