Jake TapperThe Hellfire Club (Charlie and Margaret Marder Mystery)

I enjoy and respect Jake Tapper as a journalist and commentator, so this review is hopefully not jaded by ideological mudslinging.The Good: He really captures the ambiance of the McCarthy era and the 50's culture of the educated white middle class (with frank acknowledgement of the racial and gender hate associated with it). It's a good timepiece read for those younger than age 55 or so. I and my memories must be getting old, because Jake (or his assistants) had to do academic research with footnotes to document what he learned about the era! Or perhaps he thought it best to provide the documentation in case he was accused of falsifying the backstory.Even Better: He repeatedly stresses, "This is a work of fiction." Yet it is hard not to see this as a message that 40 years of social and political progress are being washed away.My favorite line, quoting Margaret Chase Smith, "The Four Horseman of Calumny are Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry, and Smear."The Tedious: Way too many dead bodies and dark, stormy nights.The Weak: Stereotypical characters, hopelessly stilted dialogue, Dan Brown pacing of short interspersed action scenes with implausible coincidence and Deus ex machina salvation of the good guys. Also, in the Epilogue, there is a comic-book final interview with a fictional Father Eisenhower to set up the sequels.The Inaccurate: The portrayal of all leftists and socialists of the era as "Commie" pawns and dangerous, violent Soviet spies. Tapper's objection seems to be that only ordinary, conventional, mainstream Democrats got falsely accused of this.The Really Bad: Sophomoric metaphors, such as, "...the rain hitting the pavement sounded like a herd of porterhouses sizzling on the grill."Given the evil, intersecting forces the book portrays well, the sequel really needs to be about the Kennedy assassination. But who dares go there?

Jake Tapper’s HELLFIRE CLUB will be any political junkie’s favorite 2018 novel, and stands on par with some of Jeff Greenfield’s best AH work, given the real-life cast of characters (Joe McCarthy, Roy Cohn, JFK, LBJ, RFK, Eisenhower, Estes Kefauver, and more) featured in this D.C. thriller, set in early 1954 and focused on a New York GOP Congressman’s... learning curve... during his first term. Tapper eloquently weaves historical highlights from 1954 (McCarthy’s long-awaited decline, the House gallery shooting, the Kennedys’ closeness with McCarthy and Roy Cohn) to present a page-turner as a first-term do-gooder drives right into the brick wall of Washington’s established interests. The research here is meticulous — beyond the impressive who’s who of 1950s DC, you get a feel for an age where politicians were more highly regarded, veterans were more respected, the press was along for the ride, the ugly head of racism was right out in the open (but lobbyists were still unapologetically lobbying). Tapper weaves a compelling, suspenseful tale that — on its own — would justify inclusion in this year’s literary top-10 lists... but just under the surface (without even a shred of lecturing) is a thoughtful reminder of how little D.C. has changed in the 65 years between the height of McCarthyish and the height of Trumpism — members of the House and Senate (of both parties) were, and still are, doing whatever keeps their seats safe and their donors intact, rather than focusing on the welfare of their constituents or their political parties... and the questions of “How did this happen, and when will this end?”have been asked — and answered — before; for better or worse, the DC establishment is stronger than, and will outlast, any one person who tries to do anyting (helpful OR harmful) that doesn’t fit the plan. Not sure if that’s an optimistic or pessimistic outlook, but Jake Tapper is persuasive in teaching it without the reader even realizing school is in session, since the story itself has so much action, intrigue, and excellent pacing. I’d give this book 7 stars if Amazon had such a rating.

The book is such a great read! It's exactly the right combination of politics, history and intrigue. Well-written and exciting, it doesn't disappoint. The characters are thought out and of course you'll recognize many from the McCarthy era, from Hoover to Lyndon Johnson, Nixon and the Kennedys. I can't recommend it enough!

Jake Tapper's nonfiction book The Outpost was the best book I read in 2017, so I bought this novel in hardback in part to show my support and admiration for Tapper.The novel takes place during the Eisenhower Administration and the Army McCarthy Hearings, and features many factual historical figures, including Roy Cohn (whose legacy still haunts us today), the Dulles brothers, Estes Kefauver. The tale is studded with real anecdotes, quotes, and events. I agree with other reviewers that it is a riveting fast read. I couldn't put it down until I'd read every last word.The book has many parallels to the present; including a 50's version of the deep state and the shadow government of military contractors who have a financial motive to persuade governments to continue to build their war machines and arsenals. There is little evidence of an aggressive press looking into mysterious government happenings, and much debauchery and exploitation of women was the norm in many political circles. Eisenhower's recognition of and warnings about the growth and power of the military industrial complex are front and center to the story.All that said, the plot was just too contrived to be totally satisfying. I guess huge doses murder and mayhem (all of which gets swept under the rug and hidden from the public) make for a good read (I was riveted) but ultimately lack enough plausibility to be tenable.I take one star off for plot. Enjoyed the entertainment and historical facts and looking forward to Jake's next literary venture whether it be truth or fiction.

Starts really well - the world of mid 50s Congressional politics is well drawn. Then two things conspire to weigh it all down. First, the over spelled out echo we are supposed to infer linking Senator Macarthy to a certain US President; clumsy. And even worse, an adventure plot - that reads like "men chasing you with guns down dark corridors 101" - is as gripping as Punch and Judy. It literally has a character being congratulated for the way he managed to fool the villian "he had been were working for him - all along!” When he wasnt!

Jake Tapper is a terrific, incisive reporter on CNN (and also an amusing cartoonist); that's why I bought the book. He's done a great deal of respectworthy period and subject research but I found the temperature quite a bit lower than I'm used to expecting from an (ostensible) political thriller. I think he's capable of better and would like to suggest a little less restraint next time.

Jake's writing is incredibly beautiful and this book is so good. I would a 100% recommend! Cannot wait for The Devil May Dance!

I like the author but the book ??!!??

I just loved this book simple as that