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Charlie and Margaret Marder #3
All the Demons Are Here: A Novel
Following his instant New York Times bestsellers The Hellfire Club and The Devil May Dance , Jake Tapper’s breathtaking new thriller tours the underground 70s world of cults, celebrities, tabloid journalism, serial killers, disco, and UFOs. It’s 1977. Ike and Lucy, the kids of Senator Charlie and Margaret Marder, are grown up—and in trouble. US Marine Ike has gone AWOL after a military operation gone wrong. Now he's off the grid, working on the pit crew of the moody stunt master Evel Knievel and hanging in the roughest dive bar in Montana. His sister Lucy has become the star reporter of a brand-new Washington, DC tabloid breaking stories about a serial killer and falling in with the wealthy, shady British family that owns the newspaper. As they deal with the weirdness and menace of the time — blackouts, the death of Elvis Presley, the Summer of Sam, and a time of national unease — Ike and Lucy soon realize that their worlds are not only full of compromises and bad choices, but danger. As their lives begin to spiral out of control, they also spiral towards one another. And the decisions they make could mean life and death not only for them and their parents, but for dozens of innocents.
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First published July 11, 2023
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About the author
Jake Tapper
17 books979 followersJake Tapper is the best-selling author of six books, his most recent being All the Demons Are Here, to be published July 11, 2023 by Little Brown & Co.
On April 24, 2018, Little, Brown and Company published Tapper's first novel, a political thriller entitled The Hellfire Club. The novel follows a fictitious freshman Congressman discovering corruption and conspiracy in 1950s Washington, at the height of the McCarthy era. The book debuted at Number 3 on the New York Times Best-Seller List for Hardcover fiction, and remained on the Best-Seller list for four weeks total. The Associated Press called The Hellfire Club "insightful...well-written and worthwhile." Tablet Magazine called the novel "startlingly good." USA Today said the author "sizzles" and "proves he has the page-turning knack in his entertaining debut novel."
The sequel to The Hellfire Club, The Devil May Dance, was released in May 2021, and continues the story of the lives of Charlie and Margaret Marder.
Tapper is also the author of The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor, a critically acclaimed book about U.S. troops in Afghanistan that debuted at number 10 on The New York Times Best Seller list for hardback non-fiction. Bob Woodward described the book as "Brilliant, dedicated reporting by a journalist who goes to ground to get the truth. A sad, real tale about this war, America and the brave warriors who live—and die—at the point of the spear" and Jon Krakauer called it "a mind-boggling, all-too-true story of heroism, hubris, failed strategy, and heartbreaking sacrifice. If you want to understand how the war in Afghanistan went off the rails, you need to read this book."
In 2014, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society recognized Tapper for the book and his reporting on military topics in general with the Tex McCrary Award for Excellence in Journalism. A Rod Lurie-directed film adaptation of The Outpost was released in July 2020, starring Milo Gibson, Orlando Bloom, Scott Eastwood and Caleb Landry Jones.
In addition to The Outpost, Tapper is the author of Down and Dirty: The Plot to Steal the Presidency, based on the 2000 Presidential election, that The Washington Post called "lively", the Chicago Tribune "a churning effusion well worth reading" and The Daily Telegraph "engrossing". He also wrote Body Slam: The Jesse Ventura Story (St. Martin's Press) that was excerpted by The Washington Post Magazine.
On April 24, 2018, Little, Brown and Company published Tapper's first novel, a political thriller entitled The Hellfire Club. The novel follows a fictitious freshman Congressman discovering corruption and conspiracy in 1950s Washington, at the height of the McCarthy era. The book debuted at Number 3 on the New York Times Best-Seller List for Hardcover fiction, and remained on the Best-Seller list for four weeks total. The Associated Press called The Hellfire Club "insightful...well-written and worthwhile." Tablet Magazine called the novel "startlingly good." USA Today said the author "sizzles" and "proves he has the page-turning knack in his entertaining debut novel."
The sequel to The Hellfire Club, The Devil May Dance, was released in May 2021, and continues the story of the lives of Charlie and Margaret Marder.
Tapper is also the author of The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor, a critically acclaimed book about U.S. troops in Afghanistan that debuted at number 10 on The New York Times Best Seller list for hardback non-fiction. Bob Woodward described the book as "Brilliant, dedicated reporting by a journalist who goes to ground to get the truth. A sad, real tale about this war, America and the brave warriors who live—and die—at the point of the spear" and Jon Krakauer called it "a mind-boggling, all-too-true story of heroism, hubris, failed strategy, and heartbreaking sacrifice. If you want to understand how the war in Afghanistan went off the rails, you need to read this book."
In 2014, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society recognized Tapper for the book and his reporting on military topics in general with the Tex McCrary Award for Excellence in Journalism. A Rod Lurie-directed film adaptation of The Outpost was released in July 2020, starring Milo Gibson, Orlando Bloom, Scott Eastwood and Caleb Landry Jones.
In addition to The Outpost, Tapper is the author of Down and Dirty: The Plot to Steal the Presidency, based on the 2000 Presidential election, that The Washington Post called "lively", the Chicago Tribune "a churning effusion well worth reading" and The Daily Telegraph "engrossing". He also wrote Body Slam: The Jesse Ventura Story (St. Martin's Press) that was excerpted by The Washington Post Magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews
August 12, 2023
This is my 1st novel by CNN anchor Jake Tapper and it won't be my last.
Set in the 70's where the references to pop culture brought back my youth it was enjoyable to look back at Elvis, Evel Knievel, etc. The author included historical events and people we are familiar with into the story.
This is the third book in the Charlie & Margaret Marder mystery series. The story focuses on Ike and Lucy , the children of Senator Charlie and Margaret Marder, who are grown up and in trouble. After making some bad choices their lives become surrounded by danger not only for themselves but for their parents as well.
You don't have to have read the first two books in the series in order to enjoy "All The Demons Are Here" however you will want to.
A fantastic and engrossing thriller!
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Set in the 70's where the references to pop culture brought back my youth it was enjoyable to look back at Elvis, Evel Knievel, etc. The author included historical events and people we are familiar with into the story.
