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Jack Shepherd #6
The Nineteen
THERE WERE NINETEEN HIJACKERS
YOU KNOW ABOUT.
AND ONE YOU DON’T.
In January 2000, nearly a dozen of Osama bin Laden's most trusted lieutenants gathered secretly in Malaysia to plan an attack on America, an attack the world would one day call 9/11.
When the meeting ended, some of the Al-Qaeda commanders returned to Afghanistan, but the rest went to Bangkok. Why did they go to Bangkok after the plan for 9/11 was in motion? No one knew. The CIA lost track of them.
THE NINETEEN is a novel about four Americans in Bangkok who banded together in January 2000 to do what the CIA couldn’t do. Find the Al-Qaeda commanders in the city and discover what they were planning.
They got close. Tantalizingly close. They just didn’t get quite close enough.
After the World Trade Center vanished in a cloud of fire and dust, they looked at the photographs of the smoldering ruins and realized they might have stopped it. They thought nothing could be worse than knowing they had failed.
Then they discovered there was something worse.
There was something much worse.
“THE NINETEEN is a remarkable book, especially the last few chilling chapters. Wow. Breathtaking stuff. ” - Brendan DuBois, New York Times #1 bestselling author
YOU KNOW ABOUT.
AND ONE YOU DON’T.
In January 2000, nearly a dozen of Osama bin Laden's most trusted lieutenants gathered secretly in Malaysia to plan an attack on America, an attack the world would one day call 9/11.
When the meeting ended, some of the Al-Qaeda commanders returned to Afghanistan, but the rest went to Bangkok. Why did they go to Bangkok after the plan for 9/11 was in motion? No one knew. The CIA lost track of them.
THE NINETEEN is a novel about four Americans in Bangkok who banded together in January 2000 to do what the CIA couldn’t do. Find the Al-Qaeda commanders in the city and discover what they were planning.
They got close. Tantalizingly close. They just didn’t get quite close enough.
After the World Trade Center vanished in a cloud of fire and dust, they looked at the photographs of the smoldering ruins and realized they might have stopped it. They thought nothing could be worse than knowing they had failed.
Then they discovered there was something worse.
There was something much worse.
“THE NINETEEN is a remarkable book, especially the last few chilling chapters. Wow. Breathtaking stuff. ” - Brendan DuBois, New York Times #1 bestselling author
378 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 5, 2022
121 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Jake Needham
46 books396 followersJAKE NEEDHAM received the Barry Award at Bouchercon 2024, the world's largest convention of mystery readers, for BEST PAPERBACK MYSTERY OF 2024. He is a three-time Barry Award nominee, as well as a nominee for the International Thriller Writers' award for BEST PAPERBACK THRILLER OF THE YEAR.
Needham is an American screen and television writer who has lived in Thailand for over thirty years. He started writing crime novels when he realized he really didn't like movies and television all that much. Since then, he has published fifteen popular mysteries and thrillers in two different series — The Inspector Samuel Tay Novels, and the Jack Shepherd Novels — as well as the international bestseller, THE BIG MANGO.
"Jake Needham is Asia's most stylish and atmospheric writer of crime fiction," says the Singapore Straits Times. "Jake Needham is Michael Connelly with steamed rice," says the Bangkok Post.
Needham is an American screen and television writer who has lived in Thailand for over thirty years. He started writing crime novels when he realized he really didn't like movies and television all that much. Since then, he has published fifteen popular mysteries and thrillers in two different series — The Inspector Samuel Tay Novels, and the Jack Shepherd Novels — as well as the international bestseller, THE BIG MANGO.
"Jake Needham is Asia's most stylish and atmospheric writer of crime fiction," says the Singapore Straits Times. "Jake Needham is Michael Connelly with steamed rice," says the Bangkok Post.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 7, 2022
Following a meeting of Osama bin Laden's lieutenants in Malaysia in 2000, some of the Al-Qaeda commanders went back to Afghanistan, but others went to Bangkok. In ‘The Nineteen’, Jake Needham conjures up a scenario that could explain what those men were up to. Jack Shepherd, along with two DEA men and an FBI special agent, try to uncover whatever it is the Al-Qaeda are planning, but with very little to go on, they soon run into several brick walls.
