I liked the characters - Joe Wilcox, veteran reporter for the Washington Tribune, his wife and daughter, Roberta, who was a a television reporter. Add an attractive police detective who Joe had a one night stand with a long time ago and a brother who mysteriously calls him after not being in the picture for many years. Then add his boss and a few fellow co-workers. The plot started out well but then got kind of tangled. About two thirds of the way through, I just wanted it wrapped up. Not one of her better books but it was okay. I miss the Reeds...

I enjoyed the characters, the plot, the intrigue, and the book was a quick and easy read. My first Margaret Truman book, but I'll definitely find and read another from this author.

My main issue with this book was that I’m a journalist so I didn’t really agree with some of the behavior portrayed. But taken just as a fictional story, it was an interesting ride. One of the plot points was left unresolved as well.

Predictable. Lifetime movie material.

Actual rating 2.5

The story is a little dated. It was beginning to get a bit repetitive, but a twist around page 150 kept me interested.

One of my favorite series.
Read these with my Dear Mother.
Read in 2008.

This is the first murder mystery I have read since "Murder on K Street," Margret Truman's novel published in 2008, the year she died. And was a very engaging book that I enjoyed a lot. But I thought there was a basic flaw: the plot hinged on something (that seemed quite unimportant at the time), which while not impossible seemed quite improbable. Had it not been for that, I would have given it four stars rather than just three.

I liked what Joe once said to his daughter: "If you're ever put in a position where you have to decide between honesty as a reporter and job security, go with honest every time. You may suffer in the short term, but you'll be able to hold your head high, and even better opportunities will come your way" (p. 281).

Truman writes a pretty good mystery.

Fun read; mystery with a twist at end. Newspaper setting is timely.

a page-turner; first one I've read by Margaret Truman

Not great but ok. I like the Capital Crime series but this just wasn’t one of the author’s best. However, if are looking for a quick beach day read, this might be for you.

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.