If you’ve been glued to television news over the last eventful few weeks, you’ve likely seen Jake Tapper and his perpetually raised eyebrow discussing politics on CNN.
But while Tapper’s latest project does involve the Beltway, it has nothing to do with Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, or a constantly tweeting commander-in-chief.
Tapper revealed the cover of his forthcoming thriller, The Devil May Dance, with Entertainment Weekly and talked books with the magazine. His novel, a sequel to his 2018 book, The Hellfire Club, follows a political power couple in Washington, D.C., who are asked by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to investigate a threat to American security in 1960s Los Angeles.
Tapper told the magazine that his favorite part of writing the new book was “taking real things that happened in 1961–1962 and turning them into settings or plot points.” He also said that making a character out of Frank Sinatra, who appears in the book, “was a challenge, but it was also a lot of fun.”
He also talked about books that have meant a lot to him: Angela Banner’s children’s book series Ant and Bee, Elie Wiesel’s Night, and the book he’s planning to read next, Nick Hornby’s recently released Just Like You.
Asked what his favorite writing snack is, Tapper offered a relatable one-word answer: “Bourbon.”
The Devil May Dance is slated for publication by Hachette imprint Back Bay Books on May 11, 2021.
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
