Ninth Square

By Gorman Bechard

Book Overview

Product DescriptionNew Haven detective William Shute is having a bad day, one which begins in divorce court, then goes downhill from there. Investigating the death of a well-to-do man in one of the city's sleazier no-tell motels, Shute discovers that not only was the victim a bigwig for the ultra conservative religious group, the Sons of God (60,000 members of which are about to descend upon New Haven for a pray-in at the Yale Bowl) . . . but he wasn't a victim after all.Shute, however, can convince no one that the escort wanted for the killing, was in fact only protecting herself. And when other members of the Sons Of God meet similar bloody ends, it becomes a race against the clock to find the girl. Shute wants to save her . . . everyone else wants to put her away.Exploring the worlds of religious hypocrisy, internet prostitution, and made-for-order porn, while dreaming he just had the guts to strap back on his old Fender Tele to play some rock n' roll, Shute discovers secrets about himself and the city that he never wanted or needed to know. But once those doors are open, there's no turning back . . . Reviews: "Bechard has hit one of the early home runs of the new year."-The Dallas Morning News"Compelling."-The Cleveland Plain Dealer"It's everything it should be: twisty, sexy, violent and taut. Just when you think you've got it figured out, Bechard pulls yet another fast one on you."-Andrew Klavan, bestselling author of Don't Say a Word and Man and Wife-- Review From Publishers WeeklyWhen Midori, a part-time hooker, vanishes from a New Haven motel into the night after stabbing a customer through the neck with a sharp pencil (he'd been praying for her salvation while trying to kill her), cop William Shute takes the case in this fast-paced noir caper from Bechard (Balls, etc.). The dead guy is Richard Deegan, family man and second in command of the Sons of God, a group of southern-based fundamentalists with strict morals and deep pockets due shortly to rally in the Connecticut city. When another Son of God gets similarly dispatched, the powers that be start looking for a serial killer. But Shute isn't so sure. For one thing, Deegan had an unhealthy interest in pornography, a hatred for hookers and most upsetting personally images of Shute's former wife on his laptop's hard drive with a bewildering series of sexual partners. A loose cannon in trouble with his superiors, Shute is haunted by his '53 Fender Telecaster (the first year of the legendary guitar's production), an object that represents all his adolescent dreams. Nonetheless, the suspense level remains high to the end, as Shute, suspended from the force, attracted to a female cop but entangled with one of the likable and believable hookers he encounters in the escort industry, strives to find all the answers.From BooklistA man apparently murdered by a prostitute turns out to be an influential figure in a religious group called the Sons of God, which is planning a major rally in New Haven, Connecticut. Among the victim's possessions are a lot of very odd and scary-looking tools. New Haven police detective William Shute must determine if the dead man was just a nutcase who was saintly by day and satanic by night or if more mayhem is on the way. Like the film 8mm, which plunged its hero into the dark and ugly world of "snuff films," this novel takes Shute deep into the underground of Internet prostitution. It's not a pretty place to spend a lot of time, but Bechard, author of the satirical Second Greatest Story Ever Told (1991), somehow manages to keep us from feeling too uncomfortable. Shute, the newly divorced computer-expert detective, is a fresh and most appealing character who deserves his own series. Fans of gritty, realistic mysteries with an edge should be well pleased. David Pitt

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1456459449
• ISBN13: 9781456459444
• Release Date: August 2016
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 322 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

The Hooker book

Not really a book on how to be a hooker. Just the affectionate title for a great read, that starts with the murder of a sanctimonious religious hypocrite, and careens through the City of New Haven to an exciting conclusion. It's a grab-you-by-the-throat-and-refuse-to-let-go-until-you're-done type of crime novel. Oh, yes, and hookers play a big part in the plot.

Not your run of the mill mystery novel ...

I'm not generally a fan of detective stories, mysteries, or crime novels. Ninth Square is a fascinating read as it seems to break the boundaries of it's classified genre. Bechard's style is genuinely engaging and has a very natural feel, not at all forced. The prose reads like thoughts.The bulk of the novel is written in the first person and makes you feel as if you are in the head of the main character, Detective William Shute, reliving the memories of the week-long series of events which make up the plot of the novel. The story is fast paced and engaging and Bechard doesn't solve the mystery (or allow the reader to solve it) until the end. It is absolutely packed with red herrings, believable red herrings, as any good mystery should be. Bechard has a real talent for writing likable characters, which, when coming from a misanthrope such as myself, is saying a lot. When I give it a second read - and you can be sure I will give it a second read, as with all of Bechard's tales, be they feature length films ("Psychos in Love"), experimental shorts ("The Pretty Girl"), or literature ("The Hazmat Diaries", "Ninth Square"), once is not enough - I look forward to seeing what I missed the first time around by not knowing the outcome. I hope that Bechard plans to bring Detective Shute back in future novels, but until he does, I highly recommend giving "Ninth Square" a good read.

HOT!

Ninth Square has some of the kinkiest scenes I've ever read in a mainstream thriller, as Det. Shute explores the underbelly of internet escorts and made-to-order porn. The chapter about the Green Acres theme song is a CLASSIC! (I was was laughing so loud, my roommate thought something was wrong.) Just a completely entertaining read, with wonderfully familiar locations (Who in Connecticut hasn't eaten New Haven pizza?), which poses the theory that we ALL have kinky little secrets (even those in the religious right whose kink is to stop people from enjoy themselves). Can't argue with the truth!

Fast paced, sexy, and fun!

I picked this up because I'm such a fan of Bechard's first books, Second Greatest Story Ever Told. While nothing like that book, I still could not put this one down. A perfect airplane read, with short chapters that end with a line that MAKES you turn the page and keep reading! I read the first half on a flight to Chicago, then found myself sitting up in my hotel room until 4 AM finishing it. I want Detective Shute to rescue me!

A real page turner!

One of those books that you literally can't put down because the chapters are so short, you get suckered into reading just one more. Fast, VERY sexy, with great dialog, and it pokes fun at those who need it most (including Yale). Give this one a shot.