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The Inner Circle (Beecher White #1)

by Brad Meltzer (Goodreads Author)

3.7 of 5 stars 3.70 · rating details · 6,462 ratings · 755 reviews

There are stories no one knows. Hidden stories. I love those stories. And since I work in the National Archives, I find those stories for a living.

Beecher White, a young archivist, spends his days working with the most important documents of the U.S. government. He has always been the keeper of other people's stories, never a part of the story himself...

Until now.

When Clem...more

Hardcover, 449 pages

Published January 11th 2011 by Grand Central Publishing (first published 2010)

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Mar 01, 2013 Mike rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love books with the whole historical conspiracy thing and I like Brad Meltzer, but this one was a miss. Since it's a Brad Meltzer book, I expect a certain amount of sad sackness to the protagonist, but this one was too much to take. And there were too many moments where everything stopped for exposition from people who would not normally do such a thing, in situations that no one would normally do it. And some situations, I just didn't buy. If you've never read Meltzer's books, do yourself a f...more

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May 18, 2013 Titus Burley rated it 2 of 5 stars

I approach any book I read with an innocent until proven guilty attitude; I plunge into a book expecting and hoping to like it. Though I had been intrigued by the premises of Meltzer's books, it wasn't until I read a really touching and well-crafted blog dedicated to his late father that I felt compelled to read one of his novels. Meltzer's premises often tap into little known facts or "secrets" in American history. Think "National Treasure" type adventure novels. So here was the perfect set-up...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Doug rated it 3 of 5 stars

Another book that builds off of some historical fact into a mystery.
Benjamin "Beecher" White is a young archivist for the National Archives who is visited by his first girlfriend who he still has feelings towards even though he has not seen her since she moved away in 10th grade. "I forgot how good a simple crush can feel. But it is not a crush. There are some people in your life who bring back old memories. And there are others--your first kiss, your first love, your first sex--who, the moment...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Jenny C. rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 07, 2012 Chris Matney rated it 4 of 5 stars

I listened to the audio book version of The Inner Circle. The goal was to make the miles roll by - and this story fit the bill. While somewhat the standard political thriller, the backdrop for the story was very interesting - a mysterious package under the seat of the president, darkened rows of the National archives, spy rings - what's not to like?

Now, I like books that are complex with lots of characters, twists and loose ends. I don't particularly need a tidy ending, and I'm perfectly happy j...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-historical-fiction, action-thriller

This was a very good political suspense thriller. Good characters, well thought-out plot and plenty of nail-biting suspense.

Beecher White is an ordinary guy. He works in the National Archives in Washington D.C. and has a fairly normal daily life.

Then, one day, the girl he had a crush on in high school shows up and asks for Beecher's help finding her father. Wanting to show off the cool place he works in and impress Clementine, Beecher takes her on a tour of the Archives, specifically the "skiffs...more This was a very good political suspense thriller. Good characters, well thought-out plot and plenty of nail-biting suspense.

Beecher White is an ordinary guy. He works in the National Archives in Washington D.C. and has a fairly normal daily life.

Then, one day, the girl he had a crush on in high school shows up and asks for Beecher's help finding her father. Wanting to show off the cool place he works in and impress Clementine, Beecher takes her on a tour of the Archives, specifically the "skiffs" secure rooms where the President of the United States comes to read documents from the archives.

While Beecher is showing Clementine around, along comes Orlando, one of the security people at the archives and a friend of Beechers. Orlando lets them all into the skiff the President will be sitting in any minute for his regular visit to the archives. Unfortunately, while they are all in there a cup of coffee gets spilled and the chair is knocked over at which point a very old looking book falls out of a secret compartment in the chair. On closer examination, it appears to be a Dictionary belonging to George Washington. What's it doing in the chair? Is it for the President? Because it has coffee on it from the spill they take the book with them and high-tail it out of the room just before the President arrives.

