Truman, Margaret Books

Murder at the Opera: A Capital Crimes Novel (Truman, Margaret, Capital Crimes Series.)

Margaret Truman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Margaret Truman, who knows where all the bodies are buried inside the Beltway, has written her most thrilling novel of suspense yet. Murder at the Opera features the popular crime-fighting couple Mac Smith and his wife, Annabel Reed-Smith, as they navigate the glitz, glamour, and grime that is Washington, D.C.

It ain’t over till the fat lady sings . . . but the show hasn’t even started yet when a diva is found dead. The soprano in question, a petite young Asian Canadian named Charise Lee, was scarcely a star at the Washington National Opera. But when the aspiring singer is stabbed in the heart backstage during rehearsals, she suddenly takes center stage.

Georgetown law professor Mac Smith thought he’d just be carrying a rapier in Tosca as a favor for his beloved Annabel, but now they’re both being pressured by the panicked theater board to unmask a killer. Providing accompaniment will be former homicide detective, current P.I., and eternal opera fan Raymond Pawkins.

Soon the Smiths find themselves dangerously improvising among an expanding cast of suspects with all sorts of scores to settle. What they uncover is an increasingly complex case reaching far beyond Washington to a dark world of informers and terror alerts in Iraq, and climaxing on a fateful night at the opera attended by none other than the President himself.


From the Hardcover edition.

Murder in the White House (Capital Crimes)

Margaret Truman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Just an Okay Whodunnit 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Margaret Truman (who passed away earlier this year) is best known as the daughter of President Harry S. Truman. But she was also a highly successful mystery author, having written over twenty "Capital Crimes" novels, i.e. murder mysteries that all take place in Washington DC.

MURDER IN THE WHITE HOUSE is Truman's very first novel, published in 1980, when she was fifty-six years old. I found this novel to be mildly entertaining, but little more.

The murder storyline, which involves a slain Secretary of State, was intriguing enough to hold my interest. But the characterization is flat and uninspiring, and certain plot twists simply strain credulity. The writing is solid for a first time effort, but largely flavorless. This is the type of book you read on an airplane and forget about the next day.

My understanding is that Truman's books get better as they go along, so I may try one of her later efforts. But I won't be in any particular hurry to do so. MURDER IN THE WHITE HOUSE is decent enough if you're looking for a short, easy read, but there are far better novels in the genre.

Editorial Review:

In a town where the weapon of choice is usually a well-aimed rumor, the strangling of Secretary of State Lansard Blaine in the Lincoln Bedroom is a gruesome first. White House counsel Ron Fairbanks is ordered to investigate. There are persistent rumors that the Secretary was an accomplished womanizer with ties to a glamorous call girl. There is also troubling evidence of unofficial connections with international wheeler-dealers.

In death as in life, Blaine is a power to be reckoned with. For Fairbanks, who loves the President’s daughter, one point is soon clear: only a few highly placed insiders had access to the Lincoln Bedroom that fateful evening. And one of them was the president. . . .

Murder at the Washington Tribune: A Capital Crimes Novel (Truman, Margaret, Capital Crimes Series.)

Margaret Truman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

“Truman can write suspense with the best of them.”
–Larry King

“Satisfying . . . [a] solid mystery . . . a cautionary tale about ambition and a vote for journalistic integrity.”
–Publishers Weekly

At the big, aggressive Washington Tribune, a young woman, fresh out of journalism school, has been brutally strangled to death–and the hunt for her killer is making sensational headlines. Then a second woman is found dead. She, too, worked in the media. For veteran Trib reporter Joe Wilcox, the case strikes too close to home: His daughter is a beautiful rising TV news star. Seeing a chance to revive his free-falling career, Joe spearheads the Trib’s investigation and baits a trap for the murderer with a secret from his own past. Suddenly Joe is risking his career, his marriage, and even his daughter’s life by playing a dangerous game with a possible serial killer . . . one who hides in plain sight.

“Ripe with suspense, Truman’s mystery gets edgier with each page. . . . A captivating, fast-paced thriller.”
–Romantic Times

“Hooks the reader immediately.”
–The Ottawa Sun

Murder in Havana (Capital Crimes Series.)

Margaret Truman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

She knows Washington, but not Havana 2 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

The main problem with this book is its lack of "Cubanosity" in the way that the Cuban characters act and talk and behave - they are depicted as the way Truman imagines Cubans would act, and as a result, while the book delivers an adequate thriller plot, her placement of the action in Cuba, without much knowledge of Cuban culture and mannerisms, and social issues (such as racism) gives this book some pretty big holes. For example - Cubans refer to themselves as white or black or mulatto, etc. not as "Hispanics" and Truman consistently misuses this term as a racial delimiter (a very common American mistake) rather than a cultural amplifier. The book failed to make me believe that the story was actually set in Havana.

