It's 1988 and Spenser Collins receives an anonymously delivered envelope beneath his Harvard dorm room door. Spenser isn't your typical Harvard student as he's African-American and from an impoverished area of Chicago. Despite this, however, one of the most prestigious and most secretive Harvard final clubs has "punched" him for potential membership. The Delphic Club is shrouded in mystery, as Spenser's best friend and fellow Harvard student Dalton Winthrop knows all too well. Dalton is from a long line of Harvard graduates dating back to the 1600s, and he fills Spenser in on the mysterious history of the Delphic Club. However, it is the story of the Ancient Nine, a shadowy group of nine Harvard Delphic members, that intrigues both Spenser and Dalton, setting them off on a quest to uncover what happened to a Harvard student back in 1927.

Wow! THE ANCIENT NINE has an intriguing premise but I wasn't sure if it would live up to the hype. Ian Smith not only lived up to the hype, but he also knocked this one out of the ballpark! I had trouble putting THE ANCIENT NINE down even when it was far past my bedtime as the academic intrigue had me just as curious as Spenser and Dalton, wondering just what they would uncover next as they delved into the mystery of what happened to Erasmus Abbott in 1927.

And oh, I love how books were interwoven throughout all of these issues and were key to uncovering the mystery! However, readers should note that Ian Smith doesn't flinch away from exposing both the prejudices and excesses that were rampant, both in 1988 and in earlier time periods. There are some very uncomfortable- and yet extraordinarily well-written scenes, detailing how race, class, and gender impacted individuals. I could easily envision THE ANCIENT NINE sparking some intriguing book club discussions.

I have been in a reading slump and THE ANCIENT NINE quickly pulled me right out of that slump! Ian Smith hooked me from the very first page as the eloquent descriptions coupled with an intriguing academic mystery fascinate me even now. If you love cerebral mysteries that delve into clandestine clubs and their darker secrets, then you will love THE ANCIENT NINE just as much as I did. I can't wait to read more by Ian Smith!