Kent Heckenlively’s Book of Secrets sheds light on the machinations of the so-called deep state, a reference to the CIA and other secretive elements within the U.S. government.

Much of the book revolves around interviews with Congressman Eric Burlison (R, Missouri), who helped form, in February 2025, the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets. An ambitious project, it seeks to get to the bottom of controversies such as UFOs; the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr.; Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged ties to the intelligence community; and the CIA’s MK-Ultra program.

Book of Secrets is an adequate synthesis of scattered, wide-ranging material covering over seven decades of American history. Heckenlively writes from a (mostly) objective point of view and is careful to steer clear of partisan political issues. “The Deep State,” he writes, “is neither right nor left. Republicans and Democrats need to understand this reality because both have fallen victim over the decades to its seductions.”

He stays on topic throughout, focusing mainly on official documents and the facts contained therein. That said, he’s amenable to bits of questionable evidence that support the idea of a conspiracy, such as a dubious photograph purporting to show alleged JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald just before the shooting, standing in the wrong place without a gun.

While Heckenlively avoids making bold assertions, he strongly suggests that: the assassinations of JFK, RFK, and MLK Jr. were conspiracies; aliens visit earth on a routine basis; Jeffrey Epstein had connections to, and was being protected by one or more intelligence agencies.

There is no smoking gun, however; nor is there much here that people interested in these matters wouldn’t already know. What sets Book of Secrets apart somewhat is Heckenlively’s personal access to several lawmakers, giving us an inside look at Congress’s efforts to pry the lid off these complex mysteries.

Also available as an ebook.