The Hellfire Club

Took a long time to get through and the story never really got off the ground. The author obviously know his history, and I suppose he’d like us to know it, too. But ramming something down the reader’s throat is never a good idea. It didn’t lift the story and really made no difference. Disappointed!

The beginning was interesting, and I was looking forward to learning more about that period in Washington. But the book became too much of a fantasy, totally unbelievable--crazy. If Jake had carefully crafted a believable plot with the same challenges it could have been a great book.

This book most likely would have been reject by most publishers if the author hadn’t been famous. The plot is preposterous and is used to display the author’s abundant supply of historical & political trivia and anecdotes. What ensues is a tepid boring non-thriller.

Normally I read the negative reviews before buying a book. This time I did not and I should have. I agree with all of them. The key characters and events are beyond implausible. The conclusion is absurd. I can't explain why I read all of it (but did some skimming).

Tapper should stick with what he does best. He’s a smart man, but a novelist he is not. Everything about this book, with the exception of a few historical facts,is totally contrived....a waste of time .

I wonder if this book would have been published if Jake was not so well known. The writing is just a bit stiff. The plot keeps flipping & flopping like a fish out of water. I have read most of it now on a 10.5 hour plane ride it is good for that sort of a situation. I have gotten confused about who the good guys & the bad guys are now. The books plot is in the process of being eviserated. Guess I’ll finish it but it is getting rather tedious. Literature this is not.

I'm a slow reader and my time is more precious than reading this book. I got to page 35 and I really wanted to like it but I have high standards. Some of my favorite authors are Margaret Atwood, Diana Gabaldon, Khaled Hosseini, and Kathleen Grissom, so I was a little off-genre grabbing this novel, but I respect Jake Tapper's journalism so I thought I'd give it a try. This book reads to me more like a Nicholas Sparks novel (I think, because I never finished reading any of his books, either, but it seems to be written aimed at a middle school level). I'm sure many people will enjoy the book, I'm just not one of them.

Really a fast read but very interesting. But here's why I can only give this 4 stars rather than five ... today's news and facts are actually like fiction, however, they are real. However, Jake Tapper, is one of my favorite news anchors

This appears to be an unauthorized printed book. The print is so small making it difficult to read. There is no blurb or author notations, no copy write notes. Buyer beware....I purchased the "paperback " edition offered. I should have known a best seller will take weeks to come to the paperback market. I returned the book.

This might be a fantastic story, but I gave up on it at the 16% mark. Tapper is apparently attempting to bring to life major characters in the early 1950s McCarthy hearings era, but I was afflicted by terminal boredom, apparently before the plot got going.

I really wanted to like this book. As a person that has a great interest in politics and loves reading about Washington, I really looked forward to this book. It was a disappointment.

I'm a prolific reader. I started the book and then got distracted to something else, so I started it all over again. The characters are hard to follow. The plot is kind of thin and again hard to follow. Tapper sprinkles in some famous people but its all a little contrived. There are some analogies to todays politics but not earth shattering.

There's a subplot with the congressman's wife and researching some ponies - once again try of trite.

If you want to read this book I would strongly urge getting it from the library. Don't invest your money like I did. You'll come away disappointed. Tapper should stick to the news.

“Plausible” probably isn’t the first word to come to mind here, but Tapper’s thriller is an okay read, impressively spilling over with political tidbits from the 1950s. It’s fun to read a tale where the Kennedy brothers and Joe McCarthy and Kefauver and others are part of the landscape. The story is brisk and entertaining, although the main character, Charlie Marder, is only mildly appealing.

The best part of the story comes in the last chapter, a thoughtful imagined scene between Marder and President Eisenhower in the Oval Office, where the President worries aloud about the growth and maniacal greed of the industrial-military complex. “We have, for the first time in the history of this great nation, a war-based industry that exists even though we are not at war.” There will be powerful people who will push for combat simply because it’s so profitable.

Then Ike says with quiet confidence something that should give us comfort even today. The McCarthy scare was about to burn itself out, he assured his guest. Why? “I am sure because I am confident in the idea of the United States of America. I believe that the combination of checks and balances and a free press and our democratically elected representatives ultimately will expose charlatans. I believe in the good sense of the American people, and I know in my soul that truth will win out.”

A nice ending, and I suspect Tapper intended it as a commentary on the times we find ourselves in now.

