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The best of hers I’ve read. A journalist is drawn in to investigating the murder of two young women working ind DC’s media outlets, one print and one television.
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Capital Crimes #21
Murder at The Washington Tribune
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“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 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
–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 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
369 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 25,2005
This edition
- Format
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369 pages, Mass Market Paperback
- Published
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October 31, 2006 by Ballantine Books
- ISBN
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9780345478207
- ASIN
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0345478207
- Language
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English
About the author
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Mary Margaret Truman Daniel was an American classical soprano, actress, journalist, radio and television personality, writer, and New York socialite. She was the only child of President Harry Truman and First Lady Bess Truman. While her father was president during the years 1945 to 1953, Margaret regularly accompanied him on campaign trips, such as the 1948 countrywide whistle-stop campaign lasting several weeks. She also appeared at important White House and political events during those years, being a favorite with the media.
After graduating from George Washington University in 1946, she embarked on a career as a coloratura soprano, beginning with a concert appearance with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 1947. She appeared in concerts with orchestras throughout the United States and in recitals throughout the U.S. through 1956. She made recordings for RCA Victor, and made television appearances on programs like What's My Line? and The Bell Telephone Hour.
In 1957, one year after her marriage, Truman abandoned her singing career to pursue a career as a journalist and radio personality, when she became the co-host of the program Weekday with Mike Wallace. She also wrote articles as an independent journalist, for a variety of publications in the 1960s and 1970s. She later became the successful author of a series of murder mysteries, and a number of works on U.S. First Ladies and First Families, including well-received biographies of her father, President Harry S. Truman and mother Bess Truman.
She was married to journalist Clifton Daniel, managing editor of The New York Times. The couple had four sons, and were prominent New York socialites who often hosted events for the New York elite.
After graduating from George Washington University in 1946, she embarked on a career as a coloratura soprano, beginning with a concert appearance with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 1947. She appeared in concerts with orchestras throughout the United States and in recitals throughout the U.S. through 1956. She made recordings for RCA Victor, and made television appearances on programs like What's My Line? and The Bell Telephone Hour.
In 1957, one year after her marriage, Truman abandoned her singing career to pursue a career as a journalist and radio personality, when she became the co-host of the program Weekday with Mike Wallace. She also wrote articles as an independent journalist, for a variety of publications in the 1960s and 1970s. She later became the successful author of a series of murder mysteries, and a number of works on U.S. First Ladies and First Families, including well-received biographies of her father, President Harry S. Truman and mother Bess Truman.
She was married to journalist Clifton Daniel, managing editor of The New York Times. The couple had four sons, and were prominent New York socialites who often hosted events for the New York elite.
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Predictable. Lifetime movie material.
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Murder at the Washington Tribune by Margaret Truman was a sad dissapointment to me. I suppose the author was going for sophistication. However, I like the hero (or heroine, or both) to be likable and veteran news reporter at the Trib, Joe Wilcox simply wasn't. Not only that, none of the characters in the book were, except Joe's wife Georgia, who he cheated on with the only other female character who was even remotely likeable, D.C. police detective Edith Vargas Swayze. Joe's TV news anchor daughter is constantly trying to steal stories from him and angry when he tries to protect his own news leads. Joe has a homicidal brother he hates who shows up after having spent forty years in a mental institution for brutally murdering a young girl. As a Christian, I may have over reacted, but the author has this brother, now calling himself Michael LaRue, fussy over serving wine and cheese when he finally gets Joe to visit his apartment. Michael wears tight fitting jeans and tops that reveal he's spending quite a bit of time at the gym, Michael also loves fine music and literature and meets with a woman who has similar interests, only that she has an interest in Michael that is totally unrequited. Michael does kill again in the book. He kills his drunken neighbor who makes the mistake of calling him gay. I thought there was a subtle suggestion that since Joe and the Michael were brought up in and ultra religious Christian home, Michale has somehow become homicidal because he had to surpress his homosexuality. This also didn't sit well with me
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2.5 Stars
Margaret Truman is usually a good read. She knows how to meld character and plot driven narrative into her Capital Crimes Series, and that is what makes her mysteries good. However, Murder at The Washington Tribune was not her best novel. The plot line of young beautiful and rising “Panache” reporter, Jean Kaporis, at the fictitious Washington Tribune found brutally strangled in the supply closet at the far end of the newspaper’s main Newsroom immediately hooks the reader; especially when another young woman’s body is found in a nearby park soon after. Line Producer, Colleen McNamara was also strangled to death. With another young woman of the Media dead, headlines are screaming around Washington, D.C. Veteran Trib “cops” reporter Joe Wilcox is pressured to investigate the deaths with a task force of researchers and other Trib reporters to steer the MPD away from pursuing their theory that the killer works at the paper. His Editor also strongly suggests the bigger the story is, the greater the circulation and advertising revenue.
Feeling the heat not only from his bosses, Wilcox wonders if his own daughter, Roberta, is out to scoop him. Robbie is a rising TV reporter who desperately wants to break the story wide open and be the first to report the killer’s identity. Wilcox believes the murders are the work of one person and purposely floats his theory as fact, a no-no in journalism. Enter Joe’s brother, Michael. He has arrived in D.C. after spending 40 years in a Mental Institution for the Criminally Insane for killing a young girl in Illinois. Michael was in the Tribune building the night Kaporis was killed. Could Michael be the killer, Wilcox wonders. Could his indiscretion jeopardize the flow of information he relies upon from is MPD source? Could his beautiful daughter be the killer’s next victim?
