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First Counsel: Booktrack Edition Audiobook
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(3.53) - 43 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
White House lawyer Michael Garrick has a relatively anonymous position at a very public address. That is, until he starts dating Nora Harston (secret service code name: Shadow), the sexy and dangerously irresistible daughter of the President. But the confident young attorney thinks he can handle the pressure. Until, out on a date, Nora and Michael see something they shouldn't. To protect her, he admits to something he shouldn't. And when a body is discovered and Michael is the suspected killer, he finds himself on the run. Now, in a world where power is an aphrodisiac and close friends carry guns and are under strict orders to risk their lives, Michael must find a way to prove his innocence.
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"This was just the book to remove the drama of my life. Very well written, although the ending was a bit abrupt, the suspense was intriguing and intense enough to keep my mind wandering back to the characters whenever I had to put it down and live. I am about to make such a silly statement I have to introduce it as profound or come across as an imbecile. The suspense was suspenseful! Lately, I haven't been able to find a book with characters or plot interesting enough to be worthy of the small amount of time I had. I may have started many good or even great books, but none began with enough energy to stimulate my curiosity or hold my attention until another five minutes presented itself. Eagerly looking forward to another novel by Mr. Meltzer."
— Lauriek (4 out of 5 stars)
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“A potent cocktail of pulp fiction and inside-the-Beltway politics…hard-boiled…with pedal-to-the-metal pacing.”
— Entertainment Weekly -
“Fast-paced and suspenseful…ups the ante for legal thrillers with its intricate plot and clever, complex characters…the perfect setting for perilous crimes.”
— People -
“Meltzer excels at plotting…The First Counsel is a cleverly commercial mix of legal thriller and political chicanery guaranteed to keep you turning pages until Meltzer puts the third branch of government in his sights, too.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review -
“Meltzer sprinkles his tale with many interesting details of working in and around the White House…His…narrative…digs its hooks in, and even skeptical readers will want to continue through the twists and turns, if only to confirm their own predictions.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“The Washington color and scenery and the unusual cast of characters take The First Counsel a step above your average page-turner and will keep you reading until the startling conclusion.”
— Booklist -
“The First Counsel is a top-notch political thriller that takes readers into the very heart and soul of the White House.”
— Library Journal -
“Meltzer doesn’t weigh his supernova plot down with niceties like political policy…or psychology. Nothing gets in the way of the adrenaline jolt Meltzer delivers like a master.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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A USA Today bestseller
First Counsel Listener Reviews
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" The last chapters were good. "
— Kaylol, 2/17/2014 -
" I enjoyed the book. Meltzer doesn't build suspense, he jumps right in on page one and doesn't let up until its finished. I like that with each story he gives a little more insight into the workings of Washington DC and its politics. "
— Barb, 2/17/2014 -
" A book that relies so much on snappy dialog is likely to irk me, I admit, but this one is really irritating. PEOPLE DON'T TALK LIKE THAT. "
— Corinne, 2/17/2014 -
" Great political thriller! Make you wonder what really goes on behind closed doors in DC. "
— Aletha, 2/14/2014 -
" Quite a nice thriller so far... "
— Gary, 2/13/2014 -
" Another great Meltzer read, but not as good as The Tenth Justice. However, it did make me wonder about all the inner areas of the White House that we never hear about. I did not find it believable. "
— Carolleforge, 2/9/2014 -
" A real page-turner! Loved it and highly recommend it! "
— Tiffany, 1/20/2014 -
" I thoroughly enjoyed this book. "
— Janet, 1/13/2014 -
" Pretty quick read....definitely suspenseful. "
— Meagan, 12/6/2013 -
" Rambled on a bit too long, but overall a very good book. "
— Tom, 12/2/2013 -
" OK, the ending wasn't quite what I hoped for, but it was a great read. Not too many bizarre plot twists, but enough to keep you on your toes. "
— Mike, 11/27/2013 -
" This was the first Brad Meltzer book I've read. It was very slow moving and I almost put it down. The last few chapters kept my attention and I didn't want to put it down. :) "
— Karen, 11/9/2013 -
" This mystery was a fairly good read. I didn't see the end coming as it did. "
— Melanie, 9/6/2013 -
" This one is garbage, but if you like garbage... "
— Jared, 8/20/2013 -
" Awesome book. Highly recommend it, if you are into poilitics "
— Cynthia, 8/8/2013 -
" I've never really been a fan of Brad Meltzer, but this was a page turner and one of his better efforts. "
— Rob, 7/26/2013 -
" The first Brad Meltzer thriller that I read. A classic example of abrupt turns and twists in an intriguing plot narrated in a racy style. I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to anyone who wants to read a thriller with a difference "
— D, 6/2/2013 -
" I have enjoyed other Brad Meltzer books, but this one was not quite as strong as some of the others. It takes place a the White House and there are a lot of twists, but it takes quite a while before it really gets moving. "
