Affirm Press is excited to introduce our big debut for 2019, Eight Lives. This tense thriller will sweep you up in intrigue as a superb, high-stakes drama plays out, revolving around ambition, greed, privilege and prejudice. By now your store should have received an ARC pack—read this book and then call us to debrief after you reach the shocking final reveal!

‘A powerful and pacy thriller that had me hooked until the very end.’—Christian White

‘Clever, complex, suspenseful—Eight Lives is the scientific thriller I’ve been hoping for.’—Toni Jordan

‘A cautionary tale of greed and hubris, of inherited violence and the lengths we all go to for family. So many conversations will be started by this breakneck medical thriller. A big debut from a huge literary talent.’—JP Pomare

‘I really enjoyed Eight Lives! It’s very well written, with compelling characters and a totally engrossing plot.’—Thuy On

A brilliant young doctor is dead … and someone has to take the blame

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.

Professor Susan Hurley’s 30 years’ experience in the competitive and commercially pressured pharmaceutical world motivated her to write the keenly awaited new thriller Eight Lives. Her writing has appeared in The Australian, Kill Your Darlings and many other literary outlets.

• Susan and the subject matter of this extraordinary thriller are gaining media attention with major national media already confirmed; Susan will be a guest at writers’ festivals and major events
• Strong social media pre-order campaign including dedicated Facebook posts and advertising
• Major advertising campaign across industry and mainstream outlets, outdoor and digital (reach: 11 million)
• 18-copy dump bins, 10-copy poster packs and window displays available, contact Keiran Rogers or your Hachette sales rep to order now.

Read the first chapters of Eight Lives here.

We hope most stores have received your advance reading copy packs, but if you haven’t contact keiran.rogers@affirmpress.com.au now.