This is the third book in the Charlie & Margaret Marder mystery series. The story focuses on Ike and Lucy , the children of Senator Charlie and Margaret Marder, who are grown up and in trouble. After making some bad choices their lives become surrounded by danger not only for themselves but for their parents as well.
You don't have to have read the first two books in the series in order to enjoy "All The Demons Are Here" however you will want to.
A fantastic and engrossing thriller!
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
February 3, 2025
Looking for a different type of book, I chose the third novel in Jake Tapper’s historical thriller series. Tapper presents yet another piece with solid historical flavouring, tapping into the next generation of the Marder family. While Charlie is now in the Senate, his children, Ike and Lucy, have found their legs and are creating their own chaos. Lucy is a journalist chasing a major lead, while Ike is a former Marine, lost in the tragedy of a mission gone awry. Tapper dazzles once more and keeps the reader hooked!
It’s 1977 and the Marder family continues to grow and find new issues. Senator Charlie Marder and his wife, Margaret, have raised two children, both of whom are ready to tackle the world. Ike and Lucy are discovering their own ways and finding trouble wherever they turn.
After serving with the US Marines, Ike has disappeared and is living away from where anyone might know him. He’s been seen in Montana, but his Washington upbringing is well in the rearview mirror. Now, he is working as a lackey for the daredevil Evel Knievel. His life is never far from troubling stories and he fills his free time in five bars across the state.
Lucy has stayed closer to home, earning a job as a journalist for the new Washington-era tabloid.
She’s on the hunt for a serial killer who has been targeting women in the dead of night. While working for a powerful British family who are breaking all the rules, Lucy is cutting her teeth on how to craft an article that balances truth with glitzy headlines!
Living their lives and mixing it up with a number of historical events throughout 1977, Ike and Lucy must grow up quickly or fall flat on their faces, while Charlie and Margaret sit in their hands and wait. Ike and Lucy find themselves losing control and grasping at straws, though they are oddly entering one another’s spheres of influence. Working to find their footing, both Ike and Lucy must try to find a plausible solution to their issues, or risk their lives, as well as those of their parents.
Tapper delivers once again, with a strong historical mystery for all to enjoy!
While I admire Jake Tapper for his reporting, I can add his fiction writing abilities to my list of positive traits. Tapper pens a great thriller with numerous twists. The narrative clips along with relative ease, balancing sharp storytelling with historical references at every point. The story finds its momentum with ease and keeps the reader wondering what awaits them. History remains central to the story, with situation and location drops throughout, which helps add excitement. The characters are recognisable to the attentive reader and their personalities fit nicely into the larger story, complementing those of the Marders’ backstories. Plot points find their way embedded into the story with surprises at every page turn, providing actual events to fuel the other unknown events that lurk in the shadows. This provides the reader with another strong thriller and leaves them to wonder if Tapper will pen another in the foreseeable future!
Kudos, Mr. Tapper, for breathing life into history and entertaining while doing so.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
It’s 1977 and the Marder family continues to grow and find new issues. Senator Charlie Marder and his wife, Margaret, have raised two children, both of whom are ready to tackle the world. Ike and Lucy are discovering their own ways and finding trouble wherever they turn.
After serving with the US Marines, Ike has disappeared and is living away from where anyone might know him. He’s been seen in Montana, but his Washington upbringing is well in the rearview mirror. Now, he is working as a lackey for the daredevil Evel Knievel. His life is never far from troubling stories and he fills his free time in five bars across the state.
Lucy has stayed closer to home, earning a job as a journalist for the new Washington-era tabloid.
She’s on the hunt for a serial killer who has been targeting women in the dead of night. While working for a powerful British family who are breaking all the rules, Lucy is cutting her teeth on how to craft an article that balances truth with glitzy headlines!
Living their lives and mixing it up with a number of historical events throughout 1977, Ike and Lucy must grow up quickly or fall flat on their faces, while Charlie and Margaret sit in their hands and wait. Ike and Lucy find themselves losing control and grasping at straws, though they are oddly entering one another’s spheres of influence. Working to find their footing, both Ike and Lucy must try to find a plausible solution to their issues, or risk their lives, as well as those of their parents.
Tapper delivers once again, with a strong historical mystery for all to enjoy!
While I admire Jake Tapper for his reporting, I can add his fiction writing abilities to my list of positive traits. Tapper pens a great thriller with numerous twists. The narrative clips along with relative ease, balancing sharp storytelling with historical references at every point. The story finds its momentum with ease and keeps the reader wondering what awaits them. History remains central to the story, with situation and location drops throughout, which helps add excitement. The characters are recognisable to the attentive reader and their personalities fit nicely into the larger story, complementing those of the Marders’ backstories. Plot points find their way embedded into the story with surprises at every page turn, providing actual events to fuel the other unknown events that lurk in the shadows. This provides the reader with another strong thriller and leaves them to wonder if Tapper will pen another in the foreseeable future!
Kudos, Mr. Tapper, for breathing life into history and entertaining while doing so.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
June 5, 2023
All the Demons Are Here is the third thriller by Jake Tapper. Coming July 11, 2023, Little Brown and Company provided an early galley for review.
Continuing his series, Tapper gives readers a new decade and a new generation of the Marder family. The story flips back and forth between Ike and Lucy during the mid-70's, and once again weaves in real-life people and events with his fictional ones. It is a style that works for the author. If the series continues, I expect the fourth volume to take place in the 80's with more from Ike and Lucy.
Tapper does take a liberty or two with his history, just as he did with his previous two novels in the series. He does note that he made up a Led Zeppelin song for the book's title, just as he did with a song for the title of his last book The Devil May Dance. However, I caught several anachronistic errors this time - Ike citing a 1980's Uncanny X-Men annual in chapter seven which is set three years prior or Lucy hearing a Rolling Stones' song "Shattered" in chapter eight which would not have been recorded until late '77 and released as a single until '78. A true comic book and music nerd like me would have caught these two.
Still, this was a quick and enjoyable read. It is perfect for a beach read for the summer.
Continuing his series, Tapper gives readers a new decade and a new generation of the Marder family. The story flips back and forth between Ike and Lucy during the mid-70's, and once again weaves in real-life people and events with his fictional ones. It is a style that works for the author. If the series continues, I expect the fourth volume to take place in the 80's with more from Ike and Lucy.
