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Nine-Tenths of the Law (Nine Lives Series Book 1) by [Glenn Mitchell]

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Glenn Mitchell

Nine-Tenths of the Law (Nine Lives Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Glenn Mitchell (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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Detective Ben Ricci has never experienced fear. He’s about to spend the next five days mastering terror.

A dark and wicked mystery that will haunt readers long after the final page.

A doomed killer’s cryptic warning, an ancient Japanese book on the occult, a family of Italian witches, a mannequin that can’t be destroyed, the murderous spirit of a dead child.

Detective Ben Ricci is not a believer. Everything must have a logical explanation, including the brutal murder of Fabrizio Lecanto. All he needs is a broken alibi or compelling motive. Instead he has unreliable testimonies, all telling the same dubious ghost story.

It’s bad timing for Ricci. He’s under investigation, struggling to save his marriage and shamefully obsessed with a key witness. To find the killer, he’ll need to control his many compulsions. Unfortunately self-control has never been Ben’s strong suit.

As the killer’s evil intent becomes clear, one cop’s stubborn cynicism will challenge the demented zeal of believers, shedding unwanted light on a society’s darkest secrets.

˃˃˃ Praise for 'Nine-Tenths of the Law':

"I haven’t read a mystery as great as this in a long time" C J Anaya, author of The Healer series

"A rollercoaster ride in a wicked theme park" Amazon 5* review (Top 100 reviewer)

"Thriller, horror, suspense...all you could ask for!" Amazon 5* review

"Kept me on the edge of my seat." Amazon 5* review

"The work of a pretty twisted imagination" Amazon 5* review

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Print length

341 pages
Language

English
Publication date

26 July 2015
File size

831 KB
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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B010K7YOUO
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 831 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 341 pages

Best Sellers Rank: 1,240,669 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 5,060 in Hard-Boiled Mysteries
- 7,544 in Occult Horror
- 8,519 in Hard-Boiled Mystery

Customer Reviews:
23 ratings

About the author

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Glenn Mitchell

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Glenn Mitchell was raised on the Gold Coast, Australia where he probably should have remained, surfing every day, drinking beer and romancing tanned women.

After being rejected by art schools, he studied TV production and scriptwriting. His career began bizarrely as an extra in commercials. Eager to make amends, he worked as a presenter, writer, editor and producer of programs for the ABC, Foxtel and SBS, including co-writing the infamous Australian comedy series, ‘Pizza’.

He switched to music journalism while touring the country for two years, playing bass guitar and singing badly in very loud bands that supported much better acts, like Suicidal Tendencies, Powderfinger and the Foo Fighters.

Having amassed a wheelie bin full of failed attempts at writing novels, he finally stayed still long enough to release his debut novel ‘Nowhere’ in 2014, followed by ‘Nine-Tenths of the Law’ in 2015. His short stories have appeared in Shine, The J.J. Outré Review, Crack the Spine Literary Magazine, and Midnight Echo.

Mitchell currently lives in Cambodia where he writes fiction, wears very large sunglasses, drinks margaritas and avoids employment. As a member of the Australian Horror Writers Association, he is dedicated to the art of scaring people.

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Amazon M

New Orleans meets Sydney Inner West

Reviewed in Australia on 8 October 2015

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An entertaining read full of shady characters and enough intrigue to make you want to race to the end. Pick it up for a plane ride or a weekend by the beach.

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Amazon Customer

A great read. Darkly humorous at times

Reviewed in Australia on 8 November 2015

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A great read. Darkly humorous at times, wildly imaginative at others. Some unexpected turns and hilarious stabs at society!

