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The Ninth Step

by Grant Jerkins (Goodreads Author)

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 93 ratings · 40 reviews

Is it true what they say? That we’re only as sick as our worst secret? Because Helen Patrice has one. Last night, she murdered a stranger…

Helen is a recovering alcoholic struggling through a twelve-step program. Now it’s time to make amends for a crime she got away with—a hit and run accident that killed the wife of school teacher Edgar Woolrich. It’s time to face the co...more

Paperback, 304 pages

Published September 4th 2012 by Berkley Trade

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Jan 27, 2013 Tarin Towers rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: amnesia, con-artists, crime, drugs, fate-vs-free-will, fiction, identity, insanity, morality, memory, suspense, recovery, alcoholism, sfpl

When I started reading this book I wasn't that impressed but by the time the car crash that's the propelling event in the book takes place, I was hooked. I don't know of many books that have this many sharp twists and turns and hooks and pull them off as completely believable within the setting of the novel. Things happen that might not be likely in real life but nothing happens that contradicts what these thoughtfully crafted characters would do when confronted with such events.

This is a book...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Ed Schneider rated it 5 of 5 stars

Having read, loved, and been surprised by each of Grant Jerkins' other dark, twisty novels, THE NINTH STEP does not disappoint. Each of his stories takes on different sets of interpersonal issues and plays with expectations and conclusions to a wonderfully satisfying effect.

In THE NINTH STEP, Jerkins deals with the loss and regret of two individuals -- one, an alcoholic who blacks out while driving one night and winds up killing another driver, then tries to cover it up, and the other, the husba...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Kelly Hager rated it 3 of 5 stars

If you asked her, Helen would tell you she's a functioning alcoholic. Lately, though, it's taking more and more alcohol to function. In fact, to be able to work as a vet (she owns her own practice), she has to start drinking during the day. And one night, she's driving home from the bar and gets in an accident.

Meanwhile, Edgar's life is perfect. He has a job he loves, a great marriage and his wife is pregnant. And then one night, he and his wife are driving home and they get in an accident.

Not s...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Becky rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012

I loved Grant Jerkins' first two books, so I was excited to find out a new one was on the way. I bought it when it came out, and even though I wanted to finish the book I was in the middle of before beginning The Ninth Step, I lasted about a day before giving in. I knew it would be a fun read, and it was. I don't know where Jerkins' gets his ideas, but his books are so original and include just the right amount of dark and twisted "stuff." As I read this one, I was reminded of the woman who hit...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Elizabeth A. rated it 5 of 5 stars

“You do not ease your own burden by transferring it to others to carry. That strikes to the very heart of the ninth step. First, do no harm.” – Martha

To be fair, veterinarian Helen Patrice never set out to do harm. Not when she slowly slipped from college party girl into functioning alcoholic, slamming shots from mini bottles throughout the day at work at her vet hospital.

Not when she’d go out in the evenings to one of her rotating cycle of bars and get so hammered that the next day she’d barely...more “You do not ease your own burden by transferring it to others to carry. That strikes to the very heart of the ninth step. First, do no harm.” – Martha

To be fair, veterinarian Helen Patrice never set out to do harm. Not when she slowly slipped from college party girl into functioning alcoholic, slamming shots from mini bottles throughout the day at work at her vet hospital.

Not when she’d go out in the evenings to one of her rotating cycle of bars and get so hammered that the next day she’d barely remember the anonymous sex she’d engaged in with some stranger in the bathroom or parking lot.

And certainly not that fateful evening after one of those alcohol drenched bar hops when she was involved in a hit and run accident. No, Helen never set out to do harm. But what she did after the harm was done…

High school geometry teacher Edgar Woolrich was driving the other car involved in Helen’s accident. He and his wife, who’d announced her pregnancy earlier that evening, were on their way home after a night out celebrating the news. Unfortunately, their route home took a life-altering detour: Edgar’s through the ER, his wife and unborn child’s through the morgue.

When Helen realizes the following morning what has happened she painstakingly covers up the accident. Determined to turn over a new leaf, she joins Alcoholics Anonymous and begins earnestly working the 12 Step program. Edgar, too, is earnestly working a program. His, however, is one of his own creation. Using his skill with numbers, he spends hours creating probability charts and graphs in effort to figure out who was involved in the accident that took his wife and unborn child from him.

Their respective quests end up on course for a collision of another kind when Helen finally reaches the 9th Step: Make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. And this, boys and girls, is where The Ninth Step, the third book from Atlanta author Grant Jerkins, kicks into seriously high gear.