This is the sixth book I’ve read by Jake Needham and the first I’ve read in the Jack Shepherd series. Though the story this time around took a while to set up, once it got going, I couldn’t put it down. Mr Needham’s writing is always very readable and generally has a nice line in witty one-liners. This one is no different and while the details get a little complex at times (delving into money-laundering and dodgy financial transactions), the plot is clever and worryingly realistic. Knowing the ending to a book might put some readers off, but in this case, it just gives the reader an additional motivation to keep turning the pages. There’s also a nice little twist that adds another layer of intrigue at the end.
A fascinating and convincing read that kept me riveted from page one.
This is the sixth book I’ve read by Jake Needham and the first I’ve read in the Jack Shepherd series. Though the story this time around took a while to set up, once it got going, I couldn’t put it down. Mr Needham’s writing is always very readable and generally has a nice line in witty one-liners. This one is no different and while the details get a little complex at times (delving into money-laundering and dodgy financial transactions), the plot is clever and worryingly realistic. Knowing the ending to a book might put some readers off, but in this case, it just gives the reader an additional motivation to keep turning the pages. There’s also a nice little twist that adds another layer of intrigue at the end.
A fascinating and convincing read that kept me riveted from page one.
May 11, 2022
The Best of the Best
Jake Needham is alway good reading, but he has really out done himself this time. A very thought provoking novel with an amazing twist at the end. Having read all of his books I’m just sad that it will be a year or more before I get to enjoy more of Jake’s writing.
Jake Needham is alway good reading, but he has really out done himself this time. A very thought provoking novel with an amazing twist at the end. Having read all of his books I’m just sad that it will be a year or more before I get to enjoy more of Jake’s writing.
July 24, 2022
Jake Needham’s ‘The Nineteen’, book 6 in his Jack Shepherd series, is not a novel. The way it transports a reader, from wherever in the world they may be, to the tumultuous turmoil that the streets of Bangkok offer to the unwary, is pure magic! The author brings the sights, smells, and sounds of the Land of Smiles vividly to life. Yet this is not a tale of the city in itself; it is merely the backdrop to an intensely intriguing tale which elicited an unintentional outburst from this reader at a particular moment in the narrative. I was there, on the streets of Thailand’s capital city, steeped in the aura of reality that author Needham creates, when something absolutely unexpected happened, provoking my cry of “He can’t do that!!!”. After an odd glance from my wife, and a growl from my dog, I quickly dove back into the mesmerizing tale unfolding on my Kindle.
The premise of this novel is brilliant. An important meeting of Al-Qaeda terrorists in Malaysia in January 2000, followed by their dispersal to Afghanistan and Thailand, is the origin of the tale. Intelligence services were tracking the Al-Qaeda commanders, and the Central Intelligence Agency was tasked to follow the terrorists, a mission they bungled. Fortunately, the Malaysian Special Branch who had been surveilling the meeting in Kuala Lumpur, noted that four of the attendees were booked on flights to Bangkok, where the CIA lost them. What were they doing in Thailand? That’s the question Jake Needham’s thriller poses. Enter Jack Shepherd, recruited by the FBI and Drug Enforcement Agency out of the US embassy. He is partnered with a novice DEA money-laundering expert sent from the US with the task of answering this question. I’ll say no more to avoid any spoilers.
Basing a novel around real events, such as those of 9/11, populated by real people (the Al-Qaeda terrorist commanders), is indeed a lofty task which author Needham rises to with taut plotting, brilliant dialogue, unforgettable characters, and Shepherd’s derisive drollness, all set against the amazing background the author had created, make this one of the best thrillers I have read so far this year! This is an exceptional tale; definitely a Must Read for fan of Robert Ludlum, Daniel Silva, or John Dolan’s David Braddock novels. Very highly recommended!
