The Inner Circle

Brad Meltzer

Jan 2011 · The Culper Ring Series Book 1 · Hachette Audio · Narrated by Scott Brick

About this audiobook

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 Clementine 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 States privately reviews classified documents. After they accidentally happen upon a priceless artifact - a 200 hundred-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.

Gripping, fast-paced, and filled with the fascinating historical detail for which he is famous, The Inner Circle is a thrilling novel that once again proves Brad Meltzer as a brilliant author writing at the height of his craft.

Ratings and reviews

I bought this, actually, after listening to Brad Thor's "Use of Force" where this author is mentioned--one of the characters was reading a Brad Meltzer novel. I REALLY wanted to like this book, a mystery thriller. However, I had to turn it off (audiobook) after less than a third of the way through. I think I could have suffered the extraneous sounds (cell phone vibrating, car horns (which were VERY distracting as I listen to audiobooks on my commute)). The writing inconsistent. Very easy to listen to, then alternating with tedious descriptions of the past and (tedious) dialogues. The first time I had to press through was the scene in the SCIF with Orlando and the other 2. It was like listening to junior high schoolers figure out how to handle a situation. Breecher's character is developed, you do have a good idea who he is, but he is not at all likeable. Tot (?sp since it is an audiobook) is easily the most likeable character and he was introduced only about a half hour ago. (3 hours in). Breecher would be believable and perhaps likeable if he were younger, but he's 30! I turned the book off when Tot was describing the 14 times the book had been reserved at the time of the POTUS visits, and Breecher was taking the call while watching (and creepily pining for) his junior high crush as she was leaving. Easily, this work situation he finds himself in as a 30 year old man professionally, is likely to be the momentous of his career and he wants to run off w/this woman (who doesn't want him to come)--and has the balls to ask to borrow his old friend's vehicle. Stop. Close. Find another book. I'm very disappointed, but the plot is very interesting--I'm curious what happens, but I can't stand the writing.

Good read and story, but Brad needs to drop some bad habits. I haven't read many of his books, but the author has a quirk of repetitive dialog. At times two characters get into a "non-listening" exchanges like - talk, talk, are you listening, listen to me, talk talk, stop it and listen to me, you're not listening to me... Or yes, no, yes no listen to me... Please Brad, learn when to end an argument. Don't be an SNL skit that doesn't know when to quit.

Captivated me from beginning to end.

About the author

Brad Meltzer is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Inner Circle, The Book of Fate, and seven other bestselling thrillers. In addition to his fiction, Brad is one of the only authors to ever have books on the bestseller list for nonfiction (History Decoded), advice (Heroes for My Son and Heroes for My Daughter), children's books (I Am Amelia Earhart and I Am Abraham Lincoln) and even graphic books (Justice League of America).

He is also the host of Brad Meltzer's Decoded on the History Channel, and Brad Meltzer's Lost History on H2. He currently lives in Florida. You can find much more about him at BradMeltzer.com. You can also see what he's doing right now at Facebook.com/BradMeltzer and on Twitter @bradmeltzer.