— Melissa, 4/10/2013 -
" I will say I liked this book. I liked it, not loved it. Especially the end, that did it in for me. I stayed up till 2am to get to the end only for THAT to happen!? Suck. "
— Leah, 1/27/2013 -
" My favorite of Meltzer's books until I read THE BOOK OF LIES. A super fun read about the first daughter and the trouble she gets into. "
— Miriam, 7/6/2012 -
" Awesome!!! You kept me hooked and led me down a dead-end alley (I suspected the wrong person), wow, I didn't see the ending coming until the last chapter when it was revealed!!! If all novels were like this, the Internet would just be a passing phase and books would still rule the earth!!!! "
— Michael, 4/7/2012 -
" This was very slow to begin. I think the book could have been cut by at least 100 pages. In any case, once it got going it was a thriller, but the start up was so slow I almost gave up. "
— Marianne, 3/20/2012 -
" I really like this author. He is able to capture your attention and ,most of the time, your heart too, in his writing. He is a young writer and uses current slang. He can create many believable and dynamic characters. "
— Leah, 1/8/2012 -
" Characters frustrated me, they would make stupid decisions which came back to wreack havoc in their lives. BUt I want to find out how it will end, so I'll stick it out. I enjoyed the reader, though. "
— Patricia, 11/20/2011 -
" Easy reading mystery that held my attention to the end. I found myself wanting to read more! "
— Jason, 8/25/2011 -
" Kept me guessing the whole time and I had guessed wrong. Not a great book but a good "escape" book. "
— Judy, 8/20/2011 -
" Very fast read - murder mystery in the White House, low-level attorney (who happens to have just started dating the First Daughter) scrambles to clear his name. The story was a bit melodramatic for my tastes, but it definitely kept my interest. Recommended for people who like John Grisham. "
— Sara, 8/16/2011 -
" I absolutely loved this book...it kept me on edge at all times. A good book from start to finish, I highly recommend it. "
— Ashley, 8/12/2011 -
" Fun, but at the same time the main character annoyed me to no end. Seemed perennially stupid. On the plus side the character is well explored as are some of the other side characters which 'sort of' explains their behavior, though not always. "
— Christina, 7/30/2011 -
" This was a really good, high-paced read. The lead character Michael was a really likable, if gullible guy. The ending sort of sucked, but it was realistic. It seemed to end too quickly though. "
— Jody, 7/29/2011 -
" I enjoyed the book. Meltzer doesn't build suspense, he jumps right in on page one and doesn't let up until its finished. I like that with each story he gives a little more insight into the workings of Washington DC and its politics. "
— Barb, 6/10/2011 -
" Personally, I'm not a big fan of lawyer-type books. However, this book was very engaging and the twists kept coming so fast, and so frequently that it was hard to put this book down! "
— Rosie, 4/30/2011 -
" The First Counsel is a book of intrigue and suspense. It is a very good work of fiction, I can't believe that it could actually happen, and is an entertaining book that keeps you on your toes as to who done it. All in all a good read.<br/> "
— Brian, 4/3/2011 -
" This was a well written book by Meltzer and the first book I read by him. It was a fast paced book and got me interested in the book right away. The idea of a young lawyer dating the President's daughter was interesting. I was surprised at the ending, hope you will be too. "
— Linda, 2/26/2011 -
" Kept me guessing the whole time and I had guessed wrong. Not a great book but a good "escape" book. "
— Judy, 2/3/2011 -
" Awesome book. Highly recommend it, if you are into poilitics "
— Cynthia, 1/18/2011 -
" Easy reading mystery that held my attention to the end. I found myself wanting to read more! "
— Jason, 1/11/2011 -
" This was very slow to begin. I think the book could have been cut by at least 100 pages. In any case, once it got going it was a thriller, but the start up was so slow I almost gave up. "
— Marianne, 1/9/2011 -
" A book that relies so much on snappy dialog is likely to irk me, I admit, but this one is really irritating. PEOPLE DON'T TALK LIKE THAT. "
— Corinne, 12/15/2010 -
" Brad Meltzer has become my new favorite author. It combines a great plot, with fascinating characters and adds just the right amount oh humor. I think that Meltzer creates characters that everyone can relate to. His books tend to make me continue reading until I get to the end. "
— Sammy, 12/5/2010 -
" Well put together. An altogether good read. "
— Jami, 10/20/2010 -
" Another solid suspenseful thriller from Brad Meltzer. I did guess the ending pretty early in the reading, though...which made the second half of the book drag a bit for me. "
— Fran, 10/2/2010
About Brad Meltzer
Brad Meltzer is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Inner Circle, The Book of Fate, and several other bestselling thrillers. In addition to his fiction, he is one of the only authors to ever have books on the bestseller list for nonfiction, advice, children’s books, and even graphic books. He is also the host of Brad Meltzer’s Decoded on the History Channel, and Brad Meltzer’s Lost History on H2.
About Scott Brick
Scott Brick, an acclaimed voice artist, screenwriter, and actor, has performed on film, television, and radio. He attended UCLA and spent ten years in a traveling Shakespeare company. Passionate about the spoken word, he has narrated a wide variety of audiobooks. winning won more than fifty AudioFile Earphones Awards and several of the prestigious Audie Awards. He was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine and the Voice of Choice for 2016 by Booklist magazine.