The Jefferson Key

A Novel

By: Steve Berry

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Four United States presidents have been assassinated - in 1865, 1881, 1901, and 1963 - each murder seemingly unrelated and separated by time.

But what if those presidents were all killed for the same reason: a clause in the United States Constitution - contained within Article 1, Section 8 - that would shock Americans?

This question is what faces former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone in his latest adventure. When a bold assassination attempt is made against President Danny Daniels in the heart of Manhattan, Malone risks his life to foil the killing—only to find himself at dangerous odds with the Commonwealth, a secret society of pirates first assembled during the American Revolution. In their most perilous exploit yet, Malone and Cassiopeia Vitt race across the nation and take to the high seas. Along the way they break a secret cipher originally possessed by Thomas Jefferson, unravel a mystery concocted by Andrew Jackson, and unearth a centuries-old document forged by the Founding Fathers themselves, one powerful enough - thanks to that clause in the Constitution - to make the Commonwealth unstoppable.

©2011 Steve Berry (P)2011 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“One of the most spellbinding and ingenious openings in all of thrillerdom. The cast of characters is huge but every one of them is memorable. The action is intense and masterfully choreographed. As always with Steve Berry, you’re educated about significant things while your knuckles are turning white and the pages are flying. Easily Cotton Malone’s most epic, swashbuckling adventure.” (David Baldacci)

"The Constitution. . . secret codes . . . loads of history. . . AND pirates! What else does anyone need? The Jefferson Key won't just haunt your nights - it'll haunt your life. Cotton Malone is coming back to the scariest place of all: Home." (Brad Meltzer)

" The Jefferson Key starts with a bang and holds the reader in its grip until the last page. Fascinating American history, up-to-the-minute politics, pulse-pounding action. This is a story Mitch Rapp would love." (Vince Flynn)

Difficult to follow

Not typical for Barry. Decent theme and storyline but bounces around way too much. I actually got frustrated and considered not finishing the book.

I was impressed

Steve Berry is an author I wasn't familiar with until this book. As a result of this book, I've gone looking for more and the others are excellent too. Action is fast paced and keeps your attention. Doesn't spend excessive time dragging out unnecessary information and incidentals. Gets on subject and stays on subject. The plot of this book is very unique and very believable

Bad

Boring boring boring boring boring boring much worse than his other books. Boring boring boring

Pleasant way to pass the ride to work

Enjoyed the story and the reader was good. Heavy thinking not required and an interesting premise for a thriller.

Good but...

I really like the Steve Berry novels with Cotton Malone and everyone. The stories are good with plausible circumstances. Berry usually switches from one scene to another to keep the general timeline in order. But they way it is done in this books is very confusing especially with an audio book. If you miss just a few seconds you can miss the whole context of the next section. Several times i caught myself thinking "now who is this?"

Also the story is similar to one not too long ago by somebody else, can't remember who, but I thought when I started listening to this if I had already listened to it before.

Still, good escapism.

Jefferson Key

One of the really good books by Steve Berry
I have been going through all of my Audible books and have enjoyed listening to them during my travels

Cotton Malone delves into American history

To be fair, I thought this book started out with a bang and became a tiny bit overwhelming with the number of characters and rapidly shifting locations and perspectives. However, a little diligence was soon rewarded with a fascinating tale, well entwined through early American history. Pirates, presidential assassinations, lost treasures, revenge, betrayals, and spy vs spy shenanigans. There is a lot here.

To his credit, the author balances all of this and still manages to develop our cast of characters, (and it's not a small cast). There is even some bits left over for future books. This was a job well done. I recommend this book. And I typically am not that fond of early American history stories.

Not much swearing, sex is implied only, but do expect lots of violence, naturally.

Love that Cotton and history

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. You learn about Jefferson and other Founding Father stuff while you get a good story and a lot of action.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Wrinkles around every corner. Never knew quite what to expect.

Have you listened to any of Scott Brick’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Scott's always good and we like everything he does.

As Usual, No Dissapointment

I thought Berry did a fantastic job again in this continuing saga. If you have read the Cotton Malone series from the first installment, The Templars Legacy, then you will see that the character construction happens from the very beginning. If this is your first book with Malone in it then the character development might seem a bit lacking. I would encourage you to start over in the beginning. I enjoy his use of facts and actual places (for the most part) in his books. This one in particular was interesting to me as it is the first book in the series that stays within the confines of North America. Rich in history. I enjoyed it thoroughly!

The Jefferson Key: A Novel

Scott Brick adds a dimension of suspense to this. I am a big Mitch Rapp fan and this story is right up his alley. Anyone who follows the the Rapp series will throughly enjoy..