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THIS COP IS HISTORY...
After former Chicago Cop Tom Mankowski found out the truth behind his birth, he discovered others with the same secret.
Some want to live out their lives in hiding.
Some are fighting to make the world better.
And some are trying to destroy all life on Earth.
Tom, and the friends he made during the blockbuster bestseller THE LIST, have reunited to take down this dangerous government experiment, one engineered historical figure at a time... even if it sets them on a crash course with the worst villains mankind has even known.
THE NINE by JA Konrath
Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it...
If you are a more sensitive (or adventurous) reader, the Konrath scale rates specific categories from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) to give you some idea if this is your kind of book.
THE NINE
Scary - 6
Violent - 7
Funny - 8
Sexy - 3
Crossovers - Includes characters from the Konrath Dark Thriller Collective, the Jack Daniels thrillers, the Codename: Chandler series, and the Timecaster series.
After former Chicago Cop Tom Mankowski found out the truth behind his birth, he discovered others with the same secret.
Some want to live out their lives in hiding.
Some are fighting to make the world better.
And some are trying to destroy all life on Earth.
Tom, and the friends he made during the blockbuster bestseller THE LIST, have reunited to take down this dangerous government experiment, one engineered historical figure at a time... even if it sets them on a crash course with the worst villains mankind has even known.
THE NINE by JA Konrath
Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it...
If you are a more sensitive (or adventurous) reader, the Konrath scale rates specific categories from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) to give you some idea if this is your kind of book.
THE NINE
Scary - 6
Violent - 7
Funny - 8
Sexy - 3
Crossovers - Includes characters from the Konrath Dark Thriller Collective, the Jack Daniels thrillers, the Codename: Chandler series, and the Timecaster series.
473 pages, ebook
First published November 11, 2021
149 people are currently reading
262 people want to read
About the author
J.A. Konrath
199 books3,014 followersJoe Konrath has written over twenty novels in the Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels thriller series. They do not have to be read chronologically to be enjoyed, but the order is: Whiskey Sour, Bloody Mary, Rusty Nail, Dirty Martini, Shot of Tequila, Fuzzy Navel, Cherry Bomb, Dead On My Feet, Serial Killers Uncut (with Blake Crouch), Shaken, Stirred (with Blake Crouch), Dying Breath, Everybody Dies, Rum Runner, Last Call, White Russian, Shot Girl, Chaser, Old Fashioned, Bite Force, and Witch Brew. More coming soon.
Wow, that's a lot of Jack.
If you like your thrillers on the dark side, check out the Konrath Dark Thriller Collective, which includes the books The List, Origin, Afraid, Trapped, Endurance, Haunted House, Webcam, Disturb, What Happened To Lori, The Nine, Second Coming, and Close Your Eyes.
Joe also wrote the Stop A Murder mystery puzzle series, where you become the sleuth and solve brain teasers to try and catch a killer.
He also wrote the sci-fi trilogy, Timecaster, Timecaster Supersymmetry, and Timecaster Steampunk. Even if you don't think you like sci-fi, give them a try. They feature Joe's well-known characters from his other series, and are insane.
With Ann Voss Peterson he wrote the Codename: Chandler thrillers, including Flee, Spree, Three, Hit, Exposed, Naughty, Fix (with F. Paul Wilson), Rescue, and Free.
And, finally, he writes erotica under the pen name Melinda DuChamp, also with Ann Voss Peterson. Those books are probably too spicy for you, so only the brave and bold should seek them out.
Joe writes a lot. You should probably read everything.
You can visit Joe and sign up for his newsletter at www.JAKonrath.com/mailing-list.php
Wow, that's a lot of Jack.
If you like your thrillers on the dark side, check out the Konrath Dark Thriller Collective, which includes the books The List, Origin, Afraid, Trapped, Endurance, Haunted House, Webcam, Disturb, What Happened To Lori, The Nine, Second Coming, and Close Your Eyes.
Joe also wrote the Stop A Murder mystery puzzle series, where you become the sleuth and solve brain teasers to try and catch a killer.
He also wrote the sci-fi trilogy, Timecaster, Timecaster Supersymmetry, and Timecaster Steampunk. Even if you don't think you like sci-fi, give them a try. They feature Joe's well-known characters from his other series, and are insane.
