Book Review: The 9th Man by Steve Berry and Grant Blackwood
By Jeff Ayers
August 11, 2023
Luke Daniels, a character from the Cotton Malone novels who works at the Magellan Billet with Malone, gets the spotlight in this co-authored thriller. He receives a call from an old friend, Jillian, in desperate need of his help, and Luke arrives to battle a team of operatives determined to kill her. Soon they are on the run, avoiding everyone and trusting no one. The puppet master is Thomas Rowland, a man with connections inside the Washington Beltway. His desperation to bury his past at any cost will lead Luke to the truth about the events on that fateful afternoon in Dallas, Texas, on November 22nd, 1963.
Fans of Steve Berry will enjoy seeing Luke Daniels take the lead, and he proves to be just as fun as Cotton Malone. The usual blending of history and fiction expected in a Berry novel seems a bit forced this time, as it doesn’t feel as smooth and part of the story. That minor nitpick aside, this is still essential for fans and a great starting place for those who have never read his conspiracy/history thrillers. What will Luke Daniels uncover next?