Beat the Devils

By: Josh Weiss

Narrated by: Fred Berman

This inventive, page-turning crime thriller with "palpable emotional depth" (New York Times Book Review) envisions a world in which the Red Scare never ended.

USA, 1958. President Joseph McCarthy sits in the White House, elected on a wave of populist xenophobia and barely‑concealed anti‑Semitism. The country is in the firm grip of McCarthy's Hueys, a secret police force evolved from the House Un-American Activities Committee. Hollywood's sparkling vision of the American dream has been suppressed; its remaining talents forced to turn out endless anti‑communist propaganda.

LAPD detective Morris Baker—a Holocaust survivor who drowns his fractured memories of the unspeakable in schnapps and work—is called to the scene of a horrific double‑homicide. The victims are John Huston, a once‑promising but now forgotten film director, and an up‑and‑coming young journalist named Walter Cronkite. Clutched in the hand of one of the dead men is a cryptic note containing the phrase “beat the devils” followed by a single name: Baker. Did the two men die in an attack fueled by better-dead-than-red sentiment, as the Hueys are quick to conclude, or were they murdered in a cover-up designed to protect—or even set in motion—a secret plot connected to Baker's past?

In a country where terror grows stronger by the day, and paranoia rises unchecked, Baker is determined to find justice for two men who raised their voices in a time when free speech comes at the ultimate cost. In the course of his investigation, Baker stumbles into a conspiracy that reaches deep into the halls of power and uncovers a secret that could destroy the City of Angels—and the American ideal itself.

Critic reviews

“Weiss creates palpable emotional depth, particularly for Baker, whose yearslong tactic of burying trauma has stopped working.”—The New York Times

“This audiobook is much more than a thriller… The production would be a challenge for any narrator, but Fred Berman handles it beautifully. He performs a range of accents without missing a beat… Not one minor character is given short shrift. Berman also illuminates the theme of Baker’s Jewish identity. Overall, Berman’s narration perfectly renders the tone of this riveting — and scary — story.”—AudioFile

“A debut novel from Josh Weiss, Beat the Devils delights in detective story tropes…The saloon shoot-outs, cryptic radio messages, grungy sunrises and ravishingly beautiful secret agents create a noir atmosphere redolent of Dashiell Hammett.”—The Forward

“Tight, well-paced, inventive, and inspirational, Weiss’ splendid debut is classic noir tinged with the slightest pinch of science fiction; readers can thrill to the bits of dissonant history they recognize, even as they revel in the mayhem and suspense that permeate the text.”—Mystery Scene Magazine

“America’s close call with the political paranoia of McCarthyism makes for one whopper of an alt-history backdrop for Beat the Devils... the novel is a tasty slice of noir fiction.”—SyFy Wire

“Clever and innovative: a page-turner.”—Mystery Tribune

"A thought-provoking dive into an alternative USA even weirder and wilder than our own. Weiss and his world-weary protagonist LAPD detective Morris Baker put the reader eerily at home in a twisted world of prejudice, privilege and murder, but amid the dark deeds there's hope and humour and heart. A fun, intelligent and satisfying read."—Ian R MacLeod, author of Wake Up and Dream

“Josh Weiss has announced himself as a bold new voice in the world of pulp noir fiction. One part Raymond Chandler, one part Philip Roth, a dash of Ben Hecht — and you’re about halfway there.”—J.D. Lifshitz, co-founder of BoulderLight Pictures and producer of The Vigil

"Beat The Devils by Josh Weiss blew me away. A brilliant alternate history, a riveting fifties-era noir crime caper, and an edge of your seat thriller—all wrapped into one! This is a stunning novel that takes readers for a mind-bending ride with elements that seem shockingly relevant in our current day and age."—Mark Greaney #1 NYT Bestselling Author of The Gray Man

Brilliant!!!

Great reimagining of the McCarthy era and a cautionary tale of what our present could become if the fascist menace f Trump and his drones aren’t fought tooth and nail!

Doesn’t follow through like it could have

The premise is strong and interesting, but the story gets sillier and more improbable as it goes along. It finally collapses under the load of too many implausible plot devices and too many characters from real history, getting thrown in and behaving in too many unbelievable ways.
For a wonderful version of a similar alt-hist setup, try Michael Chabon’s The Yiddish Policemen’s Union. Superb writing, while this is only mildly entertaining at best.

A must read!

What a wonderful book! such an interesting and captivating twist on a very fascinating time in our country and world's history! One of the best historical fiction books I have ever read. the story was very believable even though I knew the events didn't actually happen. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

Steaming Turd. Look elsewhere for alternate history

Based on the high reviews of this story, the alternate history setting, and the fact that there is a follow up novel my interest was piqued. I listened to this novel in a single day on a road trip. It was not good. It’s a poorly written crime story with a setting that isn’t logical. I’d save my credit