FICTION

The President's Shadow

Grand Central. (Culper Ring, Bk. 3). Jun. 2015. 416p. ISBN 9780446553933. $28; ebk. ISBN 9780446553957. F
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OrangeReviewStarMeltzer's third offering in his "Culper Ring" series (after The Inner Circle and The Fifth Assassin) is a taut political/conspiracy thriller. Beecher White, archivist and member of the secret Culper Ring, finds his search for the truth about his father's death converging with a plot to kill the president. The Culper Ring, originally created by George Washington as a covert spy operation during the Revolutionary War, exists to protect the presidency. Members are anonymous, thus preserving the ring's integrity. Beecher must pick his way through a minefield of relationships, never knowing whom to trust or fear as he seeks answers. Did his father die in an automobile accident as he was always told or was he murdered during a secret military experiment? And how does it relate to the severed arm found buried in the White House rose garden?
VERDICT Readers will find it difficult to put this quick-paced page-turner down as they get pulled into the maze of deceit, intrigue, and conspiracy. Those who are new to the series should read the first two books. [See Prepub Alert, 12/15/14.]
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