Next thing you know, Orlando is dead, and Beecher and Clementine are caught up in a deadly game of cat and mouse as they try to figure out who the book belongs to, what it means, and most importantly who is after it and what lengths they'll go to to get it back, including murder!

This is a quintessential suspense thriller. It has multiple groups of people all doing things that could be good or could be evil. There's political wrangling, there are powerful people doing questionable things, there are dirty secrets from the past, and in the middle of it all is a nerdy guy from the Archives.

Fast-paced, twisty turney, with really interesting characters and a great story. Recommended!(less)

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May 01, 2012 Rebekah Scott added it

Shelves: 2011

In 1778, a man by the name of Benjamin Tallmadge organized a spy network in New York City, right in the middle of the British troops. Tallmadge was acting under the order of George Washington himself, and the purpose of this group was to pass information about the British to General Washington. This much is generally known, but what if that group of spies didn’t disband after the Revolutionary War? What if the group known as the Culper Ring continued to work behind the scenes protecting the pres...more In 1778, a man by the name of Benjamin Tallmadge organized a spy network in New York City, right in the middle of the British troops. Tallmadge was acting under the order of George Washington himself, and the purpose of this group was to pass information about the British to General Washington. This much is generally known, but what if that group of spies didn’t disband after the Revolutionary War? What if the group known as the Culper Ring continued to work behind the scenes protecting the presidency for over 200 years? “The Inner Circle” by Brad Meltzer delves into this clandestine group and reveals conspiracy, betrayal, blackmail and murder.

Beecher White, a young archivist working for the National Archives in Washington D.C., has spent his professional life digging up stories and finding answers for other people, but when his childhood crush Clementine Kaye contacts him with a request for help in tracking down the identity of her father, he’s thrilled that he finally gets to play a small role in one of the stories.

Hoping to impress Clementine, Beecher takes her into an off limits area, a seemingly insignificant act that has major consequences. Soon, a security officer is dead, and Beecher and Clementine are both being scrutinized by people at the highest levels.

Determined to find who was behind the death and why everyone from the head of security of the National Archives to the President of the United States is interested in him, Beecher digs deeper into the mystery surrounding a man who has been visiting the Archives for over 150 years and uncovers more questions than answers. Without knowing who he can trust or where he can turn for help, he has to unlock the secrets that surround the mysterious Culper Ring.

“The Inner Circle” is a fast paced, political thriller with a plot that twists and turns into a maze of conspiracy, deception, and cover ups. At times, the plot gets a little hard to follow, and the book is clearly setting itself up as the beginning of a series, but “The Inner Circle” is still a page turner that will keep you up until you’ve reached the final chapter.
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Mar 06, 2012 Tony rated it 3 of 5 stars

Brad Meltzer- The Inner Circle (Grand Central Publishing 2011) 3.25 Stars

Beecher is an archivist in Washington and has just reunited with an old school crush. They have just stumbled upon a secret that has killed a friend and may just get them killed. Not sure who to trust or whom he is fighting against, he must try to sort through the murky details. Running for his life, he will make history, rather than just reading it.

This book was just okay for me. It never really had a “Wow, this is a good...more

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Dec 26, 2011 Lance rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: have-read

I picked up this book because I needed a good romp of fiction, and this tome looked to be interesting enough to do the trick. The basic tenet of of the plot resides in the fact that George Washington devised a scheme wherein he could thwart the British who always seemed to intercept his communiques. The scheme required the use of civilians who would be known only to Washington, and that secrecy allowed his spies to resume their activities. As the story goes, Washington retained this inner circle...more I picked up this book because I needed a good romp of fiction, and this tome looked to be interesting enough to do the trick. The basic tenet of of the plot resides in the fact that George Washington devised a scheme wherein he could thwart the British who always seemed to intercept his communiques. The scheme required the use of civilians who would be known only to Washington, and that secrecy allowed his spies to resume their activities. As the story goes, Washington retained this inner circle of associates after he became President, and the Presidency of the United States has been served by this inner circle ever since.

