On Sale
June 16, 2026
All Aboard the Super Chief. Next Stop: Danger.
On Sale June 16, 2026
Two legends, one midnight train, and a deadly race into the gathering storm.
Award-winning author Paul Levine writes legal thrillers featuring Jake Lassiter and WWII historical thrillers that imagine real-life friends Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin in the crosshairs of history. Fritz Duquesne, a ruthless German spy pulled straight from the history books, hatches a plot that could change the course of history: kidnap Albert Einstein and deliver him to Berlin to build the Reich’s atomic bomb. But the abduction is only half the conspiracy. Enraged by Charlie Chaplin’s mockery in The Great Dictator, Adolf Hitler dispatches an SS assassin to silence the man who turned laughter into a weapon.
Nazi spies. Hollywood ties. WWII historical thriller of intrigue and suspense.
The Genius and the Tramp Fight Fascists in 1930’s Hollywood
Named Historical Thriller of the Year in the 2025 Best Thrillers Book Awards!
Before World War II began, the battle for America’s soul was already underway.
It’s 1937, and as war clouds gather over Europe, fascists march in America. When real-life friends Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin uncover a Nazi plot to assassinate Hollywood’s biggest stars and ignite an insurrection, they strike back with nothing but their ingenuity, raw courage, and the fierce resolve of Georgia Ann Robinson, LAPD’s first Black female officer. In a race against time, the trio must outwit and outfight their enemies before America veers toward an unthinkable future. Historical fiction inspired by a true story.
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Praise
“Paul Levine brings the snappy humor of his terrific Jake Lassiter series to the ingenious pairing of real-life friends Charlie Chaplin and Albert Einstein on a roller coaster ride to save America from a fascist threat within its borders.”
— Jacqueline Winspear, author of the New York Times bestselling “Maisie Dobbs” series
— Lee Goldberg, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
— Ed Zuckerman, Emmy Award-winning screenwriter
“This series promises to mix fun capers with serious societal commentary and is one to watch out for.”
— First Clues Book of the Week
“Inspired by historical events and the real-life friendship between Chaplin and Einstein, award-winning mystery writer Paul Levine, author of the Jake Lassiter series, has carefully crafted an intriguing and in many ways timely historical thriller that immerses readers in the world of 1930s Los Angeles.”
— Booklist
“Levine’s latest will appeal to fans of historical mysteries, especially ones with real-life protagonists. Levine does an excellent job capturing the atmosphere of Golden Age Hollywood as well as the spirits of two of the most important figures of the era.”
— Library Journal
“Though the 1930s may seem peaceful in hindsight, Midnight Burning reminds readers that even in calm times, darkness can lurk beneath the surface. Einstein and Chaplin put everything on the line — not just for survival, but for the American ideals of justice and freedom. Takeaway: Gripping, cinematic ride through one of Hollywood’s most turbulent chapters.”
— Booklife (Editor’s Pick)
“A delicious thriller.”
— Scott Eyman, New York Times bestselling author of Charlie Chaplin vs. America
“Levine takes us back to the Golden Age of Hollywood and combines historical fiction and political thriller into a lightning-paced propulsive novel.”
— Sheldon Siegel, New York Times bestselling author of Special Circumstances
“Levine’s richest novel, a brilliant piece of fiction.”
— Deepak Sethi, screenwriter and film director
About Author Paul Levine
The author of twenty-four novels, Paul Levine won the John D. MacDonald Fiction Award and has been nominated for the Edgar, Macavity, International Thriller, Shamus, and James Thurber prizes. His novels have been translated into 23 languages. A former trial lawyer, he also wrote twenty episodes of the CBS military drama JAG and co-created the Supreme Court drama First Monday starring James Garner and Joe Mantegna. The international bestseller To Speak for the Dead introduced readers to linebacker-turned-lawyer Jake Lassiter and was named one of the best mysteries of the year by the Los Angeles Times. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed Solomon vs. Lord series of legal capers. His newest novel is Midnight Burning, first of the Einstein-Chaplin thrillers. He is a member of Penn State’s Society of Distinguished Alumni and graduated, with honors, from the University of Miami School of Law. He lives in Santa Barbara, CA.
Follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PaulLevineAuthorPage/ or on Twitter @Jake_Lassiter
