When I saw the Brad Meltzer had a new book available that I
could read and write about I was excited. Of the books he’s written in the past
I’ve always enjoyed them. From watching his show on the History Channel, BRAD
MELTZER UNCODED, I knew that he had a keen interest in not only presenting
works of fiction involving political intrigue but that he sought to be
historically accurate as well. So to read that his new book was about events
involving the Culper Ring, a secret organization formed by George Washington to
protect the Presidency, I was hooked.
As I began reading the book though I found myself caught up
in a world where it seemed as if I should know some back history already. Sure
enough, after looking into it, I discovered that there were two Meltzer books
involving these characters and the Culper Ring that I had missed. The delight
for me was in learning I had two more books to read from an author I enjoy.
Better yet was in realizing not having read those books did nothing to take
from my enjoyment in reading this one.
The book opens with the First Lady working in the Rose
Garden early in the day so as to avoid the press. It is her one escape from the
fast paced world of politics. But her peaceful retreat loses its solitude for
her when she discovers a severed arm buried in the dirt.
From there we are introduced, or at least I was, to Beecher
White, an employee at the National Archives, who appears to be the last member
of the Culper Ring I mentioned earlier. Beecher is whisked away to a secret
meeting with the right hand woman behind the President as well as a member of
the Secret Service. During a Q & A involving them he gets angry knowing
that the President himself is listening in. There is bad blood between Beecher
and this President since Beecher knows the treacherous secret behind the man
that happened years earlier.
Eventually the President reveals himself and enters the
discussion as well. Discussing the arm in the Rose Garden they reveal to
Beecher that the hand contained a flattened disc with an insignia on it, one
that involves the group that Beecher’s father belonged to, a man that Beecher
has been seeking information on for some time now. Knowing this would pique his
interest and offering him information he might not find elsewhere, the
President requests Beecher’s help in finding out just who planted the arm and
what their motive is. Is it to assassinate the President? To harm the First
Lady? Or is there something even more sinister involved here? And most
importantly can he still trust the Secret Service, the men who are supposed to
protect him, or not?
The book moves along at a steady pace with quick chapter
reads that offer a reader with various amounts of time to read enough to whet
their appetite from chapter to chapter while never finding themselves in a
position of not being able to stop for a moment. That works great in today’s
busy world. The unfortunate thing is if you are like me you don’t want to stop
reading because you’re hooked into the world of the novel. I’ve found myself in
many a late night reading session because of this.
Various characters from the two previous Beecher White
novels are found in these pages, including SPOILER ALERT a mad man who attempted to kill
the President before and his daughter. Clementine, the daughter, was apparently
once involved with Beecher. Unless you read the previous books you won’t know
all of what transpired between them but you will know enough to continue to
enjoy this book. Meltzer gives enough information for the new reader to gather
what happened while not making it a rehash of already read material for those
familiar from the previous books.
The book moves at a furious pace and while many might think
that Meltzer focuses only on the action there is a depth to the characters that
makes them involving rather than simple chess pieces on a board game of
political intrigue. You care about each of them, even the apparent bad guys,
wondering just where the story will take them before the final page.
In a world where the political thriller has become one of
the hottest selling genres out there in literature Meltzer ranks among the best
when it comes to putting it all together. Not only does he make sure the
current political sphere is covered he draws in the past as well, always making
sure to be as historically accurate as possible. The secret organizations he
brings into the story are not the whims of conspiracy theorists but actual
groups that once existed and chances are continue to this day. That makes for a
much more interesting read than many in this genre provide.
Before the end of the book secrets are revealed that answer
the questions that Beecher White has had for some time now. Some characters
will survive and others parish. The existence of the Culper Ring will either
rise or fall. And every reader who takes the chance to read this book will find
themselves in an enjoyable place where fiction enlightens and entertains in
equal amounts.
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