But some Presidents, like Nixon and the future one around which the novel is structured, disregarded this inner circle and formed one of their own, thus making an inner circle inside the inner circle. In this vein the novel produces a really engaging plot and likeable characters. I even loved the dialogue and narration very often peppered with references to historical events and places. There was a touch more use of "wirty dords" to please my palette, but as I read I couldn't help but think that I would give this at least four stars.

But that ending --- oh, that awful, horrible, completely unfulfilling ending! The ending is surprising --- completely surprising --- and of course that is not necessarily bad. Very often a surprise ending can be very, very good. But the particular surprise here . . . I know authors like to leave room for a sequel in the thought of making more money with the next blockbuster (which these days are all pitched as part of a series), but come on! No resolution?! I mean, the story itself, even if it is part of a sequel, should have some form of internal resolution so that that story by itself can stand alone. We readers know there will be more to come, but we also want to feel satisfied that this story, or even this part of the story, has been completely told.

Star Wars is the classic example. When you finish with Episode I and see little Anakin Skywalker next to Ben Kenobi, that part of the story is done, and you the audience know it is done. You can also get your arms around it easier since you know that there are two more episodes to connect this part of the whole story with the part shown in Episode IV, and you are okay with that, because you can gauge what portion of the whole story is contained within Episode I.

That's where this novel falls way short. As a reader, I come with the expectation that the story in the book will be complete, if only in its own part of a larger series of such stories. So naturally I am disappointed and jilted to find that lacking in the end. I don't know what portion of the whole story this represents, and as such I can't get my arms around the relationships between The Inner Circle and whatever book(s) will follow.

If you don't mind that sort of experience, then by all means pick this up and enjoy yourself. The writing is very good, and the story (or whatever portion is in here) is very engaging. But if like me you don't like resolution-less endings, you might spend your valuable reading time elsewhere. For my part, the only way I can make any sense out of this book is to have the full story, which means, despite my years of swearing I would NEVER get sucked in to something like this, I am now an unwitting prisoner of the President's supposed secret society.
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Oct 17, 2011 Tom Callaway rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was my first Brad Meltzer book, and it started out well, but as time went on, a few things became painfully obvious:
1. "No one is who they appear to be at first." And I mean, no one. Not a single named character escapes this cliche.
2. Towards the second half of the book, we get hit with Dan-Brown mini chapters, intended to add suspense, but only achieve a sense of talking to the reader as if he/she is 5 years old.
3. The plot gets more and more and more convoluted...I halfway expected space...more

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Apr 17, 2011 Jay Connor rated it 3 of 5 stars

I had lost faith in Brad Meltzer. His stellar explosion onto the political thriller scene in the late '90s and early '00s was very welcome. Grisham had moved on to "Italy," Baldacci had begun a storytelling "plausible-deniability" period with his Camel Club series, and the rest of the landscape was trying to create plot lines around the new national dread - terrorism.

Meltzer came on the scene with three great reads having different branches of government taking center stage: "First Counsel" (Wh...more

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Mar 03, 2011 Perry Reed rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really like Brad Meltzer's books. Reading them makes you feel like you've worked in the very heart of our federal government and gives you an idea of how things really work.

In "The Inner Circle" an archivist at the National Archives gets caught up in a mystery regarding every president of the United States from George Washington to the current guy. Think Dan Brown, only American politics rather than European art, or maybe National Treasure (the Nick Cage flick) only with more contemporary poli...more

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Feb 24, 2011 Nile rated it 4 of 5 stars

I just came to this bookgroup, to find what others said about this book The Inner Circle, which I have just completed. I did find some agreeing with what I felt, but also some judging it a little too harshly. So I have joined to add my opinion. I did find some of the plot to be outrageous, mainly because the protagonist chose to just blab this secret thing so readily, to a couple of his coworkers, even though one was a very good friend and also a father figure. The segment I found most amazing,...more

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Feb 01, 2011 Dawn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: big-mistakes