Tapper does take a liberty or two with his history, just as he did with his previous two novels in the series. He does note that he made up a Led Zeppelin song for the book's title, just as he did with a song for the title of his last book The Devil May Dance. However, I caught several anachronistic errors this time - Ike citing a 1980's Uncanny X-Men annual in chapter seven which is set three years prior or Lucy hearing a Rolling Stones' song "Shattered" in chapter eight which would not have been recorded until late '77 and released as a single until '78. A true comic book and music nerd like me would have caught these two.
Still, this was a quick and enjoyable read. It is perfect for a beach read for the summer.
July 4, 2023
What an unusual and awesome novel! It revolves around Lucy, a reporter and brother Ike who is a veteran and still suffers some because of the horrors he witnessed. When Lucy lands a job with The Sentinel, she begins investigating a serial killer on the loose who leaves his female victims in unusual positions and there are few clues. Ike begins working for Evel Knievel and some of those scenes evoke humor that had me laughing out loud! There are many great cultural references from the 70's that those of us from that decade will remember fondly (Elvis, Reagan, Nixon, Manson--maybe not fondly--and Woodward and Bernstein)! Fast-paced and riveting, this novel keeps you turning pages like crazy until you discover the true "demon" and breathe a sigh of relief!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC
July 12, 2023
I really wanted to like this book and when my copy arrived in the mail, I pounced on it and read it in a day. As much as I loved the trip back to the 70s, it quickly became obvious that all of the historical references were slowing the story down. Between footnotes and additional context, my reading experience became choppy, often just to add gratuitous characters with minimal participation in the plot. That's too much work for me when I read a thriller.
It might work better if the author takes a chapter to go back in time to focus on a single historical person or event or cast of characters so we can proceed with main plot? Just thinkin...
Anyway, I was turned off by the seedy bar characters (although I loved it when they got what they deserved) and I thought the social issues were a bit generic ("The VA failed them").
Plotting was great, but the stakes weren't high enough for me. These were young people still finding their way and anything could happen. I couldn't get invested.
I love Jake Tapper and wish I could be more complimentary.
It might work better if the author takes a chapter to go back in time to focus on a single historical person or event or cast of characters so we can proceed with main plot? Just thinkin...
Anyway, I was turned off by the seedy bar characters (although I loved it when they got what they deserved) and I thought the social issues were a bit generic ("The VA failed them").
Plotting was great, but the stakes weren't high enough for me. These were young people still finding their way and anything could happen. I couldn't get invested.
I love Jake Tapper and wish I could be more complimentary.
September 23, 2023
'A thriller'. I wish I'd looked at Kirkus Reviews before I ordered this from the library. The second chapter has Ike's sister Lucy meeting up with their Senator Dad and name dropping their way through the political scene after Nixon resigned. Too bad they just sort of glossed over Sen. Frank Church. I might have been hooked into the 'story'. - I couldn't give it the obligatory 50 pages. This book should be taken on a camping trip and used to start fires with wet wood or for when the toilet paper runs out.
May 27, 2023
Jake Tapper, man of many talents (including cartooning), has created yet another thrilling historical political thriller, this time moving from the 1950s to the 1970s, and specifically 1977, the year when Star Wars debuted, Evel Knievel was the daredevil motorcycle king, Son of Sam terrorized Boston, New York City had a massive blackout, the first personal computers went on sale, and Elvis died. Tapper’s previous adventurous protagonists, Congressman Charlie Marder (later elected a senator between books) and his feisty zoologist wife, Margaret, turn the action over to their now adult children, Ike and Lucy.
Ike skipped college, joined the Marines, slipped away, and is now on Evel Knievel’s crew in dusty Montana. Lucy, Yale graduate and journalist, has tracked baby brother down in time to see him in a bar fight with an Idaho Nazi. She has a job with a DC startup, more of a tabloid than a Washington Post, with a “Succession” like family at the helm.
The novel follows Ike and Lucy in their separate journeys: Ike escaping Aryan Nation thugs while reliving the post-traumatic stress of a Marine mission gone wrong; and Lucy investigating a possible serial killer while her bosses sensationalize the facts. Both of them are trying to redeem themselves from mounting circumstances that seem to make their life choices more difficult instead of less so.
I like to think that Jake Tapper is in a special class like fellow contemporary thriller novelists James Comey (newbie writer and former FBI director) and Stacey Abrams (candidate for Georgia governor) — people who really know the inside workings of real government and media and make their novels reality-based but still incredibly descriptive page turners. Tapper’s novels contain the ultimate celebrity name-dropping references (Joe McCarthy, Frank Sinatra, JFK in the previous 50s books) and here we have Evel Knievel, Jackie O, George Bush, Farrah Fawcett, Truman Capote, Roy Cohn, and many more in Studio 54, which makes the story so fun, especially the Lucy footnotes about the real DC scandals of the day, notorious criminals or just bizarre facts (killer bees! Manson assassins!)
Tapper was only 8 years old in 1977, but you’d think that he lived during that particular year as an adult news junkie. Research for this book must have been amazingly intense! Tapper’s chapter by chapter acknowledgments are also a must-read.The author must have immersed himself so much in 1977 lore that I imagine him writing the book on an early Commodore or Apple II computer wearing a fringed jacket with black plaid pants then jumping into a Ford Thunderbird to have quiche and fondue at his publisher’s party with molten chocolate cake.
The siblings’ separate stories ratchet up a lot of personal tension, but overall this seemed less a domestic political thriller than an homage to the complicated events of 1977. I liked the previous two books a bit more — Charlie and Margaret were always a team (on “capers” as Ike recalls), and Ike and Lucy have long narratives before they are together.
4.5 stars — Tapper has an incredible talent for re-creating the near past and he should bring back Lucy and Ike together from the start of the book.
Thank you to Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Lots of ice-blue eyes and even a pair of violet ones, but no green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Nature has a presence when Ike is hidden in the disparate camps of disaffected vets who are trying not to die when winter arrives and when a hurricane is competing with a mob headed to an island.
Ike skipped college, joined the Marines, slipped away, and is now on Evel Knievel’s crew in dusty Montana. Lucy, Yale graduate and journalist, has tracked baby brother down in time to see him in a bar fight with an Idaho Nazi. She has a job with a DC startup, more of a tabloid than a Washington Post, with a “Succession” like family at the helm.
The novel follows Ike and Lucy in their separate journeys: Ike escaping Aryan Nation thugs while reliving the post-traumatic stress of a Marine mission gone wrong; and Lucy investigating a possible serial killer while her bosses sensationalize the facts. Both of them are trying to redeem themselves from mounting circumstances that seem to make their life choices more difficult instead of less so.
I like to think that Jake Tapper is in a special class like fellow contemporary thriller novelists James Comey (newbie writer and former FBI director) and Stacey Abrams (candidate for Georgia governor) — people who really know the inside workings of real government and media and make their novels reality-based but still incredibly descriptive page turners. Tapper’s novels contain the ultimate celebrity name-dropping references (Joe McCarthy, Frank Sinatra, JFK in the previous 50s books) and here we have Evel Knievel, Jackie O, George Bush, Farrah Fawcett, Truman Capote, Roy Cohn, and many more in Studio 54, which makes the story so fun, especially the Lucy footnotes about the real DC scandals of the day, notorious criminals or just bizarre facts (killer bees! Manson assassins!)
Tapper was only 8 years old in 1977, but you’d think that he lived during that particular year as an adult news junkie. Research for this book must have been amazingly intense! Tapper’s chapter by chapter acknowledgments are also a must-read.The author must have immersed himself so much in 1977 lore that I imagine him writing the book on an early Commodore or Apple II computer wearing a fringed jacket with black plaid pants then jumping into a Ford Thunderbird to have quiche and fondue at his publisher’s party with molten chocolate cake.
The siblings’ separate stories ratchet up a lot of personal tension, but overall this seemed less a domestic political thriller than an homage to the complicated events of 1977. I liked the previous two books a bit more — Charlie and Margaret were always a team (on “capers” as Ike recalls), and Ike and Lucy have long narratives before they are together.
4.5 stars — Tapper has an incredible talent for re-creating the near past and he should bring back Lucy and Ike together from the start of the book.
Thank you to Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Lots of ice-blue eyes and even a pair of violet ones, but no green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Nature has a presence when Ike is hidden in the disparate camps of disaffected vets who are trying not to die when winter arrives and when a hurricane is competing with a mob headed to an island.
July 14, 2023
I like Jake Tapper but this book wasn’t very good. I also don’t understand the over use of the f word. Ridiculous
July 19, 2023
Not great. I liked it well enough to finish it but not enough to remember tomorrow
July 16, 2024
This book feels like it was made for me. A thrilling book set in the 70's centers on the kids of a lifelong politician and a zoologist. This book does have a hint of politics as the author clearly takes some inspiration from recent political events for some of his plot. I loved the setting of the 70's and learned a lot about the politics of that time (Nixon, and the resulting impact of that scandal on the Republican party), and niche 70's cultural tidbits that the author focused on throughout the book (B17 in cancer treatment and Evel Knevel). There is even a family in the book that is based off the Murdochs - and a subsequent commentary on the dangers of irresponsible journalism. and a serial killer lol. Somehow the author is able to weave all these seemingly separate topics in a fun and exciting story - that still has something to say about our world and current events. This was a random decision to read but I loved it!
July 21, 2023
Yep. Jake Tapper from CNN and all 3 of his novels are entertaining, well-written, easy to read, and enjoyable.
July 3, 2024
I liked the other two books Tapper wrote about this family, but oof - not this one. The first half is largely about things that were popular in the 70s. Then it slides into too many big bads - cults! Angry veterans! Elvis fans! Right wing media! - who all somehow converge at a Republican leadership meeting on an island in Georgia during a tropical storm. The not very likeable protagonists are connected to all of them -and both under 25. And on page 1, it talks about Butte having coal miners when they had copper miners. (Egregious to a Montanan like me). Anyway, hope the next one is better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2023
Spending $30.74 on this book will undoubtedly be one of the biggest financial regrets of my life
February 15, 2024
There should be a DNF option on Goodreads. Too many FBombs for me.
July 20, 2023
Jake Tapper is a great storyteller.
Book one took place in the 50's
Book two in the 60's
This one in the 70's
Mr. Tapper uses a lot of what happened in those decades as a back drop if you will. Bring on book 4!
Book one took place in the 50's
Book two in the 60's
This one in the 70's
Mr. Tapper uses a lot of what happened in those decades as a back drop if you will. Bring on book 4!
September 1, 2023
3.25 stars
Enjoyed the 1970’s setting and quick pace but the storyline was just okay. Many of the characters were grating and a few were punchable. The repetitive F-bombs throughout were annoying. Overall, an interesting script… though highly implausible.
Enjoyed the 1970’s setting and quick pace but the storyline was just okay. Many of the characters were grating and a few were punchable. The repetitive F-bombs throughout were annoying. Overall, an interesting script… though highly implausible.
July 20, 2024
I wanted to like this one, but the writing and dialogue were weak at best. It was superficial, no development of characters. Too many words proving how much the author knows about history and the workings of politics, not enough on the actual story or characters.
June 23, 2025
Solid book, but not great. It looks like the Lyons were supposed to be the Murdochs. Evel Knievel and his presidential aspirations were much like trump. The mob was traveling to DC, reminiscent of the attempted overthrow by the right wing mob on January 6 at trump's direction. That was all fine and dandy, I don't have a problem with that. What I do have a problem with is the author's use of current lingo in a story that takes place in 1977. I was 14/15 then. I know words like "gifted" instead of "gave" or "given" were not used. The same with "gone missing" instead of "disappeared". And "on point" also didn't exist back then. And the worst of all, the overuse of the word "super" as an adjective. Super skinny, super tired, super cute, super ANYTHING. We didn't say that back then! I really hate it when authors do that.
October 30, 2024
The best part of this book for me was the trip back to the 1970s and Washington, DC. Ah, yes, I remember it well. The brother and sister narration of the story was interesting, yet I didn’t find the thriller aspect of the story very thrilling. But Jake Tapper autographed my book, so what can I say but, “I’m a fan”.
August 10, 2023
"All The Demons Are Here" by Jake Tapper 2023.
Let's make one thing clear: Jake Tapper (CNN Washington correspondent) is a prolific writer. He's published three novels since 2018. His latest continues the story of the fictitious congressman Charlie Marder and his family, who have appeared in his previous two books.