In her misguided, twisted effort to make amends, Helen ends up working her way into Edgar’s life. In fact, they actually end up involved romantically, with Edgar none the wiser as to Helen’s involvement in the accident. Of course Jerkins being an author who loves to explore the darkest corners of people’s hearts, he gives readers that setup then mercilessly rips the scabs off the wounds both Helen and Edgar are trying so desperately to recover from in order to see how they react when their backs are pressed to the wall. He does this by injecting several wild cards into the scenario, both people and events which force Helen and Edgar to choose what “truth” matters most to them and how far they’re willing to go to protect it.

As with his previous novels, A Very Simple Crime and At the End of the Road, with The Ninth Step Jerkins once again proves himself an absolutely fearless writer who’s willing to take readers – cringing and squirming, kicking and screaming – down some very uncomfortable roads. He carefully constructs the lives of Helen and Edgar, separately, so the reader has a very clear picture of who they and what they’re made of. Then he pulls the rug out from under everyone, readers and characters alike, by slamming the two of them together and throwing into question everything you thought you knew to be true.

If you like story lines wrapped up neatly and prefer your characters to fit into tidy, easily defined boxes, well, this isn’t the book for you. Jerkins excels at creating characters who reflect the complexities of the real world. They are conflicted, flawed, and when pushed, morally flexible. They are, in short, painfully believable. Even when committing questionable, even criminal acts, it’s hard not to at least understand where the characters in Jerkins’s novels are coming from, even if you don’t actually condone their behavior. And it’s a sure sign of an author’s skill when he can lead readers deep into a moral quagmire and have them struggling right alongside the characters to decide what the proper course of action really is.

Jerkins now has three published novels under his belt, and every one of them has a completely different flavor. However, from the Southern Gothic of a massively dysfunctional family, to a coming of age story wrapped in a mystery, to a twisted love affair born of deceit, they do all have one thing in common…they are all examples of the type of stellar storytelling an author in complete control of his craft is capable of. If you’re not yet reading Grant Jerkins’s work, please do yourself a favor and start. Now. (less)

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Nov 04, 2012 Eularee Smith rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who loves a Hitchcock style mystery

Recommended to Eularee by: publisher for review

An interesting plot twist with a hit and run murder careening down a different road. The characters were believable, likable actually, which given the nature of the murder mystery, made it hard to find a villain you love to hate.

Grant Jenkins uses the ninth step from AA to surround the story and drive it through a whopping 64 chapters in 290 pages. The chapters were short, which made it easy to save your spot, but it also made the story a bit disjointed. Just as you were getting into the chapte...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Gatorman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An immensely entertaining thriller from Jerkins involving a drunk-driving hit and run accident and the consequences that follow when the guilty party goes to AA and attempts to satisfy "the ninth step", which is to make amends for those people you hurt. Although the story, at times, may seem a bit over-the-top, the unfolding events are so fascinating and compelling you won't care. Jerkins weaves a very tight narrative around his in-over-their-heads main characters and you find yourself on the ed...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Kimberly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 52-books-in-52-weeks-2012

Don't know what I was expecting, but it sure wasn't that.

Helen is a recovering alcoholic and seeks out Edgar, the man who was driving the car she crashed into, resulting in the death of Edgar's beloved wife Judy. As Helen and Edgar's relationship grows, Helen becomes part of a blackmail scheme when a note appears: does he know you killed his wife?

With the threat of losing everything, Helen must come to terms with her past and what this means for her future and the man she now loves.

This is a sw...more Don't know what I was expecting, but it sure wasn't that.

Helen is a recovering alcoholic and seeks out Edgar, the man who was driving the car she crashed into, resulting in the death of Edgar's beloved wife Judy. As Helen and Edgar's relationship grows, Helen becomes part of a blackmail scheme when a note appears: does he know you killed his wife?

With the threat of losing everything, Helen must come to terms with her past and what this means for her future and the man she now loves.

This is a swift read with interesting characters and some great twists. I didn't think I would find Helen to be a very interesting or sympathetic character, but Jerkins does a good job making her human and good intentioned. Her character changes so dramatically from the beginning of the book to the end, I don't honestly know what I think of Helen by then, but I do know it was a great ride.

Edgar on the other hand is safe, sweet and quiet. He's a school teacher who collects Japanese puzzle boxes, awaiting the birth of him and Judy's first child when they are struck by Helen's car and his life changes forever. Edgar's normal life is set into an uncontrollable downward spiral so that when Edgar does finally manage to pull it back together and find happiness, I'm rooting for him. It's easy to see early on that Edgar's choices will forever be tainted by this series of events, so that when things do reach their climax and get out of control, Edgar becomes an extreme character of himself.

A series of creepy and shady characters complete Helen and Edgar's friends and non-friends. The unsettling feeling of something always being a little off starts on page one and reaches a powerful climax by the end. The good guys aren't good, the bad guys aren't bad. Well, they are, but oh, how that line is very blurry by the end.

The ending is satisfying, yet extremely harsh. I did like the ending but the momentum for the story was so out of control by that point, I feel like everything was uneasy still. Which isn't a bad thing.

I really enjoyed this book and I think most people would really like it. It's a thriller you can't put down. (less)

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Oct 26, 2012 Cheryl Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, mysteries, noir

I won this book in First Reads. I highly recommend this book to readers who love fast-paced unsentimental writing about crime, especially crimes involving profoundly ordinary people.

The great strengths of this novel are the spare, yet thorough, characterization and the relentless pace. The cumulative effect is like a sledgehammer.

This book reminds me a lot of stories by James M. Cain. In fact,
the way this story plays out is what I would imagine would have happened to Walter and Phyllis, from th...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Chris Wolak rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-copy, suspense

Whenever I think about no longer accepting review copies because they "get in the way" of my own reading list, I think of Grant Jerkins and immediately decide it's better to keep on receiving them. It was by saying yes to a review copy request that I read his first novel in 2010. Now, three books later, Grant Jerkins is one of my favorite writers.

The Ninth Step, Jerkins' third novel, was released last month by Berkley Prime Crime. It's a fantastic read. It will especially freak you out if you're...more Whenever I think about no longer accepting review copies because they "get in the way" of my own reading list, I think of Grant Jerkins and immediately decide it's better to keep on receiving them. It was by saying yes to a review copy request that I read his first novel in 2010. Now, three books later, Grant Jerkins is one of my favorite writers.

The Ninth Step, Jerkins' third novel, was released last month by Berkley Prime Crime. It's a fantastic read. It will especially freak you out if you're in a twelve step program or have ever worked the steps. Yes, The ninth step of the title refers not to stairs, but to step nine of the big twelve: "Made direct amends to to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others."

Edgar Woolrich is a happily married high school geometry teacher who collects Japanese puzzle boxes. Helen Patrice is a veterinarian and an alcoholic. When his obsession and her addiction cross paths the result is an intriguing story of who-done-what and who'll-do-what next. I love Jerkins' characters. Even though they are not always likeable, they have a realness and a warmth that makes them seem all so human. And in this case . . . oh, the humanity.

What I like about Jerkins' novels is that they're all so different from one another. I enjoy a good series, but it is also refreshing to read a good crime novelist who can create such solid stand alone novels that you're not left wishing the author had written a book more like the last one.

A Very Simple Crime (2010) was about a down on his luck prosecutor investigating a murder that takes him into the depths of a family's psychological abnormalities. At the End of the Road (2011) goes back in time to the summer of 1976 when a young boy witnesses an accident, tells no one, and what unfolds afterwards for the boy and others. I think of it as a coming of age novel with a creepy, dark core.

I don't want to say that The Ninth Step is his best yet, because that makes it sound like his two previous novels weren't up to snuff. They are. But what I especially admire about The Ninth Step is it's black humor. I often don't enjoy humor mixing with crime because it can seem too forced or too flip or too cruel. Jerkins uses humor in a way that acknowledges the pain of the human condition, but this humor also reveals that our pain is often the result of past choices, as well as showing the reality that we do have choices now, no matter how messed up things seem.

Here's an example from early on in the novel, about Helen:

The self-inspection did not reveal additional damage. Externally, Helen was still quite attractive--her breasts sagged only a little; her ass, while bigger than in the past, had not succumbed to gravity and was plump in a pleasingly feminine way; and the broken capillaries that formed a haphazard Etch A Sketch across her nose and cheeks were easily concealed with modest amounts of makeup. The shell, the facade, was fine. Unfortunately, she was rotting from the inside out. Like the shiny apple that concealed the corruption of the worm deep inside. It occurred to her hungover mind that she was the perfect hybrid of Doctor Dolittle and Dorian Gray (41).

I like this example because it tells you so much about Helen: about her age, her chronic drinking, how she deals with it, her sense of humor, her denial. Her checklist is on the light side, but it hints at the tragic darkness to come. It's avoidable, yet inevitable.

If you like suspense novels that focus on interpersonal relationships, check out The Ninth Step and Jerkins' early novels as well. They'll keep you in their grip and leave you thinking about the story and characters long afterwards. (less)

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Dec 11, 2012 Miyani rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a book that I won from one of the Goodreads drawings, and I probably wouldn't have known to pick it up, otherwise. I'm glad it got sent to me, because it turns out I really enjoyed it.

