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katemoxie's review against another edition
4.0
Historical research / perspective was very interesting - especially the parallels between 1954 McCarthy and 45. I found all the D.C. secret societies disturbing.
jmclincoln's review against another edition
3.0
I really want to give this book a 3.5 rating. I enjoyed learning all about the machinations in D.C. of the early 1950s that I’d never heard about, e.g. shootings in the House of Representatives! I also appreciated Charlie Marder’s awkwardness as he enters the House as a Freshman...a great character on which to reflect all the shenanigans. However, I was asked to stretch my credulity just a bit too far in the last third of the book. Great job, though, and I look forward to Mr. Tapper’s next foray into the world of fiction. Maybe how President Polk saved America...?
ycornejo235's review against another edition
5.0
This is the first book of this genre that I've read and I really enjoyed it! I thought I had it all figured out near the end but there were still some big twists I didn't expect. Not being up on my history, it did take some time to figure out who was a real person and who was fictional but I'm excited to read the rest!
wahodges's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
adamrbrooks's review against another edition
2.0
Jake Tapper is a smart and interesting journalist and news personality. Unfortunately, his novel is dumb, predictable (except it was even dumber than I thought), poorly written and has a high schooler's tendency to empty the notebook of all research for no real reason.
There's actually a point where someone is driving over a bridge, and Tapper makes sure to note it had just opened, and was the third-longest bridge in the world. Party scenes have to show "Hey! I looked up the top 10 songs of this week in history!"
If this conspiracy theory had been played for farce (like Hiassen) or gone even more over the top (like Brown) it could have worked.
I need to check out some of Tapper's non-fiction; then the random fact dumps will make more sense, and directly explaining someone's motives will be part of the point, not just a sign of poor craftsmanship.
There's actually a point where someone is driving over a bridge, and Tapper makes sure to note it had just opened, and was the third-longest bridge in the world. Party scenes have to show "Hey! I looked up the top 10 songs of this week in history!"
If this conspiracy theory had been played for farce (like Hiassen) or gone even more over the top (like Brown) it could have worked.
I need to check out some of Tapper's non-fiction; then the random fact dumps will make more sense, and directly explaining someone's motives will be part of the point, not just a sign of poor craftsmanship.
pkadams's review against another edition
2.0
Historical fiction set in 1950s DC, so the setting is long on history, historical figures, and historical vignettes. The plot is slow to develop.
kathywadolowski's review against another edition
4.0
Wish you could give half stars on Goodreads, because I'd really rate this a 4.5/5. It wasn't perfect, but this book was damn good. The first few pages set the tone perfectly, because I found myself constantly on edge throughout the book as a result. And that's a mental attitude which, in my view, makes for the perfect thriller. The characters (and moreso their underhanded dealings and flaws) made for a really interesting story arc, and the historical context elevated it even further. Even Margaret's ponies kept me intrigued.
The *only* thing it lacked for me was a more detailed ending; I would've liked to spend some more time with the unraveling of all the story's mysteries, as there was a lot there to unpack and there were so many plot points that had to be tied up and together in the end. So a little more analysis and explanation would've been interesting for me, and would've neatened things up a bit.
Well-written, intriguing, and a lot of fun. Awesome read.
The *only* thing it lacked for me was a more detailed ending; I would've liked to spend some more time with the unraveling of all the story's mysteries, as there was a lot there to unpack and there were so many plot points that had to be tied up and together in the end. So a little more analysis and explanation would've been interesting for me, and would've neatened things up a bit.
Well-written, intriguing, and a lot of fun. Awesome read.