I admire Jake Tapper as a reporter and even as a political cartoonist but sorry, not as a novelist. Please Jake, stick with your day job. This book, which blends fiction with real political actors and some events occurring in the 1950's, stands on the backs of a wooden, implausible couple, in a wooden, implausible plot. The culmination of all this is hinted at for the first 2/3rds of the book and suddenly unveiled to the reader in a torrent of bizarre, totally implausible detail, relying on coincidences of mythic proportion and ending with, in my case, "thank god!". Did lots of skimming, looking for the real life events strewn about, gave up in despair about 15 pages before the finish.

Much like his on-air news persona, there's a certain boyish earnestness to journalist Jake Tapper's debut novel. It's fun to see the author venturing into the world of historical fiction, and to speculate on possible connections between his tale of government intrigue during the heyday of McCarthyism and the contemporary stories Tapper reports on for his other job. Unfortunately, none of that makes this a good book in and of itself, and at its heart, The Hellfire Club is a clunky airport thriller that likely owes its publication almost entirely to the author's pre-existing fame. I feel a little bad about judging what's clearly a goofy passion project, but the flat characters, cheesy tropes, and Dan Brown plot shenanigans really do little to recommend this book on its own merits.

I love Jake Tapper as an on-air commentator. WHY can't I like him as his novel's narrator? He has some odd regional (and inconsistent) pronunciations I never notice on television that are irritating. TOR-ist (tourist) MAYN-tin (mountain) CRAY-od (crowd)...so many more. My biggest complaint is the name-dropping. EGAD! How many well known politicians and celebrities does he run into at work each day...in the bar? I usually force myself to finish a book/ audiobook, but not this one. I feel unfair posting a review when I've borrowed it from my local digital library. I'll try your next book, Jake, if you get a professional narrator. For a female, try Hillary Huber. She makes everything sound great!

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 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.

I think Jake Tapper is one of the smartest journelists around, and his talents extend to writing a very enjoyable novel! I actually hope he writes a sequel, as I'd like to know what happens in Charlie and Margaret's future, as well as in the life of their friend Congressman Street.
Had I read this book on my kindle, I may have given it 5 stars. My only complaint is that it was hard to keep up with who all the characters were. On my kindle I could have just pushed a button to remind myself how someone fit in the story. If a second second edition of the written version is published, I would like to recommend that a Cast of Characters be included at the beginning or end of the novel. A good story; I hope Mr. Tapper continues writing novels!

Im solidly in the middle on The Hellfire Club. I didn't love it, I didnt hate it. I think it might be the start of a series, and that's what slowed it down for me. There is a lot of extraneous detail that sets the scene and characters for future books, but doesnt help the flow of the current plot. There is so much introduced that the character profiles suffer, they seem a little two dimensional. I did find Hellfire Club entertaining. The 1950's Washington DC setting was detailed and the McCarthy era research was well documented and interesting. I'd recommend the book as good travel reading, and I hope there are more to come from Mr. Tapper, and that they are better balanced between action/character/and (hi)story.

This is a review of the Audible audiobook version.
I returned the book on Audible, so I can't review it there.
As others commented, Jake may be a nice guy, but he is a terrible audiobook performer. He just reads the book. No drama at all in the performance - just a dead fish. And he has a slight speech impediment which I couldn't help ignoring as his reading was such a snooze.
As to the story, well, hard to tell. I'm not interested in a story that is 60 years old that "reveals" things about the historical folks in the book that have been revealed in more recent times. Maybe it would have been scandalous contemporaneously, but now, yeah, we all know that.
Hire a reader who can perform, not just read, next time.

I will amend my review of this book once I've read the physical copy of it.

I am a big fan of Jake Tapper. He's smart, funny, a great illustrator, etc.. but (and I say this with all due respect), reading is not his thing. He has a great voice, don't get me wrong. However, this book drags on and on, because he doesn't read fast enough. That or the dialogue wasn't done well. I'm not sure which, but it was agonizing to listen to. I waited months to get this in at the library, and after about 15 minutes, gave up on it.

It does sound like a fascinating book, though. I still want to read it, but I will use my eyes instead of my ears to do so.

A fascinating read, with a lot of echoes of current events (2018). Great insights into many politicians who have figured significantly in American history--and thinly veiled references to current players. I am not a regular of Tapper's news program, so was not influenced by it when I read the book.Quick paced, lots of detail, good edge-of-the-seat scenes, and well-developed characters. It is fiction, but inspires me to seek out more information on this period of Washington's history. The McCarthy era depicted in this novel has far too many frightening parallels to the United States of today.

Loved this book.
Full disclaimer: Jake Tapper is my cousin so I may be a little biased. :)

I read a chapter every night before bed and it was something that I looked forward to reading at the end of the day.
It's fast paced and has a lot of humor.
It really put me in the DC scene back in the 1950s. The descriptions of the wild parties and how fallible the senators and congresspersons were really brought the characters to life.
The relationship between Charlie and Margaret was really sweet to read about and very realistic and made me think of my own relationship with my partner of 6 years.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book.

The story is detailed and well-told and I like a politically-based novel. Seems to have realistic portrayals of some historical characters and the machinery of government and politics, although with fairly frequent bows to modern-day political correctness and judgments. The author is a pretty good narrator, including the voicing of certain characters' accents. The main character is a decent citizen nominated to serve in congress, and is slowly drawn in to do things he never contemplated in his previous academic life.

First off, it isn't bad. But, this novel is a representation of the Fifties in the same way that the TV show Mad Men was a representation of the Sixties. The author ticks off pop-cultural touchstones as if he's working from a checklist....yes, if you're writing a novel about 1954 in Washington, DC, you can't avoid mentioning Eisenhower's golf and Joe McCarthy's nickname and John Kennedy's charm, but you can avoid mentioning them all in one half-page. The main character, Forrest-Gump-like, runs into pretty much every household name in the first 60 pages. A good throwaway read for vacation, but no one's going to mistake Jake Tapper for Allen Drury. Two solid stars for a time-killer; go in with low expectations and you'll be OK.

Respect Jake Tapper as a journalist and always enjoy his wit on Twitter.

High hopes for this, but I could NOT get into it. I kept having to read back to remind myself which character was which. I had no real interest in the main character. When I realized a quarter of the way through the book that I wasn’t invested and felt like I wasnt looking forward to reading more...I stopped.

Might be more interesting for real history buffs. I am not one.

A terrific book a cautionary tale using the McCarthy era to discuss today's politics. there is straight line from Joe McCarthy
to Trump with the bridge being the odious disbarred Roy Cohn

lies and smears. sound familiar. a gutless cowardly press and enablers allowed the demagogue to run free for years.

the author has an excellent ear. however the ending was far fetched.

the only new thing is the history you don't know
Harry Truman

Well researched and written novel about politics in Washington, DC during the early 1950's. As a kid, I watched John Cameron Swayze and the evening news. Came home from school and saw the hearings about Communists in our country conducted by Senator Joseph McCarthy and attorney Roy Cohn. I remember Estes Kefauver at a Democratic Party National Convention. As someone who lived during that era and has been a political junkie ever since, Jake Tapper's new book rings true. Difficult to put it down.

I picked up Jake Tapper’s novel titled, The Hellfire Club, out of curiosity about whether the CNN correspondent could write. I kept reading because Tapper tells a great Washington story, set in the 1950s, that was an ideal escape from today’s toxic political environment. I especially enjoyed the finely written dialogue that rang true to my ear. I was thoroughly entertained by this novel.

Rating: Four-star (I like it)

The Hellfire Club is an entertaining mix of spy thriller and historical fiction, easily mixing actual figures and events with Tapper's characters. The pace is good and the plot has enough twists and reveals to keep it very interesting. The age of McCarthyism in which Hellfire Club is set echoes in an alarming fashion today and this extra level of relevance increases the suspense of the novel. I would look forward to a sequel.

The premise of the story was intriguing and the mixing of real political figures with fictionalized ones was a stunningly good idea. The characters however were just not that interesting at all, the plot was convoluted and for me and the ending unfulfilling.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Hellfire Club. I'm a big fan of political thrillers, but I haven't read anything quite like this before. I've read historical fiction and I've read about secret clubs, but this is the first book I can recall that blends the two in the 50's and 60's. The book does have a few slow parts but it really picks up and the last quarter of the book moves fast towards a solid conclusion. Good first book from Tapper and I will definitely read any future novels he publishes.

While this well researched book is set in the McCarthy era, the parallels to what is currently happening in the United States are eerie. Tapper draws upon his intimate knowledge of D.C. Along with his interest in history to present a story full of moral/ethical questions within an interesting and compelling plot.
If you want a good political, historical well paced book, check this out. I quite enjoyed it.