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Top reviews from other countries

J M Portman

A rollercoaster ride which will leave you feeling both high and low in turn

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 November 2015

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Nine-Tenths of the Law by Glenn Mitchell is a horror story which is completely my kind of thing, I am pleased to say! It tells the tale of detective Ben Ricci when things are not really going his way. Not only is he under investigation, but he is also in the difficult situation of going through a possible marriage breakdown and is also captivated by a key witness. The story takes place over five memorable days in balmy July when Ben gets called out to investigate a gruesome homicide and we learn that in order to find the killer, Detective Ricci will need to learn how to control his many compulsions but self-control has never been one of Ben’s strengths. I was hooked from the very beginning and had no choice but to keep on reading. If you can bypass the use of language, drug abuse and rather enlightening descriptions, (!) then you stand a good chance of being as intrigued as I was. This novel could be likened to a rollercoaster ride and will leave you feeling both high and low in turn. I thoroughly enjoyed it despite the fact that there was quite a lot of Australian language in there, it was still easy to understand the story the author was telling us. Five stars for me and I will remember this author for the future.

C.J. Anaya - USA Today Bestselling Author of My Fair Assassin

I haven't read a mystery as great as this in a long time.

Reviewed in the United States on 22 October 2015

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Wow. This book was simply amazing. It's been a long time since I've read an actual murder mystery that remains true to the genre, and takes the reader deep into the investigative process with those awesome twists, turns and red herrings. Too many writers miss the mark and focus solely on personal relationships, allowing that to take over the entire plot, while this author took those conflicts in the main character's personal life and used it to add flawless tension to the entire narrative, sprinkling in the personal aspects and issues each character had, while weaving a gripping tale that hinted at the supernatural until the very end.

I thought the paranormal aspect of this story was handled with such amazing finesse. It read like something absolutely factual, rather than making me feel as if I was reading some overdone attempt at a horror story, though there was plenty about the situation you could label as horrifying. It was just very grounded. During the entire read I was jumping between the idea that we were dealing with a murderous spirit bent on possessing whatever it could to achieve what it wanted, and then wondering if these little bread crumbs were simply being used to distract from the identity of the real murderer and the circumstances that led to the violence.

There were some wonderfully creepy moments with each new revelation adding that extra layer of suspense and tension. So good. So, so good. The MC isn't necessarily someone you could consider a good guy, but the development of his character makes it difficult to do anything but like him even though he is so screwed up. His wife is a hag, by the way. I thought I'd just throw my opinion in on that wench. I think the other thing that made reading this story so effortless was the author's unique writing style. He manages to take everyday situations, whether comfortable, awkward or routine, and describe them in a way that I've never considered before which adds to the atmosphere and paints a very sharp picture of the people, activities, and mood of each scene. Here's one example of that:

"I was guessing my arrival was welcome, assuming they'd been sitting in silence, competing with each other to see whose cutlery could make the least noise."

Just little gems like that, zeroing in on a scene's mood and cuing the reader in on how to feel and what to expect without telling them to do so. I think the author's style and voice is compelling, and the characters he created were all real, easy to relate to, and hard to let go of. That ending though. Seriously! So good, but I'm wondering if this is going to be a series or if that's the end of the story. If it is the end then I find it a bit poetic, all things considered, but I hope it isn't. I hope there's more in the future.

There was lots of profanity, which I'm not a fan of, but that is a personal preference. Just a little heads up for those sensitive to it.

I highly recommend this to all paranormal mystery fans and anyone in need of a suspenseful read. You won't be disappointed with this author's ability to weave an intricate and engrossing mystery.

One person found this helpful

John H. Manhold

5* noir mystery overshadowed by the supernatural; 3* for this reader as explained below

