Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Little, Brown and Company (2018), Edition: 1, 352 pages
Description
Fiction. Thriller. Historical Fiction. HTML: A young Congressman stumbles on the powerful political underworld of 1950's D.C. in this "potent thriller" (David Baldacci) and New York Times bestseller from CNN correspondent Jake Tapper.Charlie Marder is an unlikely Congressman. Thrust into office by his family ties after his predecessor died mysteriously, Charlie is struggling to navigate the dangerous waters of 1950s Washington, DC, alongside his young wife Margaret, a zoologist with ambitions of her own. Amid the swirl of glamorous and powerful political leaders and deal makers, a mysterious fatal car accident thrusts Charlie and Margaret into an underworld of backroom deals, secret societies, and a plot that could change the course of history. When Charlie discovers a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of governance, he has to fight not only for his principles and his newfound political career...but for his life. .… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member TBones
Intense! Extremely thought provoking, and made me interested in the history of the 1950's. This title had me looking up stuff as I read it, which is why it took a while to read, but it was definitely worth the time. I won this book through Goodreads Giveaway and got one heck of a hard to put down
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and memorable title. I hope there might be plans for a film adaption at some point. It might actually be a title worth turning into a graphic novel at some point. I highly recommend this title. Show Less
LibraryThing member jfe16
Charlie Marder is comfortable in his academic life; he and his zoologist wife are expecting their first child. Appointed to fill the term the late congressman Martin Van Waganan, he finds himself immersed in the political machinations of Washington, D.C.
Set in 1954, there is plenty of
Charlie and Margaret seem more modern than the time in which they exist and, at times, the historical figures included in the story seem to be present for name value alone rather than actually having something to contribute to the telling of the tale.
Set in 1954, there is plenty of
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name-dropping and even more history intertwined in the fictional story. The narrative is rife with power-grabbers seeking control, shadowy secret societies, and those who will stop at nothing to get what they want. But the story suffers from far too much exposition at the expense of character involvement. In addition, virtually ignoring the events of the opening chapter until late in the narrative dilutes its effectiveness in the story. Charlie and Margaret seem more modern than the time in which they exist and, at times, the historical figures included in the story seem to be present for name value alone rather than actually having something to contribute to the telling of the tale.
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LibraryThing member maneekuhi
Why did I read this book? Most of the story takes place in the mid-1950’s, a time when I was a kid growing up in Chicago and I thought it would bring back some fond memories. I was also hopeful that it would teach me some new things about an era that had always seemed rather vanilla, the
The story starts out rather favorably. A recently appointed – not elected – young Congressman wakes up in the mud just off Washington DC’s Rock Creek Parkway; he’s drunk, in a tux, and there’s a dead young woman only feet away. There’s also a wrecked Studebaker, not a kitchen gadget but rather a car of the day and one Congressman Charlie Marder has never seen before….though the girl seems a bit familiar. But not to worry, a white knight comes to the rescue, and fixes things. The story flashes back several months, and tediously brings the reader up to date. There are some familiar names throughout the novel, e.g., the Kennedys, Kefauver, Joe McCarthy and there are a lot of made up ones. The Commie scare is rampant, a lot more intense than anything I have read before, both fiction and history. There are conspiracies, corporate and political, and secret societies. Favors abound. There also are lots of mentions of trains, pay telephones, race, and War vets. What’s missing is a lot of good writing.
There is not a lot of tension, the story didn’t grab me. I never really looked forward to picking the book up and reading a few more chapters. Little seemed to happen. There are some silly plot points, like when Charlie steals a dossier from his father! Really? I was hopeful for the climax but when I got to the last 70 pages or so, I seriously considered quitting the book. The climax felt to me like a black and white B movie of the 30’s or 40’s, a crime story with a pop-pop ending, not bang-bang, and one that needs a lot of explanation to tie everything together. In addition and rather annoyingly, the dialog suddenly sounded like George Raft and Edward G Robinson had joined the fray. It also felt like the author wanted to hurry up and finish.
In the story, Tapper points out that there was an earlier Hellfire Club, back in Ben Franklin’s day. There is some hint of naughtiness, secrecy and evil, but it was not conveyed in a fashion that made me want to research the original club further, and I think in a well written book it would have. By the way, I watch a lot of cable news. I don’t watch much CNN and I am ambivalent to Tapper as a news host, so I feel strongly that my views on his book have nothing to do with his other job. A reader considering Hellfire Club may want to keep that in mind though when reading others’ reviews.
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Eisenhower years, something that for me only seemed to serve as bridge between the post-WWll period and the wild and wacky 60’s. Then too, there was a review in the Washington Post that was only moderately critical of this (apparent) political thriller.The story starts out rather favorably. A recently appointed – not elected – young Congressman wakes up in the mud just off Washington DC’s Rock Creek Parkway; he’s drunk, in a tux, and there’s a dead young woman only feet away. There’s also a wrecked Studebaker, not a kitchen gadget but rather a car of the day and one Congressman Charlie Marder has never seen before….though the girl seems a bit familiar. But not to worry, a white knight comes to the rescue, and fixes things. The story flashes back several months, and tediously brings the reader up to date. There are some familiar names throughout the novel, e.g., the Kennedys, Kefauver, Joe McCarthy and there are a lot of made up ones. The Commie scare is rampant, a lot more intense than anything I have read before, both fiction and history. There are conspiracies, corporate and political, and secret societies. Favors abound. There also are lots of mentions of trains, pay telephones, race, and War vets. What’s missing is a lot of good writing.
There is not a lot of tension, the story didn’t grab me. I never really looked forward to picking the book up and reading a few more chapters. Little seemed to happen. There are some silly plot points, like when Charlie steals a dossier from his father! Really? I was hopeful for the climax but when I got to the last 70 pages or so, I seriously considered quitting the book. The climax felt to me like a black and white B movie of the 30’s or 40’s, a crime story with a pop-pop ending, not bang-bang, and one that needs a lot of explanation to tie everything together. In addition and rather annoyingly, the dialog suddenly sounded like George Raft and Edward G Robinson had joined the fray. It also felt like the author wanted to hurry up and finish.
In the story, Tapper points out that there was an earlier Hellfire Club, back in Ben Franklin’s day. There is some hint of naughtiness, secrecy and evil, but it was not conveyed in a fashion that made me want to research the original club further, and I think in a well written book it would have. By the way, I watch a lot of cable news. I don’t watch much CNN and I am ambivalent to Tapper as a news host, so I feel strongly that my views on his book have nothing to do with his other job. A reader considering Hellfire Club may want to keep that in mind though when reading others’ reviews.
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LibraryThing member JosephKing6602
I liked the historical references and all the characters from the 1950s. Overall the book was a bit too ‘cliche’ed’; and i didn’t like the shoot-em-up ending. But, an OK read.
LibraryThing member Clara53
Well done, Mr. Jake Tapper! An excellent political thriller! A pretty sharp look at Washington politics of 1950s - yes, in a fiction format, but substantiated by numerous facts. I am really impressed - I respect Jake Tapper as a journalist and newsman; he now surprised me as a good fiction writer
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as well. Quite witty, even with dark humor - describing McCarthy era ("you go through more bestsellers than a McCarthy bonfire"), and depicting "social chameleons" of Washington who often fear "bad ink" from reporters; nice cameos of real life characters - like LBJ, President Eisenhower, the Kennedy brothers, and some others. The idea and history of the actual Hellfire Club was an eyeopener for me. I thought denouement of the novel was a little weaker than the acceleration of events leading to it, but all in all - a top notch political thriller. Show Less
LibraryThing member MM_Jones
If the author wasn't well-known, I don't think this book would have found a publisher. The setting and historical facts are quite interesting, but it lacks in the story quality. If you are a big fan of political thrillers or the McCarthy era, give it a go. If not, you'll probably want to read
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something else. Show Less
LibraryThing member hemlokgang
Not bad for a debut suspense novel, and I enjoyed hearing Jake Tapper read it. I was not surprised that there were many erudite references and marvelous vocabulary. Look forward to a follow up!
LibraryThing member labdaddy4
Rather shallow and fanciful. I do not doubt that the behaviors portrayed and the unethical devices used were and are real in our capital. Right now we are reminded daily of the travesty that is our government. A fictional book based on this is not appropriate to me. Journalists, authors, and
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pundits should be spending their time focused on and spreading the truth - not wrapping it is a package meant to entertain. Show Less
LibraryThing member jepeters333
Charlie Marder is an unlikely Congressman. Thrust into office by his family ties after his predecessor died mysteriously, Charlie is struggling to navigate the dangerous waters of 1950s Washington, DC, alongside his young wife Margaret, a zoologist with ambitions of her own. Amid the swirl of
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glamorous and powerful political leaders and deal makers, a mysterious fatal car accident thrusts Charlie and Margaret into an underworld of backroom deals, secret societies, and a plot that could change the course of history. When Charlie discovers a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of governance, he has to fight not only for his principles and his newfound political career...but for his life. Show Less
Awards
NPR: Books We Love (2018)
Original language
English
Physical description
352 p.; 9.63 inches
ISBN
031647231X / 9780316472319