BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS
(Print: ©4/24/2018; 9780316472333; Little, Brown & Co.; 352 pp.)
(Digital: Yes).
*Audio: ©4/24/2018; 978-15492117725; Hachette Audio; Duration 9:58:00; unabridged
(Film: No.)
Series: Charlie and Margaret Marder Mystery Book 1.

SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
I enjoyed this historical fiction in a political setting. Not having followed politics in my childhood, it was fun to hear the names that floated around back in the day. 😊

AUTHOR:
Jacob (Jake) Paul Tapper (3/12/69) According to Wikipedia, Jake “is an American journalist, author, and cartoonist. He is the Lead Washington Anchor for CNN, and hosts the weekday television news show The Lead with Jake Tapper and co-hosts the Sunday morning public affairs program State of the Union.
Before joining CNN, Tapper worked for ABC News as Senior White House Correspondent, where he received three Merriman Smith Memorial Awards from the White House Correspondents' Association.[1][2][3]
Tapper helped with the coverage of the inauguration of President Obama that earned an Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Coverage of a Current News Story. Tapper was part of a team that was awarded an Edward R. Murrow Award for Video: Breaking News for "Target bin Laden: The Death of Public Enemy #1".
His book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor debuted at number 10 in November 2012 on The New York Times Best Seller list for hardback non-fiction. Tapper's book and his reporting on the veterans and troops were cited when the Congressional Medal of Honor Society awarded him the "Tex" McCrary Award for Excellence in Journalism.[4]
The Republican primary debate Tapper moderated in September 2015 drew more than 23 million viewers, making it the most-watched program in the history of CNN and the second-most watched primary debate ever.[5] He also moderated the Republican presidential debate in Miami on March 10, 2016, which drew almost 12 million viewers and,[6] according to Variety, "garnered acclaim for its substance".[7]”

NARRATOR:
Jacob (Jake) Paul Tapper (see above).

GENRE:
History; Politics; Mystery; Fiction

LOCATIONS:
Washington DC

TIME FRAME:
1950’s

SUBJECTS:
Politics, secret societies, conspiracy, government

DEDICATION:
“To Jennifer, my lodestar”

SAMPLE QUOTATION:
From chapter 1
“He snapped out of the blackness with a mouth of mud.
Charlie Marder coughed up grime and spat silt, then raised himself on his elbows and tried to make sense of where he was.
Sprawled on the leafy banks of a creek, he wore a tuxedo that was insufficient to combat the March chill. A wispy fog hovered; sporadic chirping came from nearby families of wrens rising with the sun.
A stone bridge and paved road lay in front of him. Wincing with effort, he hoisted himself onto his knees and turned. Behind him, a semi-submerged Studebaker sat in the creek’s muddy bank, its driver’s door open.
He squinted and could just make out, downstream, the recently restored old Pierce Mill and its waterwheel. He was in Rock Creek Park, 1,754 acres of woods, trails, and road tucked in Northwest Washington, DC, far from his Georgetown brownstone.
How did I get here?
Charlie said it to himself, first in his head and then as a whisper and then repeating it aloud: “How did I get here?” His voice was gravelly. He stumbled as he tried to stand, and realized that he was drunk. His mouth was parched. Where had he been drinking?
He looked at his Timex, adjusting his wrist to catch the light: 4:55 a.m. Memories began to emerge—a party, a celebration, a club of some sort. Frank Carlin, the powerful House Appropriations Committee chairman, encouraging a young, attractive waitress to do something. What was it? She poured ice water onto a sugar cube held on a flattened perforated spoon over a glass. And the glass contained absinthe. “This is how the French do it,” Carlin said. And from there the night went dark.”

RATING:
4 stars.

STARTED-FINISHED
9/18/2021 – 9/28/2021 ( )

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. ( )

This book was authentic to the era even when the authenticity was painful--no excuses, no "maybe this isn't a good idea." I am so glad Jake Trapper wrote this way. The intrigue was believable and scary as hell. I think Jake's book will become a must read if you want to explain to Millenials how researching was done before the internet.

My only complaint was that Jake was narrating the book and he isn't a narrator. He only speaks in one "voice," which distracts from the excellent story. ( )

What Ready Player One is to 80's pop culture, this book is to 1950's politics. Lots of name dropping (Hey look it's a Kennedy!) and references that show Tapper really is into the history. The only problem I had was that the story is so slow. I made it 25% of the way in and so far, nothing has really happened, and I'm not really sure what is going to happen.

Maybe it picks up in the last half, but for me, not enough motivation to continue. ( )

Intense! Extremely thought provoking, and made me interested in the history of the 1950's. This title had me looking up stuff as I read it, which is why it took a while to read, but it was definitely worth the time. I won this book through Goodreads Giveaway and got one heck of a hard to put down and memorable title. I hope there might be plans for a film adaption at some point. It might actually be a title worth turning into a graphic novel at some point. I highly recommend this title. ( )