The Fifth Assassin – Brad Meltzer

When I finished Brad Meltzer’s last book 2 years ago, I noted that the ending seemed rife for a follow-up.  His latest picks up the threads left behind and strings together another tale of Beecher White, the latest member of the fabled Culper Ring, as he tries to protect the man who has vowed to take him down: the President of the United States.

Meltzer again follows his formula of the little man going up against the Washington DC power structure, but it once again works for him.  The one knock I have against this book is that it assumes that you have read The Inner Circle, and read it recently.  This one throws you right into the action with little in the way of introduction for the returning characters.  Once you catch up with what’s going on, though, it is full speed ahead.

Judging from the ending, the story of Beecher White is destined to be a trilogy, so it looks like there will be another two year wait before we get the end of the story.