Morcan Books & Films

Book Review: The Ninth Orphan, by James and Lance Morcan

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to review a very enjoyable book by the father/son writing team, James and Lance Morcan, called Fiji: A Novel. So, I was very excited when I had the opportunity to review another novel by this duo: The Ninth Orphan. This psychological thriller really kept me on the edge of my seat!

The Ninth Orphan is the story of Sebastian, more commonly called Nine because he is the ninth of twenty-three children who were raised and trained apart from natural parents to become elite members of a super-secret spy agency. Nine is exceptionally gifted at the spy game and plays it well, but when he reaches the age of 31, he decides he wants to lead a “normal” life, away from the intrigue and secrecy of the world of espionage. Unfortunately, his employer, the Omega Agency, doesn’t support his decision, and it becomes a cat-and-mouse game when Nine implements his plan to break away from the agency.

Along the way, we learn that Nine is a master of disguise as he adeptly uses makeup and various costumes to transform himself into people that the other agents are unlikely to recognize. Nine also picks up a reluctant hostage along the way — a beautiful Frenchwoman named Isabelle — who becomes more and more bonded to Nine as their perilous journey unfolds. Will Nine and Isabelle ever be able to elude their pursuers and create a new life on the peaceful island that Nine has acquired?

I couldn’t stop reading this book filled with plenty of action and mystery, so I was happy to learn that The Ninth Orphan is part of a trilogy, which includes a prequel — The Orphan Factory — and a sequel (to come) — The Orphan Uprising. The Ninth Orphan is available now as a paperback and eBook. I hope you’ll pick up a copy today!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are 100% my own. This post contains affiliate links.