Brad Meltzer

Grand Central

Covering last weekend's Big Book Club Getaway at Mohegan Sun, I saw Brad Meltzer give an oft-hilarious, very inspirational keynote address that went beyond the andecdotal and observations on writing and into Life Itself. As such, I picked up his latest political thriller - and the damned thing hooked me right during the Getaway lunch break. If I hadn't been working, I'd have blown off a National Book Award finalist's remarks to keep reading the latest adventures of governmental archivist Beecher White. This time out, Beecher and his coharts are dealing with someone meticulously recreating each of the presidential assassinations on contemporary victims. Just one of the many twists: what if the orginal presidential assassinations had been orchestrated and interconnected as a grand design all along? Tense, fun conspiracy fiction.

- RICK KOSTER