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Summary
Four United States presidents have been assassinated in 1865, 1881, 1901, and 1963 each murder seemingly unrelated and separated by time. But what if those presidents were all killed for the same reason: a clause in the United States Constitution contained within Article 1, Section 8 that would shock Americans? This question is what faces former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone in his latest adventure. When a bold assassination attempt is made against President Danny Daniels in the heart of Manhattan, Malone risks his life to foil the killing only to find himself at dangerous odds with the Commonwealth, a secret society of pirates first assembled during the American Revolution. In their most perilous exploit yet, Malone and Cassiopeia Vitt race across the nation and take to the high seas. Along the way they break a secret cipher originally possessed by Thomas Jefferson, unravel a mystery concocted by Andrew Jackson, and unearth a centuries-old document forged by the Founding Fathers themselves, one powerful enough thanks to that clause in the Constitution to make the Commonwealth unstoppable.From the Hardcover edition.
This audiobook tells the story of a notorious gang of pirates whose ancestors were granted "Letters of Mark" during the Revolutionary War, giving them permission to plunder the foes of the United States. Their mission is to retrieve the lost fragments of these letters, but for what purpose? To launch an audacious raid on the country's modern adversaries? The plot is incredibly far-fetched, brimming with conflicting covert government organizations, and plagued by irrational logic, making it an arduous journey to complete. Save yourself the trouble and skip this one.
The story kicks off with two extraordinary contraptions that would require an absolute whiz in computer programming, ballistics, metallurgy, networking, and covert operations, while assuming that everyone working at a prominent New York City hotel is utterly clueless. It then proceeds with two characters, Cotton Malone and Danny Daniels, who possess southern accents so indistinguishable that it's nearly impossible to tell them apart. We are introduced to a miraculously preserved document that remains legible even after being concealed in a submerged cave that regularly floods. And to top it all off, we encounter three female characters, at least two of whom have lived rather inactive lives, suddenly acquiring the uncanny ability to effortlessly leap into the open ocean from a sinking ship, only to be rescued by poorly equipped helicopters firing rockets. It's absolutely absurd. Save yourself the agony of wasting 12-15 hours of your life that you'll never get back.
I'm halfway through this one, and it's a struggle to continue listening. It feels like a mishmash of poorly disguised storylines borrowed from various sources like National Treasure and 24 (remember the secret service agent and the First Lady storyline in one season of 24?).
Moreover, the storytelling style makes it challenging to keep track of the characters. I listen to many audiobooks, including several narrated by Scott Brick, and I've never encountered this issue before. It could be because Brick doesn't change his voice significantly for different characters, but I believe the real problem lies in the writing.
At this point, I find myself listening not for the enjoyment of the story but rather to avoid wasting the credit I used to purchase this darned book.
This is probably my favorite book so far in the Cotton Malone series! In addition, Scott Brick is one of my favorite narrators. A win/win situation for me!
As a history buff I truly appreciate when at the end of his book the author explains what was truth and what was fiction. This was a GREAT example of making history enjoyable to learn. I had no idea the role that Privateering played in the birth of our fledgling nation and what we owe to those pirates, and now I do.
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