MYSTERY

The Ancient Nine

by Ian K. Smith
St. Martin's. Sept. 2018. 432p. ISBN 9781250182395. $27.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250182401. SUSPENSE
COPY ISBN
In 1988, Spenser Collins, an African American premed student and athlete from Chicago, is nominated for induction into one of Harvard's most prestigious social clubs. The Delphic, riddled with tradition and home to power brokers and industry moguls, is looking to recruit fresh (blue) blood. While swimming with the sharks among the one percent, Spenser and his friend uncover the Ancient Nine, a hidden inner circle within the club who hold their secrets close, including a death on campus in the 1920s that kickstarts the story. Not an intense thriller, nor a puzzling mystery, Smith's second novel (after The Blackbird Papers) is best when describing the campus atmosphere and daily life of an undergrad at Harvard, where the author was a student, a place he renders lovingly.
VERDICT There's some meat here for readers of mysteries set in academia and political thrillers, but they'll likely want more. For a similar feel, try Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason's The Rule of Four, a campus novel with a bit more danger and pulp and far more puzzles.
Reviewed by Gregg Winsor, Johnson Cty. Lib., Overland Park, KS , Aug 01, 2018
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

FICTION

The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby
by Lloyd, Ellery
FICTION

A Lovely Lie
by Hendricks, Jaime Lynn
FICTION

Joe Hustle
by Lange, Richard
FICTION

A World of Hurt
by Mejia, Mindy
FICTION

Shades of Mercy
by Borgos, Bruce
FICTION

The Burning
by Castillo, Linda
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?