With Ann Voss Peterson he wrote the Codename: Chandler thrillers, including Flee, Spree, Three, Hit, Exposed, Naughty, Fix (with F. Paul Wilson), Rescue, and Free.
And, finally, he writes erotica under the pen name Melinda DuChamp, also with Ann Voss Peterson. Those books are probably too spicy for you, so only the brave and bold should seek them out.
Joe writes a lot. You should probably read everything.
You can visit Joe and sign up for his newsletter at www.JAKonrath.com/mailing-list.php
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
March 4, 2022
A little torn between four or five stars... but what the hell! Five it is!
The story may have gone on a bit long but it was so much fun seeing all these characters from just about every Konrath bookever interacting. There were times in the story (especially the Harry McGlade sections) that felt like the author was writing while looking at all his fans and laughing right along with us. pssst... I think the author has a bit of a bromance going with Harry. ;)
The story may have gone on a bit long but it was so much fun seeing all these characters from just about every Konrath bookever interacting. There were times in the story (especially the Harry McGlade sections) that felt like the author was writing while looking at all his fans and laughing right along with us. pssst... I think the author has a bit of a bromance going with Harry. ;)
December 20, 2021
It is what it is…
I guess I should start this review by saying that I read everything that comes out under Konrath/Kilborn hoping to rekindle the excitement I felt reading what he originally put out for Jack Daniels, with Blake Crouch, and his first forays
as Kilborn.
It’s not that I didn’t enjoy this novel….BUT…. It’s just not as good.
It was a fun read though. a love letter to all our favorite characters. It is also an awesome concept for a story and the new characters that he created were the best part of that story. Here is the big but… it felt like it was lacking… it felt like a rehash.
It was kinda like how I felt watching all the new Halloween movies/sequels like the latest Halloween Kills. You know that nothing will live up to the original, it just won’t (although Halloween II was a good try). So now fans of the Carpenter movie head out to the movie theatre to watch a rehash of Halloween. Is it cool to revisit the lore of Michael Myers? Is it neat that they included Tommy all grown up and brought back all the originals: Kyle Richards, Charles Cyphers, Nancy Stephens, and cameos by Nick Castle and Donald Pleasance? Sure… but there isn’t anything new to see. It is what it is… a fan film.
That’s how I felt about “The Nine”. It just felt like something I read before. This will be a book that fans of Konrath will love conceptually, but I do think in terms of the overall universe that Konrath created, it will be easily forgettable.
I guess I should start this review by saying that I read everything that comes out under Konrath/Kilborn hoping to rekindle the excitement I felt reading what he originally put out for Jack Daniels, with Blake Crouch, and his first forays
as Kilborn.
It’s not that I didn’t enjoy this novel….BUT…. It’s just not as good.
It was a fun read though. a love letter to all our favorite characters. It is also an awesome concept for a story and the new characters that he created were the best part of that story. Here is the big but… it felt like it was lacking… it felt like a rehash.
It was kinda like how I felt watching all the new Halloween movies/sequels like the latest Halloween Kills. You know that nothing will live up to the original, it just won’t (although Halloween II was a good try). So now fans of the Carpenter movie head out to the movie theatre to watch a rehash of Halloween. Is it cool to revisit the lore of Michael Myers? Is it neat that they included Tommy all grown up and brought back all the originals: Kyle Richards, Charles Cyphers, Nancy Stephens, and cameos by Nick Castle and Donald Pleasance? Sure… but there isn’t anything new to see. It is what it is… a fan film.
That’s how I felt about “The Nine”. It just felt like something I read before. This will be a book that fans of Konrath will love conceptually, but I do think in terms of the overall universe that Konrath created, it will be easily forgettable.
September 29, 2024
Disappointing and not as good as the other books in the series. The gangs all together (Fabler, Sara, Abe, Tom, & Joan to name a few) and then some to track down more clones and rescue some new friends. Appearances by Mu, Bub, Torkle, & new clones full of murder and mayhem. Jack, Harry, & Phin join the fun. Harry narrates some chapters with the usual humor and gross outs but I had to skim quite a few chapters on the different "tonys" which were too ridiculous. I did like the sly references from other books and characters though. I'll still continue with the series
January 13, 2022
I really really wanted to like this book. And i did like most of it. But the "comedy relief" (and yes, I used quotes deliberately to indication sarcasm) pretty much ruined this book for me. It's like having a Three Stooges short in the middle of an intense horror movie.
