The Jefferson Key : A Novel (Cotton Malone) - Steve Berry

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Four presidents of the United States have been assassinated—in 1865, 1881, 1901, and 1963—each murder seemingly unrelated. But what if those presidents were all killed for the shocking same reason: a clause contained in the United States Constitution? This is the question faced by former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone. When President Danny Daniels is nearly killed in the heart of Manhattan, Malone risks his life to foil the murder—only to find himself at odds with the Commonwealth, a secret society of pirates first assembled during the American Revolution. Racing across the nation and taking to the high seas, Malone and Cassiopeia Vitt must break a secret cipher originally possessed by Thomas Jefferson, unravel a mystery concocted by Andrew Jackson, and unearth a document forged by the Founding Fathers themselves—one powerful enough to make the Commonwealth unstoppable.

Amazon Reviews
Outstanding read, multi-faceted plot, fast moving, historical ties
By Coolfire VINE VOICE on May 5, 2011
Steve Berry has done it again. The Jefferson Key is an outstanding read. This work a major sized industrial strength novel closely integrating intrigue, complexity, and history.

Starts right off with a fast dramatic setting involving President Andrew Jackson, simultaneously disclosing some fascinating historical facts which I expect are known by very few.

And then immediately we're taken into the present, and our hero, Cotton Malone, has screwed up big time in a major pickle. We're off on our fast moving adventure. No slack here. . .

This novel wraps itself around a complex multi-faceted plot involving multiple security agencies, interesting interplays between strong characters in addition to Cotton, such as rouge agent Jonathan Wyatt (who I happen to like), NIA chief Andrea Carbonnel, and Cassiopeia Vitt, with shifting loyalties, and a strong private organization, called the commonwealth, which derived its credentials from a privateer past and Article 1 Section 8 of our Constitution - the little known or understood Letters of Marque. I had sometimes wondered what that clause meant and was all about.

In fact, there is a great deal of fascinating historical tidbits closely integrated with the plot, demonstrating an enormous amount of relevant research done by the author which went into this writing. Another way of saying it, there is a wealth of interesting information in this book.

This is one of those works which one wished did not end, rich in intrigue, action, and fascinating historical facts integrated closely within the current action.

What an entertaining read., May 1, 2011
By M. A. Filippelli
That Author Steve Berry has created here in an ingenious mix of history and fiction to tie together the plot line of this book.

Cotton Malone receives a request for help. He doesn't know why he's needed but he trusts the woman who is asking.

What unfolds here is an interesting and complex story of Governmental agencies working with and covertly against each other to solve a cipher that holds the key to a non Governmental group called the Commonwealth who was constitutionally enabled to act as Pirates that was authorized by George Washington. Giving them the ability to steal and disrupt other countries that are deemed enemies of the United States. However they have been using and abusing this loop hole for personal gain and not always acting on behalf of the United States.

The book through the fictional story line ties together the assassinations of four sitting Presidents Kennedy, Lincoln, McKinley, Jackson and fictional President Danny Daniels. Danny Daniels.

Berry will have you believing that almost all of the characters is or could be a suspect including the Presidents wife. It seems that almost everyone and every agency has something to gain or loose be the revealing the key to some secret documents.

The story line is complex and it difficult to figure out what the true motives of the characters until the end. This is an intense thriller that will keep you up late reading. The beginning of the book is like no other that i have read, it will lock you in right away and keep you reading all the way through to it's exciting conclusion.

This is the first Berry book I have read. Berry has produced several Cotton Malone books. As a reader I got a good feel for who the character Cotton Malone is from this book.

As I noted earlier , Berry mixes some non fictional history with fictional history. The last chapter Berry clears up what is non fictional history and what is fictional history and explains why he changed some minor facts to tie the story together. The only possible negative I can think of is that the reader is hit with a lot of characters and it can be hard to keep track of them only because the story and the motives of the characters are so complex. I'm not even sure if that's really a negative though.

The writing style is fluid, the editing is good if not great. There aren't many wasted words. The book flows from one chapter to the next

Very well done. Just about every superlative I can think of can be attached to this book.

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