by Brad Meltzer
First published 2025
December 11, 1960. Richard Pavlick sits in his parked Buick on a quiet Palm Beach street. The retired postal worker knows John F. Kennedy's schedule. He knows when the president-elect will leave his house. He knows where Kennedy is headed. Pavlick has dynamite and a simple plan that could rewrite American history. The thirty-fifth president hasn't even taken office yet, but his presidency hangs in the balance. This disgruntled loner holds the power to end Kennedy's political future before it truly begins. Meltzer delivers a gripping account of the assassination attempt that nearly prevented JFK from reaching the White House. The book explores how one man's rage brought America's most beloved leader to the brink of death just weeks after his election victory.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, suspense, crime, political-thriller, american-history
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: conspiracy, historical-events, political-intrigue
Setting: Palm Beach
Period: 1960
292 pages · Hardcover · Flatiron Books