The premise of this novel is brilliant. An important meeting of Al-Qaeda terrorists in Malaysia in January 2000, followed by their dispersal to Afghanistan and Thailand, is the origin of the tale. Intelligence services were tracking the Al-Qaeda commanders, and the Central Intelligence Agency was tasked to follow the terrorists, a mission they bungled. Fortunately, the Malaysian Special Branch who had been surveilling the meeting in Kuala Lumpur, noted that four of the attendees were booked on flights to Bangkok, where the CIA lost them. What were they doing in Thailand? That’s the question Jake Needham’s thriller poses. Enter Jack Shepherd, recruited by the FBI and Drug Enforcement Agency out of the US embassy. He is partnered with a novice DEA money-laundering expert sent from the US with the task of answering this question. I’ll say no more to avoid any spoilers.
Basing a novel around real events, such as those of 9/11, populated by real people (the Al-Qaeda terrorist commanders), is indeed a lofty task which author Needham rises to with taut plotting, brilliant dialogue, unforgettable characters, and Shepherd’s derisive drollness, all set against the amazing background the author had created, make this one of the best thrillers I have read so far this year! This is an exceptional tale; definitely a Must Read for fan of Robert Ludlum, Daniel Silva, or John Dolan’s David Braddock novels. Very highly recommended!
August 15, 2022
Thriller set in BANGKOK
In the year 2000, terrorists gathered in Malaysia to plot a world changing event. Some returned to Afghanistan and some headed for Bangkok, where they disappeared into the thronging city. This is fiction based on true events. The CIA went on to lose track of them but Jake Needham's character, Jack Shepherd, lecturer at Chula University, forms a more informal team to investigate where they might have gone and what their true nefarious purposes might be.
Lucas has come over from Washington and he is very much the newbie in town, and as a character he is a wonderful vehicle to ‘see’ the city through the fresh eyes of the author:
“Lucas heads into the city from the airport: The smell of Bangkok overhwhelmed him. A mix of automobile exhaust, jasmine blooms, burned grease, drifting incense, and raw sewage that was like no smell he had ever known before. It was an ode to life, raw and immediate, one that even the hot, heavy Bangkok air could never smother.”
As the team delves into the activities of these very scary people and their activities, the colourful and visceral feel of the city come to life once again in the capable hands of the author. Jake Needham is certainly ‘Mr Bangkok’ when it comes to novels. He has his characters heading to Sri Suan Phlu, a narrow road lined with shops, probably built before WW2 when Bangkok was more of a sleepy city. They have meetings in Madrid, a Patpong institution, which dates back to the late 1960s when there were American galore enjoying some R&R in the city; there is a quick trip to the MBK shopping centre and finally they descend briefly on Koh Samui.
The author builds in authentic Thai practices and the often laborious nature of getting things done – working out, even, how things function, and the ducking, diving and weaving that can be involved.
“In Thailand systemic venality is a given. You do not rise to any position of power without being part of that venality…”
At times the novel can almost feel like the narrative harks back to the era and writing of Michael Connelly and his generation – plenty of girls and action – and of course that is the nature of the city as we often perceive it.
In the year 2000, terrorists gathered in Malaysia to plot a world changing event. Some returned to Afghanistan and some headed for Bangkok, where they disappeared into the thronging city. This is fiction based on true events. The CIA went on to lose track of them but Jake Needham's character, Jack Shepherd, lecturer at Chula University, forms a more informal team to investigate where they might have gone and what their true nefarious purposes might be.
Lucas has come over from Washington and he is very much the newbie in town, and as a character he is a wonderful vehicle to ‘see’ the city through the fresh eyes of the author:
“Lucas heads into the city from the airport: The smell of Bangkok overhwhelmed him. A mix of automobile exhaust, jasmine blooms, burned grease, drifting incense, and raw sewage that was like no smell he had ever known before. It was an ode to life, raw and immediate, one that even the hot, heavy Bangkok air could never smother.”