Everyone knows I love State of the Union night. Reading all the pre-event hype left me craving a mid-winter escape with a political thriller, a fictional president and a zingy caper. The kids at Huffington Post made it seem hip to avoid O: A Presidential Novel, so I went with Brad Meltzer's The Inner Circle. That's how the conspiracy among NPR, Comedy Central, and yes--the History Channel--was revealed to me. They worked in covertly in unison to make me believe that this was an excellently craft...more

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Feb 01, 2011 Eric_W rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries-and-thrillers

This book starts off with an incredibly implausible scene. Beecher, an archivist, is helping an old the friend in the archives try to locate some information about her long-lost father (who turns out to be in an asylum for the criminally insane after attempting to assassinate the president.) He is showing her a SCIF room, very private rooms where the president and other special dignitaries can view especially important and secret documents without being spied upon (why would they have surveillan...more This book starts off with an incredibly implausible scene. Beecher, an archivist, is helping an old the friend in the archives try to locate some information about her long-lost father (who turns out to be in an asylum for the criminally insane after attempting to assassinate the president.) He is showing her a SCIF room, very private rooms where the president and other special dignitaries can view especially important and secret documents without being spied upon (why would they have surveillance videos in the room then? Anyway, Beecher spills coffee and knocks over a chair revealing a hidden document which for some bizarre reason (the room might be being used as a blind drop site) Beecher and the security guard friend feel they must take and investigate. The guard squirrels away a copy of the security video to hide that they were in the room and then he is murder. Inexplicably, Beecher becomes immediately paranoid assuming everyone else knows something is is out to get him. My crap detector was into overdrive by this point.

The premise is not a bad one, and I love books that integrate historical facts to build alternate conspiracy theory type of story. The Culper Ring was a group of spies working for George Washington. This group actually existed, but Meltzer takes it one further, building his plot around the continuation of the ring as a conspiracy to well, you know, take over the world. Supposedly they communicated by using special invisible inks and sending messages on pages in books in the Library of Congress and the National Archives. Clementine (Clemmi for short if you can swallow it,) is an old friend of Beecher (his fiance had recently died, of course) and, we learn, the unknown daughter of Nico who had assassinated the president’s wife, missing the president, and is now incarcerated in a mental institution. The implausibilities continue to build.

That’s enough. A big disappointment.

Smacks of a badly done DeVinci Code. I received this book free as an advance reader copy.(less)

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Jan 30, 2011 Min rated it 4 of 5 stars

Meltzer's newest book is centred around the National Archives. I have to admit that this is an institution I've never given a lot of thought to. However, the archivists with which he's populated this book and the way he's made the institution come alive have now made me want to do research on the topic (although I hope there won't be as much cloak and dagger involved in the actual story).

The main story revolves around an archivist named Beecher. A high school friend of his, Clementine, (who he h...more

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Jan 25, 2011 Dana Barrett rated it 5 of 5 stars

THE INNER CIRCLE is political intrigue at it's best and I was lucky enough to sit down and talk to Brad while he was on tour for the book.

The book is the story of Beecher White - and ordinary guy who happens to work at the National Archives and finds himself in the middle of a Presidential level conspiracy. The "Inner Circle" refers to a real group in history called The Culper Ring. It was a spy ring of "ordinary people" that was created by George Washington to help win the Revolutionary War. Th...more

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Jan 14, 2011 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller

Like most Brad Meltzer books, The Inner Circle concerns a bright young man who works in Washington, DC. This time, instead of working on Capitol Hill (The Zero Game) or at the Supreme Court (The Tenth Justice), our “hero” works in the National Archives. (I can’t help but wonder if Meltzer is running out of high-powered DC settings for his characters. Yet, sadly, the setting of the National Archives was the most exciting aspect of the book for me.) Beecher White is a serious young man who is stru...more Like most Brad Meltzer books, The Inner Circle concerns a bright young man who works in Washington, DC. This time, instead of working on Capitol Hill (The Zero Game) or at the Supreme Court (The Tenth Justice), our “hero” works in the National Archives. (I can’t help but wonder if Meltzer is running out of high-powered DC settings for his characters. Yet, sadly, the setting of the National Archives was the most exciting aspect of the book for me.) Beecher White is a serious young man who is struggling to recover from a recent split with his fiancee. His path to recovery is helped when his childhood crush, Clementine Kaye, shows up and asks for his help in tracking down her long-lost father.