Truman throws in a few more twists and mysteries, but loses threads here and there during the telling of the story, focusing on Joe and his relationships and his attempt to jump start his career in the cut-throat business that 21st Century Journalism has become with the advent of blogging and the 24/7 TV News cycle. He has become such a dinosaur that he missed the clue to Jean’s murderer that her father spoon fed him. The other investigations are predictable and the reader can solve some mysteries far ahead from when the answers are revealed. Other questions are never resolved, only to have Joe to exploit them. Veering away from her Capital Crime Series character, Mac Smith, just didn’t work well in this novel. Murder at The Washington Tribune was not bad, it just was not Truman's best.
Margaret Truman is usually a good read. She knows how to meld character and plot driven narrative into her Capital Crimes Series, and that is what makes her mysteries good. However, Murder at The Washington Tribune was not her best novel. The plot line of young beautiful and rising “Panache” reporter, Jean Kaporis, at the fictitious Washington Tribune found brutally strangled in the supply closet at the far end of the newspaper’s main Newsroom immediately hooks the reader; especially when another young woman’s body is found in a nearby park soon after. Line Producer, Colleen McNamara was also strangled to death. With another young woman of the Media dead, headlines are screaming around Washington, D.C. Veteran Trib “cops” reporter Joe Wilcox is pressured to investigate the deaths with a task force of researchers and other Trib reporters to steer the MPD away from pursuing their theory that the killer works at the paper. His Editor also strongly suggests the bigger the story is, the greater the circulation and advertising revenue.
Feeling the heat not only from his bosses, Wilcox wonders if his own daughter, Roberta, is out to scoop him. Robbie is a rising TV reporter who desperately wants to break the story wide open and be the first to report the killer’s identity. Wilcox believes the murders are the work of one person and purposely floats his theory as fact, a no-no in journalism. Enter Joe’s brother, Michael. He has arrived in D.C. after spending 40 years in a Mental Institution for the Criminally Insane for killing a young girl in Illinois. Michael was in the Tribune building the night Kaporis was killed. Could Michael be the killer, Wilcox wonders. Could his indiscretion jeopardize the flow of information he relies upon from is MPD source? Could his beautiful daughter be the killer’s next victim?
Truman throws in a few more twists and mysteries, but loses threads here and there during the telling of the story, focusing on Joe and his relationships and his attempt to jump start his career in the cut-throat business that 21st Century Journalism has become with the advent of blogging and the 24/7 TV News cycle. He has become such a dinosaur that he missed the clue to Jean’s murderer that her father spoon fed him. The other investigations are predictable and the reader can solve some mysteries far ahead from when the answers are revealed. Other questions are never resolved, only to have Joe to exploit them. Veering away from her Capital Crime Series character, Mac Smith, just didn’t work well in this novel. Murder at The Washington Tribune was not bad, it just was not Truman's best.
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Margaret Truman's books have a certain sameness to them. She was a very nice woman and just couldn't write about really bad people, so most of her criminals are that way because of circumstances.
Forty years ago, Joe Wilcox's older brother. Michael brutally murdered a teenaged neighbor girl and was sent to a mental hospital after being found not guilty by reason of insanity. No time is spent on whether he really WAS insane, or just used that defense to save his life.
Now, a woman reporter at Joe's newspaper, The Washington Tribune, has been killed in the newsroom!! And Michael has re-appeared, having been judged sane and released. But, Joe doesn't know about Michael, nor does his daughter, Roberta, a rising TV journalist. Michael makes himself known, appearing as charming and a talented guitarist and chef.
Then Joe commits an absolutely unbelievable (and TOTALLY out of character!) crime, which for me ruined the rest of the book.
Forty years ago, Joe Wilcox's older brother. Michael brutally murdered a teenaged neighbor girl and was sent to a mental hospital after being found not guilty by reason of insanity. No time is spent on whether he really WAS insane, or just used that defense to save his life.
Now, a woman reporter at Joe's newspaper, The Washington Tribune, has been killed in the newsroom!! And Michael has re-appeared, having been judged sane and released. But, Joe doesn't know about Michael, nor does his daughter, Roberta, a rising TV journalist. Michael makes himself known, appearing as charming and a talented guitarist and chef.
Then Joe commits an absolutely unbelievable (and TOTALLY out of character!) crime, which for me ruined the rest of the book.
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I am a big fan of Margaret Truman but this book was just bad. The lead characters were unlikeable. Halfway through the book I knew who the murderer was, but the lead character had never looked in that direction even though he had huge clues to follow! Not a very good journalist if he can’t follow where the story leads. A big disappointment.
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Boring.
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Joe Wilcox, in print, and his daughter, Roberta, in TV, are rivals for the same story: a female reporter at Joe's paper, The Washington Tribune, has been murdered. Detective Edith Vargus-Swayze, one of the few interesting characters in the book, has been Joe's source within the police department in the past and he tries to use her again. When a second woman is killed, the pressure is on from all their employers to find the killer(s).
The story meanders on far too long with a focus on Wilcox, an aging reporter who's being pushed out by younger people and younger ideas about what reporting is becoming - more tabloid and less facts. Tabloid is winning. Midway, Joe's long lost brother shows up to add a little tension. But Joe cracks under the pressure and makes a desperate and duplicitous decision that betrays both his professional standards, his relationship with Vargus-Swayze, and his family. Then far too easily, it's all wrapped up and tied with a bow and everyone lives happily ever after.
The story meanders on far too long with a focus on Wilcox, an aging reporter who's being pushed out by younger people and younger ideas about what reporting is becoming - more tabloid and less facts. Tabloid is winning. Midway, Joe's long lost brother shows up to add a little tension. But Joe cracks under the pressure and makes a desperate and duplicitous decision that betrays both his professional standards, his relationship with Vargus-Swayze, and his family. Then far too easily, it's all wrapped up and tied with a bow and everyone lives happily ever after.
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