It's just too much a departure from the tone of his earlier works that I love so well.
It's just too much a departure from the tone of his earlier works that I love so well.
February 17, 2022
First of all, WHY are there so many people writing a review for an EMPTY BOOK?!? Sorry to be overly critical, but common sense should tell you that if you download an ebook with a single empty page. THAT IS NOT THE BOOK! Why on earth would you leave a Goodreads review for that? Contact Amazon, don't write a review. It was a known technical issue.
Okay, rant over.
Even though there are people who gave an empty book a one-star rating, I still feel that I was being generous with my two stars and I actually read all 473 pages. FYI: This book could EASILY have been 150 pages (maybe even less) and the story would not have changed. That is how much uselessness there was in this story.
I was a HUGE fan of Kilborne when this series started. I absolutely loved them and couldn't get enough. But it seems as though the more books he churns out, the worse they are. This one was just boring - there was zero horror, no suspense, and only a little gore at the very end. And Konrath needs to stop with the humor. His characters make jokes ALL THE TIME and it's annoying and frustrating. There was one part where the author devoted SEVEN PAGES to a stupid joke about guys named Tony. Then he brought up the stupid gag a few other times in the story because he just couldn't let it go. And there were so many characters. It was just overwhelming and most of them were unnecessary since they all had their own things going on.
Sorry, but this story was boring and the villains weren't scary in the least little bit. The motive for one of the main villains was ridiculous and made me groan out loud. I still can't believe I finished this. Maybe the ones who got the empty book should have taken it as a sign not to read it.
Okay, rant over.
Even though there are people who gave an empty book a one-star rating, I still feel that I was being generous with my two stars and I actually read all 473 pages. FYI: This book could EASILY have been 150 pages (maybe even less) and the story would not have changed. That is how much uselessness there was in this story.
I was a HUGE fan of Kilborne when this series started. I absolutely loved them and couldn't get enough. But it seems as though the more books he churns out, the worse they are. This one was just boring - there was zero horror, no suspense, and only a little gore at the very end. And Konrath needs to stop with the humor. His characters make jokes ALL THE TIME and it's annoying and frustrating. There was one part where the author devoted SEVEN PAGES to a stupid joke about guys named Tony. Then he brought up the stupid gag a few other times in the story because he just couldn't let it go. And there were so many characters. It was just overwhelming and most of them were unnecessary since they all had their own things going on.
Sorry, but this story was boring and the villains weren't scary in the least little bit. The motive for one of the main villains was ridiculous and made me groan out loud. I still can't believe I finished this. Maybe the ones who got the empty book should have taken it as a sign not to read it.
Read
January 25, 2022I'm not going to rate this because I gave up halfway and don't think its fair to rate a book unfinished. However, I will say that, as a fan of The List, this was a huge disappointment. There were interesting ideas but the ongoing obnoxious humor was so mind numbing that I was wanting to throw the book out the window like Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook. Konrath's work has always had humor in them but he always had the right balance and it came off casual. With this novel, he just seems to be auditioning for a writer's job for SNL rather than staying with the nice balance that he has in the past. There's even eight pages dedicated to a single joke. EIGHT PAGES!!! WHY?!?!
About 200 pages in, I had to tap out. I still respect the author but I can't help but feel he was entertaining himself rather than focusing on entertaining the reader this time around. I was looking forward to his upcoming Origin sequel, Second Coming, but if this is the style he's possibly going for with upcoming work, I may have to skip that one altogether. 🙍
About 200 pages in, I had to tap out. I still respect the author but I can't help but feel he was entertaining himself rather than focusing on entertaining the reader this time around. I was looking forward to his upcoming Origin sequel, Second Coming, but if this is the style he's possibly going for with upcoming work, I may have to skip that one altogether. 🙍
August 5, 2025
How much of who we are is nature vs nurture. A government expeiment has decided to find out. Enter clones of people like Thomas Jefferson, Joan of Arc, Catherine the Great, Albert Einstein, and a list of 17 other clones. Who is good, who is bad, and who is mostly in the middle is what the characters are trying to find out. I wanted to like this book because I liked "The List" an earlier part of this story. I really wasn't a fan and probably won't continue the storyline which is part of a bigger series. The book has whole sections that I skipped over because they were basically crude puns that fell a little flat with this reader. If crude jokes and language are your thing it might be just up your alley. It wasn't for me
September 29, 2022
Konrath never disappoints
I don’t know where this author gets his ideas from but I hope they keep coming. I have been a fan since the first book I picked up. Clones of famous people through our history who didn’t know what they were , all having a number tattooed on the bottom of their foot and trying to figure out the good from the bad. A hidden testing facility in the desert, Bub, characters from other books, Harry McGlades crazy self and much much more are all in this one book. I don’t leave spoilers and I’m not great at reviews, but this book is great. Don’t take my word for it though…READ IT!
