The Book of Fate


The Book of Fate is a novel written by Brad Meltzer. In it, a 200-year-old code invented by Thomas Jefferson reveals a modern-day conspiracy that involves the power brokers of Washington, D.C and the elite of Palm Beach society. According to WorldCat, the book is in 2,281 libraries.

Plot synopsis

The opening lines to The Book of Fate are "Six minutes from now, one of us would be dead. That was our fate. None of us knew it was coming.” Those words are spoken by an aide of the President of the United States named Wes Holloway. The novel begins on a July 4th weekend, as the President attends an event. As the President is leaving, a crazed assassin attacks. The assassin kills one of the President's aides and best friends named Ron Boyle and permanently disfigures Wes with a bullet to the face. Eight years later, Boyle turns up alive. In trying to figure out how and why Boyle has returned, Wes must piece together clues involving that July 4th, a decades-old presidential crossword puzzle, ancient Masonic symbols hidden in the street plan of Washington, D.C., and ultimately a 200-year-old code invented by Thomas Jefferson.