Rating: 
Summary: Keeps the pages flying and the mind guessing
Review: This book is a great murder mystery. Michael Garrick, a young ambitious attorney, who is dating the President's daughter, is trying to find the truth about a murder that takes place within the White House gates. What he uncovers has consequences that could end up costing him his life. He is unable to trust anyone, he even starts to suspect his greatest friends may be his greatest enemys.I really enjoyed this book. It kept me interested and guessing who did it the whole way. The plot was excellent. The setting was intriguing as it took you intimately inside the White House. The pages seemed to turn themselves as I finished The First Counsel in a few short days. The only reason I did not rate this book five stars is because the dialogue was repetitive. But I think Brad Meltzer is very talented and his future books will become better because he will have more experence writing.
Rating: 
Summary: Wait for the Paperback
Review: ...that's what I wish I had done. After reading Meltzer's first novel, The Tenth Justice, I thought I had found a new favorite author. Admittedly, that was several years ago, and perhaps my literary tastes have matured, however I have been rather disappointed by Meltzer's last two efforts, Dead Even and The First Counsel. The First Counsel qualifies as what I would classify a "mindless summer read." That's pretty much what it was for me, and it would have fit the bill had I not been expecting more from a Columbia Law School grad (with honors!) who has devoted his life to writing novels. Meltzer does well with fast-paced action scenes, but fails sorely at almost everything else. Reading this book is almost like riding a rollercoaster. At some points you are so intrigued that you have to cover up the rest of the page to keep from peeking down at what happens next. At others, you are counting the pages (sometimes paragraphs) until the next chapter. Other reviewers are correct in that there is practically no character development. Meltzer starts off with promising characters, but then fails to develop their personalities and relationships to one another. The resolution of the story is just god awful. At one point, even one of the characters seems in disbelief as to how things could have tidied up so quickly. This is a sign. Wait for the paperback (it's not worth the hardcover price) and take this book along when you are looking for something slightly less brain-taxing than John Grisham. (No, that's not exactly a compliment.)
Rating: 
Summary: Surprisingly Good
Review: With no grotesque details, this is a surprisingly good book with a twist in the tail of an intern, where the reader doesn't have to have experience in the feild to enjoy the story.
Rating:
Summary: Thriller about "Two Orphans Whose Parents Are Living"
Review: Review Summary: If you like fast-paced action about ambition, intrigue, and scandal in the corridors of power, The First Counsel will appeal to you. The book's main character is the White House itself, described in loving detail that puts you inside all portions of that venerable mansion as well as the Executive Office Building. The characters and the plot didn't quite work for me, but the action writing kept pulling me forward to the book's end. In particular, the romance between Michael Garrick, a legal staffer, and Nora Hartson, the president's daughter, didn't seem real. Their relationship was more annoying than intriguing as well. The plot assumes extremely myopic parenting on the part of the First Family that strained credibility with me. Review: Twenty-nine year old lawyer, Michael Garrick is an attorney in the office of the White House counsel. This group provides the president with legal advice about ethics and the propriety of upcoming appointments and legislation. He's there because he "has a fear of mediocrity" and enjoys the whiffs of power floating around him. His father is retarded (an I.Q. of 66) and lives in a group home. Garrick plays a role as care planner for his father. His mother had earlier died of cancer. Although he has a living father, he has the need to take care of himself that an orphan does. Michael Garrick's life will never be the same after he meets Nora Hartson, the president's daughter at a reception. As a result, they go out on what starts to be a date and ends up as checking out Garrick's boss when they find him in an unlikely setting. Nora is the other "orphan" of the story whose parents are living. The First Family has been so caught up in politics that the parents pay little attention to Nora, and in fending for herself she has stumbled. The novel develops the story of how this occurred. The action scenes involve plot lines that would never have occurred to me. Being surprised, I found myself compelled to follow through to the end of the scene because I had no idea of how it might turn out. At the scene's resolution, a new plot complication would occur that kept me intrigued. As a result, I cannot recall a book that caused me to keep reading as much as this one while bothering me about the characters and the plot itself. Think of the story as being like Indiana Jones at the White House escaping the bad guys. In these scenes, Mr. Meltzer overdoses on action verbs so be prepared to feel your heart racing! The dialogue is very repetitive and annoying. If you took out all of the dialogue that involved "Shut up!" "Don't lie to me" "What?" and "I don't believe it" the book would be much shorter. This isn't verbal sparring. This is like having a bad dream that won't go away. I felt a headache coming on at several points as the relentless SHOUTING got to me. The world that is portrayed is a pretty ugly one. People in the White House are rarely interested in anything other than power and being stroked. Everyone has serious skeletons to hide in their closets and fears having them revealed. Friendships are little more than helping one another get along politically or for career advancement. The mood varies with the poll numbers. My biggest complaint is that the story relies on characters having lots of access to illegal drugs, while assuming that no one cares enough to investigate where they are coming from. That made no sense to me. My second biggest complaint is that the resolution involves unlikely behavior by the authorities. No explanation is given for a quick change of heart by the investigators other than the remote testimony of one witness. The physical processes to clear a suspect in such situations would normally take several days, and there is no indication that they were used. Perhaps the reason this book works well enough to get you through to the end is that we already have such a low view of politics and politicians. What would happen if we suddenly expected politics and politicians to be high-minded most of the time? How would we reform the system that few of us like, except when it isn't working? Or, are we better off being protected by stalemate while ambitious souls will be tempted by power? What do you think? Do the right thing . . . and the reward will be a lasting sense of self-esteem!