Although Beecher and Clementine haven’t seen each other since high school, Beecher has never really gotten over his crush. During a tour of the archives, Beecher tries to impress Clementine by showing her the secret vault where the president reviews classified documents. However, while inside the vault, they stumble across a hidden document—a dictionary that belonged to George Washington. Although their find seems innocuous at first, within moments a man turns up dead. Beecher and Clementine seem to have stumbled into a high-level conspiracy linked to the President … but who is involved and what do they want? And what does an old dictionary that once belonged to George Washington have to do with it? As Beecher and Clementine struggle to find out what is going on, things get more convoluted and confusing (for Beecher as well as the reader). As events unfold, Beecher begins to question the motives of everyone around him, including Clementine.

As with previous Meltzer books, this is meant to be a fast-paced thriller involving innocents stumbling into conspiracies at the highest echelons of power. However, I think Meltzer is off his game as I found the plot confusing (by the end, I still wasn’t 100% sure what was going on) and the characters dull and uninspiring. I really enjoyed Meltzer’s first few books; they were fun, exciting and drew me in. However, I thought his recent books got progressively weaker. The last one I read, The Book of Fate, seemed like a bad Dan Brown book—and that is saying something as I’m not a huge Dan Brown fan. (Note: For fans of The Book of Fate, I should mention that a character who appeared in that book shows up in this book as well.) I’d written off Meltzer as having “jumped the shark,” but when I saw The Inner Circle offered for review on NetGalley, I decided to give him another shot. Sadly, I regret that decision.

Although The Inner Circle isn’t outright bad, I found the plot confusing and overly convoluted. By the end, I wasn’t even sure who was on whose side and what the purpose of the book was. Then I read Swapna’s review at S. Krishna’s Books and discovered that The Inner Circle is the first book of a planned series, which probably explained why I was left with such a sense of confusion and “unfinishedness.” Yet, at the same time, I wasn’t compelled enough by this book to continue reading the series. Honestly, I didn’t feel all that invested in Beecher and don’t feel the need to find out what befalls him next. Not a good sign for the series, I think. However, there is always the possibility that I’m just being a crank.

As far as my recommendation, I can’t really recommend this book unless you are a hard-core Meltzer fan or really love thrillers. I would recommend Meltzer’s earlier books though; I remember being very fond of them, and I was a devoted Meltzer reader until I thought his books started to decrease in quality. If you’re looking for a good thriller, you’d be better off reading The Zero Game or The Tenth Justice and giving this one a pass.(less)

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Jan 09, 2011 BookBitch rated it 4 of 5 stars

Beecher White is an archivist at the National Archives in Washington D.C. The Archives is like the attic of America, housing all the papers and artifacts that haven't landed anywhere else, like the Smithsonian or a presidential library. After a devastating breakup with his fiancé, Beecher hooks up with his first crush, Clementine, on Facebook. When she comes to visit, he can't help but want to show off where he works, and with the help of his friend Orlando, the security guard, he manages to get...more

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Jan 03, 2011 drey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, mystery-suspense-and-thriller

This thriller got me interested when I found out the main character is an archivist. I mean, how cool is that? *grin* Anyway. Beecher White works at the Archives, and gets in way over his head one day while showing off for an old childhood crush who shows up out of the blue. (Moral of this story: don't show off for old childhood crushes...)

