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rosescottagee's review
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
dr_mama_bear's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
luv_2read's review
adventurous
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
joshreich's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
danubooks's review against another edition
4.0
A powerful “fixer”. A catastrophic mistake, long buried but coming to light. Will power or the truth prevail?
If you have read any of the Cotton Malone books by Steve Berry, then you know Luke Daniels, aka “Frat Boy”, a newer member of the Magellan Billet organization. A former Ranger and nephew of a US president, he is smart, highly trained, and accustomed to acting quickly to solve problems. When Luke receives a phone call from his old flame Jillian Stein saying that she has made a horrible mistake and is now in danger, he heads straight to Belgium to back her up. He arrives to find a team of assassins entering the house where she has been staying; gunfire ensues, an elderly man is found dead, and Jillian is gone Luke is able to connect with Jillian by phone, and discovers that the dead man was her grandfather Benji. He was a man with secrets, and while Jillian doesn’t know what exactly those secrets are, she seems to have inadvertently set in motion a purge of any who are involved with them. So begins a cat and mouse game between Luke and Jillian and the mercenaries who work for Thomas Rowland, a power broker in DC with connections everywhere who has made a career of uncovering the secrets and misdeeds of others. Rowland wields that knowledge like a weapon, and now that his own past mistake is on the verge of being revealed, he will stop at nothing to extinguish anyone who might know of it. Traveling from Europe to the swamps of Louisiana and a remote mountainous area in the western US, Luke and Jillian piece together the scant clues left behind by Benji and his contacts. Rowland is a formidable enemy, and despite his skills and experience Luke will need a tremendous amount of luck to come out of this adventure alive.
In what is projected to be the first of three Luke Daniels novels, Steve Berry and coauthor Grant Blackwood have taken many of the elements that make the Cotton Malone series so enjoyable and transferred them to this story. Like Malone, Luke Daniels combines a shrewd mind with a well-trained body to combat his enemies, winning against seemingly insurmountable odds. He accepts help from whatever quarter he feels will benefit him, including from women like Jillian and Stephanie Nelle (head of the Magellan Billet) who are every bit as tough and smart as he is. There is a historical puzzle here as well, though the reader doesn’t find out exactly what it is until halfway through the book. And while Cotton Malone himself doesn’t appear in the book, his presence is hovering nearby….Luke hears Malone’s voice in his head, tempering his brash instincts as he finds himself embroiled in chaos, and at one point Stephanie indicates that Malone will be sent to retrieve an item Luke left behind. As I have come to expect from author Berry, The 9th Man is a quick moving, action-packed thriller, with plot twists aplenty. While I wish that the historical “hook” was made clear a little earlier in the novel, I will admit that it did not dissuade me from reading the book straight through. As a character, Luke was more than able to carry the story, and I think that fans of the Cotton Malone series will enjoy this new offshoot every bit as much. If you like your mystery with a dose of history, this will appeal as well, especially if you’ve ever wondered what really happened on November 22, a963, in Dallas TX. Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me access to an advanced reader’s copy of The 9th Man….I will look forward to the next installment!
If you have read any of the Cotton Malone books by Steve Berry, then you know Luke Daniels, aka “Frat Boy”, a newer member of the Magellan Billet organization. A former Ranger and nephew of a US president, he is smart, highly trained, and accustomed to acting quickly to solve problems. When Luke receives a phone call from his old flame Jillian Stein saying that she has made a horrible mistake and is now in danger, he heads straight to Belgium to back her up. He arrives to find a team of assassins entering the house where she has been staying; gunfire ensues, an elderly man is found dead, and Jillian is gone Luke is able to connect with Jillian by phone, and discovers that the dead man was her grandfather Benji. He was a man with secrets, and while Jillian doesn’t know what exactly those secrets are, she seems to have inadvertently set in motion a purge of any who are involved with them. So begins a cat and mouse game between Luke and Jillian and the mercenaries who work for Thomas Rowland, a power broker in DC with connections everywhere who has made a career of uncovering the secrets and misdeeds of others. Rowland wields that knowledge like a weapon, and now that his own past mistake is on the verge of being revealed, he will stop at nothing to extinguish anyone who might know of it. Traveling from Europe to the swamps of Louisiana and a remote mountainous area in the western US, Luke and Jillian piece together the scant clues left behind by Benji and his contacts. Rowland is a formidable enemy, and despite his skills and experience Luke will need a tremendous amount of luck to come out of this adventure alive.
In what is projected to be the first of three Luke Daniels novels, Steve Berry and coauthor Grant Blackwood have taken many of the elements that make the Cotton Malone series so enjoyable and transferred them to this story. Like Malone, Luke Daniels combines a shrewd mind with a well-trained body to combat his enemies, winning against seemingly insurmountable odds. He accepts help from whatever quarter he feels will benefit him, including from women like Jillian and Stephanie Nelle (head of the Magellan Billet) who are every bit as tough and smart as he is. There is a historical puzzle here as well, though the reader doesn’t find out exactly what it is until halfway through the book. And while Cotton Malone himself doesn’t appear in the book, his presence is hovering nearby….Luke hears Malone’s voice in his head, tempering his brash instincts as he finds himself embroiled in chaos, and at one point Stephanie indicates that Malone will be sent to retrieve an item Luke left behind. As I have come to expect from author Berry, The 9th Man is a quick moving, action-packed thriller, with plot twists aplenty. While I wish that the historical “hook” was made clear a little earlier in the novel, I will admit that it did not dissuade me from reading the book straight through. As a character, Luke was more than able to carry the story, and I think that fans of the Cotton Malone series will enjoy this new offshoot every bit as much. If you like your mystery with a dose of history, this will appeal as well, especially if you’ve ever wondered what really happened on November 22, a963, in Dallas TX. Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me access to an advanced reader’s copy of The 9th Man….I will look forward to the next installment!
refinnej28's review
4.0
For me the book didn't pick up until about half way. It turned out to be a good book with a big twist at the end that I didn't see. Not sure if I'd want to read this author again though.