Crowther creates characters that leap … from the pages of history. Russell Q. Berard could easily swap lines and punches with Philip Marlowe … Charleston’s history has yet to produce another character complicated and sharp witted like … Berard. At the end … a reader hopes that Berard returns to settle … mysteries from other centuries.

In a city as steeped in history as Charleston, S.C., the past isn’t dead; it’s not even past. Brad Crowther conveys its haunting power to perfection in The Ninth Man, a debut novel distinguished by pitch-perfect dialogue, a suspenseful plot, and a superb cast of characters.

For some, the legacy of the Civil War will never die … The Ninth Man is about three lives interwoven by espionage, murder, and conspiracy. Crowther’s quick-witted dialogue and multi-layered plot make for a lively and intriguing read.