As the team delves into the activities of these very scary people and their activities, the colourful and visceral feel of the city come to life once again in the capable hands of the author. Jake Needham is certainly ‘Mr Bangkok’ when it comes to novels. He has his characters heading to Sri Suan Phlu, a narrow road lined with shops, probably built before WW2 when Bangkok was more of a sleepy city. They have meetings in Madrid, a Patpong institution, which dates back to the late 1960s when there were American galore enjoying some R&R in the city; there is a quick trip to the MBK shopping centre and finally they descend briefly on Koh Samui.
The author builds in authentic Thai practices and the often laborious nature of getting things done – working out, even, how things function, and the ducking, diving and weaving that can be involved.
“In Thailand systemic venality is a given. You do not rise to any position of power without being part of that venality…”
At times the novel can almost feel like the narrative harks back to the era and writing of Michael Connelly and his generation – plenty of girls and action – and of course that is the nature of the city as we often perceive it.
September 22, 2025
In The Nineteenth, Jake Newham takes a bold step with narrative perspective. We are first introduced to Jack Shepherd in Chapter 16, but unlike other Shepherd books—normally written from Jack’s own first-person point of view—this novel primarily unfolds through a third-person perspective, with Ryan as the main protagonist. For the first time, readers see Jack not through his own eyes, but through those of another character, which proves to be an intriguing shift.
Interestingly, in Chapter 17, the perspective briefly pivots back to first person, this time narrated by Jack himself during a conversation with Logan. The shift is fleeting, however, and the story soon returns to Ryan’s point of view. This back-and-forth continues throughout the novel, creating a layered effect while also keeping suspense levels high. Newham manages this delicate balance well, weaving tension into the narrative as key protagonists suddenly go missing, deepening the mystery.
As the story reaches its conclusion, it is revealed that the perpetrators Jack and Ryan are pursuing have ties to the events of 2001. Here, the protagonist’s voice takes on a distinctly American tone, reflecting on how deeply impactful those events were within the United States while also noting how comparatively distant they seemed to those abroad. This cultural lens gives the thriller an added dimension, blending global context with personal emotion.
Finally, Newham carefully reminds the reader that the novel is a work of fiction, albeit with elements of truth woven in—a hallmark of many great thrillers. Readers are left to consider how real-world events may have shaped and inspired the story, grounding its suspense in a reality that feels both unsettling and authentic.
Interestingly, in Chapter 17, the perspective briefly pivots back to first person, this time narrated by Jack himself during a conversation with Logan. The shift is fleeting, however, and the story soon returns to Ryan’s point of view. This back-and-forth continues throughout the novel, creating a layered effect while also keeping suspense levels high. Newham manages this delicate balance well, weaving tension into the narrative as key protagonists suddenly go missing, deepening the mystery.
As the story reaches its conclusion, it is revealed that the perpetrators Jack and Ryan are pursuing have ties to the events of 2001. Here, the protagonist’s voice takes on a distinctly American tone, reflecting on how deeply impactful those events were within the United States while also noting how comparatively distant they seemed to those abroad. This cultural lens gives the thriller an added dimension, blending global context with personal emotion.
Finally, Newham carefully reminds the reader that the novel is a work of fiction, albeit with elements of truth woven in—a hallmark of many great thrillers. Readers are left to consider how real-world events may have shaped and inspired the story, grounding its suspense in a reality that feels both unsettling and authentic.
May 8, 2022
I read this book for longer into the night than I thought I would, because I kept wanting to find out what happened. I imagine that is something that an author is pleased to hear.
I love Jake Needham's depictions of Southeast Asia. I've only been there once, a very long time ago, but I've never forgotten the strange 'otherness' of the atmosphere there, so magically alien to a Western European. I also love his dialogue and sardonic narrative. The character of Lucas Ryan really came alive for me, I felt as if I knew him.
As the story continued, I had a real sense of foreboding that tragedy was brewing. I was right. And the ending left me sitting open-mouthed, I never could have predicted it.
I love Jake Needham's depictions of Southeast Asia. I've only been there once, a very long time ago, but I've never forgotten the strange 'otherness' of the atmosphere there, so magically alien to a Western European. I also love his dialogue and sardonic narrative. The character of Lucas Ryan really came alive for me, I felt as if I knew him.
