I really enjoyed this romp through American history, but of course, take it all with a grain of salt as you must with historical novels. ( )

I enjoyed this historical thriller (although I thought it was a little long). An overall good read, but a little hard to follow at times (so many key players made tracking who was who difficult). ( )

William Martin's hero might be James Michener--and Martin is no Michener. This book was somewhat confusing through multiple POVs and time changes. It would have been well served to have been cut by at least a quarter. I did enjoy the history of New England. ( )

A treasure hunt book, in the style of the National Treasure movies. After a terrorist attack is averted, Congresswoman Holden begins a campaign to repeal the Second Amendment. Both sides in the Second Amendment fight believe a lost first draft of the Constitution, with annotations by the New England delegates to the Constitutional Convention, will support their arguments. Rare book dealer, Peter Fallon and his girlfriend Evangeline Carrington, search across New England in an attempt to find it. Alternating with Fallon’s present day adventure is the story of the Lost Constitution. The reader follows it and its owners from 1787 Philadelphia, through the Battle of Fredericksburg and the raid on St Albans, through the Great Depression to the opening game of the World Series in Fenway Park.

I keep trying different “treasure hunt” books, I like the idea but I can’t seem to find one that works for me. The main problem I had with The Lost Constitution was the idea that the Second Amendment could be repealed and guns banned without violence, which I find unlikely. I also couldn’t figure out why all of the characters in the book were under the impression that a first draft of the Constitution, with notes by a small number of delegates, none of whom the average American has ever heard of, would dramatically alter anyone’s position on anything, but they all did. I think if the premise had been a bit more realistic, I would have liked this book a good bit more. This is the third book with Fallon and Carrington, so I’ll probably try another one although I didn’t like Carrington much at all.

All in all, not a terrible book, at least there were no Templers in it, so I’ll guardedly recommend it. If you like treasure hunt books (and not just the idea of them) and you don’t have a problem with the premise, you’ll probably enjoy this. ( )

This reads like a New England guide on steroids. The search for a legendary first draft of the Constitution, annotated by the Founding Father's of our country, leads bibliophile Peter Fallon and his ex-wife/girlfriend, Evangeline, on a breakneck quest across the Northeast United States. The trail of the document is detailed in the history of the New Englanders who came in contact with it. The jumps in narrative are blended smoothly between past and present, allowing for an even flow which carries the story along to a satisfying ending at the World Series in the stands of Boston's Fenway Park. ( )