Editorial Review:

Havana may be far from Washington, but DC power brokers are never far from Havana. Neither are danger, deception, and sudden death. That’s what draws Max Pauling there. As an ex-CIA, ex-State Department employee, he faces an uneventful early retirement–until he is asked to secretly fly some medical supplies into the mysterious Cuban city.

If Max is looking for excitement, he finds it. First there’s his contact, a breathtaking beauty with private plans of her own. Then there’s a former senator, in Havana to ease the U.S. embargo, but who may have another, more malevolent, mission. Throw in endless supplies of under-the-table money– not to mention a murder–and Max has landed in a place even more corrupt . . . and more compelling . . . than the U.S. capital itself.

Murder at the National Cathedral (Capital Crime Mysteries)

Margaret Truman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

tedious at best 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I have read a number of Margaret Truman's murder mysteries and was pleased to find this one as a book on tape so that I could enjoy it on my drive to work. However, this one was a true departure from her other works that I have read and approached what I was afraid that all of her books would be like when I first started reading them: the pretentious writings of a Washington insider. The murder mystery in and of itself is very simplistic. Truman brings in a vague ecumenical movement called "Word of Peace" and has everyone in the Episcopal/Anglican Church heirarchy express their doubts and fears about the group without going into detail why they should be afraid of it. Truman seems to think that an ongoing, out-in-the-open sexual relationship by an unmarried Bishop is not a big deal - and she would be wrong in that assertion.

Truman's descriptions of church activities and goings on have no natural feel - which is unfortunate because her other books were so much better and somehow managed to "feel" right.

My audiobook version was read by Emmy award-winning actor Rene Auberjonois (from Benson and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine). he did a remarkable job with the many accents required. His female voices even sound like they were read by females! A+ for the reading.

Overall score for the book: D-

Editorial Review:

"One of her most enjoyable books."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The brutal murder of a friend drags Mac Smith and Annabel Reed from their newlywed bliss into an unholy web of intrigue and danger. When a second murder is commited in England, which the honeymooners had just visited, the Smiths go back across the seas, and straight into the center of an ungodly plot of secret agents, a playboy priest, a frustrated lover, a choleric cleric...and a murder so perfect it's a sin.

Murder in the CIA (Capital Crime Mysteries)

Margaret Truman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Couldn't Put it Down! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This was my first read in the Capitol Crimes Series, and it won't be my last. While being an easy read, it wasn't too easy that I became bored and lost interest. The main character was someone I could relate to, and have sympathy for . It was very surprising who were the good guys and who were the bad guys. This is a good escape book, better than TV in my opinion.

The queen of mystery in DC is back 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

She did a great job in this book I simply could not put it down! Great suspense and a dry sense of humor go a long way in these great mysreries. who did assk the President's Daughtewr she knows. Great all the way!

Editorial Review:

Barrie Mayer, a beautiful Washington literary agent, finds her trip to Budapest cut short -- when her body turns up dead. But her best friend, Colette Cahill, a CIA agent, knows that Barrie was carrying something else in her briefcase, and she suspects the worst. When the Agency instructs her to investigate, Colette could lose her own life in the high-stakes search....
"Smooth...seductive."
ASSOCIATED PRESS

Murder on Capitol Hill (Capital Crimes)

Margaret Truman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Predictable 3 out of 5 stars.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.

The second in Margaret Truman's "Murder in Washington" series is better than the first. In "Murder on Capitol Hill" Truman has a surer grasp of character and plot than in "Murder in the White House", but her research is still done from memory and the story is predictable. Senator Cale Caldwell is murdered at a party, leaving readers a finite number of suspects as heroine lawyer Lydia James leads the investigation. Truman gives us an interesting and well-drawn array of suspects, but most readers will have worked out the plot halfway through.

As in "White House", Truman relies heavily on her Washington memories rather than researching new ones. So instead of interesting and detailed insights into the Senate's back rooms, we get a lot of chats in restaurants and bars. Despite its title, there is very little description of Capitol Hill. Readers interested in juicy insider insights will be disappointed. With a few pen strokes, the book could be set in any city. A quick read, not bad, but lots of room for improvement.

Editorial Review:

Between them, Senator Cale Caldwell and his blue-blooded wife controlled as much power on Capitol Hill as the law would allow. Sadly, it wasn’t sufficient to protect him from a killer, even surrounded by his friends at a champagne reception in his honor.

The senator’s murder wasn’t the family’s first brush with violence. Only two years ago, a niece had been murdered, her killer never found. But when attorney Lydia James, counsel to a senate committee investigating the tragedy, suggests there might be a connection between the two deaths, she’s voted down fast. Yet strange rumors persist. The senator’s death could benefit many people, among them a bitter political adversary, an ambitious talk show host, and a master of spin who makes even murder look
good. . . .

