Some time ago I read "The First Counsel," one of Brad Meltzer's first books, and was thoroughly impressed. If you ever caught an episode of "Jack & Bobby," Meltzer's talent shined through in his TV work too.
When I had the time to read "The Book of Fate," Meltzer's latest novel, I was excited and anticipated another great read.
To my disappointment, I couldn't wait for this book to end.
"The Book of Fate" sounds like it would be a story similar to "The Da Vinci Code," but to my dismay, the story is set in the Oval Office and revolves around a whiny chief executive.
On the way to Independence Day festivities, the story starts with a fast-paced assassination attempt. As the president manages to find cover, one of the president's good friends, Ron Boyle, is murdered in the gunfire and an overconfident presidential aide, Wes Holloway, is left with permanent facial disfigurements.
Too much of the book is spent with the protagonist trying to make you feel sorry for him - but it gets old quickly and soon becomes annoying.
In a strange and seemingly unbelievable twist in the story, the president's dead friend, Ron, is spotted while Wes is making a jaunt to Malaysia. After this twist in the plot, the suspense builds and we try to figure out how Ron is still alive.
The mystery arises when we find out what Ron has been up to for almost a decade since the attempted assassination.
The story starts out well but ends poorly. Between the erratic and poorly planned plot and characters that are introduced but never developed, there is plenty of filler information, which is unnecessary and slow.
While the characters are underdeveloped, it gives way for their ambiguity to make you wonder who the good guys and bad guys are in this world.
Although the book is quite predictable, the intricate and realistic details of life in Washington are vivid and real. The lives of the first family members, government agents and different journalists in the story are amusing.
The author could have made the story a bit more fluid if a Washington consultant read the drafts and made some suggestions.
Meltzer is smart to keep the climax toward the end of the book, which kept me reading, but left little room for the resolution, leaving me a bit frustrated with lack of closure.
I don't recommend nor do I advise against reading the book - take it or leave it. The author really throws away his talent in this novel.
If you're into political thrillers, Meltzer is an amazing author; he just didn't perform well in his latest novel.
'The Book of Fate'
2/5 Pitchforks
Author: Brad Meltzer
Publisher: Warner Books
Price: $25.99
Reach the reporter at jessica.douglas@asu.edu
