Brad Meltzer's The Inner Circle

In Brad Meltzer’s The Inner Circle, conspiracies and mysteries span the centuries. The protagonist of the novel, Beecher White, is an archivist who works at the National Archives in Washington D.C. Beecher is struggling to recover from a recent split with his fiancé when an old childhood crush appears back into his life. Clementine Kaye contacts Beecher and asks him to help her find her long lost father.

The two haven’t had any contact since junior high school, and Beecher, in an attempt to impress the lovely Clementine takes her on a tour of the Archives. They stumble across a hidden dictionary once belonging to George Washington and within minutes the security guard escorting them is found dying. They have blundered upon a conspiracy that reaches as high as the Oval Office and as far back the Revolutionary War.

I was looking forward to reading The Inner Circle. I enjoyed Meltzer’s Book of Lies, Book of Fate and The Zero Game. But I was initially disappointed in this novel. I felt like it lost focus in the last third of the novel. The Culper Ring was fascinating and I headed straight to Google to read more about this little known (to me at least) organization. The convoluted plot line, with two separate Culper Rings, good guys who are bad guys, bad guys whose intent is to be good guys, and bad guys who are just plain bad and conspiracies aplenty made for a mishmash of plotlines that was sometimes difficult to figure out. And don’t get me started on the ending….I hate unresolved endings. I would have liked to see a better resolution to this particular storyline, even though this is the beginning of a series.

My initial response to The Inner Circle was one of “What the *%#! I spent the last few days reading this book and the author didn’t bother to freaking finish it??? AAARGH!!” I swear I wished it had wings so I could teach it to fly when I threw it across the room. Then I stopped, and got a grip on myself. Oh yeah, I’m reading it on my Sony Reader, I’d better not be throwing nothin’ across the room.

I was surprised when I found myself thinking about the book for a couple of days. I was so annoyed when I finished it, that I swore to myself that I was done with the Culper Ring/National Archive books and the series could go on without me. But now, in retrospect, I’ll probably read the next one. I suppose this is a testament to the fact that Meltzer has written some compelling and likeable characters, and in spite of my irritation, I would sort of like to know what’s next for them.

Now the big question, would I recommend it? Hmm, it’s sort of a “well, yeah…but…” answer. I kind of think it might be worth waiting for the next book to be published, so you don’t have to wait for the resolution of The Inner Circle’s plot. But that just seems like an unreasonable qualification, so instead I’ll just state an unequivocal – “meh…maybe.”

My rating: Initially , but upon later reflection:

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.

Reagle Beagle by Eddie Mejia

REAGLE BEAGLE by Eddie Mejia


Mr. and Mrs. Beagle have been blessed with four puppies, three girls and a boy. The girls are a rambunctious bunch; happy, mischievous and energetic. But their boy, Reagle, never speaks, plays alone and avoids contact with his siblings. Mr. and Mrs. Beagle are quite concerned about Reagle and encourage him to join in. One day, while playing, the girls get into quite a predicament, and it’s up to Reagle, the quiet little Beagle to save the day.

Reagle Beagle, written by Eddie Mejia and wonderfully illustrated by Violet Koncz is an entertaining childrens book with an important underlying message. All of us have come into contact with a child that we might consider to be “different”. Maybe at age three, they still don’t talk. Perhaps we see a kid in the playground that sits alone in the shade and repeats the same actions over and over. And most of us know how difficult it is to answer the queries our own children make about the little boy in their class that sits and rocks, and won’t look at anyone, or won’t speak. It just doesn’t ever seem enough to simply tell our kids that “Well, he’s just a little different, but you should be nice to him anyway.” Because not only do our kids have no idea how to be friends with a child who seems different, we parents are often stymied by it too.

Although written as a simple picture book for us to enjoy and share with our children as we tuck them in at night, Reagle Beagle gives us an underlying sense of understanding and insight into the world that children with autism often inhabit. With the incidences of autism and autism spectrum related diagnoses on the rise, it’s nice to find a childrens book that can, in the guise of a charming story, show kids and remind parents that everyone has something important to say if we can find a way to listen.

Head on over to Reagle Beagle Book and get yourself an autographed copy. Heck, get extra copies, not only would this book be a great gift for the lil’ones in your life, it would be a much appreciated addition to your local hospital waiting room, library, classroom or doctor’s office.

(Review copy courtesy of the author)