Reviewed in the United States on 24 October 2015

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9/10 OF THE LAW, ISBN: 978151424875, an e-book by Glenn H. Mitchell is an unusual paranormal noir mystery story.
Plot: The reader is introduced to the protagonist, Ben Ricci newly assigned homicide detective as he is forced to kill a suspect. He then discovers his reaction is, for him, unusual. Specifically recalling that cops on raids reacted differently – unashamedly scared, frightened with a talent for avoiding conflict, begrudgingly brave or “the strangest of them all, the fearless” who had nothing to overcome because their reaction resulted from “just good old-fashioned adrenalin”- fitting the last category, he was surprised to experience “a dark, dank flutter I felt before firing on the suspect”. His older partner, T. J, noticed and questioned his feeling, but was assured he was fine. Upon return to the office, the sergeant turns him over to Sala, the Internal Affairs Officer who is aware that Ben is a recovered ‘junkie’ and does not believe this third killing within a few months was necessary. T. J. insists that it was, Ben is exonerated and goes home to his wife Belinda and long-time buddie, Leo, both heavy drug/alcohol users. After his disturbing day, they persuade him to let down and just this once re-indulge with them. His relationship with Belinda appears to be largely based on a continuing sexual attention that she provides/withholds in a frustrating manner. So summarily the protagonist is: an apparent partially reformed drug/alcohol addict with marital difficulties; only partially trained as a homicide detective whose experienced partner/mentor acquires an illness that defies diagnosis; a new partner provided who also is ‘untrained’; and because of circumstances he must take the lead in a case to solve a hideous crime - disembowelment of a young man with an unidentifiable weapon that required a goodly amount of strength by the perpetrator.
Characters: Additionally contributing a murky influence upon a plot that centers on a mannequin with extremely unusual qualities: Anthony (Tony) Perugino, a powerful company executive who as a child was unable to save his best childhood friend Alice from drowning, and as an adult was bullied and beaten at work, fell in love with a woman who had a ‘nervous breakdown’ and then stalked him, followed by some similar repeat patterns, all associated with and overshadowed by supernatural occurrences; Melissa, his wife; Mitch Curtin, his partial confident/groundskeeper; Clair Haskell, his CEO; a mysterious Mrs. Lecanto, somewhat of a clairvoyant and her twin sons; Megan (Megs), Ben’s new partner, and Alice, who died at eight years of age.
Discussion: The author has provided an interesting noir mystery heavily overshadowed by the supernatural element abundantly buttressed by the actions of a number of highly psychologically disturbed and/or at least marginally psychotic individuals. It moves relatively well and no doubt is appealingly crafted for the devotee of supernatural stories, although possibly a little less so for more specifically noir genre aficionados. Regrettably this reviewer’s perhaps unfortunate pragmatic bent once again becomes apparent. I find both paranormal and especially noir mysteries quite appealing and have read a number that satisfy all of my personal criteria. The author here also has produced a most enjoyable and captivating tale. The only features that decrease the story’s enjoyment are the somewhat ‘murkiness’ of the plot and the failure to explain the murder which initiated the story; i.e., specifically why and how could it have been accomplished by the perpetrator? The ending provided was most fitting.

One person found this helpful

Scarlett Jensen

Well-written Crime Novel with Suspense and Mystery

Reviewed in the United States on 22 October 2015

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Glenn Mitchell is a skilled storyteller, script writer and author with a wide experience in different forms of communication. But beyond that, he has a developed sense for the eerie and dark descriptions he creates out of his imagination. He uses all his senses and with his illusive dark sixth sense, he evokes the readers to experience his scary descriptions of scenes, smells, noises, that leave us with a bloody taste in the mouth. You either wish to run away from the scenes or if you have a dark humour, you stick your hands or body into the muck to solve the mystery.

The chief narrator is the author and he is a detective, spying for information, sniffing out, passing through the murder scene, creating an atmosphere of stifled fear, for example : ” The woman was definitely the same one I’d seen in the old black-and-white photo at the murder scene, except her dark hair had been so thoroughly greyed that any hint of black had been bled out of it long ago, replaced by a pure white hue..”
So the other twin son is out there right now trying to find whoever’s responsible for his brother’s death. His only alibi coming from his mother was no different. Everything we owned was black, everything was about skulls and guns and horror nausea. Death has its own special odour, and the morgue was pickled in it.

In the novel you find a doomed killer’s cryptic warning, an ancient Japanese book on the occult, a family of Italian witches, a mannequin that can’t be destroyed, the murderous spirit of a dead child… Detective Ben Ricci is not a believer but everything must have a logical explanation, even the brutal murder of Fabrizio Lecanto. All he needs is a broken alibi or compelling motive. Instead he has unreliable testimonies, all telling the same dubious ghost story and thriller.