This time around, it's the mid-70s, and the grown-up Marder children, Ike and Lucy, are at the center of the story. The chapters are divided into Ike's exploits with Evil Knievel in Montana and Lucy's work as a journalist in Virginia. There's also a serial killer that hovers around the story.
Tapper throws all the topics du jour at you. From cults and tabloid journalism to UFOs and crooked politics. It's not all as convuluted as it sounds. I enjoyed the step back into history, and while the overall story jumps a bit too much for my liking, it is a satisfying read.
Let's make one thing clear: Jake Tapper (CNN Washington correspondent) is a prolific writer. He's published three novels since 2018. His latest continues the story of the fictitious congressman Charlie Marder and his family, who have appeared in his previous two books.
This time around, it's the mid-70s, and the grown-up Marder children, Ike and Lucy, are at the center of the story. The chapters are divided into Ike's exploits with Evil Knievel in Montana and Lucy's work as a journalist in Virginia. There's also a serial killer that hovers around the story.
Tapper throws all the topics du jour at you. From cults and tabloid journalism to UFOs and crooked politics. It's not all as convuluted as it sounds. I enjoyed the step back into history, and while the overall story jumps a bit too much for my liking, it is a satisfying read.
Read
November 21, 2023I like this series of books for being simply, straightforward fun reading. Nothing out of the ordinary, though I found the early parts of Ike's story boring, and could've done without them. From this book moving forward, if there's a character to follow it's Lucy not Ike.
August 3, 2023
Tapper found another level of brilliance with his 3rd thriller. The character development of Lucy and Ike was stunningly well done. Loved this one. Recommend. More Tapper novels please !
August 8, 2023
Liked it a lot, and it felt like the ending was rushed with some middle plot that could have been removed. Definitely put you in a mix of mystery with real 70s events. Fun read!
July 30, 2023
I enjoyed this look into a Murdoch-like sensationalist news family and an Evel Knievel back-story. I also liked the reminder that, back in the 70s, there were Republicans that cared more about the country than themselves or their party. And I laughed out loud at the footnote on page 209 (keep in mind, this is taking place in 1977:
"People: Irony is when a phrase is used to express the exact opposite of its literal meaning. Its not a synonym for coincidental or funny or annoying. Please stop misusing this incredible word or by the next century it will have lost all meaning."
"People: Irony is when a phrase is used to express the exact opposite of its literal meaning. Its not a synonym for coincidental or funny or annoying. Please stop misusing this incredible word or by the next century it will have lost all meaning."
August 2, 2023
All the cliches are here as well
What do you get when you take post-Watergate Washington, Evil Knievel, Laetrel, Son of Sam, a healthy homage to Succession, an obvious fascination with Walt Longmire, echoes of January 6th and throw them into a hurricane? You get #allthedemonsarehere .
Look, I love #jaketapper and appreciate how complicated it is to write an interesting period political thriller with a parallel to modern times and I am rooting for his #marderfamilymysteries now handed off to a second generation. The first two books, #thehellfireclub and #thedevilmaydance , were lots of fun each being set in the 50's and 60's respectively. This one is set in 1977 in the aftermath of Vietnam, Nixon and a Republican Party trying to find its way back into relevancy and there was a perfect opportunity to parallel the awash nature of the party then to the lingering Influence of the Trump era now. I want this book to be as influential and significant as the circumstances it is depicting. But there is a fear that the series may be coming dangerously close to "jumping the shark" which they literally do in this story. These second generation of Marders, daughter Lucy who is a Washington reporter under the sway of a Lachlan Murdoch/Donald Trump Jr. that is supposed to be a bon vivant but comes off as a pure douchebag that doesn't speak well of Lucy's taste in men, and bother Ike, a former Marine injured on a secret mission in Lebanon who is a Elvis Presley worshipper with an equal adoration Evil Knievel. It is extremely clever how Tapper draws the parallel to a contemporary braggadocio with an inexplicable sway over America's deplorables. There really is so
much potential but it is bogged down with eye rolling silliness that, at times, feels like Jake rushed through to get out on deadline.
This #audible version had such potential as it was dual voiced by two narrators in the roles of Lucy and Ike. And there was a fair amount on dialogue with both but, rather than using both voices, the actor in the Lucy chapters did a poor impression of Jake and vice versa. And, as for the producers, make sure you know how to pronounce words before giving them to your actors because nothing distracts more than a "Marine" character pining on a "corpseman" when it should be pronounced "core-man." Make better editorial choices before releasing the 80's volume.
#readtheworld #globalreadingchallenge #jaketapper #marderseries
What do you get when you take post-Watergate Washington, Evil Knievel, Laetrel, Son of Sam, a healthy homage to Succession, an obvious fascination with Walt Longmire, echoes of January 6th and throw them into a hurricane? You get #allthedemonsarehere .
Look, I love #jaketapper and appreciate how complicated it is to write an interesting period political thriller with a parallel to modern times and I am rooting for his #marderfamilymysteries now handed off to a second generation. The first two books, #thehellfireclub and #thedevilmaydance , were lots of fun each being set in the 50's and 60's respectively. This one is set in 1977 in the aftermath of Vietnam, Nixon and a Republican Party trying to find its way back into relevancy and there was a perfect opportunity to parallel the awash nature of the party then to the lingering Influence of the Trump era now. I want this book to be as influential and significant as the circumstances it is depicting. But there is a fear that the series may be coming dangerously close to "jumping the shark" which they literally do in this story. These second generation of Marders, daughter Lucy who is a Washington reporter under the sway of a Lachlan Murdoch/Donald Trump Jr. that is supposed to be a bon vivant but comes off as a pure douchebag that doesn't speak well of Lucy's taste in men, and bother Ike, a former Marine injured on a secret mission in Lebanon who is a Elvis Presley worshipper with an equal adoration Evil Knievel. It is extremely clever how Tapper draws the parallel to a contemporary braggadocio with an inexplicable sway over America's deplorables. There really is so
much potential but it is bogged down with eye rolling silliness that, at times, feels like Jake rushed through to get out on deadline.
