Customer Reviews

Murder at Union Station (Capital Crimes Series)

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

 

 

Margaret Truman has written a series of enjoyable, crime stories centered on Washington landmarks. This one involves Washington's Union Station. We see crowds of famous and not famous moving through the station under the watchful eye of Joe Jenks, bootblack. Louis Russo, a hit man, arrives at Union Station after a flight from Israel, where he has been hidden by the US witness protection program after he testified against his bosses in the Mafia. Waiting for him is Richard Marienthal, a writer, whose forthcoming book is based on Russo's claim that he murdered a foreign leader under orders from the White House. Before Russo can meet Marienthal, Russo is murdered in the station, and his killer is soon murdered also. It looks like a payback from the Mafia for a squealer, but is it? Soon, Marienthal and those around him are in grave danger, and the story proceeds to a surprising and very satisfactory ending. Unlike what we see in many novels, Margaret Truman gives substance to her characters, which adds to a believable plot. I have read several of her novels, and this is the best that has come along. You should enjoy it.

In a remarkably realistic and fast paced thriller centered around the DC area, Truman's story involves an interestingly woven plot involving an ambitious writer, a past mobster, politics of presidential elections, and personal relations. The characters seem real and well-developed and most of the characters are evolved well throughout the novel. The unwinding of the plot at the end is a little bit too quick and the sudden acceleration provides the only jarring note in the novel. Other than that, an excellent work with a fairly original plot. A good read.

Both of us have been fans of her novels since the beginning. We found this offering to be overly wordy, slow and frankly boring. We fear she has fallen into the same trap as John LeCarre'

This is about the nineteenth "Murder at" mystery that Margaret Truman has written. It's possible that the first book, or even two or three would have gotten published just because of her name, but not nineteen. You publish nineteen books because you've developed a legion of fans that like your work.

This book will not dissappoint her fans. It's about a book. Of course there's a murder. The victim is on a train that will soon land him at Gate A-8 and, moments later at St. Peter's Gate. The problem is that the victim is a former mob hit man, government informer, and perhaps masterminded a top-secret assignment abroad for a very-high-profile Capitol Hill client. And what's in the book he helped write?

Enough already - Go read the book. You can be sure that the waves from the murder will reach strange places in the halls of Government, the intelligence agencies, the White House and more. After all, this is the mark of Ms. Truman's books, and she does them very well indeed.

Writer Richard Marienthal's first book is a true crime exposé that made it to press only because former hitman Louis Russo, now a government informant hidden within the witness protection program, gave him the information he needs; the book is almost a biography of Russo only. Russo has agreed to return from hiding in Tel Aviv to promote Marienthal's debut effort.

However besides Marienthal waiting to meet Russo at DC's historical Union Station, someone else looks forward to greeting the aging retired mobster. That other greeter kills Russo. As the FBI, CIA, and local police investigate, Marienthal wonders whether this was a mob hit or something more devious as Russo had exposed an overseas operation he took care of for capital higher ups. The writer's musings turn personal with the epiphany that his book places in peril his fiancée Kathryn Jalick and those helping him bring it to publication, but also feels trapped as it is too late to turn back the hands of time as his beloved desperately wanted to happen as she saw the ruthless publishing world abduct him with money, adulation, and fame.

MURDER AT UNION STATION is a strong Capital Crimes who-done-it with conspiratorial elements that make for quite a tale as Richard finds his life spinning out of control just when he is on the brink of success. He makes the tale work as he goes from euphoric to concern to panic in a realistic manner. The support cast either spotlights Richard's conversion from Lady Macbeth level of ambition to dread of what he wrought onto loved ones and friends or furbish a deep look at the city. Margaret Truman does Washington like no one else.

Harriet Klausner

This book is about a former mafioso in the witness protection program living in exile in Israel. He agrees to be the subject of a tell-all book. When he comes back to the U.S. to testify regarding details that could shake the U.S. government, he is murdered and the author of the book is trying to find out why he was murdered. The book drags and the plot is found wanting.

Margaret Truman knows enough about the inner workings of the U.S. Government to make her Capital Crimes Novels ring true. In this installment, a young writer named Richard Marienthal is eagerly looking forward to the publication of his novel which chronicles the revelations of a mob hit man named Russo. Russo comes to Washington D.C. to testify at some hearings, but before he reveals anything, he is murdered. Russo's information, which is also described in Marienthal's book, is potentially very damaging to the incumbent U.S. President, and to organized crime. For Marienthal and his friends, it's hard to know who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. Marienthal still possesses the tapes which he used to write the book and he realizes that he and the tapes are in danger from several different people. Not wishing to risk his life or that of his fiance, he has to make some difficult choices. This is a good book and has a reasonable amount of suspense and intrigue. The ending seems a bit too neat and sudden, but all in all, it is a good read.

Rich Marienthal has written his first book. He wanted to write a novel based on information from a former mob hitman, but Geoff Lowe talked him into writing a non-fiction book based on the information. Geoff was able to get him a great publishing deal with Hobbes House.

When Louis Russo arrives in Washington, D.C., to help promote Rich's book and testify at Senator Widmer's hearings. He had crucial information that would help Widmer remove President Parmele from office and stop his run for a second term.

Unfortunately, when Russo arrives, Rich isn't there to pick him up, and he is killed at Union Station. Detective Bret Mullin and his partner Vince Accurso are in charge of the investigation. They find out from a reporter that a man said he knew who was killed. But, they don't know who that person was. They begin searching for him.

Former CIA agent Tim Stripling is told to meet with two FBI agents. He is told to find this mystery man.

Geoff decides if Russo can't testify, then Rich can testify and bring all his notes and recorded conversations. This puts Rich in a tough position. It later puts him in danger

Mac and Annabel Smith play minor rolls in this book. They assist Rich and his girlfriend Kathryn throughout this situation. Mac also assists Rich's father who is none too pleased with this book and what his son has gotten himself into.

While I liked this book, I like the books in this series better where Mac and Annabel play major roles. To me, they do a great job in assisting the police in the investigations.

I always like that these books are set in D.C. as I know most of the places mentioned. That always makes a book more real to me. The characters and their interactions were well written.

I recommend this book.

Richard Marienthal is a struggling young writer wanting to make it to the big time. Kathryn Jalick is Richard's live in girlfriend, a Librarian who works at the Library of Congress. After so many years of taking jobs he's just not interested in, Richard convinces his father, a former criminal attorney, under the guise that he is working on his next novel, to help him gain access to a former hired killer of the mob. Louis Russo, former mob killer, in the witness protection program, is murdered at Union Station in cold blood. The media believes it is retaliation for turning state's witness 20 years before. Russo's killer is found dead. The police, FBI, and CIA all want to know what Russo was doing in Washington, D.C. Detective Bret Mullin has his personal problems but pursues the investigation even when he disagrees with the official answers. Politicians jockey for positions at the thought of potential explosive allegations regarding the President coming true. The insider's view of the places to eat, how the media is handled by the President's staff and vice-versa, as well as the knowledge of Washington D.C. makes this an enjoyable weekend read.

This book wasn't bad, but there were too many characters to keep track of. And the basis of the story (i.e., the content of the upcoming book) took too long being revealed. I'm used to Mac and Annabel Smith being more involved in these stories, and while they don't have to be the main characters in every book, if they're going to be in it, they should be IN IT. In any case, this book seemed to meander around a little too much for me, and didn't hold my attention as closely as I would have liked.