It is bad timing for Ricci. He is involved in the murder investigation, struggling to save his marriage and shamefully obsessed with a key witness. To find the killer, he’ll need to control his many compulsions. Unfortunately self-control has never been Ben’s strongest quality.As the killer’s evil intent becomes clear, one cop’s stubborn cynicism will challenge the demented zeal of believers, shedding unwanted light on a society’s darkest secrets.

As a detective book author, Mitchell enjoys researching forensic procedures, associates with fictional people he creates, becoming the cop in the thriller movie or TV show as he script-writes. He dreams to act as a lethargic, plain-clothed cop who eats fast food every time there’s a new murder scene investigation. Maybe in the last episode his female colleague finally loses her patience and grabs the taco out of his hand and throws it at a wall of the cop station. He explains his strategy:
“A minion may have a moral awakening, or emerge as a far more evil character than their boss. A sidekick might take a bullet for their hero, or they may turn around and put a bullet in the hero. Being a mystery writer, it’s all part of the extensive palate. Our job is to intrigue, challenge and surprise readers. What could be a better device than a character that has misled us all along?”

Reality is Mitchell’s fiction and the fiction he writes, is his reality. Any necessary detail must be included and uncensored. He loves the mythology of horror more than the gore, but sometimes he has to imagine a murder scene and the description is detailed because it creates important leads. Some characters will swear, other characters in the story may find that appalling. People will have sex if it’s an integral part of plot development. Characters will embrace weakness while others will be righteous. He does not know what his characters will be like until they emerge, but once they’re tangible, he sticks by them and they’re never watered down. Every time you censor your vision, you take one step away from art and move closer to your craft.His research in forensics, firearms, police procedure, drug testing, reading appropriate press releases and does image searches of cops. It is addictive and interesting each time he writes a new book. This chore has now become one of his favourite processes.

The author has very pure imagination and opens himself to the influence of other mediums like film having written a few TV series. He learns from some talented colleagues and authors and is inspired by meeting his passionate readers and receiving validation for his thrillers characterized by suspense and the supernatural. Glenn H. Mitchell turns to crime, creating a wickedly twisted mystery that will haunt readers long after the final page.

Here is an excerpt of Mitchell previous novel titled Nowhere: I just could not resist to quote it:
“Nowhere is the name we’ve given to that tempting and frightening uncharted space beyond the planets we mine and the wars we wage. Nobody has jurisdiction in it. Nobody is safe in it. Nowhere is a haven for criminals but even the most defiant won’t venture far into the void. Nowhere is a destination for the spiritual. Some say it’s the closest you’ll come to God. Others say, ‘careful what you wish for’. One thing we all agree on. There’s something out there. Nowhere is the place we’ll meet them, whoever or whatever they are. First contact. We laugh about the changing probability of it. We’re amazed it hasn’t happened already, and as we laugh we keep a nervous eye on the black periphery. It makes the hairs on our necks dance. Yet we continue to walk this thin line between bravery and stupidity, between excitement and fear.”

Scarlett Jensen
20 October 215

One person found this helpful

J Armstrong

Not your average Crime story, it sits somewhere between Thriller and Horror

Reviewed in the United States on 20 October 2015

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What a weird thriller. Those were my first thoughts as I finished this book. It was a well written story (although, I could’ve definitely done without the extensive use of profanity and colorful descriptions of peoples rear ends and such). If you think this will be your run-of-the-mill crime dramas, think again. The weirdness starts from the first chapter. Detective Ricci is living in Australia and gets called out on a gruesome homicide. Trying to detangle all the people who know “something” and figure out who did the crime is where it gets weird, (think possessions and supernatural feelings) and the story does take several macabre turns before finally leading up to the end and dropping you smack dab into it.
The story (minus the language) was pretty unique, and in itself gripping. It might very well have you questioning whether to turn off that hallway light at night. The descriptions are pretty graphic and there is some drug use depicted within the book. I know some people were saying the Australian slang was hard to follow but I didn’t think so. Nothing was so far out that I couldn’t deduce what the author was describing. A good book, but definitely not lighthearted.