This #audible version had such potential as it was dual voiced by two narrators in the roles of Lucy and Ike. And there was a fair amount on dialogue with both but, rather than using both voices, the actor in the Lucy chapters did a poor impression of Jake and vice versa. And, as for the producers, make sure you know how to pronounce words before giving them to your actors because nothing distracts more than a "Marine" character pining on a "corpseman" when it should be pronounced "core-man." Make better editorial choices before releasing the 80's volume.
#readtheworld #globalreadingchallenge #jaketapper #marderseries
September 25, 2023
Winning a bevy of awards in its opening year including Tonys and a Pulitzer prize for Drama, RENT - the Musical, grossed close to three hundred million dollars in its twelve year run and wrapped things up in the fall of 2008. Vaguely borrowing from Puccini's LA BOHEME and in turn SCENES FROM A BOHEMIAN LIFE by Henri Murger, the musical depicts struggling young artists trying to make it in NoHo in lower Manhattan, after Alphabet City turned from 1970s slum to 90s hipster chic. Making RENT, then, seemed to not have been a problem both for the fictional characters or the production, which is admirable considering the tenacity of New York City slum-lords. Still living RENT free in a lot of journalists heads, the 45th President of the United States has made an undeniable impact on America in general and the political system in specific. In fact, those four years demonstrated that virtually anyone can become president and consequently deconstructed the mysticism and veil on representative government and exposed it as the sham it has become. Disguised as Evel Knievel, Jake Tapper's ALL THE DEMONS ARE HERE picks up on this theme and dives deep into D.C.'s corridors of power, the elite running the media, and the puppets that are run for the people by Corporate America, all while circling the maelstrom of a city in fear during the SUMMER OF SAM.
Running wild until the dog days, the Marder Gang (rhymes with martyr?) is back and this time it's the anything goes 1970s. Although Charlie and Marg Marder make an appearance in ALL THE DEMONS ARE HERE, this time it's the young guns, the enterprising offspring of the Potomac Sleuthing Pair. They're unmarried, unattached, and carefree in '77 America, a grand old time after the Bicentennial and the previous decade that, like a once-glossy Polaroid, was fading in the sun. Taking the form of a veritable love letter to Evel Knievel and the King himself, Elvis Presley, ALL THE DEMONS ARE HERE (ATDAH) could've easily proudly carried the alt title EVEL & ELVIS. Instead of an E-Ring drama, the Marders are sandwiched among the love and lyrics of those two all too grand celebrities. Ike Marder, estranged USMC alumnus is under the tutelage of Knievel as they both love to ride and love the freedom, solitude, and rebelliousness of the open road. Truth be told, Ike is definitely a better cyclist than his mentor, and the Evel knows it, too. Not relegated to a spot like Mina Harker's best friend, Lucy Marder is all grown up and a daughter of American Institutions, but maybe a bit too trusting of the gov'mint and authority. Nonetheless, she drinks her whiskey neat and her coffee black; no girlie drinks for her.
No longer fledging, the blinders of the Marders are off, exposed to the ugly truth of the world. As such, ALL THE DEMONS ARE HERE seems an attempt at an honest look at Evel Knievel and the man behind the myth, and given the eerie parallels between the (fictional) Knievel efforts and the '16 presidential ones of the GOP candidate, perhaps this thriller is aimed to be a political eye-opener. ATDAH alleges that Evel had celebrity, wealth, and a big mouth, all of which could probably get anyone to the White House, as proven in 2016. Metaphorically speaking, there were no proposed solutions, just lots of bad guys; Jimmy Carter, the IRS, the Pentagon, reporters, Arabs--all disguised as tell-it-like-it is, rather than admitting to a Festivus airing of grievances. The result: people loved it. Unpolished. Frank. Wild. Unpredictable. Just like 2016. Holding up a mirror to the country, revealing the American need for spectacle, the brutality of powerful men, and the blind sycophancy of their followers is the placeholder for honesty and platform. Just like a few years ago, America woke from years of being lied to by presidents and generals, but was it a new reality of truth or a place where truth had no value? And all of this thirty years before Social Media.
Using Knievel, a motorcycle snob and the best damn showman since P.T. Barnum, as the Bizarro Planet version of the straight laced dad of the 1950s, ALL THE DEMONS ARE HERE makes for an entertaining illustration of where the world (crash) landed after tumultuous times, yet again. For a high profile journo, the author is going out of his way to illustrate how the news can go wrong and indeed have veered off the path and forgot righteousness. How the fourth estate can incite anger and fear instead of dealing facts in a non-partisan apolitical way, making it a business rather than service and is all about the money...(as he cashes his checks from CNN). Through his fictional alter ego, he makes the case for people properly using and stop serially misusing the descriptor 'irony'. Firmly on the soap box, ATDAH states that condemnation by public figures is not reflective of public sentiment, but a mere show for their loudest and whiniest contributors. Riding momentum, print and broadcast news is vastly different, save for momentum, alleges Tapper, feeding the always hungry circulation numbers, opening the door to bad journalism but great business. Paraphrasing Umberto Eco, the former VH1 man proffers that America belongs to the person(s) who control communication, and fully leaning into the punch rolls out that no one is more secretive than wealthy media families who demand transparency from everyone else.
Though seemingly unwieldy, ALL THE DEMONS ARE HERE is a fun thriller, a kaleidoscope of 1977, not only of pop culture, vernacular, zeitgeist, but also politics, hinting that Jake Tapper might be an interesting person to talk to outside of that polished CNN persona or whenever a camera is rolling. So much so, that it can't be soon enough that the Marder series goes BACK TO THE FUTURE and hits readers with a volume on the 1980s. That is, if he can keep a tight hold on the penning himself, as ATDAH sometimes feels that it was written by his wife and if not that, then with heavy influence from his better half. Specifically, Marder Book #3 appears to rewrite history as everyone in '77 seems awfully '2023 woke', especially re: the US Civil War and places named after confed generals. Apart from the pedantics, ALL THE DEMONS ARE HERE turns up the fun factor with triskaidekaphobia, Oophagy, donor maintenance, and road pizza, while reminding of the genesis of the Oklahoma panhandle, the Missouri compromise, and the USS Maine & the Spanish American War, though GOOGLE should be kept close by to see what is true or debunked. While swooning over not often lauded Nixon accomplishments, like creating the EPA and guaranteed income for the poor, Tapper rails against chemotherapy, fear and rage driving news consumers, the military punishing truth-tellers, and that war isn't an isolated hell--there are lots of aftershocks. It's said that to be president a candidate has to be tough and with a solid moral compass that campaigns tend to demagnetize. For ALL THE DEMONS ARE HERE, all you need is a few hours of time and an appreciation of a smooth, fast-paced, and entertaining thriller that delves into politics, murder, the 1970s, and nostalgia, lots of nostalgia. Wherever the demons are, find 'em, or they'll find you.
