Framing the Dialogue

As I read my first Brad Meltzer novel I soon came to realize that this was not the first one in this “series” nor will it be the last based on the ending. This is not an unusual occurrence, but I found that I seemed to be missing a lot of backstory that was probably in the previous book. Maybe this information would have made The Fifth Assassin more compelling instead of leaving me wanting more.  I felt that the gaps took away from the story.

The crux of the novel is a struggle between “good” in the form of a secret organization called the Culper Ring and evil perpetrated by another secret organization called the Knights of the Golden Circle. Through most of the book we are not sure which people are good or bad.  At risk is the American president, though he is not such a nice guy. You’ll have to read the book to understand what is meant by the fifth assassin, whether the president dies, or which secret organization is victorious. Or you may have to read the next in the series. I don’t think that I will.  I am not a big fan of books that don’t really stand on their own.