#Review - The 9th Man by Steve Berry, Grant Blackwood #Thrillers #Historical

Series: Luke Daniels (#1)
Format: Hardcover, 368 pages
Release Date: June 27, 2023
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Source: Library
Genre: Thrillers / Historical

From New York Times bestselling author of the Cotton Malone series comes a thrilling, action-packed historical adventure that sends Luke Daniels on an international manhunt for the truth about the assassination of President John Kennedy.

Luke Daniels is in London, between assignments with the Magellan Billet, when he receives a frantic call from an old friend.  Jillian Stein is in trouble.  She made a mistake and now her life may be in danger.  She needs Luke’s help.  Immediately.  Racing to Belgium Luke quickly finds that she was right.  A shadow team of highly-trained operatives are there on the hunt.  Intervening, he finds himself embroiled in a war between two determined sides — one seeking the truth, the other trying to escape the past — a war that has already claimed one life and is about to claim more.   

Thomas Rowland is a Washington insider, a kingmaker, problem-solver, but also a man with a past.  For him everything turns with what happened on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas.  What history has recorded is wrong.  There is more to the story, much more, and Thomas Rowland is at the center of that terrible reality.  But forces are working against him, and Rowland will do anything to keep the world from learning what actually happened on that fateful day, including killing Luke, Jillian and anyone else who might be a threat. 

In a race from Belgium, to Luxembourg, to the bayous of Louisiana and the Wyoming wilderness, to a final confrontation in the Bahamas, Luke Daniels confronts a series of shocking truths which not only rewrite history but will forever change his own life — as he comes face to face with the ninth man.   

The 9th Man, by co-authors Steve Berry & Grant Blackwood, is the first installment in the author's Luke Daniels series. Berry's co-written novel features a character from his Cotton Malone series, Luke Daniels, a thirty-something Magellan Billet (one of the premier organizations within the US intelligence system) agent Malone has jokingly nicknamed Frat Boy. The Ninth Man will bring in fans from Berry, Blackwood, and Cotton Malone, who will be delighted by this new adventure. 

Luke Daniels is an investigator, not an assassin, nor has he had to kill anyone. He's between assignments when he receives a frantic call from an old friend. Jillian Stein, former Marine, night fighter, and trained in combat, is in trouble. She made a mistake and now her life may be in danger. She needs Luke’s help. Immediately. Luke travels to Genappe, Belgium, where Jillian has just survived a home invasion attack that killed her grandfather. 

Each of them realized that this was no unconnected incident and that whoever attacked them was looking for something. It appears that Jillian's grandfather may hold the real truth about one of the darkest days in US History; November 22, 1963 and a gun that may have been used to kill a President. Intervening, he finds himself embroiled in a war between two determined sides; one seeking the truth, the other trying to escape the past; a war that has already claimed one life and is about to claim more.

He is turned on to a second gentleman named Ray Simmons who lives in Louisiana. Though Simmons had already passed, he had left behind probably the largest collection of books written about the JFK Assassination that Luke Daniels had ever seen. In a race from Belgium, to Luxembourg, to the bayous of Louisiana and the Wyoming wilderness, to a final confrontation in the Bahamas, Luke confronts a series of shocking truths which not only rewrite history but will forever change his own life as he comes face to face with the ninth man.

Thomas Rowland is a Washington insider, a kingmaker, problem-solver, but also a man with a past. For him everything turns with what happened on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas. What history has recorded is wrong. There is more to the story, much more, and Thomas Rowland is at the center of that terrible reality. But forces are working against him, and Rowland will do anything to keep the world from learning what actually happened on that fateful day, including killing Luke, Jillian and anyone else who might be a threat.

*Thoughts* Even though there have been hundreds of conspiracy theories, and movies, and books, the truth has never been revealed thanks to the US Government's (CIA) refusal to release all the documents Americans need to know the truth. Maybe in the near future that will happen when all of Kennedy's relatives are gone. I think the authors treat the historical event with respect, and they don't overly try to change history. I hate when people try to rewrite history.   

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#Review - The Red Palace by June Hur #YA #Mystery #Historical

Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Release Date: January 25, 2022
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult Fiction / Mysteries / Historical

A young palace nurse investigates a pattern of grisly murders in this romantic YA historical mystery from the author of The Silence of Bones.

Joseon (Korea), 1758. There are few options available to illegitimate daughters in the capital city, but through hard work and study, eighteen-year-old Hyeon has earned a position as a palace nurse. All she wants is to keep her head down, do a good job, and perhaps finally win her estranged father's approval.

But Hyeon is suddenly thrust into the dark and dangerous world of court politics when someone murders eight palace nurses in a single night, and the prime suspect is Hyeon's closest friend and mentor.

In her hunt for the truth, she encounters Eojin, a young police inspector also searching for the killer. When evidence begins to point to the Crown Prince himself, Hyeon and Eojin must work together to search the darkest corners of the palace to uncover the secrets behind the bloodshed.

The Red Palace, by author June Hur, is a story takes place in 1758 Joseon-era Korea. The story surrounds 18-year old, Baek-Hyeon, who works as a palace nurse, a position she has worked very hard to attain. After overcoming a difficult childhood, with a mother who looks down on her, and a father who won't acknowledge her existence, she’s accomplished more than anyone expected a girl from her background would do. In Joseon-Era Korea, nurses are handpicked to serve in the palace. 

Normally they are attached to women princesses, concubines, and court ladies since it is illegal for a man to touch a female. As the illegitimate daughter of a powerful man, who just happens to be Minister of Justice, Hyeon was limited in her options. But all that Hyeon has done is threatened one night when she’s summoned to watch over a member of the royal household, then sworn to secrecy to what she sees. Upon leaving the palace that same day she learns that a massacre has taken place at her former nursing school, and her beloved mentor, Nurse Jeongsu, has been arrested for the crime. 

When Hyeon's beloved mentor, Nurse Jeongsu, gets arrested for the crime, Hyeon knows there's been a mistake. There is no way her caring teacher, a woman who has dedicated her life to helping others, including taking her in when she was discarded by her mother, could possibly be capable of the callous brutality of this massacre. Hyeon's desperate to save Jeongsu from the clutches of the police force, known for their brutal interrogations, and she doesn't have much time. Therefore, Hyeon decides she needs to begin her own secret investigation into the murders.  

Along the way she meets Eojin, a young police inspector, who teams up with her to uncover the truth behind the Hyeminseo Massacre, but will anything they find actually make a difference? Eojin had his own complex backstory and motivation for wanting to get to the bottom of these crimes, which added to the general mystery. In the face of the dark secrets they begin to uncover involving every level of palace politics, Hyeon and Eojin seem so small, young and inconsequential. They're both willing to take incredible risks in the pursuit of justice though and that should count for something.

Hyeon was a powerful and brave protagonist, kickass despite being untrained in any martial arts, and a true example to women everywhere that there is more to strength than physical ability. Eojin is the youngest investigator from the capital that is tasked to investigate the murders. He is calculative, trust worthy, and the calm that is the perfect balance to Hyeon’s chaos. The Red Palace is an amazing stand alone mystery thriller that will transport you to the darkest depths of the Joseon dynasty filled with murder, political scheming, cover ups, and gripping crime solving.  

The Red Palace is loosely based on the life and death of Crown Prince Sado, also known as Crown Prince Jangheon, was the second son of King Yeongjo of Joseon Feb 13, 1735 - Jul 12, 1762 (age 27). At the age of 27, he was executed at order of his father and died of starvation by being confined in a rice chest. Brutal way to die. 

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#Review - The Secret Life of Kitty Granger by G.D. Falksen #YA #Historical #Thriller

Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 280 pages
Release Date: March 2, 2021
Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab (R)
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Thrillers & Suspense

Both a suspenseful thriller and a nuanced portrayal of neurodivergence, this literary page-turner features a unique heroine facing formidable and still-relevant enemies.

Sixteen-year-old Kitty Granger has always known that others consider her peculiar. She hates noise and crowds, tends to fixate on patterns, and often feels acutely aware of her surroundings even as she struggles to interpret the behavior of people around her. As a working-class girl in London's East End, she's spent her whole life learning to hide these traits. Until the day when she notices the mysterious man on the bus and finds herself following him, driven to know why he seems so out of place...only to accidentally uncover the location of a Russian spy ring.

When Kitty's keen observation and quick thinking help her survive a dangerous encounter, two secret agents working for Her Majesty's government offer her a job in their espionage operation.

Kitty's first mission pits her against a conspiracy led by a prominent politician―who's also a secret fascist. With help from an unusual team of fellow spies, Kitty must use her wits, training, and instincts to get out alive. And she might as well save the country while she's at it.

 

It's 1967, and Kitty Granger is about to accidentally become a spy. A working-class girl from London's East End who would be recognized as being autistic in today's society, Kitty Granger has spent sixteen years hiding her peculiarities from the world. She hates noise and crowds, tends to fixate on patterns, and often feels acutely aware of her surroundings even as she struggles to interpret the behavior of people around her. She is most at ease when her mind is doing something logical like doing a crossword puzzle.

 

Life is about to racially change for Kitty all because of a fidgety and mysterious man who she follows right into a Russian spy ring. The one thing you will immediately notice about Kitty is that she is pretty damn smart. Her hyper-awareness helps Kitty discover things nobody else can see, she finds a secret compartment that most others would have missed, she can remember the most benign but important things, she sees things which are out of place, and she's never met a crossword puzzle which can stump her. In other words, she would be the perfect spy. 

 

After her brutal encounter with Russian spies, Kitty, who always remembers faces and names, is given a chance to work for a pair of British spies Mr. Pryce, and Mrs. Singh. She meets her new co-workers called the Orchestra, an untraditional, ethnically diverse, and welcoming group of spies and scientists which includes Verity Chase, Faith, Liam, Tommy, and Saul. In order to become a spy, Kitty must train hard and pass a variety of tests from combat training to weapons training. Thanks to her ability to mimic anyone's speech, she's given a very dangerous mission working alongside Verity. Kitty's mission draws her into a conspiracy led by a prominent politicians who want to rewrite English history. 

 

With help from her team, Kitty must use her wits, training, and instincts to get out alive. And she might as well save the country while she's at it. But espionage is already dangerous, even without the risk of sensory overload, and Kitty struggles to stay calm and safe amid strange circumstances. With gadgets and gizmos aplenty, daring escapes, last-minute miracles, and cinematic and crisply described action sequences, Kitty's adventures read like a neurodivergent, female James Bond for the junior set. 

 

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