November 25, 2023
Wasn’t great, had some good pieces.
I'm a sucker for a good historical novel. When I heard that Jake Tapper, the CNN anchor and chief Washington correspondent, had written three
- The Hellfire Club (1950s)
- The Devil May Dance (1960s)
- All The Demons Are Here (1970s)
I decided to try one. His writing conceit is that he writes a story that sits in the middle of the politics and culture of a particular decade. Since I'm a child of the 1970s (I went to high school during that time), I picked this book.
Simmering in the background are many of the things that I remember from those times:
- Evel Knievel: The iconic American daredevil and stunt performer; known for his audacious motorcycle jumps over a wide range of obstacles, including cars, buses, the fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and even the Snake River Canyon in Idaho. His jumps were often accompanied by elaborate showmanship and promotional events, making him a household name and a symbol of American daredevilry.
- Watergate: A major political crisis that ultimately leading to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. The scandal began on June 17, 1972, when five men were arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. and culminated with President Nixon's broader effort to undermine political opponents and cover up their activities using illegal wiretapping, campaign espionage, and attempts to obstruct the FBI and other investigative agencies.
- Studio 54: An iconic nightclub in New York City that epitomized the era's vibrant and hedonistic nightlife scene; renowned for its extravagant and over-the-top parties, attracting a mix of celebrities, socialites, artists, and a diverse crowd of partygoers; the epicenter of the disco craze; a symbol of liberation and decadence, reflecting the spirit of the '70s.
- The Vietnam War (1955 to 1975): Primarily pitting the communist forces of North Vietnam, backed by the Soviet Union and China, against the anti-communist forces of South Vietnam, supported by the United States and other Western allies. The Vietnam War ended in 1975 when North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon, leading to the reunification of Vietnam under communist control. The war resulted in a significant loss of life and had far-reaching consequences, both in terms of American foreign policy and the trauma it inflicted on the nations involved.
- The New York City blackout of 1977: A massive electrical power outage that plunged the city into darkness on July 13-14, 1977. With no street lights, traffic signals, or electricity, there wa widespread looting, arson, and vandalism, particularly in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Over 1,000 fires were reported, and thousands of arrests were made in the days that followed.
- The death of Elvis Presley (the "King of Rock and Roll": He passed away on August 16, 1977, in Memphis, Tennessee. His death at the age of 42 shocked the world and marked the end of an era in popular music.
- Son of Sam: A serial killer (David Berkowitz) terrorized New York City during the summer of 1976 and 1977 that left six people dead and several others wounded; created widespread fear and panic in the city. Berkowitz's modus operandi involved approaching parked cars and opening fire on young couples sitting inside. He targeted his victims seemingly at random and often struck late at night. He left taunting, cryptic letters at some crime scenes, which earned him the nickname "Son of Sam." In these letters, he claimed to be following the orders of a demon that inhabited a neighbor's dog. In August 1977, Berkowitz was finally apprehended by the police, leading to his arrest and subsequent confession.
The two main characters are siblings whose parents are members of the Washington D.C. political elite. The brother, Ike Marder, a Vietnam vet, hides in the wilderness with a bunch of other vets and other "forgotten" and left behind people (UFO believers, big foot pursuers, and 1960s hippies that never grew out of that phase). He attaches himself to the infamous Evel Knievel, a President Trump stand in, who decides to make a run for the presidency and whips up his "forgotten" people to march on Washington.
The sister, Lucy Marder, an aspiring journalist who wants to do good, takes a job with the Lyon family (a stand in for the Fox Murdoch family) working for the fictional Washington D.C. newspaper The Sentinel. She discovers that the Lyon family's version of journalism is fabricated and exaggerated news to make headlines. The Son of Sam killings are going on in NYC and the family uses the paper to insinuate that a collection of unconnected murders might be their own serial killer (the slug line killer).
As Evel Knievel loses interest during the trip, his supporters decide to divert course without him to protest a meeting of the political elite on a small island off the Florida coast; a meeting where Lucy and her parents are attending. In a stand in for the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, the Evel Knievel mob gets ugly and has intent to do real harm.
Unfortunately, in the end, the story doesn't cohere. All of these things are great ideas and unbelievable coincidences, but they are all just ingredients in a pot that don't really amount to anything. And then, the last act has Ike turning into Jason Borne and rescuing everybody at the island and the reveal
!!SPOILER!!!
that Lyon's son, Harry, and Lucy's love interest, is protecting his mentally ill brother who has been behind the Washington D.C. killings all along in order to sell papers.
But at that point, I had lost interest. In the end, the book has some interesting parts, but it's not great.
Source
Jake Tapper, 2023. All the Demons Are Here [Book]. Narrated by Meg Price and Rob Shapiro. Published by Little, Brown and Company. Goodreads. URL https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
References
Jake Tapper, 2012. The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor [Book]. Goodreads. URL https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Jake Tapper, 2018. The Hellfire Club [Book]. Goodreads. URL https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Jake Tapper, 2021. The Devil May Dance: A Novel [Book]. Goodreads. URL https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Judith Reveal, 2023. All the Demons Are Here: A Novel [Book review]. New York Journal of Books. URL https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book...
Salena Zito, 2023. Jake Tapper’s All the Demons are Here is a thriller that immerses readers in the turbulent ’70s [Book review]. Washington Examiner. URL https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op...
Sophia Nguyen, 2023. Jake Tapper imagines what would happen if Evel Knievel ran for president [Interview]. The Washington Post. URL https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
I'm a sucker for a good historical novel. When I heard that Jake Tapper, the CNN anchor and chief Washington correspondent, had written three
- The Hellfire Club (1950s)
- The Devil May Dance (1960s)
- All The Demons Are Here (1970s)
I decided to try one. His writing conceit is that he writes a story that sits in the middle of the politics and culture of a particular decade. Since I'm a child of the 1970s (I went to high school during that time), I picked this book.
