The Devil May Dance

A Novel

By: Jake Tapper

Narrated by: Rob Shapiro

Charlie and Margaret discover the dark side of Hollywood in this sequel to New York Times bestseller The Hellfire Club—a thrilling cocktail of corruption and ambition from CNN's Jake Tapper.

Charlie and Margaret Marder, political stars in 1960s Washington DC, know all too well how the tangled web of power in the nation's capital can operate. But while they long to settle into the comforts of home, Attorney General Robert Kennedy has other plans. He needs them to look into a potential threat not only to the presidency, but to the security of the United States itself.

Charlie and Margaret quickly find themselves on a flight to sunny Los Angeles, where they’ll face off against a dazzling world of stars and studios. At the center of their investigation is Frank Sinatra, a close friend of President John F. Kennedy and a rumored mob crony, whom Charlie and Margaret must befriend to get the inside scoop. But in a town built on illusions, where friends and foes all look alike, nothing is easy, and drinks by the pool at the Sands and late-night adventures with the Rat Pack soon lead to a body in the trunk of their car. Before they know it, Charlie and Margaret are being pursued by sinister forces from Hollywood’s stages to the newly founded Church of Scientology, facing off against the darkest and most secret side of Hollywood’s power.

As the Academy Awards loom, and someone near and dear to Margaret goes missing, Charlie and Margaret find the clock is not only ticking but running out. Someone out there knows what they’ve uncovered and can’t let them leave alive. Corruption and ambition form a deadly mix in this fast-paced sequel to The Hellfire Club.

Critic reviews

“Frank Sinatra, Robert Kennedy and Charlie Marder — you can’t lose with this combination of characters in The Devil May Dance. Jake Tapper explores the thin lines between politics, pop culture and crime, and the story is always gripping, accurate and right on target when it comes to underlining that the past is prologue and politics are always played for keeps.”—Michael Connelly

“One helluva a mystery—bursting with early-‘60s luminarios from Bobby Kennedy to Frank Sinatra and his swinging gang. Tapper effortlessly blends a journalist’s sharp eye with a storyteller’s keen sense of suspense: The result is as bracing as the bourbon the book's Rat Packers knock back and as fizzy as the champagne the Hollywood stars swig. Raise a glass.”—Gillian Flynn

"Jake Tapper's deep inside knowledge of power, greed and politics fuels this riveting page-turner. Warning: Don't start this book late at night unless you have no plans the next day." —Harlan Coben

The Hellfire Club

"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

"This is a remarkably accomplished effort, especially for a first novel. . . . Tapper brings . . . the kind of detailed political knowledge that only someone with his first-hand experience could bring to the story."—Booklist

"Fiction is as suspenseful as truth in Jake Tapper's The Hellfire Club."—Vanity Fair

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

"The action comes fast and furious, "House of Cards" on steroids; you'll be turning pages faster than a cable channel updates its chyron."—Cynthia Dickison, Minnesota Star Tribune

"Insightful... 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

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

The Devil’s In the Details

I loved the setting in Hollywood and the characters surrounding Charlie and Margaret. Jake’s details of the era and the pitfalls of Hollywood elites in that era was nicely written. The plot had unpredictable twist and turns which made for
great storytelling. Jake also did an excellent job of blending the real-life people with the fictional characters. Can’t wait until his next book and where it will take Charlie and Margaret.

Disappointed

There was too much name dropping and that helped make the story confusing.
Don't get me wrong, I love Jake Tapper. Maybe he should stick to his profession.

Under the Covers of Tawdry Intrigue

Given what we've seen and read in recent years of the tabloid shenanigans of those in power and the toadies who do their bidding, it's no surprise that this caper makes a worthy follow-up to Jake Tapper's debut "The Hellfire Club." Perhaps Tapper's greatest strength is his ability to weave a through-line in this slice of the early Sixties Hollywood wherein the fictional Congressman Charlie Marder and his whip-smart zoologist spouse Margaret negotiate a salacious serpentine storyline. Their encounters with Sinatra and Rat Pack entourage, depraved studio slime and legendary organized crime bosses all within a well researched foundation where multi-agency governmental duplicity stirs the plot of intrigue that elevates the mission-worthy risks Charlie and Margaret are forced to take. Superb narration by Rob Shapiro brings spot-on verisimilitude of the key players, particularly Sinatra, Martin, Davis and Lawford and convincing voices to supporting roles.

Fun Listen

Enjoyed the book, the performance and the story. Have enjoyed Jake Tappers books so far.

Tremendous story

The writing, the characters, the history, and the narrator are all superb. Absolutely worth every minute spent listening.