Murder in the CIA (Capital Crime Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Margaret Truman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 12, 1988 | Series: Capital Crime Mysteries

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

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Truman's seventh thriller shows a deepening knowledge of her craft, topping her previous bestsellers, Murder in the White House, etc. CIA agent Colette Cahill heads a big cast of intriguers, American and foreign. Cahill's friend Barrie Nelson is a literary agent who dies suddenly on her way to meet a Hungarian author. The official verdict is heart failure, but Cahill suspects murder and investigates. The self-assignment takes her to the Virgin Islands, where Nelson's lover, a fellow agent, spies on Soviet visitors; to a psychiatrist in New York whom the dead woman had consulted; to Budapest and back to Washington. Everywhere Cahill is in imminent danger and embittered by evidence that neither the CIA nor rival intelligence agencies respect law, only one-upmanship. This is a colorful, seething story of cruelty and corruption that discloses how far the U.S. organization has deviated from its purpose since it was set up by President Truman in 1947written by one who knows.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

A literary agent who happens to be a CIA courier is murdered in London's Heathrow airport. Collette Cahill, member of the CIA unit in Budapest, wants to know why her friend died. As she travels from Europe to Washington, D.C. and the British Virgin Islands she makes a few startling discoveries about herself and the organization for which she works. In each of her mysteries Truman has been concerned with morality in government and this is her strongest statement to date. Along the way she has created a knowledgeable, very capable female operative who knows the ropes and can fend for herself. JV
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett (August 12, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449212750
• ISBN-13: 978-0449212752
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.9 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,733 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book! :), January 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Murder in the CIA (Capital Crime Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

I read this book for a book report and I loved it. Especially because I like the CIA. If you like books that have a lot of action then you should read this.

4.0 out of 5 stars Margaret Truman is the Expert in DC Crime Stories, September 11, 2010

By 

Nonna Bonnonna "Mystery-A-Holic" (San Antonio, TX, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Murder in the CIA (Capital Crime Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

As a mystery buff, I happened upon one Margaret Truman mystery at a yard sale, and knew I had to read every single book she wrote. Being the daughter of "THE TRUMANS" she has the knowlege of Washington D.C. and environs like nobody else, and her writing is an exciting, fast and thrilling ride through the Capital after a vile murderer. Now I've read them all--wowee, what a feast!

3.0 out of 5 stars Better than Ludlum, but Truman is no LeCarre..., December 27, 2001

By 

Thomas J. Brucia "Tom B" (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder in the CIA (Capital Crime Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is just the thing for a long plane flight, or a series of quiet evenings at home. Its strongest point is excellent plotting. The character development and scene-setting seemed a bit thin to me. Unlike the Smiley series by LeCarre, the writing seems much more commercial -- and it is hard to really feel (and intensely care about) the characters. (There are the usual romantic/sexual/love interests stirred in, but they seem superficial, reflecting Collette Cahill's shallow personality.) On the other hand, Truman's characters outshine Ludlum's stickmen; hers seem like real people (though just acquaintances, not friends). On excellent attribute of 'Murder in the CIA' is that one doesn't know who the 'bad guys' and the 'goods guys' are until just before the end of the tale. I would strongly suggest that readers who don't want to lose track of everyone really should keep a pad to jot down the names of each of the characters. This 303-page potboiler brings in quite a large cast, and many of them are important to the plot. This book was written during the Cold War, and younger readers may have some trouble connecting with the anti-Communist motivations behind a lot of the action. Also some of the devices (post-hypnotic recollections, for example) seem both contrived and dated. Things have changed a lot since 1987. --- In short, 'Murder in the CIA' is not great literature, but it is a fun read.