Next thing he knows, he's on the run with the girl and an old dictionary, and trying to stay one step ahead of their pursuers--difficult enough on a normal da...more

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Dec 19, 2010 Meaghan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have been a fan of Brad Meltzer for a while now so when I was given a free ARC from NetGalley for his newest novel I was super excited to read it. Meltzer did not disappoint. His books are usually fast paced and filled with tidbits from the pages of history books. That being said, I'm never sure how seriously to take the history information in his novels. This book centers on Washington, DC and the presidency. A young architect gets sucked into the world of a secret society that has been aroun...more

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Jul 19, 2011 Scott Rhee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Avid watchers of the History Channel have more than likely seen, or at least heard about, Brad Meltzer. He is, in some ways, to the History Channel what Alton Brown is to the Food Channel. Meltzer's show "Decoded" is the "Good Eats" for conspiracy theorists, a well-researched, melodramatic, funny, tongue-in-cheek look at everything from the Lincoln assassination to the Mayan end-of-the-world-in-2012 prophecies. Meltzer is also a bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, most of them involv...more

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Mar 13, 2011 William Bentrim rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer

A fast moving Intrigue set in Washington D.C. fraught with treachery, politics and unbridled loyalty.

Being overly fond of books I was delighted to see the major protagonist is an archivist in the National Archives. Beecher White is not a man of action, more of a spectator than a participator in life when a female blast from his past, Clementine, storms into his life and turns it topsy turvey.

The National Archives hold more than data, it holds secrets and those s...more

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Feb 06, 2011 Daniel rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Whew! I considered giving up on this book several times while reading it. I kept at it because I wanted to see the puzzle solved. The ending was a let down, however. A shame. I like Brad Meltzer's TV program, and that's what led me to select this book. But from now on, I'll just watch his show.

The basic premise was a good one. A clandestine ring of anonymous, loyal followers exists -- from the days of George Washington -- whose purpose is to protect and preserve the Presidency. However, an inner...more

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Jan 28, 2011 Heidi Burleigh added it

The Inner Circle is a smart political adventure full of intriguing mystery. The novel starts with a bang and continues at a thrilling pace until the very last word. Brad Meltzer takes political history and turns it on its ear. Creating a massive presidential conspiracy theory that surpasses even the wildest of imaginations, Meltzer convincingly leads the reader on a joyride through the darkest of presidential secrets.

Beecher White is a compelling lead. An average guy with job steeped in history...more

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Jan 23, 2011 Karalee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-suspense

Brad Meltzer is like David Baldacci's cooler younger brother with a dash of Dan Brown thrown in for flavor. This is one of his best books to date. The story centers on Beecher, a young archivist at the National Archives, who stumbles onto a national security problem (and potentially 200-year-old secret) while trying to impress an old high school flame with a tour of the Archives. What starts as a day filled with hopes for young love becomes an adventure that the quiet, introverted Beecher may no...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Deborah Gray rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow, what a thrill ride. I would not normally give five stars to a bestseller thriller genre author, because there are certain expectations of writers who achieve such status, and I read a lot of them. But, for me, this was an impeccable story, with enormously satisfying twists, turns and ultimate surprises and I cannot wait to read the next Meltzer book, especially with the same characters, because he certainly set this one up for a sequel or series.

Beecher White is a milquetoast archivist at...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Alias Pending rated it 3 of 5 stars

TL;DR review – Pretty good conspiracy adventure.

Less shorter review – I found Brad Meltzer through his History channel show Decoded (iirc the first episode is clunky, otherwise very entertaining – must see tv). And that is why you’ll read this, to get some safe conspiracy theory goodness. It is safe because there are no references to the Illuminati, international Zionism or demonic alien possession in the White House.
You will get some cool insights into such awesome real conspiracy stuff as Geo...more TL;DR review – Pretty good conspiracy adventure.

Less shorter review – I found Brad Meltzer through his History channel show Decoded (iirc the first episode is clunky, otherwise very entertaining – must see tv). And that is why you’ll read this, to get some safe conspiracy theory goodness. It is safe because there are no references to the Illuminati, international Zionism or demonic alien possession in the White House.
You will get some cool insights into such awesome real conspiracy stuff as George Washington’s Culper Ring, the CIA and National Archives. There is some, though surprisingly muted, political commentary, to which you are left to draw your own conclusions.

Maximum verbosity review – Or, how it could have been better, but I gave up worrying about it. In no particular order, I found the following off-putting:
1st Person/3rd Person POV switching. I wish the story had just been 3rd person. I think maybe seeing “I” over and over is supposed to make you feel more in touch with the everyman hero, but it doesn’t. It just limits the author’s ability to tell the audience information, and when you are dealing with something like secrets, that is already difficult enough.
Flashbacks. They just don’t work.
Our everyman hero. Beecher was a little too everyman. He had some emotional baggage, but nothing that cramped his red Swingline stapler-having style. His story arc leaves him in mandatory sequel territory, so hopefully he’ll relax into something more Jason Bourne and less Jason Schwartzman. Wait, that is even better, hopefully he will become Jason Schwartzman as Jason Bourne.
Conspiracies. I wanted more. The story seemed water down to appeal to a wider market. I don’t know this for a fact– it’s just my theory. I do know Meltzer knows more and he just isn’t telling us, just look at the acknowledgements. Come on, Mr. Meltzer, what do you know and when did you know it!? Answer me now, don’t wait for the translation.
I guess I will just have to read his next book to find out.
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May 19, 2011 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, mystery, read-in-2011, reviewed

Beech (Beecher) White is employed at the National Archives and is visited by an old high school girlfriend, Clementine Kaye, who wants help in finding her father.

After Clemmi's mother's death, Clemmi found a document with her father's name on it. By bringing the document to the National Archives, they are able to determine that her father is Nico Hadriam, who is in a psychiatric hospital after an attempt on the president's life, ten-years ago.

At the Archives building, Beech wants to impress Cle...more

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Mar 03, 2011 Michael rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

When Michael Crichton published "The Lost World" a few years ago, I felt like I was reading the screenplay for the upcoming "Jurassic Park" sequel rather than an actual novel. A similar thing happened reading Brad Meltzer's latest novel "The Inner Circle."

The story itself is a popcorn thriller of a book. The story opens with archivist Benjamin January preparing for a meeting with his old high school crush, Clementine. She's contacted him again via Facebook and needs his help with tracking down...more When Michael Crichton published "The Lost World" a few years ago, I felt like I was reading the screenplay for the upcoming "Jurassic Park" sequel rather than an actual novel. A similar thing happened reading Brad Meltzer's latest novel "The Inner Circle."

The story itself is a popcorn thriller of a book. The story opens with archivist Benjamin January preparing for a meeting with his old high school crush, Clementine. She's contacted him again via Facebook and needs his help with tracking down the identity of her father. Scarred from the death of his fiancee several years before, Ben can't help but wonder how much of a reconnection there could be with his long-lost crush.

Clementine's visit to the National Archives coincides with the day that the President is going to drop by to look at some documents, in a room that insures privacy. Ben decides to show off the room to Clementine and thanks to a spilled cup of coffee, they quickly become caught up in a far-reaching historical intrigue that reaches back to the days when George Washington was governing the United States.

From there, deaths begin to occur around Ben as he realizes he's stumbled across something greater.

If you're willing to accept this story as a mindless Hollywood action thriller in print form, you're likely to enjoy it a lot more than I did. Not taking too long out to question things that are developing and how and why they're developing will help as well. At times, "The Inner Circle" feels a bit like its trying to be another entry in Dan Brown's "The DaVinci Code" series. As I said before, the novel feels like it's just crying out to become a movie or a screenplay--and it could work as a mindless, fun action thriller.

But there are points when the story tries and wants to be more and comes up frustratingly short. Character motivations change from chapter to chapter and while Ben and Clementine are given some backstory, every other character feels two-dimensional. Meltzer falls into the trap of springing flashbacks into the story at points when he needs to introduce a piece of Ben and Clementine's past to the readers but couldn't quite dream up a way to do it within the story itself.

