I haven’t had a lot of time to read this month, but I have been reading. And I’ve been reading a really good book, too. Well, it’s good if you like action/adventure/spy/thriller type books, that is.
The Jefferson Allegiance,
by Bob Mayer
The story is similar to Clive Cussler’s books, or even some of Robert Ludlum’s Bourne books (Bourne Ultimatum, Bourne Identity, etc.)
The premise of the book is based around a top-secret agreement that was created by Thomas Jefferson and his political arch-enemy Alexander Hamilton. The Jefferson Allegiance is a document designed to keep the powers of the president, “big business,” and Congress, in check. Should any of these become out of balance, the Allegiance can be called into play which has the power to completely change the face of the American democratic system – ousting presidents who have extended their reach beyond their office, for example.
As the story begins, two “Philosophers,” members of the American Philosophical Society (and keepers of the secret of the Allegiance) are brutally murdered. Their heirs are unknowingly targeted as well and the story follows the cat-and-mouse chase as these heirs seek to unravel the mystery of what they have been thrown into and the killer seeks to kill them and destroy the Allegiance.
The book has quite a few twists and turns and keeps you entertained. There have been many nights I’ve been reading and had the words swimming in front of my on my Nook, and yet been unwilling to put the book down because I just had to see what was going to happen.
There is quite a bit of the usual macho-posturing familiar in this type of book – the hero struggling with his “inner beast,” the techno-speak and military lingo that I have no clue whether it is accurate or not (nor do I really care). However, the interesting pieces, the ties back into American History, are what really kept me reading.
I liked how he tied real historical facts into the story, weaving a plausible scenario that has you wondering as you read if something like the Allegiance really exists.
Well worth the $3 price tag for the Nook Book.
Read it if you have a hankering for a little history and action all in one.
Thoughts Along Life's Highway 