Murder in the House (Capital Crime Series , No 13)

Margaret Truman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Congressman Paul Latham is about to be named secretary of state but dies beneath the Statue of Freedom before he can accept the honor. When his body is found, a 9-mm pistol clutched in his hand (is it suicide or murder?), rumors begin to fly, targeting Latham as no better than Warren Brazier's lackey and threatening the credibility of the administration's foreign policy. Brazier, a wealthy industrialist and potent political force (à la Ross Perot), is conducting questionable business with the Russian government (à la George Soros's evil twin), and nothing will stop him in his quest to snap up formerly state-owned industries at bargain prices--certainly not a trivial consideration such as trade legislation pending in the House Foreign Relations Committee.

When Mac Smith is asked to bring his legal expertise to a research mission in Moscow, he finds himself attempting to clear Latham's name--and getting closer and closer to some very dangerous individuals.

Margaret Truman is operating according to established parameters in Murder in the House, but fans will appreciate the relative skill with which she weaves together the themes of disturbing relationships on two continents: hard-line Communists with the Russian mafia on one hand, and politics with American big business on the other.

Readers may want to check out other entries in the Capital Crimes series--try Murder on Embassy Row, Murder at the National Gallery, or Murder in the CIA. --Kelly Flynn

Murder at the Library of Congress (Capital Crimes)

Margaret Truman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

The library is the star... 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

One of the best parts about a Margaret Truman mystery is the insight into the Washington DC institutions that are featured in her books. Murder in the Library of Congress is no exception, and we get a fascinating look inside this venerable but widely overlooked treasure.

Former lawyer and current art gallery owner, Annabel Reed-Smith, takes a two month sabbatical from her gallery to write an article that will appear in the Library of Congress magazine, Civilization. The article will be about Columbus' friend and colleague, Bartolome' Las Casas. Reed-Smith plans to spend two months in the Library of Congress doing research for this article. Many experts believe that Las Casas kept diaries and even a treasure map from the three voyages he made with Columbus. But many people searching for these diaries have met with tragic fates. Almost as soon as Annabel arrives at the library, she discovers the body of the number one Las Casas expert in the world. Unfortunately, he's been murdered. Also, 8 years prior to this, another Las Casas expert (who also worked at the library) vanished without a trace. Annabel quickly becomes immersed in trying to solve these mysteries.

While the premise of the plot is plausible, how Annabel seems to always be at the center of things is not. She is consulted by the police, asked to examine possible clues, and kept up to date on the investigation. This is the Washington DC Metro Police, not Mayberry RFD. Also, Annabel's perfect life is just a little too nauseating.

Still, the star of this book is the Library of Congress. She gives both a thumbnail sketch of its history, as well as procedures of operation today. After reading Murder in the Library of Congress, I'll definitely put it on my list of places to visit during my next trip to Washington.

Editorial Review:

In the depths of the U.S. Library of Congress toil thousands of researchers, chasing down obsessions, breakthroughs, and new contributions to human wisdom. But when amateur D.C. sleuth Annabel Reed-Smith enters this stately American institution, she discovers a hornet’s nest of intrigue and murder.

After a renowned scholar is bludgeoned to death among the scholarly stacks, an ambitious TV reporter links the case to the heist of a Spanish painting from a Miami museum and a killing in Mexico City. Annabel suspects that buried in the Library are secrets some people will do anything to keep silent–the secret of a rich man’s ambition, a researcher’s disappearance, and a mysterious diary of Christopher Columbus’s journey written five hundred years ago. . . .

Murder at Ford's Theatre

Margaret Truman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

It was the site of one of the most infamous assassinations in American history. Now bestselling mystery master Margaret Truman premieres a new murder at Ford’s Theater–one that’s hot off today’s headlines.

The body of Nadia Zarinski, an attractive young woman who worked for senator Bruce Lerner–and who volunteered at Ford’s–is discovered in the alley behind the theatre. Soon a pair of mismatched cops–young, studious Rick Klieman and gregarious veteran Moses “Mo” Johnson–start digging into the victim’s life, and find themselves confronting an increasing cast of suspects.

There’s Virginia Senator Lerner himself, rumored to have had a sexual relationship with Nadia–and half the women in D.C. under ninety. . . . Clarise Emerson, producer/director of Ford’s Theatre and ex-wife of the Senator, whose nomination to head the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is now threatened by the scandal . . . Jeremiah Lerner, her aimless, hot-tempered son, said to have been sleeping with Nadia when his famous father wasn’t . . . Bernard Crowley, the theatre’s controller, whose emotions overflow at the mention of the crime . . . faded British stage star Sydney Bancroft, desperate for recognition and a comeback, and armed with damning information about Clarise Emerson . . . and other complex characters from both sides of the footlights.

With her unparalleled understanding of Washington and its players, and her savvy sense of how strange bedfellows cut deals even in the midst of mayhem, Margaret Truman always delivers the most sophisticated and satisfying suspense. Murder at Ford’s Theatre is her most compelling, insightful novel yet, sure to earn her a standing ovation from her many fans and new followers alike.


From the Hardcover edition.