While gardening in her private section of the White House Rose Garden one night, First Lady Shona Wallace digs up a human arm with a hand tightly wrapped around an old object.
Beecher White works in the National Archives where he stores and protects America’s history. He’s also a member of the Culper Ring, started more than 200 years ago, whose mission is to protect the Presidency. When Shona discovers the arm, it’s obvious there’s been a breach in security. President Wallace isn’t sure who in the Secret Service he can trust, so he calls Beecher for help.
The object in the hand turns out to be a flattened penny that has The Lord’s Prayer on one side and the logo of the Plankholders on the other. Beecher recognizes the logo as that of the Naval company his father belonged to. In exchange for Beecher’s help, the President offers to share confidential information about the incident in which Beecher’s father was killed. Unsure of President Wallace’s true motives, Beecher reluctantly agrees to investigate the meaning behind the the severed hand and penny.
The clues lead to a man who once served with Beecher’s father in the Plankholders. The man, Nico, is an escaped sociopathic killer who Beecher believes wants to assassinate the President. With help from friends, none of whom he’s sure he can trust, Beecher puts his life on the line to find out what really happened to his father and stop the assassination plot.
“The President’s Shadow” is filled with little known historical facts that Meltzer threads throughout a plot rich with government cover-ups, secret military locations, and hidden agendas. The story’s vivid descriptions of place and characters are captivating. Beecher is savvy and perceptive, the type of character you’d really like to have as a friend.
FTC Full Disclosure: A review copy of this book was provided by its publisher.
My wife and I will be spending Nov. & Dec., 2015 in Kona, HI. Any chance you will be in the neighborhood. Would love to meet you.