Simmering in the background are many of the things that I remember from those times:
- Evel Knievel: The iconic American daredevil and stunt performer; known for his audacious motorcycle jumps over a wide range of obstacles, including cars, buses, the fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and even the Snake River Canyon in Idaho. His jumps were often accompanied by elaborate showmanship and promotional events, making him a household name and a symbol of American daredevilry.
- Watergate: A major political crisis that ultimately leading to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. The scandal began on June 17, 1972, when five men were arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. and culminated with President Nixon's broader effort to undermine political opponents and cover up their activities using illegal wiretapping, campaign espionage, and attempts to obstruct the FBI and other investigative agencies.
- Studio 54: An iconic nightclub in New York City that epitomized the era's vibrant and hedonistic nightlife scene; renowned for its extravagant and over-the-top parties, attracting a mix of celebrities, socialites, artists, and a diverse crowd of partygoers; the epicenter of the disco craze; a symbol of liberation and decadence, reflecting the spirit of the '70s.
- The Vietnam War (1955 to 1975): Primarily pitting the communist forces of North Vietnam, backed by the Soviet Union and China, against the anti-communist forces of South Vietnam, supported by the United States and other Western allies. The Vietnam War ended in 1975 when North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon, leading to the reunification of Vietnam under communist control. The war resulted in a significant loss of life and had far-reaching consequences, both in terms of American foreign policy and the trauma it inflicted on the nations involved.
- The New York City blackout of 1977: A massive electrical power outage that plunged the city into darkness on July 13-14, 1977. With no street lights, traffic signals, or electricity, there wa widespread looting, arson, and vandalism, particularly in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Over 1,000 fires were reported, and thousands of arrests were made in the days that followed.
- The death of Elvis Presley (the "King of Rock and Roll": He passed away on August 16, 1977, in Memphis, Tennessee. His death at the age of 42 shocked the world and marked the end of an era in popular music.
- Son of Sam: A serial killer (David Berkowitz) terrorized New York City during the summer of 1976 and 1977 that left six people dead and several others wounded; created widespread fear and panic in the city. Berkowitz's modus operandi involved approaching parked cars and opening fire on young couples sitting inside. He targeted his victims seemingly at random and often struck late at night. He left taunting, cryptic letters at some crime scenes, which earned him the nickname "Son of Sam." In these letters, he claimed to be following the orders of a demon that inhabited a neighbor's dog. In August 1977, Berkowitz was finally apprehended by the police, leading to his arrest and subsequent confession.
The two main characters are siblings whose parents are members of the Washington D.C. political elite. The brother, Ike Marder, a Vietnam vet, hides in the wilderness with a bunch of other vets and other "forgotten" and left behind people (UFO believers, big foot pursuers, and 1960s hippies that never grew out of that phase). He attaches himself to the infamous Evel Knievel, a President Trump stand in, who decides to make a run for the presidency and whips up his "forgotten" people to march on Washington.
The sister, Lucy Marder, an aspiring journalist who wants to do good, takes a job with the Lyon family (a stand in for the Fox Murdoch family) working for the fictional Washington D.C. newspaper The Sentinel. She discovers that the Lyon family's version of journalism is fabricated and exaggerated news to make headlines. The Son of Sam killings are going on in NYC and the family uses the paper to insinuate that a collection of unconnected murders might be their own serial killer (the slug line killer).
As Evel Knievel loses interest during the trip, his supporters decide to divert course without him to protest a meeting of the political elite on a small island off the Florida coast; a meeting where Lucy and her parents are attending. In a stand in for the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, the Evel Knievel mob gets ugly and has intent to do real harm.
Unfortunately, in the end, the story doesn't cohere. All of these things are great ideas and unbelievable coincidences, but they are all just ingredients in a pot that don't really amount to anything. And then, the last act has Ike turning into Jason Borne and rescuing everybody at the island and the reveal
!!SPOILER!!!
that Lyon's son, Harry, and Lucy's love interest, is protecting his mentally ill brother who has been behind the Washington D.C. killings all along in order to sell papers.
But at that point, I had lost interest. In the end, the book has some interesting parts, but it's not great.
Source
Jake Tapper, 2023. All the Demons Are Here [Book]. Narrated by Meg Price and Rob Shapiro. Published by Little, Brown and Company. Goodreads. URL https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
References
Jake Tapper, 2012. The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor [Book]. Goodreads. URL https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Jake Tapper, 2018. The Hellfire Club [Book]. Goodreads. URL https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Jake Tapper, 2021. The Devil May Dance: A Novel [Book]. Goodreads. URL https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Judith Reveal, 2023. All the Demons Are Here: A Novel [Book review]. New York Journal of Books. URL https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book...
Salena Zito, 2023. Jake Tapper’s All the Demons are Here is a thriller that immerses readers in the turbulent ’70s [Book review]. Washington Examiner. URL https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op...
Sophia Nguyen, 2023. Jake Tapper imagines what would happen if Evel Knievel ran for president [Interview]. The Washington Post. URL https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
May 25, 2024
I was really disappointed in this one. I thought it was boring.
February 28, 2024
Not my idea of a thriller. I found the book to be too full of uninteresting and unrelated filler and background (may be just me).
Random changes of venue and character were distracting and basically two different story lines that the author tried to make one. He tried to pull it together at the end, but just barely.
I’ll admit the last 31 pages were pretty good but you have to plow through 281 to get there.
There may be a subliminal perspective disguised but for others to decide.
Random changes of venue and character were distracting and basically two different story lines that the author tried to make one. He tried to pull it together at the end, but just barely.
I’ll admit the last 31 pages were pretty good but you have to plow through 281 to get there.
There may be a subliminal perspective disguised but for others to decide.
July 24, 2023
This was the first book that I’ve ever DNF’ed. I won this as a Goodreads giveaway and was so excited to read it, but found that it was so difficult for me to become invested in. Between the many historical references, and the side annotations on the pages, I felt very distracted. The book was written well overall, but I just couldn’t seem to get into the story line.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews