The Book of Fate

The Book of Fate is a 2005 novel written by Brad Meltzer. The book starts out with the premise that eight years ago, the oldest friend of the president of the United States was murdered by a crazed assassin, and his aide, Wes Holloway, was left permanently disfigured. A mysterious and impossible sighting of the supposedly dead man means Wes must face the truth of what occurred on that fateful day. An enigmatic code that was invented by Thomas Jefferson and strange clues hidden by the Freemasons 200 years ago could hold the key to the answer. Not everyone, however, wants their secrets revealed, and Wes is pursued at every turn by “The Three,” who control much of Washington. As Wes begins to run out of time, the assassin closes in once more.

Set in Palm Beach, Florida, The Book of Fate takes place at some point after the presidency of Leland “The Lion” Manning, who was president after George W. Bush. The novel does not provide the reader with an exact date, but the majority of the narration occurs eight years after Manning fails to be reelected. An unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Leland at a NASCAR racetrack caused him to lose favor with the public as a photo was taken of him seemingly pushing a woman in front of him so that he could use her as a body shield. In actuality, Leland was attempting to push her out of the way.

Leland managed to escape the assassination attempt unharmed thanks to the actions of his Secret Service. The Chief of State, Ron Boyle, was killed, and Wes Holloway, the president’s personal aide, became physically disfigured when he received a wound to the cheek, which caused him to lose control of the left side of his face.



After he lost his bid for reelection, Leland continued to be in the spotlight as a former president. Wes, having undergone years of psychological trauma, remains the president’s aide. One night, while backstage at a function in Malaysia, Wes catches a glimpse of none other than Ron Boyle. Bewildered, Wes becomes, from this point on, the prime target of several different groups.

Meanwhile, a mysterious man referred to as “The Roman” visits Nico Hadrian, the assassin from eight years ago, in a mental hospital. Soon afterward, Nico escapes the hospital, and as a result of his schizophrenia and religious zeal, feels compelled to kill Wes, stealing several cars and murdering people along the way. News of Nico’s escape causes Leland and the former First Lady, Lenore, to remain under house arrest. At the same time, Wes acquires the final object Ron was seeking from the library before his death: an enigmatic crossword puzzle and accompanying notes from Leland, which seem to be nothing but mere doodles.

Agents O’Shea and Micah follow Wes, compelled by their own agenda. Meanwhile, Lisbeth Dodson, a gossip columnist, roommate Rogo, and former aide to Leland, “Dreidel” Jeffer, assist Wes as he seeks the truth about the shooting, Ron’s impossible reappearance, and “The Three,” a cryptic group of people who were responsible for the assassination attempt as well as the corruption of Leland’s administration.



As he searches for answers, Wes is forced again and again to relive the trauma of the moment that ruined his life. Eventually, Wes is led to a Key West home where the photographer who captured the picture that resulted in Leland’s downfall lives. Wes and Lisbeth search his archives and discover a photo with seemingly profound implications. It shows Agent Micah passively sitting in the corner observing as chaos ensues during the assassination attempt.

When Agent O’Shea pieces together that Wes has figured out the agents’ involvement in the attempt, Agent O’Shea kills Agent Micah and corners Wes but is shot and taken when Ron briefly resurfaces. Meanwhile, Rogo and Dreidel head to Fort Lauderdale and search for Dr. Eng, who Ron had made an appointment with shortly before the assassination attempt.

When Wes confronts Leland, he does not receive much information due to Lenore’s sobbing. Wes leaves but discovers a handwritten note from Ron asking him to meet him at his grave, which is in a nearby graveyard.



We learn that The Three is made up of “The Roman” (who is, in reality, Agent Robert Egen) and Agents O’Shea and Micah, who are employed, respectively, by the Secret Service, the CIA, and the FBI. The group has been corroborating information on the activities of terrorists and, for many years, has withheld such information and sold it using the anonymous name “The Roman.” When the group failed to coerce $6 million, they had approached Ron and asked him to become “The Fourth,” which he turned down.

Lisbeth decodes the drawings that were included with the crossword puzzle. Meanwhile, we learn that the position of The Fourth was accepted by First Lady Lenore, who naively believed she was helping Leland retain his presidency.

Ron goes to Dr. Eng’s office, which is actually a safely guarded witness protection hideout, and he informs Rogo and Dreidel that he never gave Wes a message about meeting in a graveyard. The three hurriedly return to Palm Beach.



Wes and Lisbeth arrive at the graveyard, and Wes hides in accordance with their plan. The Roman appears, accompanied by Lenore, and begins beating Lisbeth. Nico then arrives to finally confront Wes, but when he sees his scars, he believes that Wes has been touched by God. Nico then attacks The Roman, who shoots him. Wes overpowers The Roman with the help of Lisbeth, and the First Lady attempts to flee only to be killed by Nico.

At the end of the book, Wes is invited to be a pallbearer at Lenore’s funeral, Nico returns to the mental hospital where he receives chapel rights, and Lisbeth accepts a position at the San Francisco Chronicle. Wes decides to leave with her, at last feeling like he can leave the events of his past behind him.