Customer Reviews

Murder at The Washington Tribune (Capital Crimes Series)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Murder at the Washington Tribune by Margaret Truman is not the worst book I've read this year (I'll reserve that dubious honor for Patricia Cornwell's Predator). And it's not even really that bad. It's just not that good either.

I have to applaud Ms. Truman for venturing away from her usual Washington series starring attorney Mac Smith and coming up with an entirely new set of characters for this novel. I generally enjoy her mysteries, with the combination of Washington insider intrigue, solid mystery writing, and good characters.

This book, however is not so much a mystery as a journey into the temptation of and subsequent fall from grace of a good man. As such, the mystery, the murder of a young journalist takes second place to the relationship between veteran news reporter Joe Wilcox, his daughter, hotshot television reporter Roberta Wilcox and MPD detective Edith Vargas-Swayze.

Also entering the mix is Joe's brother Michael, newly arrived in Washington after years spent in a mental institution after his killing of a teen-age girl. Truman mixes all these characters together, and tosses in a few other mysteries as well-- the murder of another reporter and the killing of an elderly veteran. Sometimes she loses some of the threads-- I don't believe the murder of the second reporter is ever solved, and the resolution of the murder of the first reporter is no big surprise-- the surprise is that no one tumbled to it sooner.

Ultimately the murders in this book are merely window dressing for the true story, which is the downfall of Joe Wilcox. There's nothing terribly wrong with that, however Ms. Truman could have given her story more oomf if she had devoted as much time and energy toward the mysteries as she did to Joe's story. As it is, the reader is left at the end feeling dissatisfied-- not only are all the questions not answered, but there just doesn't seem to have been any purpose to the whole book.

Margaret Truman has won legions of fans with her Capital Crimes series, and voice performer Dick Hill (dubbed a golden voice by AudioFile) has captured hosts of listeners with his virtuoso readings. Thus, it comes as no surprise that this pairing has resulted in a first-rate audiobook.

"Murder At The Washington Tribune" is a story just as much about a past his prime man trying to jumpstart his stalled career as it is about murder. Hill delivers the story narrated by crime reporter Joe Wilcox with equal parts poignancy, determination, and fear as Joe finds himself jeopardizing his daughter for the byline he so desperately needs.

Wilcox has been at the Washington Tribune for some time now, and he's feeling threatened by the younger reporters who seem to be delivering the hot news. His boss isn't too pleased with him and he's not at all happy with himself. To make matters worse, newspapers are suffering from tabloids and TV investigative reporters.

When a young woman is found strangled in a closet at the Tribune, and then another is found dead in Franklin Square, Joe senses this is just the story he needs to regain favor. Problem is his daughter, Roberta, is a talented young TV newscaster who also wants the scoop.

Joe determines to get the story at any cost and baits a trap for the killer which not only may backfire but also places Roberta in danger. Complicating matters even further is the return of Joe's brother who has been incarcerated for killing a young girl.

Listen as Truman and Hill deliver a dark tale of deception, greed, and murder.

- Gail Cooke

I really enjoyed the book, love that Washington politics and career atmostphere. The writing is quite good - easy to read, creates the intended place and time.

Holding me back from five stars was the ending which was a bit too tidy, and the fact that the mystery wasn't at all mysterious!

Still, if you like Ms. Truman's books, it's a must read.

Joe Wilcox is a veteran crime reporter for the prestiguous Washington Tribune. However, Joe is middle-aged, suffering from the doldrums and having young aggressive reporters fresh from journalism school nipping at his heels. A beautiful young woman who works at the Trib is found strangled to death. This story could be just the thing to rejuvenate Joe's career. How Joe handles the story will cause Joe to examine his past, his ambitions and his ethics. Into the mix are Joe's daughter Roberta a star broadcast journalist and his mysterious brother Michael. The story holds one's interest but it isn't difficult to figure out the identity of the murderer fairly early on. What makes this mystery worth reading is it's insightful portrait of the ethical dilemmas faced by journalists in today's super fast paced media world.

