Murder on K Street

October 1, 2007
Truman's 23rd Capital Crimes novel (after 2006's Murder at the Opera) offers little suspense and even less insight into the wheelings and dealings of contemporary Washington, D.C. One day, U.S. Senator Lyle Simmons, a presidential aspirant, arrives home to find his wife, Jeanette, murdered in their foyer. As the police investigate, fissures in the public facade of the Simmons's marriage appear, and Simmons's oldest friend, retired detective Phil Rotondi, who lost Jeanette to Simmons during college, wrestles with whether he should share all he knows about the politician with the authorities. Frequent flashbacks to those college days disrupt any narrative flow, and the florid and uninspired writing ("Washington! Was there any other place in the world with as much intrigue on a daily basis, and with so much at stake?") won't lead readers to confuse this mediocre thriller with the Machiavellian plotting of writers mining similar ground such as David Baldacci.

September 24, 2007
Truman's 23rd Capital Crimes novel (after 2006's Murder at the Opera) offers little suspense and even less insight into the wheelings and dealings of contemporary Washington, D.C. One day, U.S. Senator Lyle Simmons, a presidential aspirant, arrives home to find his wife, Jeanette, murdered in their foyer. As the police investigate, fissures in the public facade of the Simmons's marriage appear, and Simmons's oldest friend, retired detective Phil Rotondi, who lost Jeanette to Simmons during college, wrestles with whether he should share all he knows about the politician with the authorities. Frequent flashbacks to those college days disrupt any narrative flow, and the florid and uninspired writing ("Washington! Was there any other place in the world with as much intrigue on a daily basis, and with so much at stake?") won't lead readers to confuse this mediocre thriller with the Machiavellian plotting of writers mining similar ground such as David Baldacci.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2007
In the latest Capital Crimes novel, a prominent senator (and potential presidential candidate)comes home to find his wife lying dead on the floor of their house. The list of possible suspects, of course, is lengthy and includes numerous prominent names. Detective Charles Chang (his name chosen, apparently, so the author can make Charlie Chan jokes) must work his way through the suspect list to uncover the culprit. This long-running series has always depended on its Washington, D.C., setting for its appeal, and it doesnt hurt that the authors name is Truman (although its long been rumored that the actual writer is someone else, the prime suspect being noted ghostwriter Donald Bain). What often gets overlooked, except perhaps by devoted fans, is the fact that the series boasts sharply drawn characters and solid plotting. Chang, for example, seems to fall into the Columbo stereotype, but he puts his own agreeable stamp on the notion of relentlessly pursuing the truth. A worthy entry in a deservedly popular series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)