Rating: 
Summary: A Few Less Words
Review: I loved "The Tenth Justice". Dead Even was OK. Counsel could have been told in about one hundred less pages. I stuck with it through the first 200 pages only because I knew it had to get better. The dialogue is sharp and laughed out loud a couple of times.
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Summary: Meltzer's Best Yet
Review: I have read Mr. Meltzer's previous book, Dead Even, and was disappointed. That is why, with some trepidation, I decided to try his newest novel. I could not be more pleased. Meltzer has really grown as an author. He no longer goes for the cheap laugh or stunt and has created and intelligent,intricate, thriller that also takes you into the "backstage" of the White House.This is truly an enjoyable book and I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT Plot, But.....
Review: I picked this book up on the street date and read it in a day and a half. It's a page-turner. The plot sucks you in and holds you. I gave it only 3 stars because the first-person narrator isn't very effective. This book DEFINITELY would have been a 5-star, magnificent read if it had been told in 3rd person omniscient, or even 3rd person limited to the protagonist. The narrator's descriptions of his own behavior are distracting, because most of us don't think of our own behavior in terms of adjectives as are used in the book (I turned on the light switch instinctively, etc.). So, it's a great plot (and I have no doubt, will be an outstanding movie), but it's a bit distracting in places. There ya go.
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Summary: This is the ultimate 'Can't Put it Down' book!
Review: Meltzer has penned a master thriller with "The First Counsel." This is better than anything Grisham has ever written. Meltzer throws the reader right in with a bang of a first chapter...and things only get more intense after that. The characters are extremely intriguing, and I felt as if I had my own White House badge...as Meltzer took me inside the White House for a detailed portrayal of how things really work. We get a view of old-fashioned politics...all wrapped up in a thrilling, suspenseful, action-packed novel. The plot is strong, with plenty of twists, and it doesn't let up from beginning to end. This is Meltzer's best yet. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes to read action-packed books and/or political and legal thrillers.
Rating:
Summary: Thrilling
Review: A riveting thriller. This is a romantic thriller, a psychological thriller, a political thriller and an action thriller all rolled into one. Probably the best thriller since Craig Furrnas' THE SHAPE. I couldn't put it down.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST READ!
Review: Young White House attorney, Michael Garrick, thinks he has it all...a great job, good friends, and the beginning of a whirlwind romance with the President's daughter. Nora is everything Michael is not, wild, sexy, and willing to live her life dangerously. Despite rumors of drug abuse, Michael decides to go on a date with Nora, a date that puts both on their live's in jeopardy. While on their date, they witness Michael's boss dropping off a package in a bar he should not be...curious to know the contents of the package, the couple play detective and follow the man. Once the package is in their possesion, they find it is filled with money, and Nora decides to keep some-JUST FOR FUN, BECAUSE NO ONE WILL MISS IT...wrong!!! Michael, racked with guilt decides to tell the White House's chief ethics advisor, only to find that his boss has already registered a complaint-about Michael, needless to say the advisor does not believe Michael's allegations. Things go from bad, to worse for Michael...the chief advisor is found dead, and all fingers point to him as the lead suspect. With no one to trust, and nowhere to turn, Michael Garrick must battle his boss, the media, and the FBI...if he wants to come out alive. Everyone is guilty of something, and everyone has a secret to hide. Will Michael uncover the truth and clear his name or will he die trying? "The First Counsel" is excellent; an entertaining romp through the corridors of power, filled with secret meetings, maniacal bad guys and twisted political schemes where no one is safe. The suspense builds chapter by chapter, exposing each new plot twist at a frenzied pace. Brad Meltzer has written the novel that Baldacci, and Grisham should be writing. His writing is clean, characters (good and bad) are wonderful, and the pacing is perfect. Readers will be up all night to discover the secrets that await in the climax. Do yourself a favor and READ THIS BOOK! A MUST read!!! Nick Gonnella
Rating:
Summary: Good Intentions, Poor Execution
Review: I like Brad. He tells a good tale. His plots are every bit as compelling as anything out there. But he absolutely makes too much liberal use of exclamation points. It's true! While I understand that the main character's life suddenly becomes caught up in a game of high stakes and political intrigue that is spiraling out of control, I just don't quite buy the way he shouts everything. Really, it's not about exclamation points-- though there are a lot of them. It's about characterization and his characters seem designed to fill a role in the story, rather than becoming living, breathing entities. It's a shame too. This is a good book. I'd recommend it. But, I wish he'd improve his dialogue. It rarely rings true and comes off as contrived.
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