Don't be Part of "The Inner Circle"

Let me preface this review in saying that, in general, I enjoy mystery thriller novels that have an historic backstory. I've read Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code and liked it. The Amber Room and The Romanov Prophecy by Steve Berry were enjoyable (albeit not very memorable) novels. I have read most of Brad Meltzer's novels (i.e, The Zero Game, The Tenth Justice, The First Counsel), which are exciting thrillers, but for some reason I just could not get through The Inner Circle, Meltzer's latest novel.

Synopsis:  "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 Beecher's first childhood crush, Clementine Kaye [whom Beecher annoyingly calls "Clemmie"] 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."

Review: I recognize that you have suspend your disbelief when it comes to mystery thriller novels, but this novel is annoyingly incredulous. Approximately 100+ pages into the 450-page novel, I tossed the book down and couldn't read one more sentence. Initially, I was looking forward to reading this novel. The idea of a protagonist who works in the National Archives was a interesting concept, but unfortunately, that was the most interesting part of this novel. Just within the first 100+ pages, there's a mysterious death of the security guard, Clementine's father is discovered to be an attempted assassin of a previous President of the United States (currently living in a mental hospital for the criminally insane), a mysterious book dating back to George Washington, Beecher implicitly trusting his childhood flame, Clementine, whom he hasn't seen in 17 years, and a whole host of other nonsense. This seemed like a train wreck just waiting to happen. After deciding not to finish the book, I read some additional reviews. It turns out Meltzer does not even give the reader a definitive ending (as this book is just the first in a series featuring the character of Beecher White). Ugh! I hate that! Each novel should be a complete story and not leave you with a "cliffhanger" ending. Blech!

All in all, I'm glad I didn't waste more than a couple of hours struggling through the first quarter of this novel. If someone has read this novel and has a different opinion, I'd be interested in hearing it.

One additional note, I think Meltzer needs to rethink all of his characters names, not just "Clemmie." Who lives in a world where you are surrounded by people named Aristotle ("Tot"), Dallas, Beecher, Nico, Clementine ("Clemmie"), Venkat, Orson, Andre? No one does! Most of my office jobs have been filled with Mikes, Johns, Marys and Sues. Not an Aristotle or Beecher in sight!

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars