The Hellfire Club

By: Jake Tapper

Narrated by: Jake Tapper

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.

Critic reviews

Praise for The Hellfire Club

"This is a remarkably accomplished effort, especially for a first novel, very much like a Brad Meltzer thriller: energetic and mysterious, with plenty of suspense and a general feeling of evil lurking just barely behind the scenes. Tapper brings an expert's eye to the novel, too, layering it with the kind of detailed political knowledge that only someone with his first-hand experience could bring to the story. An auspicious debut."—Booklist

"Fiction is as suspenseful as truth in Jake Tapper's The Hellfire Club"—Vanity Fair, What to Read in May

"CNN's Jake Tapper proves he has the page-turning knack in his entertaining debut novel"—Jocelyn McClurg, USA Today

"The Hellfire Club is hot summer reading"—Tampa Bay Times

"The action comes fast and furious, "House of Cards" on steroids; you'll be turning pages faster than a cable channel updates its chyron. Perfect for an airplane or the beach, The Hellfire Club is a worthy distraction from the real-life news cycle Tapper presides over."—Cynthia Dickison, Minnesota Star Tribune

"Insightful... Tapper takes readers back to a Washington remembered for being a time of distrust and potential future conflicts. Key historical figures interact with Tapper's fictional characters, and with his sources at the end of the novel showcasing his research, it almost feels like everything actually happened. It is fiction, however, well-written and worthwhile."—Jeff Ayers, The Associated Press

"[The Hellfire Club is] both an engaging and slyly timely foray into Washington politics... incorporat(ing) shades of Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington as well as elements of contemporary toxic alliances."—Seattle Review of Books

"Startlingly good...a reminder that the rarest thing of all in spy novels is a writer willing to give us a character who could exist just as easily in any kind of literary fiction."—Alexander Aciman, Tablet

"[The Hellfire Club] has the best qualities of this sort of historical fiction, which include the winking perspective of the present."—Ben Smith, BuzzFeed

"An ambitious debut, a meticulously researched work of historical fiction with a byzantine plot punctuated by explosive, Dan Brown-esque twists"—Alexandra Alter, New York Times

"a splashy, swampy page-turner [that] plunges readers into the heart of '50s Washington, D.C. The book showcases Tapper's passion for American political history, rich as it is with fascinating period details, as well as his feel for a story well-told."—David Canfield, Entertainment Weekly

Author and narrator again

A fine job by the author as narrator. Interesting characters, timely. Perhaps a new political series? I do hope so.
It has been a long time since Allen Drury penned
Advise and Consent.

Great mix of fact & fiction woven into a thriller

Over 90% of my Audible library is non-fiction but hearing about this book and being a fan of Jake made me decide to download this book to see just how he could mix historical figures into his story. I must say I was pleasantly surprised and enthralled the whole time. I can't say Jake is the best fiction narrator ever but his voices made clear which character was speaking through the entire story and that's really all that matters. I imagine other readers that are iffy on fiction but have an interest in history and politics will enjoy this book and just have fun with it like I did. Certainly recommended!

Action packed history!!!!!!

As a mystery, I loved it. But the mystery story interwoven with the historical facts made it special. So many times, I had to stop and look up the history. I just couldn't believe it was true. Every time it was! How many times can I be surprised? Delightful and fascinating!

Written by a high schoolHistory enthusiast

So much historical detail is crammed into every page you can’t follow the story. It’s as if Jake wanted to show off how much history he knew And I don’t think it was a good choice to read the book himself. He kind of whiney

Fast-paced 'history, many real-life characters

This story was engrossing, loved the real characters including Estes Kefauver, Lyndon Johnson, Roy Cohn, Joseph McCarthy, the Kennedys and many others. Main character Charlie is easy-going and a grown-up, with a quirky sense of humor and also an uncanny sense of smell, which becomes important to the plot at the end. Definitely not a 50's cut-out, ditto Margaret, his wife, who is a research zoologist. Great reminders of the times, not only with the Communist presence both real and imagined within D.C. circles, but also with everyone smoking and drinking -- and of course, the timelessness of both corruption and idealism.
Jake Tapper was at first just an OK reader, at first he sounded stiff and read-y in places. I thought it would have been better done by a professional reader . . . BUT then his mimicry of real voices was spot on -- quite expert, he really did the Kennedys (Jack, Bobby and Jacqueline) exactly right. And I think his reading style became more natural as he went along.
I would definitely read another book from the multi-talented Jake Tapper.