I had great help in writing this book, from the support of my boss, Jeff Zucker, to wonderful edits suggested by dear friends John Berman, Matt Klam, Damon Lindelof, Geoff Shandler, and my little brother, Professor Aaron Hahn Tapper. After making excellent edits and suggestions to much of the first draft, my first editor, Reagan Arthur, left for another publishing house and I was lucky enough to have the talented Judy Clain come and steer the ship through rough seas and to port—I am so grateful to her and her team, including Helen O’Hare and Miya Kumangai, as well as Sabrina Callahan, Pamela Brown, and the whole gang at Little, Brown and, of course, Michael Pietsch of Hachette Book Group, who has been publishing my books for more than twenty years now. CNN’s Lauren Pratapas and Anna Beth Jager were immensely helpful and supportive, as always. My lawyer Bob Barnett was a stalwart supporter as always; my agent Jay Sures was supportive while helping The Hellfire Club find a home in Hollywood. Most important, of course, I thank my loving parents, my best friend/wife, Jennifer, and my creative, beautiful, amazing children, Alice and Jack, to whom this book is dedicated.

About the Author

Jake Tapper is the author of The Hellfire Club, the novel that introduced Charlie and Margaret Marder, as well as The Outpost, which became a celebrated film released in 2020. Tapper is an award-winning anchor for CNN, the network he joined in 2013. He lives in Washington, DC, with his wife, daughter, and son.

Praise for Jake Tapper’s
The Devil May Dance

“The gears of this thriller move expertly and fast…The seriousness of this book never gets in the way of the breathless fun. Tapper obviously enjoyed sourcing it, writing it, and using can-you-top-this gamesmanship from start to finish. Just when you think he’s pulled the biggest rabbit out of his hat, he turns out to have been hiding something bigger…Tapper humanizes Sinatra as a victim of forces he never understood and as one of the least objectionable members of the Rat Pack…He also makes Margaret a wonderful role model for the many people who will enjoy this buoyant book.”

—Janet Maslin, New York Times

“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

“A wickedly fun, adrenaline-fueled page-turner about Hollywood power and corruption. From page one, I was sold. Get ready to get lost in the suspense of this story.

—Shonda Rhimes

“Tapper’s excellent sequel to The Hellfire Club opens with a highly effective tease…Tapper makes good use of the rich source material.”

—Publishers Weekly (starred review)