I don’t know where this author gets his ideas from but I hope they keep coming. I have been a fan since the first book I picked up. Clones of famous people through our history who didn’t know what they were , all having a number tattooed on the bottom of their foot and trying to figure out the good from the bad. A hidden testing facility in the desert, Bub, characters from other books, Harry McGlades crazy self and much much more are all in this one book. I don’t leave spoilers and I’m not great at reviews, but this book is great. Don’t take my word for it though…READ IT!
March 30, 2023
The Tony rants and jumping off the building running from the Tonys really got me to the point of “why is this happening,smh”. The first part of the book was not very good. I understand it’s bringing the characters together, but it didn’t do it for me. Not sure if the author was trying to be funny throughout (especially with Abe), but it was more annoying than anything. The last 50 pages or so is why I gave this book 2 stars instead of 1. I did like how it concluded and opened it up for “Second coming”.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2020
Just one page? Ripoff.
I love Konrath. Very disappointed. I preordered the book, and when it delivered, there was no book. I tried to download it on 3 different devices, but all i get is the cover, and a blank page with the title. As soon as I try to turn a page, it goes to the "before you go" page, and closes. I paid for a book, not a blank page and a cover. Feel very ripped off.
I love Konrath. Very disappointed. I preordered the book, and when it delivered, there was no book. I tried to download it on 3 different devices, but all i get is the cover, and a blank page with the title. As soon as I try to turn a page, it goes to the "before you go" page, and closes. I paid for a book, not a blank page and a cover. Feel very ripped off.
April 8, 2024
Gave it two stars cause I read it to the end. It was free and I didn’t have WiFi to download a replacement If you read any of konraths recent books you read this book. He literally writes the same book everytime. Tom and Joan had the exact same story arc of every Jack danuels/phin story. This author is majorly dialing it in. Lazy writing. I have no idea how you make money off of free boooks. This free book is overpriced
April 11, 2023
This was the worst book I have read in years. It has disgustingly juvenile humor, too many characters, and is a total waste of time. I have been a fan of the Jack Daniels books (except for Harry McGlade). I don't recommend this book to anyone over the age of 12. And it is too nasty for anyone under the age of 13.
April 12, 2022
I feel like I missed a book or short story after Chaser. Several things seem to have been left out or retconned but what I really want to know how Phin got out of the fallout from the mess with his brother. If I’ve missed something, please tell me what it was lol
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2022
This is a hot mess. Are we even sure Konrath wrote this, and not a ghostwriter? I generally love his work. But this one? I've had to skim over 90 percent of it just to get the "important" parts that tie in to Second Coming. What a shame.
September 21, 2022
OMG this book had it all!!!!!
This book along with the other 9 books had gore, comedy, mystery, drama and romance. This book is for those readers who are not afraid to read a book of so many Characters at one. Looking to read another of by JK Konrath series.
This book along with the other 9 books had gore, comedy, mystery, drama and romance. This book is for those readers who are not afraid to read a book of so many Characters at one. Looking to read another of by JK Konrath series.
September 29, 2023
I have highlighted so many stupid puns in this book.
Harry Mcglade breaking the fourth wall was awesome! I want more.
Having all the Tony mafia names being said out was probably the reason this book only has 4 stars, god that was annoying.
But other than that so fun to listen to the audiobook.
Harry Mcglade breaking the fourth wall was awesome! I want more.
Having all the Tony mafia names being said out was probably the reason this book only has 4 stars, god that was annoying.