As the story continued, I had a real sense of foreboding that tragedy was brewing. I was right. And the ending left me sitting open-mouthed, I never could have predicted it.
November 2, 2024
FollowIng the Money
It's always about the money trail when terrorism and international crime is involved.
No.matter how heinous the acts are and how well known the actors may be by law enforcement, the underlying impetus for the deed is almost always, universally, money. Slap a religious label on it and call it a retribution, if you must, but in the end, just follow the money.
And so the Nineteenth Man tells the fictional story of the money man behind 9/11.
Seems too storied to ever be considered true.
Hmmmmm.
But is it?
Really?
It's always about the money trail when terrorism and international crime is involved.
No.matter how heinous the acts are and how well known the actors may be by law enforcement, the underlying impetus for the deed is almost always, universally, money. Slap a religious label on it and call it a retribution, if you must, but in the end, just follow the money.
And so the Nineteenth Man tells the fictional story of the money man behind 9/11.
Seems too storied to ever be considered true.
Hmmmmm.
But is it?
Really?
May 5, 2022
This series, about an expat fixer working in Asia is good but this one, about money laundering and Al Qaeda’s planning for 9/11, is a little thin. It gets going after a while but there’s too much padding: we don’t really need 10 pages on jet lag. The (present day) ‘shocking’ kicker at the end is a bit gratuitous. Also: Gertrude Stein said “there’s no there there”, not Emily Dickinson. Finally, administrators and grads of William and Mary Law school will not be happy!
May 7, 2022
left me wanting more
I have been a big fan of the Jack Shepherd series but this book will leave hardcore fans wanting more. First, it was a look backwards. The other books all showed character development moving forwards. Jack along with the other characters were mostly stick figures, there to provide action without much emotion. I kept waiting for the story to get deeper but it never happened. This was way too big of a topic for such thin character development.
I have been a big fan of the Jack Shepherd series but this book will leave hardcore fans wanting more. First, it was a look backwards. The other books all showed character development moving forwards. Jack along with the other characters were mostly stick figures, there to provide action without much emotion. I kept waiting for the story to get deeper but it never happened. This was way too big of a topic for such thin character development.
August 6, 2023
the big let down
Jack is back and still in Bangkok at the university teaching international tax avoidance. Anyways a new agent from Washington is sent over to look into money laundering and terrorist activities. Good characters and something is going on that the team tries to get on top of. A very good premise that ran out of steam and ended with a bang and then a whimper. Highly anticipated story in this great series but quite a disappointment.
Jack is back and still in Bangkok at the university teaching international tax avoidance. Anyways a new agent from Washington is sent over to look into money laundering and terrorist activities. Good characters and something is going on that the team tries to get on top of. A very good premise that ran out of steam and ended with a bang and then a whimper. Highly anticipated story in this great series but quite a disappointment.
May 7, 2022
Needham’s wordsmithing is amazing. I am transported through his words into the action. His portrayal of events and details are phenomenal; was he there? This latest novel doesn’t disappoint. You’ll have to trust me but it feels more fact than fiction. For anyone who likes to read novels based on events, espionage and intrigue, this is a must read.
May 28, 2022
A thriller of a novel
The Nineteen is a fictional account of the Asian connection to September 11th. Connected to protagonist Jack Shepherd, the group of four men try unraveling the mystery of why Al-Qaida agents went to Thailand after a meeting in Malaysia. You know how it ends, or do you?
The Nineteen is a fictional account of the Asian connection to September 11th. Connected to protagonist Jack Shepherd, the group of four men try unraveling the mystery of why Al-Qaida agents went to Thailand after a meeting in Malaysia. You know how it ends, or do you?
September 30, 2023
Really love this series really transports you right in the atmosphere and way of life in Thailand characters are good and was totally emersed in the story ,took me awhile to come back to the real world .
Do so hope there will be more in the Jack Shepherd series one of the best series i have read and highly recommend .
Do so hope there will be more in the Jack Shepherd series one of the best series i have read and highly recommend .
