Customer Reviews

Murder in Foggy Bottom (Capital Crimes)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

In this latest of Margaret Truman's homicidal tour of Washington landmarks and regions, the author expands her scope beyond the single homicide in DC to mass murder by terrorists. There is a Murder in Foggy Bottom to start the book, but this murder seems almost to be incidental to the story, which quickly moves to the cabin on a commuter airline which crashes soon after takeoff from Westchester County, NY. But then we learn that at almost the same time there have been commuter airline crashes in Idaho and California. Three crashes in one day is too much for coincidence, and then evidence of SAM missiles is found in the wreckage. There is the expected panic and concern as the FBI and looks into domestic terrorist organizations while the State Department and the CIA look overseas. The story is strong, the characters are believable, and the suspense is maintained. While Mac and Annabel Smith, the usual primary characters in Truman's series, are present in supporting roles, the principal characters are different. One interesting aspects of this book is the fact that there are multiple characters, almost an ensemble, who carry the story line to an interesting conclusion.

Margaret Truman's mysteries are always fun to read. They are low-key, have a minimum of gory details, and have twists to keep things interesting. This time, we have the murder of a Canadian diplomat and destruction of three commuter planes in flight, killing passengers and crew. We watch the investigation of the crimes through the eyes of a Washington Post reporter, a CIA operative, and several FBI agents. Simultaneous destruction of three planes points to terrorists, but which terrorists? When the CIA man and the reporter find the answer, the story shifts into high gear during the last 100 pages for a breathtaking ending. All in all, it's an enjoyable book for relaxation.

The "bad guy" in this "Capital Crimes" outing is a rather generic white supremacist. We find out about him in a strained set of coincidences that will at best disappoint serious readers, if not infuriate them. Finally, the episodic nature of the book, while it gives the story a sense of immediacy, fails to develop any of the story lines with enough depth. Instead of one good story, we have three mediocre ones.

This book is so poorly written and organized, I question if Margaret Truman even authored it. I have read all of the books in the Capital Crimes series and have come to expect much more. One of the more troubling aspects of this disappointing offering is the way Mac and Annabelle are randomly inserted into the plot. There isn't even an attempt to relate their appearances to the story. I have to believe Ms. Truman owed the publisher a book and allowed this one to be written by an overmatched editor. For anyone new to the series, give them another shot. They are all superior to Murder in Foggy Bottom.

If you like Margaret Truman's other "Murder ... " books, you'll like this one. If you don't, you won't.

The relatively predictable characters and writing are familiar here. The only twist is that this book is about terrorists shooting passenger planes out of the sky, which gives the reader an odd feeling after 9/11.

Truman's books are great if you're looking for something to take to the beach or read on a weekend. They're easily read and the plots are interesting enough to make them page-turners.

If you're looking for serious fiction, you'll be disappointed. But my recommendation is to enjoy Truman's books for what they are -- fun novels for when you're in the mood for a quick read.

In the aftermath of the September 11th tragedy, it is eerie that the same number of planes suffers similar disasters. This book is a little below par of her other books. The absence (in a crime-solving capacity) of Mac and Annabel Smith left a void in the story. The other characters were predictable and not well developed. In all, it was a good story that needed more work on the characters.

This was the first book that I read of the Capital Crimes series. It is a very slow read and I had to make myself finish it. I would have liked for this book to either have a dozen less characters, or 200 more pages so that more time could be spent explaining relationships between characters and more details of scenes such as the FBI standoff.

I only recently read this book and was stunned to discover many of the same scenarios as 9/11! It was very disturbing to think that perhaps this type of terrorism was anticipated as far back as when Ms. Truman began this book. The story is too real.

WOW!!!!! This has got to be Margaret Truman's best in the Capital Crime series. A little different from her previous books but certainly not a disappointment. If you like a book with great characters, a lot of action and an exceptional storyline then this is the book for you. Once you finish reading, "Murder in Foggy Bottom" you'll understand why I'm recommending it to all my friends.

The "bad guy" in this "Capital Crimes" outing is a rather generic white supremacist. We find out about him in a strained set of coincidences that will at best disappoint serious readers, if not infuriate them. Finally, the episodic nature of the book, while it gives the story a sense of immediacy, fails to develop any of the story lines with enough depth. Instead of one good story, we have three mediocre ones.