Why did the author have to write that last chapter? Up to that point, the story was at least adequate. Without giving away the ending, suffice it to say that no matter how unbelievably crappy the characters' lives turned out, Disney could not have conjured up a sappier ending. Good grief.

I found this book to be a bit of a departure from Truman's other novels and I have to say I really enjoyed it and found it to be a breath of fresh air. Not that Truman's other novels aren't spectacular, they really are! This book however is quite special in that the main character turns takes a path that strays away from the straight and narrow. With books where Mac Smith is the main character, we are used to him taking the high road, so this is definitely a departure from that way of thinking!

Joe Wilcox, a respected, but aging reporter finds himself in a moral dilemma when he has the opportunity to gain some fame in the autumn of his career. One thing leads to another and soon he finds himself losing is journalistic integrity in order to show up a young, hot shot reporter. To add further intrigue, someone from his past shows up on the scene that has a lot more to hide than the reader first realizes.

This complicated tale of deception and murder in the Nation's capitol should not be missed!

The residents of the nation's capital are shocked by the brutal slaying of two young women in "Murder at the Washington Tribune," by Margaret Truman. The first victim, a reporter named Jean Kaporis, is found strangled to death in a supply closet at the newspaper where she worked. When a second woman is murdered at a different location, Joe Wilcox, a veteran journalist whose career is on the decline, starts speculating in print that a serial killer may be at large. Joe writes a series of stories that boost the paper's circulation and he becomes an instant celebrity. His daughter, Roberta, who works in broadcast news, admires her dad but has her doubts about his pursuit of the serial killer angle.

Truman effectively describes the cutthroat competition that drives the Washington media. She knows that some reporters are not above using such unscrupulous tactics as making up nonexistent sources and/or stretching the truth to sell papers and boost ratings. Against their better judgment, Joe Wilcox and his daughter both get caught up in the hype over the murders.

Joe's anxiety increases when he gets an unexpected telephone call from a long-lost relative who has a history of violence and mental instability. This person wants to reconnect with Joe, whom he hasn't seen for many years, and meet Joe's daughter, who is unaware of his existence.

Truman's prose style is a bit wooden and her plot is awkwardly constructed. However, Wilcox is a sympathetic and complex hero who risks his hard-earned reputation when he bends the rules of journalistic ethics. Joe's wife, Georgia, is a saint who forgives her husband's trespasses, and Joe's boss, Paul Morehouse, cares only about his own ambitions. Overall, "Murder at the Washington Tribune" is an average mystery that would have been much better with sharper writing and a tighter and more realistic story.

"Murder At The Washington Tribune" is a story about a journalist Wilcox, past his prime trying to jumpstart his stalled career when feeling threatened by so many young journalists fresh out of journalism school who have better writing skills and are critisising him behind his back.

His boss isn't too pleased with him and tells him to find the killer of one of their staff who was found strangled in a closet at the Tribune. Then another woman is found dead in Franklin Square, Wilcox senses this is just the story he needs to regain favour. Problem is his daughter, Roberta, is a talented young TV newscaster who also wants the scoop. They don't share scoops which puts a strain on their relationship.

Joe determined to get the story at any cost, baits a trap for the killer which may place Roberta in danger. Complicating matters even further is the return of Wilcox's brother who has been charged for killing a young girl and who was put into a mental institution. He returns to Washington just before the first murder. The plot thickens with many twists and turns. I would highly recommend this story.
I have also listened to the MURDER AT THE OPERA by Margaret Truman and it is only a 3 star story compared to this brilliant mystery.

After waiting to read Margaret Trumans' 21st book in the Capital Murder series I was disapointed. Truman's insights to the behind the scene's goings on in Washington's major sites was the unique part of her mystery series. Even though she was speaking about a fictional newspaper she could have continued this view. She had a great chance to describe the way reports work with politicians. This mystery could have been set in any city. I hope her next book will be better, I'd hate to have this be her last.

Older reporters are "grizzled veterans," younger ones are "green," and sometimes the former First Daughter seems to be piling up so many cliches per sentence she could write today's politicians' speeches! Bah.