Rating: 
Summary: Beverly Hills 90210 meets White House: True Hollywood Story
Review: Meltzer's gift in First Counsel is his intricate, too-detailed-to-be-false accounts of the insides of the White House. Between the intricate details of the rooms inside the white house, the details about staffers, the OEOB (Old Executive Office Building), and White House life in general, you'll get a kick out of feeling like you're really there.
The problem is that Meltzer expects your awe at the inner workings of the White House to overshadow his failures at character building. Suspension of disbelief doesn't begin to address the incredible leaps he asks you to make. The first daughter who may or may not have a serious drug problem, the brilliant assistant counsel who nevertheless is incapable of believing anyone around him is capable of selfish actions (where was he during a political campaign?), and the cardboard cutout characters who surround the two - they are all too difficult to accept. On more than one occasion, you'll feel as if you're listening to the retellings of a night out of a gang of overprivileged high school students with too much spare time. Meltzer tries to humanize Garrick, the assistant counsel, by giving him a retarded father and a painful childhood. You'll spend 90% of the book thinking Nora is abusive, controlling, and overly carefree... only to have the rug yanked out from under you - in a terribly manipulative manner. If you have an eye for plot twists, you'll see the ending coming from a mile away. In spite of the amazing odds against him, Garrick nevertheless manages to find a way out... with tragic consequences for everyone else around. I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the White House, and you have to give credit to Meltzer for doing his homework. I just wish he'd made more of an attempt to give his characters more believable, intelligent actions.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but....
Review: I like Brad Meltzer's writing. He shows great promise. But, I have to agree with another reviewer who points out that the main characters in this book act like 19-20 year old college fraternity boys rather than the intellectuals they are supposed to be.
Rating:
Summary: First Counsel is First Rate
Review: Brad Meltzer has written a first rate novel filled with political intrigue, suspense and surprise. With each page I was certain I had figured out the who-dunnit and why aspect only to turn the page and be completely confounded again! This is a terrific read for a rainy weekend, a day at the beach or a night in the country. Mr. Meltzer has a new fan and I have a new "must read" author.
Rating:
Summary: E.L. Burton author of $oft Money: I love political fiction
Review: I am an avid reader of political fiction novels and I enjoy exploring the deep dark world of Politics. This book took me to where I like to be, inside the power that is the White House. I have read some of the comments of fellow reviewers, and could not dis-agree more. This book was fast paced, the attention to detail made me as a reader feel like I was an insider. It touched on an off limits subject, the personal life of the Presidents daughter. Mr. Meltzer has done a fantastic job portraying the power and corruption that exists in the world of Politics, and the extent that those who posses power will go to in order to protect it. Great book, and a recommended read.
Rating:
Summary: Not a terrific book, but certainly not as bad as some say
Review: I'm surprised by the number of 1 star ratings this book received. Those people who say that it is one of the worst books they have ever read must not read much. While it is true that the characters didn't have much depth, and that the ending stretched credibility, the story itself was compelling. Basically, a great story idea with mediocre executation. Still worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Please Dont Read, Please Dont Film.
Review: When I click onto Amazon.com looking for a review of a book I always make the mistake of reading the editorial reviews. After reading this book I now realize that Amazon.com wants to sell books. Not anymore. I have to agree with the customer reviews.. This book stinks. However I cant blame everything on amazon.com. One day while sitting in the john reading the Charleston City Paper I came across a 4 star review for this book. "A first rate thriller!" "A book worth reading, and a screenplay worth filming." Please dont read, and please dont film..
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