I will amend my review of this book once I've read the physical copy of it.

I am a big fan of Jake Tapper. He's smart, funny, a great illustrator, etc.. but (and I say this with all due respect), reading is not his thing. He has a great voice, don't get me wrong. However, this book drags on and on, because he doesn't read fast enough. That or the dialogue wasn't done well. I'm not sure which, but it was agonizing to listen to. I waited months to get this in at the library, and after about 15 minutes, gave up on it.

It does sound like a fascinating book, though. I still want to read it, but I will use my eyes instead of my ears to do so.

Jake Tapper is a respected DC Journalist with a good working sense of both history as well as of Washington realities. In this novel, he combines both in a familiar Washingtonian genre - that of secret societies and clubs populated by the 'real' powers in this country.

Though the plot is a familiar one, it is well written ... It is a quick 'beach' read that, every so often, leads the reader to recall that we have read very similar books before. A tad more originality might have benefited what is a good book and might have made it a great one.

A fascinating read, with a lot of echoes of current events (2018). Great insights into many politicians who have figured significantly in American history--and thinly veiled references to current players. I am not a regular of Tapper's news program, so was not influenced by it when I read the book.Quick paced, lots of detail, good edge-of-the-seat scenes, and well-developed characters. It is fiction, but inspires me to seek out more information on this period of Washington's history. The McCarthy era depicted in this novel has far too many frightening parallels to the United States of today.

Loved this book.
Full disclaimer: Jake Tapper is my cousin so I may be a little biased. :)

I read a chapter every night before bed and it was something that I looked forward to reading at the end of the day.
It's fast paced and has a lot of humor.
It really put me in the DC scene back in the 1950s. The descriptions of the wild parties and how fallible the senators and congresspersons were really brought the characters to life.
The relationship between Charlie and Margaret was really sweet to read about and very realistic and made me think of my own relationship with my partner of 6 years.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book.

The story is detailed and well-told and I like a politically-based novel. Seems to have realistic portrayals of some historical characters and the machinery of government and politics, although with fairly frequent bows to modern-day political correctness and judgments. The author is a pretty good narrator, including the voicing of certain characters' accents. The main character is a decent citizen nominated to serve in congress, and is slowly drawn in to do things he never contemplated in his previous academic life.

First off, it isn't bad. But, this novel is a representation of the Fifties in the same way that the TV show Mad Men was a representation of the Sixties. The author ticks off pop-cultural touchstones as if he's working from a checklist....yes, if you're writing a novel about 1954 in Washington, DC, you can't avoid mentioning Eisenhower's golf and Joe McCarthy's nickname and John Kennedy's charm, but you can avoid mentioning them all in one half-page. The main character, Forrest-Gump-like, runs into pretty much every household name in the first 60 pages. A good throwaway read for vacation, but no one's going to mistake Jake Tapper for Allen Drury. Two solid stars for a time-killer; go in with low expectations and you'll be OK.

Respect Jake Tapper as a journalist and always enjoy his wit on Twitter.

High hopes for this, but I could NOT get into it. I kept having to read back to remind myself which character was which. I had no real interest in the main character. When I realized a quarter of the way through the book that I wasn’t invested and felt like I wasnt looking forward to reading more...I stopped.

Might be more interesting for real history buffs. I am not one.

A terrific book a cautionary tale using the McCarthy era to discuss today's politics. there is straight line from Joe McCarthy
to Trump with the bridge being the odious disbarred Roy Cohn

lies and smears. sound familiar. a gutless cowardly press and enablers allowed the demagogue to run free for years.

the author has an excellent ear. however the ending was far fetched.

the only new thing is the history you don't know
Harry Truman

Well researched and written novel about politics in Washington, DC during the early 1950's. As a kid, I watched John Cameron Swayze and the evening news. Came home from school and saw the hearings about Communists in our country conducted by Senator Joseph McCarthy and attorney Roy Cohn. I remember Estes Kefauver at a Democratic Party National Convention. As someone who lived during that era and has been a political junkie ever since, Jake Tapper's new book rings true. Difficult to put it down.

I picked up Jake Tapper’s novel titled, The Hellfire Club, out of curiosity about whether the CNN correspondent could write. I kept reading because Tapper tells a great Washington story, set in the 1950s, that was an ideal escape from today’s toxic political environment. I especially enjoyed the finely written dialogue that rang true to my ear. I was thoroughly entertained by this novel.