May 10, 2022
Compelling Read
I must admit the ending sneaks up on you. Hopefully that means another Jack Shepherd novel is coming. You can feel the author’s love of Thailand in his descriptions.
I must admit the ending sneaks up on you. Hopefully that means another Jack Shepherd novel is coming. You can feel the author’s love of Thailand in his descriptions.
June 8, 2022
I could not put the book down, actually kindle but I had to recharge my iPad every so often.
I enjoyed the characters very much and the setting reminds me of my Air Force days
in Asia. A very enjoyable read despite the main theme of what happened.
I enjoyed the characters very much and the setting reminds me of my Air Force days
in Asia. A very enjoyable read despite the main theme of what happened.
July 4, 2022
For real that may be the best book Jake Needham has ever written and that is saying a lot because he is an excellent writer and he does Asia as well as anyone in the field. I will defiantly re-read. Thanks Mr. Needham for not including a Hollywood ending, foreshadowing anybody??? Cheers!
July 23, 2022
Jake Needham takes you to Thailand on another Jack Shepherd adventure. This time around, we get to know a young DEA lawyer, Lucas Ryan, before Jack enters the story. Ryan spends time getting over jet lag and wondering why he’s there. Something about investigating money laundry operations in that part of the world, he’s been told, but we learn it’s much more. This is before the year 2001, and Al-Qaeda operatives are up to something.
Jack works alongside Lucas in uncovering why people who seem close to this plot have a habit of dying. As he does, Needham takes you through the streets and dives of Bangkok with the smells and grit coming from the writing. You are there. No one describes that part of the world better than Needham.
Everybody knows what happens 9/11, but Needham casts an intriguing backstory. As Needham himself says when the book finishes, it’s all made up. But, what a story.
Jack works alongside Lucas in uncovering why people who seem close to this plot have a habit of dying. As he does, Needham takes you through the streets and dives of Bangkok with the smells and grit coming from the writing. You are there. No one describes that part of the world better than Needham.
Everybody knows what happens 9/11, but Needham casts an intriguing backstory. As Needham himself says when the book finishes, it’s all made up. But, what a story.
January 10, 2025
A scary story
Maybe this happened, maybe not. Jack Shepherd is investigating money laundering in Thailand. It might be Al Qaida doing it, or maybe not. It’s also a tale of investigations gone awry.
Maybe this happened, maybe not. Jack Shepherd is investigating money laundering in Thailand. It might be Al Qaida doing it, or maybe not. It’s also a tale of investigations gone awry.
May 12, 2022
Skillful perception of the sinister 21st century.
A close view of the mechanisms or warfare in the 21st century and the human efforts that strive to confront it.
A close view of the mechanisms or warfare in the 21st century and the human efforts that strive to confront it.
Read
July 6, 2024A prequel of a sort, probably because the author wanted to give it some time before weaving 9/11 into a story.
January 31, 2025
wow
I won’t give a spoiler on the ending. Wonderful book, excellent plot. Love all his books. They are so exciting to read and his prose is beautiful
I won’t give a spoiler on the ending. Wonderful book, excellent plot. Love all his books. They are so exciting to read and his prose is beautiful
February 18, 2025
So close. The plot looked good and drew me in. Just not the ending I would have imagined. Then again I am not an author. A good story overall, thus 4 stars instead of 3.
January 19, 2026
Terrific work of fiction. Only wish there were more Jack Shepherd Books in the series.
August 17, 2023
Wasn't to happy with this episode. As far as I am concerned, maybe it was just the subject.
December 26, 2022
Jack Shepherd at his best!
I have read every book Jake Needham has published. This one held my attention to the end. It's one of those books that you hate to finish because you don't want the book to end. Jake knows Thailand and authentically paints the background so you can almost feel and smell it. All of his books are worth reading. Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong all come alive.
I have read every book Jake Needham has published. This one held my attention to the end. It's one of those books that you hate to finish because you don't want the book to end. Jake knows Thailand and authentically paints the background so you can almost feel and smell it. All of his books are worth reading. Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong all come alive.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews