I attended a local appearance of Brad Meltzer a few months back as a favor for a friend that couldn't attend but wanted a signed book. I felt like a total poseur while I was there, as I had never read any of his books, and the rest of the audience was obviously fans of his. So when I found this book on the Library Sale shelves for $1 shortly after the appearance, I figured I would give it a try.
Well, no offense to Mr. Meltzer, who seems like a really nice person and all, but I was not bowled over. The book was what I would call a serviceable thriller, but it was written in the clunky style that seems de rigeur for bestselling books (i.e., Dan Brown, John Grisham, etc.). Clunky language choices, an overuse of exclamation points, weird inconsistencies (like a character that is apparently supposed to be Hispanic, and speaks only Spanish for a page, and then never utters another word in Spanish even when startled/upset; a Jewish family that has a family Bible in Russia in 1900).... It wasn't the worst book I have ever read, and the story was interesting enough to keep me reading along and all, but I don't think I would go out of my way to read any others.
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