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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
While I don’t follow his career too closely, I was intrigued to find out that Jake Tapper had (sort of) branched outside of journalism for 1950s political thrillers. And upon picking up The Hellfire Club, I am definitely impressed. It’s fairly engaging, and provided a great dose of escapism and intrigue.
First off, the 1950s political landscape is incredibly well-researched and immersive. McCarthyism and anti-communism were big factors in this book, and while I had learned about it in school, the book actually conveyed what it would have been like for someone in a prominent position in that period. And the general vibe of backstabbing among the different political parties, with reference to real life politicians, was fascinating to read about.
My one major complaint is with the pacing. It does drag a lot in the first half or so, and the conflicts tend to feel mundane at first, even if the book starts off with a bang. Tapper is a knowledgeable guy, and that comes across in how much information he conveys in the pages of the book (not to mention the extensive citations at the end, but it does fall a little flat.
In spite of being marketed as a mystery/thriller, I think it would appeal more to those who read historical fiction and don’t mind some suspense. I personally enjoyed it, but more because I didn’t mind going into the ins and outs of 1950s US politics, at least for a bit. But I can see why some felt a little let down by it.
Did not finish - got about 35 pages in and could not deal with his writing style. I give the author all the credit in the world in making this attempt but I absolutely could not get into this book. Maybe sometime in the future I'll revisit and try it again, but not today. Sorry.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dear God. I hated this book.
I normally enjoy historical fiction and political intrigue, so I had high hopes for this one. However, it fell really flat for me. I thought the character development was extremely weak. Extremely. The story felt like a masculine fantasy of how dramatic and intriguing Cold War politics must have been, without actually creating the sense of drama and intrigue for the reader. And especially toward the end, the thinly veiled analogies to current day politics had me rolling my eyes.
Skip this one.
I normally enjoy historical fiction and political intrigue, so I had high hopes for this one. However, it fell really flat for me. I thought the character development was extremely weak. Extremely. The story felt like a masculine fantasy of how dramatic and intriguing Cold War politics must have been, without actually creating the sense of drama and intrigue for the reader. And especially toward the end, the thinly veiled analogies to current day politics had me rolling my eyes.
Skip this one.
Loved it!! Would love some more recommendations for similar genres
I needed an easy read that didn’t require a lot of deep thinking or investment. While I’m not typically a mystery/thriller guy, this was really enjoyable. With a backdrop of the 1950s communism hyperbole, the story is relevant today, too. An action-packed first novel by journalist/dreamboat Jake Tapper. 8/10.
There were no highs in this book . It meandered and very quickly resolved itself to everyone's satisfaction. For me the draw was the real life historical characters that made brief appearances
Entertaining...but Jake Tapper should leave future narration of his books to others.
3.5 stars. Jake Tapper is one of my favorite journalists, and one of my celebrity crushes--that stern face! and watching him hold Kellyanne Conway's feet to the fire! 😍😍😍--so when I found out he wrote a novel I was intrigued, and I downloaded the audiobook as soon as it was available. I was a bit unsure what to expect, given the mixed reviews so far, but I thought this was really fun!
If you enjoy political machinations, history, and thrillers this book is a delightful way to pass some time, and learn a bit of history (I need to find a copy of the endnotes, as they weren't included in the audiobook, so I can see which bits were invented and what was true). Set in 1950s Washington, DC, The Hellfire Club throws in a lot of details about the state of politics at the time, especially McCarthy-ism, all of which was very interesting to me. It also features a whole lot of intrigue around secret societies, communists, anti-communists, backstabbing, blackmail, and a dead woman, as seen through the eyes of a young congressman and his biologist wife.
I might have rounded down to three stars for just the story (which, from me, is not a bad rating), but I'm rating the audiobook and the amount of enjoyment I got from spending 8+ hours with Jake Tapper reading it to me is definitely 4 star worthy! He did a great job with all the different voices and accents!
If you enjoy political machinations, history, and thrillers this book is a delightful way to pass some time, and learn a bit of history (I need to find a copy of the endnotes, as they weren't included in the audiobook, so I can see which bits were invented and what was true). Set in 1950s Washington, DC, The Hellfire Club throws in a lot of details about the state of politics at the time, especially McCarthy-ism, all of which was very interesting to me. It also features a whole lot of intrigue around secret societies, communists, anti-communists, backstabbing, blackmail, and a dead woman, as seen through the eyes of a young congressman and his biologist wife.
I might have rounded down to three stars for just the story (which, from me, is not a bad rating), but I'm rating the audiobook and the amount of enjoyment I got from spending 8+ hours with Jake Tapper reading it to me is definitely 4 star worthy! He did a great job with all the different voices and accents!