Rating: Four-star (I like it)

The Hellfire Club is an entertaining mix of spy thriller and historical fiction, easily mixing actual figures and events with Tapper's characters. The pace is good and the plot has enough twists and reveals to keep it very interesting. The age of McCarthyism in which Hellfire Club is set echoes in an alarming fashion today and this extra level of relevance increases the suspense of the novel. I would look forward to a sequel.

The premise of the story was intriguing and the mixing of real political figures with fictionalized ones was a stunningly good idea. The characters however were just not that interesting at all, the plot was convoluted and for me and the ending unfulfilling.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Hellfire Club. I'm a big fan of political thrillers, but I haven't read anything quite like this before. I've read historical fiction and I've read about secret clubs, but this is the first book I can recall that blends the two in the 50's and 60's. The book does have a few slow parts but it really picks up and the last quarter of the book moves fast towards a solid conclusion. Good first book from Tapper and I will definitely read any future novels he publishes.

While this well researched book is set in the McCarthy era, the parallels to what is currently happening in the United States are eerie. Tapper draws upon his intimate knowledge of D.C. Along with his interest in history to present a story full of moral/ethical questions within an interesting and compelling plot.
If you want a good political, historical well paced book, check this out. I quite enjoyed it.

Well written and a nice read. Just like his war book, he researches his subject and goes from there. The current one is fictional, though I kept looking for references to today’s issues and found some inferences, but not directly like several others written before the age of normalized lying.
When I get involved in reading a well written book, you can almost assume it will get 5 stars from me.

I borrowed this book from the library and I am so glad I didn't purchase it. I like Jake Tapper's reporting, but this book was very amateurish and boring. I read about 100 pages and thought surely it will get better, but at about 140 just gave up. The congressman was boring and naive and his pregnant wife spent her time watching ponies and thinking maybe her boss would be a better choice over her husband.

The tv presenter, Jake Tapper, should keep his day job.
This book is a complete mess.
Political intrigue mixed with the study of a particular rare breed of horse simply does not mix.
The protagonist and his wife are very privileged and very unsympathetic characters.
If one wishes to read a special type of complete disrespect for US government, pick up this very boring read.
Definitely not a page turner!

Such a really well written novel that strikes a bit of comparison to Dan Brown. Very well researched to give the reader insight into political turmoil in the early to mid 50s. This would make a great movie with all of the spy intrigue and fear of Communism. I wouldn't have known about this book, but saw an interview on CNN with Jake apper. I had no idea he was such a gripping writer. Excellent!

This was the most boring "thriller" I've ever read, painfully, slowly finished. The writing style is amateurish, the characters undeveloped and unbelievable. Sorry I started it, sorry I made myself finish it.

There's a good yarn in the book...basic essential for a novel...plus, some GREAT research that I am still exploring. Enjoy the mystery, and then romp in the historical reference sites to learn how VERY well Jake Tapper researched his story. And please, may he write many more. Truly, he is a treasure.

The book is worth reading for its wealth of period detail - you can feel Tapper's glee at being able to work in everything from the bawdy alternative lyrics to "You're the Top" to babies in incubators on display at Coney Island. Great stuff for any history buff! The plot, however, after meticulously building a shadowy conspiracy, goes off the rails with a bang 60 pages before the end, when dozens of abrupt plot twists erupt into a tangled mess way too contrived to be believed.

I could not get through this book. I found the characters cardboard boring and the dialog stilted. The historical characters were interesting but not fluid to the story just random pop-ups. I wanted to like it because I really like Jake as a journalist but I'll pass on the book.

The Hellfire Club is an OK thriller. i keep looking at the historical inconsistencies in the story. What a bad editing job for the period. Story takes place in 1954. Charlie has a female intern from Georgetown. Georgetown didn't go coed until the mid 1960's. A Congressman in the story is driving a red Mustang convertible --a car that wasn't introduced until 1964. Am continuing with the read to find more bad historical references.

A taut, tense thriller steeped in intrigue. Jake Tapper deftly weaves a story about the insidious and corrosive political landscape during the McCarthy era. There are eerie parallels to today's Washington. I couldn't put the book down.

Wonderful and scary! I am terrified by what I see happening in the government today, so it was really interesting seeing this fictional but truthful story about McCarthyism and other awful things in congress.