I was expecting something a little spooky, and this is not a spooky book. But it is strangely compelling and weirdly twisted, and Jerkins maintains a perfect level of tension throughout. I caught myself almost wanting to yell at the book a couple of times, like you yell at the screen when the teenage girl i...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Ninth Step is quirky, dark, well written and definitely different. I just wish I could have liked the main characters. I felt sorry for Edgar at first but by the end of the book I really didn't like either he or Helen - but, I also couldn't stop reading until the end.

I think this is more of a man's book. I just couldn't get over my feelings about Helen long enough to enjoy the wicked trail of deceit and twists and turns that Jerkins created.

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Jan 12, 2013 Judi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Like Marcus Sakey's characters, the characters in this book make some incredibly terrible decisions, and you just have to cringe and then shout at them. But this book picks up speed and the characters spin dizzily out of control, leaving you almost breathless by the end. What the hell just happened?

Jerkins is coming to the Southern Voices conference in a few weeks. I can't wait to hear him!

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Dec 10, 2012 Maryssa Slattery rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received this book as a part of a giveaway a while ago. The author's style saved a potentially very predictable storyline. It is tight, terse, direct, and dark. My only problem is that it got a little too out of control and unbelievable near the end. It was like the third half of the book was a completely different universe than the first 70%.

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Dec 31, 2012 Karen & Gerard rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: death, mystery, relationships, romance, thriller

The Ninth Step by Grant Jerkins is a quick read about Helen, an alcoholic who vows to stop drinking after being involved in a hit-and-run accident. What makes this book so good is that just when you think you have it figured out, you don't. There are lots of "wows" in this book; well worth your time.
(Gerard's Review)

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Feb 24, 2013 Bonnie rated it 5 of 5 stars

It takes a lot of talent to create a page turner. This book is unstoppable. After reading the first page I could not put it down. The characters are very interesting and twisted. This is a wonderful mystery. I enjoyed hearing Grant speak at Southern Voices on Saturday. I will read another of his books soon.

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May 19, 2013 Ann Chappe rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the first book I have read by this author...it wasn't quite what I expected subject wise. The plot is a bit surprising and in places a bit incredible really and I did find the shortness of the chapters a tad irritating. But Jerkins is clearly a talented writer and I shall look for his previous books.

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Apr 18, 2013 Robert James rated it 4 of 5 stars

Terrific book. Very Hitchcockian. Also very different from the previous book I read by this author a month or so ago which shows his versatility. This book came highly recommended and did not let me down.

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Nov 23, 2012 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

His books are getting better. I didn't see the end coming for this book. His books are realistic and keep you thinking after you are done reading them.

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Dec 10, 2012 Myra rated it 5 of 5 stars

I don't even know what to say, other than I am extremely tired this morning due to the fact that I couldn't put this book down last night. Had to finish. And just when I thought I had it all figured out, Grant knocked my socks off again in the end.

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Feb 21, 2013 David Odeen rated it 5 of 5 stars

One neck of a suspenseful read I could not put down. This is good stuff. On to the the next Jerkins novel right now.

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Nov 02, 2012 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

3 1/2 Lots of twists and turns to this story of more than one murder. Great fun and escapism.

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Oct 22, 2012 Dru rated it 5 of 5 stars

Highly recommend this book! It is one of those that keeps you enthralled until the last page!

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Sep 17, 2012 Brittany marked it as to-read

Shelves: books-won, books-owned

I received this book through the First Reads giveaway program on Goodreads. Review to follow!

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Mar 19, 2013 Patricia rated it 3 of 5 stars

It is a real page turner but it left me with an unsettled, dark feeling.

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Jan 20, 2013 Misty May rated it 1 of 5 stars

If I wasn't so OCD I would have have quit reading after chapter three and moved on to another book.

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Jan 12, 2013 Maryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book will make it seem like your character flaws are insignificant.

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Jan 12, 2013 Brandon Nagel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-of-lists

Wow. Excellent noir...best book I have read in a long time. It is easy too see why it is on a lot of "best of" lists. Highly recommended!,,

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Sep 03, 2012 Charlie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Straight-up noir or possibly a black, black comedy.

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Oct 31, 2012 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Started strong, not sure about the ending.

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About Grant Jerkins

Grant Jerkins's first novel, A Very Simple Crime, has been optioned for film by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Nicholas Kazan (At Close Range, Reversal of Fortune,) with Barbet Schroeder (Barfly, Single White Female) attached to direct. This will mark the first pairing of Schroeder and Kazan since their landmark, Oscar-winning film, Reversal of Fortune.

Grant lives with his wife and son in the Atlant...more

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