The Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer

Book cover:  The best kept secret of the U.S. Presidency is about to be revealed.  "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 Clemetine Kaye, Beecher's first childhood crush, shows up at the National Archives asking for his help tracking down her long-lost father, Beecher tries to impress her by showing her the secret vault where the President of the United State privately reviews classified documents.  After they accidentally happen upon a priceless artifact - a 200 year old dictionary that once belonged to George Washington - hidden underneath a desk chair, Beecher and Clementine find themselves suddenly entangled in a web of deception, conspiracy and murder.

Soon a man is dead and Beecher is on the run as he races to learn the truth behind this mysterious national treasure.  His search will lead him to discover a coded and ingenious puzzle that conceals a disturbing secret from the founding of our nation.  It is a secret, Beecher soon discovers, that some believe is worth killing for.

I felt that the author made the main character (Beecher) seem very immature and childish.  The author seemed like a "wanna be" Dan Brown.  Lots of intrigue, but not always believable.  Interesting to the point that you wonder if there is or ever was a "Culper Ring" working for/with the presidents throughout the years.  The possibility is always there.  There were times when I got bored with the book, but other times that kept me turning pages as quickly as possible.  I much prefer other mystery writers.  The ending left me hanging - he'll probably write a sequel.

Finished:  Aug. 10, 2011

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