ARC received from NetGalley

I enjoy Hollywood-centric fiction, especially historicals. Midnight Burning expands upon the friendship of Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin as they tangle with the threat of Nazism in their personal and professional spaces. As written, the story progresses somewhat like a Chaplin film in which the villains bumble around in preparation for their evil-doing, while the Tramp comes away unscathed.

What's wild about reading a book about two well known figures foiling facist plotting is that a story like this should stay fiction. As a supplement to this book, I watched "The Great Dictator", a film from 1940, and am stunned by it relevancy.

There are scary moments that come off scarier if you put this historical fiction into modern context. Overall, it is entertaining.

How could you not want to read a book with the unlikely pairing of Charlie Chaplin and Albert Einstein. This thriller from Paul Levine hooks you from the first page. While at times straining credulity the reader is more than happy to go on a wild ride with the two most famous men in the world, surely the oddest of odd couples. Chaplin the Little Tramp and Einstein the genius scientist and an avowed pacifist stumble on a plot hatched by the egotistic leader of an American Fascist cult, the Silver Shirts, to assassinate Hollywood's biggest moguls of the late 30's. Allowing the German Nazi regime to replace them with men sympathetic to Hitler and spread their Fascist propaganda across the 1000's of movie screens in America. And no, this is not made up. Much of Midnight Burning is based on real events of that dark period in American history. A deft blend of suspense, black humor and historical insight Midnight Burning is a perfect book for our times.

I was absolutely in love with this novel. The duo of Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin is ingenious as a Nazi fighting combo. I loved all the famous side character, but my favorite character is our first female detective. She has gumption, and grit and I love every scene she was a part of. This was a creative, well-written novel and I will be reading more by this author soon.

My thanks to NetGalley, publisher, and the author for allowing me an early read of this book. It was an enjoyable, fast paced caper through historical events of 1937, as two celebrities, Charlie Chaplin and Albert Einstein, take on American-Nazi fascists. There are enough real events, such as the Hindenburg explosion, the Charles Lindbergh “America First” group, and the famous Einstein-Szilard letter, to keep things “real.” And then there’s also the Chaplin-Einstein espionage, as they join a soirée at the German legate to acquire any information they can on “Operation Hollywood.” There’s enough near-misses and explosions to keep the reader on the seat of their pants, and the pacing moves swiftly to a satisfactory conclusion. Overall, I was entertained, and you can’t beat that with a Charlie Chaplin cane!

Charlie Chaplin and Albert Einstein are not only friends, but partners in solving crimes! What a concept in an enjoyable ARC provided by #NetGalley. #MidnightBurning was the perfect mix of historical fiction and mystery.

Charlie Chaplin and Albert Einstein - join forces to save Hollywood from fascist extremists. It made no sense to me, and I didn’t enjoy it. I can’t recommend it.
My thanks to Net Galley and the author for an ARC.

Hollywood, 1930's. This novel set in the time of Hollywood's golden years is filled with suspense and holds you page after page. More to my surprise about this event was that both Charlies Chaplin and Albert Einstein were friends for years. Not only that but they were able to capture the Nazi conspiracy to kill prominent Hollywood people, Indeed, two such different people that were friends for years. The book was well written, (distinct and intense) enjoyable and one that I would highly recommend.

This was a fascinating and VERY enjoyable read. Love the obvious research that Levine did as well as the license he took to tell us a story of friendship.
Although a period piece, it seems tragically and importantly relevant today with the rise of antisemitism, hate, and groups that purport to love the USA but do harm to it. Love that Levine is able to inform us, give us something to reflect on while all the time entertain us.

A page turner that's a lot of fun. The end note which explains how much of this story is based on fact adds a terrific historical perspective. There's serious matters being discussed here amongst the laughs, high jinks and adventures of the Little Tramp and the Twentieth Century's most famous mathematician.

Netgalley opens as text only on my web browser.. and I a not getting any help from the Netgalley team. So typing a short review of this book on my mobile.
I enjoyed this book.

Midnight Burning was a fascinating and unique read—my first from Paul Levine, and definitely a 5-star experience. Blending historical fiction with a suspenseful twist, the story brings together real figures like Einstein and Chaplin to uncover and stop a Nazi plot targeting prominent Hollywood names. Most of the characters and events are based on reality, though many were new to me, which made the read even more engaging. Levine’s writing is sharp and immersive, and I appreciated learning about lesser-known historical events through such an entertaining lens.

The engaging and timely storyline kept me captivated. The dynamic between real-life friends Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin is particularly enjoyable; their contrasting skills and personalities create a compelling partnership.

Readers who enjoy historical fiction will find this an entertaining and interesting read.

Such an entertaining book. Were Charlie Chaplin and Albert Einstein friends? I like to think so. An interesting and original book with twists and turns set in pre WW2 USA.