Nine

THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST THRILLER I HAVE EVER READ. I'M GOING TO WAIT A COUPLE OF YEARS AND THEN READ IT AGAIN. THE CHARACTER'S ARE VERY INTERESTING, TO SAY THE LEAST, AND VERY WELL DEVELOPED. THE PLOT TO KILL THE 10 MOST WANTED CRIMINALS ON THE FBI'S MOST WANTED LIST IS JUST GENIUS. AND THE WAYS IN WHICH THESE YOUNG MEN PULL IT OFF JUST MAKES ME GRIN. (I WON'T GIVE IT AWAY FOR YOU.) THIS IS ONE OF THOSE BOOKS WHERE I COULDN'T GUESS THE END, AND I USUALLY CAN. AND THE ENDING WAS FANTASTIC. IT ENDED EXACTLY HOW I WANTED IT TO. (WON'T GIVE THAT AWAY EITHER) I NEVER WANTED TO PUT THIS DOWN; I NEVER GOT BORED; AND I COULD NEVER GUESS WHAT WAS COMING NEXT. NOW THAT'S A BOOK WORTH 10 STARS.

I am a big fan of the Irene Kelly series and at first was a little reticent of reading a novel by Jan Burke that did not have Irene as the main character. Luckily I discovered that my fears were completely unfounded and that the quality of this novel is as good as the rest of Burke's work, if not better. Four young men are the main participants in a group called Project Nine, whose mission is to take justice into their own hands by killing the criminals that are listed in the FBI's Most Wanted list. The members of the group are all former Sedgewick students, which is a school well known for harboring rich kids who have had problems in various areas (school, trouble with police, etc). The murderers use a very distinct method, and detective Alex Brandon finds clear similarities with a previous case in his career. The killer in that prior case ended up being murdered by his stepson, Kit, who was only eleven years at that time. The author not only presents a highly interesting and complex plot in terms of the reasons behind the actions of the characters, but also does an amazing job in depicting Alex and Kit, and also in intertwining elements of their personal life into the story. Each time I grab a book written by Jan Burke I find myself surprised not only by the highly entertaining stories she creates, but also by the outstanding quality of her writing. This is probably why she has won numerous prizes, including the prestigious Edgar Award. This work has convinced me: besides waiting for the next Irene Kelly novel, I will grab anything this author writes!

I cowardly approached Nine much as I did Flight in that I miss Irene and I knew neither Irene nor Frank were in Nine. I had a slow start as all the different characters were a bit confusing. As I have read all Jan Burke's books, I guess I should have more faith that she doesn't disappoint. I finally had to put Nine down around 12:30am only because I could barely keep my eyes open. The book has been summarized by others so I won't repeat. Just wanted to give my highest recommendation for another winner from Jan Burke.

It is indeed a rare occassion when I rate anything (book or otherwise) with such a high rating, but in this case, a novel by Jan Burke, "NINE," deserve's it. I thought this writer's story about vigilantes (heroes or murders) was one of the best books I have ever read. And take my word for it I read plenty! A lot of characters to keep the reader on their toes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to read this book again.

Good character development - there's Alex, a homicide detective, with complicated family relationships. He investigates a murder where a large numeral 9 is left painted on the wall. Gripping plot -- the 9 goes on to be a 7 and 8 -- there's a serial killing in progress. What could NINE mean? Jan Burke develops great scenes showing how and why all the little individual pieces tie together into a Project Nine. A surprising twist adds to the flavor of the book.