It did take me a few pages (well, 50 or so) to get engaged with the story. After that, I had a hard time putting it down. I barely remember the McCarthy Era but it felt as if I were reading daily news accounts instead of a novel. Tapper definitely has a way with words and a good command of his mother tongue.

The '50s in Washington are of interest to me since I was too young to know about the times except from a child's view. Many politician's portrayed in this book are familiar to me. The plot was good and kept me interested.

A friend of mine suggested I read this book. Then I saw an interview with the author on The View. I decided to give it a shot. From the opening scene I was “in.” The overall plot, the character development, the contextualization in 1950’s DC, and then not knowing where things were headed...it was excellent. Amazing detail regarding the historical period, the figures from that time, and even things like horses! Tapper’s writing ability is clearly on par with his interviewing skills. Awesome read!!!

Extremely well researched. This novel is very much based on political facts as this old guy remembers. Details abound and found myself saying “oh yeah I recall that”.
However the story itself became too convoluted to follow. Jake should take a lesson from Patterson and use the KISS method....sorry to say. I still love The Lead on cnn.

As a history and mystery reader I really enjoyed this book. The book had its moments where the detail dragged on and the twisted at the end was a bit over the top maybe but overall it was a great read.

I really enjoyed the mix of real-life figures with the fictional characters in this book. I found myself making comparisons between the characters from the 50s and present-day newsmakers. It is a fast and intriguing read. Can't wait to read more fiction from Jake Tapper

Set in 1950s Washington, a fictional rookie congressman discovers the line between right and wrong is very hard to see. I fell in love with the characters of this book as well as the historical figures who show their faces throughout the book.

The plot is implausible, the characters are wooden, various aspects of Washington DC are inaccurate (I'm writing as a 40 year resident of the DC area), any number of scenes are so ludicrous as to make one wonder how the author would expect anyone to take them seriously. Other than that, a great read!

This is a great read. I could not put it down. The suspense is non-stop, and the history is fascinating. It’s well written, fun and educational. Great to take along on a long plane ride or when you want to spend a Saturday reading all day.

This book started off badly for me as it claims its main character was appointed to fill a vacancy in the House of Representatives. It is hard to believe that a seasoned Washington D.C. reporter would not know that Congressional seats are ONLY filled via a an election called for by the Governor of the State in which the vacancy occurs. It is also difficult to read at times due to the amateurish writing style. It reads at times like a cheap romance novel.

Very choppy and very bias. It amazed me he wrote about a poker game and it is apparent he does not know anything about Texas Holdem. Jack, a straight beats three kings! You should have left this out of your book.

I never answered the book report questions either. Really enjoyed the book. If you are a political history buff like me, keep Google handy to answer the question, is this real or Jake's. If you're not keep a complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica.

Great story Jake,wow....amazing details to the characters,a story line draws you in to the point of obsession... A must read for those who love a good "who done it" and Politics...Very well suited for our current climate...Could not put down!!!

There's a good yarn in the book...basic essential for a novel...plus, some GREAT research that I am still exploring. Enjoy the mystery, and then romp in the historical reference sites to learn how VERY well Jake Tapper researched his story. And please, may he write many more. Truly, he is a treasure.

Well-researched suspense novel set in the McCarthy era, a time in which no one knew who they could really trust. And it leads to chilling possibilities about what might have happened since then -- indeed, what may be happening now.

Dan Brown meets Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. The Hellfire Club, written by CNN’s Jake Tapper, is a fictional political thriller set in Washington, DC, in the 1950s. The town and the country is consumed by McCarthy at the peak of his venom and power. Charlie Marder, a young congressman recently appointed by NY Governor Thomas Dewey to replace a disgraced, corrupt incumbent, shows up in Washington unsure of why he’s there but naively intent on operating according to his own views of right and wrong. Surrounded by the likes of Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson, the rising young Kennedy brothers, McCarthy, Estes Kefauver, Margaret Chase Smith, and many other historical political figures, Marder is soon enveloped by the ‘ways of Washington,’ including a powerful secret society that operates under Machiavellian edict.

If you enjoy historical fiction and political thrillers, you’ll have fun with this book. It starts off slow, but picks up steam and intrigue as Congressman Marder falls further under the spell of the Hellfire Club and the powerful cabal that wields its power for their own gain as well as the nation's (in their estimation) in the fight against global Communism.

I never answered the book report questions either. Really enjoyed the book. If you are a political history buff like me, keep Google handy to answer the question, is this real or Jake's. If you're not keep a complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica.