The Book of Fate

By: Brad Meltzer

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 18 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

In six minutes, one of us would be dead. None of us knew it was coming. So says Wes Holloway, a once-cocky and ambitious presidential aide, about the day that changed his life forever. On that Fourth of July, Wes put Ron Boyle, the chief executive's oldest friend, into the presidential limousine. By the time the trip came to an end, Wes was permanently disfigured, and Boyle was dead, the victim of a crazed assassin.

Eight years later, Boyle is spotted, alive and well, in Malaysia. In that moment, Wes has the chance to undo the worst day of his life. Trying to figure out what really happened takes Wes back to a decade-old presidential crossword puzzle, mysterious facts buried in Masonic history, and a 200-year-old code invented by Thomas Jefferson.

But what Wes doesn't realize is that The Book of Fate holds everyone's secrets. Especially the ones worth dying for. The Book of Fate. What does it say about you?

©2006 Forty-Four Steps, Inc., All Rights Reserved (P)2006 Hachette Audio, a Division of the Hachette Book Group USA

Critic reviews

"Meltzer's many fans will enjoy this substantial meal of a book." (Publishers Weekly)
"Skillfully written...the plot fluidly integrates historical fact and fiction....Fans of thrillers that reach far back into history will be, well, thrilled." (Booklist)

Too Long; Would Be Better if Shorter

I love Scott Brick and I think he is one of the best narrators around. But this was a difficult book for me to listen to do for the lack of editing. There were times when I zoned out and didn’t bother to go back and re-listen. The overall story is good, but would be so much better if editing head cut out probably three hours at least. And as long as the book was, I felt that it left a number of items hanging at the end. One of the main bad guys is never truly identified and maybe that is why other questions I had in the book or never fully answered. I haven’t listened or read anything by this author before, and I’m not sure if I will. I know he’s very respected in the field, so maybe this was an early book and he got better over time.

A Newbie to Meltzer

This is my first Meltzer novel to read and I must say it was a big hit. The book is well put together and he tied up most of the loose strings. It was easy to read and follow and you didn't get things thrown at you from outside. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I've already added all of the other Meltzer unabridged books to "My Next Listen." THAT is how much I liked this books. Oh, one other thing, this narrator has read quite a few books that I've listened to and he is by far the best narrator I've heard. I've also searched out other books that he had read so I could pick them up as well. GREAT job by both writer and reader.

Wimpy Hero

Interesting premise, and the Pacing, especially through the first half is good, gets a little drawn out at the end. Narration is good. But this is the wimpiest protagonist I've ever encountered in this genre. By the end I wanted to slap him, tell him to grow up and quit snivelling.

Too long to get good

Until about 80% through the story, I was completely bored. In the e nd however, I liked it.

Long and slow.

This book is so long and slow. Got lost in some of the minutia so much that it took away from the story.

Unlikely hero captivates you

The hero takes a while to learn to like, but the story keeps you interested until you do. The reader is fabulous! He makes you feel like you are watching the actions unfold. Fun story. Worth the listen.

Mystery and History combine for a great listen.

I'm not a big history buff but Meltzer's books make me take a step back and question what the true story is. I'm usually able to figure out the ending of most mysteries but I'm always surprised and intrigued by his books. Great narrator and fast pace make for a great listen.

not the book you expected

If you are expecting a Da Vinci Code-type of mystery, with secret societies and conspiracies reaching into the upper levels of the US government, this is not that book. I think whoever wrote the synopsis of the book was trying to cash in on DaVinci Code furor, and really misrepresented this book. Any reference to the Freemasons could have been removed and the book would have not been the less for it.

That being said, it was a good book. It was suspenseful, entertaining, full of charcters that I was interested in, and it kept me guessing the whole time. The first half of the book had relatively little foul language, but he made it up in the end, when the author seemed to run out of creativity for word choice and anyone who was emotional used the "f" word to express themselves.

The political arena is where this author shines, and I especially liked the view of the most powerful man in the world when he now has no power. Super interesting to me.

I liked this author's previous books (not the 10th Justice so much, but the others) and will keep listening to his future books, but I thought you ought to know that this isn't the book they want you to think it is. (Hey, is there some kind of conspiracy at work here?)

A disappointment

This book doesn't hold up to Meltzer's others. The main idea of the freemasons, which is brought up early in the story, never gets expanded upon. And the plot is even more outlandish than usual. A disappointment.

Good book

I had previously listened to this book a couple of years ago ... when I listened again - I remembered how much I had liked it. So I downloaded the next one in the series.