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, … 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.
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Here’s your chance to get up close and personal with John and Bobby Kennedy, Nixon, Eisenhower, Kefauver, LBJ and Joe McCarthy. Jake Tapper puts you right back in the 50’s. At the same time, Tapper has written a superior thriller that I couldn’t stop reading. To be completely honest though, Tapper is an irritating bastard. Journalists like him are supposed to be writing dusty non-fiction tomes that help us get to sleep, not thrillers that keep us up half the night. The Hellfire Club is a helluva good read. Now Tapper should return to writing non-fiction.
A fast-paced, thrilling story of corruption and intrigue in Washington, DC, Jake Tapper’s The Hellfire Club is terrific: provocative and timely.
Tapper uses his storytelling chops to deftly put you in the moment when Joe McCarthy was waving his infamous paper and the Congress was at peak skullduggery. Hellfire is a potent thriller, replete with well-developed characters that made me think that history does indeed repeat itself.
Leave it to Tapper to find the truth in fiction. This great buzzsaw of a mystery is packed with indecent politicians and secret societies — making the 1950s setting just as relevant today. The scariest part of The Hellfire Club is that it proves Washington — and America — is forever mourning for the past.
The Hellfire Club’s first, thrilling scene pulled me into 1950s Washington, D.C., and didn’t let go until the last, satisfying page. Tapper’s passions for history and politics shine through in this remarkably timely, page-turning debut.
This thriller really takes you inside modern politics. I can tell the author knows what he is writing of with so much detail. Highly recommend you read this.
A fun, fast, gripping thriller full of real-life dirty dealmakers and legendary political power-brokers. No one knows the ins and outs of Washington politics like Jake Tapper.
From the moment you enter The Hellfire Club’s world of suspense and intrigue and sex and danger, you won’t want to leave. The swampy world of 1954 Washington DC feels vividly relevant in our current day politics. A must read!
I love Jake Tapper, but I couldn’t wait to finish it just because I wanted to know the ending. I pushed myself to read it and wasn’t at all impressed with it. Sorry Jake Tapper, love your TV show, but not your writing.
The Hellfire Club by Jake Tapper is a political thriller that focuses on horrible things that happened during the Afghanistan War. I was stunned and amazed at how during the Eisenhower Administration and the Army McCarthy Hearings political back room meetings and club meetings were being held and decisions and agreements were made by the nation’s politicians and big business powerhouses. I particularly enjoyed references to the Kennedys, Lyndon Johnson, and so many other political giants during that era. This book took me on a historical political journey and brought back memories of society, politics and events during that era. It is solely my opinion, but I thought Mr. Tapper did a good job in his writing of this book and I rated it a four.
Pretty wordy. I think Jake used every adjective in the thesaurus. Good simple writing would have made it more pleasurable.
” But sacrifices are made in the field of battle, Charlie. Sacrifices will have to be made.”
I am a big fan of this author who is on CNN, especially after the fiascos we’ve dealt with in the past 4 years and the present. His intelligence and quick wit are evident in this marvelous book set in the era I was born. Not only are Charlie and Margaret well drawn fully formed characters, Tapper’s insessant curiosity is everywhere in here. By the time you finish this you’ll swear there really was a Charlie Marder representing NY in Congress in the late 50s! Highly Recommended 5/5
I didn’t know what to expect but I really enjoyed this book. I would highly recommend. I’m a senior so the characters were very familiar to me as it is set in the 50’s. Fiction with a lot of factual characters.
Loved it!
Intriguing
I love Jake Tapper and think he is a wonderfully talented writer
A little boring
I could not get into this book. I hardly ever leave a book unfinished but I just could not make it to the end.
Very cheesy. Intent on demonstrating college education.
First of all I want to say that I am not a CNN fanboy or Tapper follower. I am a firm republican and often watch Fox News although all news these days is so biased, it all hurts the ears. This book was just pure awesome. I love the political genre this book’s back drop took. The Red Scare and Senator McCarthy is such a fascinated time period of American history. The only way I can describe this book is think of Dan Brown but utilizing American history and real American figures. The Kennedy’s, Nixon, Dulles, Hoover all play a role and help bring this thriller together. Kudos to Mr. Tapper and I’m looking forward to his next thriller.
P.S. – read this with your favorite bourbon and a cigar and you’ll feel like your right next to the main character as he navigates the D.C. social life.