But other than that so fun to listen to the audiobook.
September 3, 2023
I like the story and I usually like most of the jokes but some of them ran on a little too long and made the story even more rediculous and too long...take those out and it's great
February 8, 2024
Underground
A ton of good guys take on a boatload of bad guys and lots of mayhem erupts. Satan even makes an appearance!
A ton of good guys take on a boatload of bad guys and lots of mayhem erupts. Satan even makes an appearance!
October 8, 2024
I couldn't get into this book. Rarely do I not finish a book but I didn't finish this one.
March 20, 2025
Not my favorite of the series so far. Still enjoyed reading but some of the “humor” was stale and got annoying.
September 22, 2020
Amazon released a 1 empty page book... so far I find the story a little lacking in substance
September 30, 2020
There’s no book?
I have the cover and the second page than the “book” closed. I seriously hope I didn’t pay for this thing
I have the cover and the second page than the “book” closed. I seriously hope I didn’t pay for this thing
February 16, 2022
I had a little trouble getting into this one (mainly because of Harry McGlade, a most annoying character). I kept going because I so enjoyed "The List" and at some point I couldn't put it down. I rate this one 4.8 stars.
January 14, 2024
I was really looking forward to read this one, because it’s the sequel to one of the the most original thrillers I’ve ever read (THE LIST). Unfortunately, this is not in the same league as the original – I already noticed in other books that Konrath is a bit over the top lately and pushing some aspects of his style really too far. Ok, the dark humor is still great, and he can mix thrills with laughs like no one, but nowadays it seems he doesn’t know when to stop (specially with all the scatology jokes by Harry McGlade). The second aspect is the breaking of his own rule that “every book is a stand alone” – ok, I would expect a strong connection with THE LIST, but in this book, all the Konrath characters are there (ok, minus the shapeshifters and zombie grandmother) and even for me (a fan who has read almost everything he wrote) sometimes it’s hard to follow everything - the inside jokes are permanent and the absurd amount of characters is simply overwhelming – if you never read Konrath, please don’t start with this one!
March 6, 2022
Unfortunately, after waiting over a year for this to release, The Nine turned out to be one of my least favorite Konrath reads. The story was a little out there (they always are, I accept that). What I couldn't accept, is the way all the characters joked the entire time. It never felt real. Each character read the same to me.
December 23, 2021
Good stuff
I feel like I was Forever for this book to say come out. It seemed to keep getting pushed baCk. I was really happy to see it the other day. It was a nice reunion of all the characters I grew to love over the years reading konrath. It is a must for fans.
I feel like I was Forever for this book to say come out. It seemed to keep getting pushed baCk. I was really happy to see it the other day. It was a nice reunion of all the characters I grew to love over the years reading konrath. It is a must for fans.
November 22, 2021
I absolutely loved this book. Take almost any Konrath series and you're likely to find a character you know.
Epilogue by no other than the infamous Harry McGlade, The Nine follows the crew from The List as they search for remaining clones, run from The Tony Mafia and try to escape from Area 57.
Interesting to see different perspectives on some important historical figures!
Epilogue by no other than the infamous Harry McGlade, The Nine follows the crew from The List as they search for remaining clones, run from The Tony Mafia and try to escape from Area 57.
Interesting to see different perspectives on some important historical figures!
November 19, 2021
Perfection
This was one of the best Konrath books that I’ve read. It combines all of my favorite characters with some new and old villains, tying in storylines from almost all of his other books and also setting things up for multiple future books. This one kept me guessing until the end- and almost in a panic the entire time.
This was one of the best Konrath books that I’ve read. It combines all of my favorite characters with some new and old villains, tying in storylines from almost all of his other books and also setting things up for multiple future books. This one kept me guessing until the end- and almost in a panic the entire time.
November 15, 2020
Where’s the book? 1 blank page?🤬
Pre-ordered, got no book. Tried to download on several different devices. Very disappointed to say the least. Anyone else experiencing the same issue?
Pre-ordered, got no book. Tried to download on several different devices. Very disappointed to say the least. Anyone else experiencing the same issue?
December 3, 2025
J.A. Konrath is one of my all time favorites and I have read his books two or three times; that is how capitivated I get. To say I am obsessed would be an understatement!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews