Rating: 
Summary: Corridors of Power, Mystery and Intrique
Review: Brad Meltzer has written a slick thriller that is, indeed, a "page turner". His knowledge of the White House is superb and we are led skillfully through corridors of power, mystery and intrigue at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.The dialogue is good. The plot holds our interest to the very end. The characters, however, are not even remotely believable. The behavior and problems of Nora, the First Daughter, could never have escaped the scrutiny of the FBI or the media. Michael, our earnest young hero, puzzles us as he persists in a relationship with a bizarre young woman the reader will see immediately as out of control, manipulative and self-serving. Edgar Simon, Michael's boss, could be a fascinating study, but he is portrayed in a superficial manner, as are the other "players" in the story. Despite the contrived ending, including the probable solution to Michael's tribulations with his father, those who read the book will be swept along by the momentum of the tale and will enjoy it for what it is. It is only by comparison with the author's fine first novel, The Tenth Justice, that we preceive the flaws in this book and are disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: GREAT
Review: this was the first book i read of brad meltzer and i couldn't put it down. I'm not into politics or even how things are run in the white house, senate or capital, but this book got me hooked. I read this book in 2 days. I am ordering all the rest of his books because they keep you going, never knowing what is going to happen next. I LOVE IT.
Rating:
Summary: Expected a more believable daughter of the president........
Review: I thoroughly enjoy reading Brad Meltzer's books. He is an exciting author, never failing to keep your interest heightened to the very last page, but I was frankly very disappointed early on in the daughter of the president. She was just too off the wall to be believable. I'll be looking forward to the next book of his that I can get my hands on, and hope he's back to his more authentic characters.
Rating:
Summary: A definite 5-star thriller!
Review: The First Counsel is one of the best books I have read in a long time. This is the first Meltzer book I've read, and as is usually the case, the first book by an author is usually my favorite since you don't have any clue as to how the author writes or where he is going with the story. This book truly was a page turner and very easy to read. Instead of telling us, Meltzer uses a lot of dialogue to keep the story moving quickly. Authors like James Patterson are easy to read but his novels are so short. When I read Scott Turow, just a few pages wore me out. The First Counsel is full of twists and turns and substance and easy to read 60 to 70 pages at a time. The opening chapter had me hooked. White House lawyer Michael Garrick is dating the president's daughter Nora. They elude the secret service and see Garrick's boss Edgar Simon at a gay bar. Simon then drives out into the forest to make a drop of $40,000. Nora and Michael go exploring and Nora takes some of the money. From there a murder is committed and the evidence keeps mounting against Michael. I enjoyed this book so much because most of the action revolved around the White House, which seemed very intriguing to me. The First Daugher Nora was also a great character. She just wanted to live a normal life but had so many flaws. As the book draws to an end, we have to see if Michael can figure out who is trying to frame him and keep from getting killed. We also have to see how Michael and Nora's relationship worked out. I admit that I liked this book because the idea of dating the president's daughter seemed cool to me. The idea of any kind of outsider having access to the White House is intriguing. This is one of those books where getting to the end is half the fun. Meltzer takes the reader on a great ride. The climax is believable and exciting and well written. It has a few twists and also sheds some doubt onto Nora's character and all of her previous actions. I just finished reading the book a few minutes ago, so I haven't yet decided yet what kind of person Nora truly is. Is she a sympathetic victim or an evil manipulator, or both? I've read a few reviews that have criticized this book. Maybe Meltzer's other books aren't as good as this one, but I'm definitely going to read them. I was surprised at how much I became involved with the outcome of the story. I recommend this book to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Corridors of Power, Mystery and Intrique
Review: Brad Meltzer has written a slick thriller that is, indeed, a "page turner". His knowledge of the White House is superb and we are led skillfully through corridors of power, mystery and intrigue at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The dialogue is good. The plot holds our interest to the very end. The characters, however, are not even remotely believable. The behavior and problems of Nora, the First Daughter, could never have escaped the scrutiny of the FBI or the media. Michael, our earnest young hero, puzzles us as he persists in a relationship with a bizarre young woman the reader will see immediately as out of control, manipulative and self-serving. Edgar Simon, Michael's boss, could be a fascinating study, but he is portrayed in a superficial manner, as are the other "players" in the story. Despite the contrived ending, including the probable solution to Michael's tribulations with his father, those who read the book will be swept along by the momentum of the tale and will enjoy it for what it is. It is only by comparison with the author's fine first novel, The Tenth Justice, that we preceive the flaws in this book and are disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Fun But Makes You Feel Cheated
Review: Brad Meltzer is a good writer. This book was a very quick read. I thoroughly enjoyed the setting of the book. I thought Meltzer seamlessly wove in interesting background information about life in the nation's capital, work in the political spotlight, and legal issues. Since I am a lawyer, political junkie and D.C. resident, I thought that others might not have had the same reaction, but a quick perusal of other reviews shows that most people enjoyed the book. The plot, unfortunately, is a little less believable. Meltzer tells the story of a young lawyer, Michael, in the White House Counsel's office who goes on a date with the President's daughter, Nora, who has a reputation for wildness, but may or may not have a sweet side begging to get out. Michael and Nora see Michael's boss in a compromising position. However, almost immediately, Michael and Nora are stopped by the D.C. police and have suspicion thrown on them. Michael has to cover for Nora, partly because she already has a bad reputation and partly because the FBI is out to get Nora and the entire First Family. However, as the plot unfolds, it becomes clear that the FBI must be filled with some of the worst cops on the planet if they are unable to pin anything on Nora, the First Family, or close allies of the First Family. And in this age of Matt Drudge and others, even if the FBI could not do the job, others would be able to do it for them. Thus, although I found it easy to read and finish the book, the book left me feeling a bit cheated. Still a fun read though.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Ever since reading Dead Even, I knew I found a gem in Brad Meltzer. It's been several years between books and since I've had time to read him, but now that I have, I'm in love again! Dead Even and Tenth Justice were the other books of his I read, and from what I remember, they knocked my socks off. First Counsel is no exception! Not disappointed at all. As for some of the reviews that thought this book was a bit unrealistic, I don't know...I disagree. Truth is stranger than fiction and we've all seen what our elected officials can do and get away with. If you're looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat and in suspense the entire time, I recommend this book. His writing style is not only exciting, but he's a fun read as well, with little jokes and creative writing along the way. Go read this book!!
Rating: 
Summary: A great read....
Review: This is a good book and a great read. Well written with an exciting, engaging plot. Characters were a little flat, otherwise it would have gotten 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best Audiobooks I've ever 'read.'
Review: This was one of the best audiobook abridgements I've listened to yet. It was four tapes long, so I imagine not a whole lot was left out, and D.B. Sweeney's voice was superb! He really has a talent for accents and voices that don't come across as stereotypes or silly.
The story itself is a solid one, a political/law thriller, with Michael Garrick being the protagonist of the tale. Michael begins dating a gal named Nora Hartson, which seems a simple enough set-up, but Nora is the daughter of the president. Code-named 'Shadow' by her secret service, the date goes wrong from the moment Michael lets her drive, and she loses her security tail. They go to a bar - which turns out to be a gay bar - and there they see Michael's married boss meeting with someone. She is anxious to follow, and Michael and Nora find that Michael's boss leaves a package in the woods. When they open it, it seems Michael's boss is delivering forty thousand dollars... to someone.
From there, the story picks up the pace, and the tension is raised, bit by bit, as more and more of Michael's attempts to figure things out lead him straight to the role of a fall-guy. Can he trust anyone he knows? Can he even trust the girl he is falling in love with? You'll have to listen to find out, but as the story twists from blackmail, to murder, to conspiracy, you'll not be let down by the plot - it's very well handled.
I'll be finding more from Meltzer.
'Nathan
Rating:
Summary: Nice, easy read
Review: This is the first book I've read by Brad Meltzer and I thought it was pretty good. Being a teenager I found this book very easy to read and very easy to understand. I saw this book when it first came out and I've been meaning to read it because once I saw the back summary I really wanted to read it. After finally getting it at the libary, I found it too be a good book. The characters are all rounded well and I love how I learned more about how everything works and the tid bits of trivia roped into it. I recommened this book to someone who likes a good puzzle to solve and who likes to see what they believe is "politically correct."
| 