(view spoiler)

Overall, a fairly uneven reading experience. But if you're looking for a good, popcorn novel (mayhaps to read on while on a plane or traveling), this one might fit the bill. (less)

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About Brad Meltzer

Brad Meltzer is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Inner Circle, as well as the bestsellers The Tenth Justice, Dead Even, The First Counsel, The Millionaires, The Zero Game, The Book of Fate and The Book of Lies.

He is also one of the co-creators of the TV show, Jack & Bobby—and is the Eisner Award-winning author of the critically acclaimed comic book, Justice League of America.

His...more Brad Meltzer is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Inner Circle, as well as the bestsellers The Tenth Justice, Dead Even, The First Counsel, The Millionaires, The Zero Game, The Book of Fate and The Book of Lies.

He is also one of the co-creators of the TV show, Jack & Bobby—and is the Eisner Award-winning author of the critically acclaimed comic book, Justice League of America.

His first non-fiction book, Heroes For My Son, is a collection of heroes – from Jim Henson to Rosa Parks -- that he’s been working on since the day his son was born and is on sale now. He is the host of Brad Meltzer's Decoded on the History Channel. And his newest thriller, The Inner Circle, is in bookstores now.

Raised in Brooklyn and Miami, Brad is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Columbia Law School. The Tenth Justice was his first published work and became an instant New York Times bestseller. Dead Even followed a year later and also hit the New York Times bestseller list, as have all eight of his novels. The First Counsel came next, which was about a White House lawyer dating the President's daughter, then The Millionaires, which was about two brothers who steal money and go on the run. The Zero Game is about two Congressional staffers who are - literally - gambling on Congress. The Book of Fate, is about a young presidential aide, a crazed assassin, and the 200 year-old code created by Thomas Jefferson that ties them together. For authenticity, The Book of Fate was researched with the help of former Presidents Clinton and Bush. The The Book of Lies , is about the missing murder weapon that Cain used to kill Abel, as well as the unsolved murder of Superman creator Jerry Siegel's father. Brad is one of the only people to interview Jerry Siegel's family about the murder and, with his charitable site www.OrdinaryPeopleChangeTheWorld.com, has been the driving force behind the movement to repair the house where Superman was created. His newest book, The Inner Circle, is based the idea that George Washington's personal spy ring still exists today. A young archivist in the National Archives finds out the spy ring is still around. He doesn't know who they work for -- but the greatest secret of the Presidency is about to be revealed. While researching the book, former President George HW Bush also gave Brad, for the very first time, the secret letter he left for Bill Clinton in the Oval Office desk. Oh, and yes, Brad was recruited by the Department of Homeland Security to brainstorm different ways that terrorists might attack the US.

His books have spent over eleven months on the bestseller lists, and have been translated into over 25 languages, from Hebrew to Bulgarian. In The Tenth Justice, the opening lines are: "Ben Addison was sweating. Like a pig." In the Hebrew translation, it became: "Ben Addison was sweating. Like a horse." We're not sure if it's a kosher thing or what!

Brad has played himself as an extra in Woody Allen's Celebrity, co-wrote the swearing in oath for AmeriCorps, the national service program, and earned credit from Columbia Law School for writing his first book, which became The Tenth Justice. Before all of that, he got 24 rejection letters for his true first novel, which still sits on his shelf, published by Kinko's.

Brad currently lives in Florida with his wife, who's also an attorney.
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Quotes from The Inner Circle

“there's nothing more intimate in life than simply being understood. And understanding someone else.” — 54 people liked it

“She dumped me for the worst reason of all. For absolutely no reason at all...I mean, if she fell in love with someone else, or I did something wrong, or I let her down in some unforgivable way...That, I'd understand, right? But instead, she said...it wasn't anything. Not a single thing. It was just me. I was nice. I was kind. We just...she didn't see the connection anymore. I think she thought I was boring. And the cruelest part is, when someone says something mean about you, you know when they're right.” — 49 people liked it

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