The Inner Circle

By: Brad Meltzer

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

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-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.

©2011 Brad Meltzer (P)2011 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Meltzer has earned the right to belly up to the bar with John Grisham, Scott Turow, and David Baldacci." (People)

disappointing

After the reviews I was a disappointed. The story is fragmented, jumping backward in time to give insight into characters. The characters don't always stay in character. I was a struggle and at times hard to follow.

Inner Circle - another hit

As usual Brad Meltzer hits another one out of the park. Very well done, loved the setting in the National Archives. Quick pace, well defined characters within a broad landscape. Can't tear myself away once I start............

Good read!

I liked the unlikely hero of the story and how it kept you guessing until the end. It's also a fun conspiracy story.

Hold on, it's a wild ride!

Riveting storyline. Great narration. Definitely worth the time - a great adventure and wild ride!

riviting

enjoyed the twists and turns. who's good who's bad?guess its how you look at it

Haters Can Suck It!

What made the experience of listening to The Inner Circle the most enjoyable?

I truly enjoy Brad Metzer's writing and this was a great story.

What other book might you compare The Inner Circle to and why?

If Dan Brown wasn't a hack he'd wish he could write a story like The Inner Circle.

Which scene was your favorite?

Camp David

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Just interesting and well-written.

Any additional comments?

Scott Brick is a fabulous narrator.

Overly dramatic

I'm listening to this book again in preparation for the sequel about to come out. The story is good, but both times I found parts of the story and all of the narration to be very, very overly dramatic. It bothered me the first time (to the point that I try to avoid Scott Brick), but now that I'm listening again, it's difficult for me to get through it. This is one of the times when I wished I'd just bought the hard copy.

Kept me guessing

Very entertaining. Who would imagine that there is such deception and intrigue in the lives of archivists? Of course, this isn't just any archives, and since the federal government is involved (right up to its chin), it suddenly becomes utterly believable, since that's what the government does best. And here the present is buried in the past in ways that had me Googling to find out whether any of it could possibly true.

As for the narration, to be honest, I've never understood why Scott Brick is so popular. He's not bad, but he's reading me a book. No accents, no female voices. And he talks through his nose.

A Good Read

Anyone who lives American History would enjoy this book. If you like spending a Saturday afternoon going through archives you would enjoy this book. A good read for a history buff.

Could not wait to listen!

Would you listen to The Inner Circle again? Why?

No, I already know what happens...... Why would you even ask that question?

What did you like best about this story?

Early America secret spy ring, secrets hidden in the most un-loved of attractions in Washington, A-hole politicians getting exposed for what they are, what’s not to like.
It was an engaging story with fun characters that did not necessarily keep you at the edge of your seat but definitely kept your mind racing to try and figure out who was good and who was bad. I looked forward to the chance to listen every day.

What does Scott Brick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Hmmmmmm..........

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

First kisses are never as good as you remember them to be.

Any additional comments?

You will enjoy it.