Murder at Ford's Theatre

October 21, 2002
The spirit of Chandra Levy hovers over Truman's latest Washington, D.C., mystery (Murder on the Potomac, etc.), which, despite a sometimes confusing plot and little suspense until the climax, should be as successful as other recent entries in this durable series. When the body of congressional intern Nadia Zarinski turns up outside the stage door of Ford's Theatre, D.C. police detectives Mo Johnson and Rick Klayman, who happens to be a Lincoln buff, are assigned the case. Nadia worked in the office of Senator Bruce Lerner, ex-husband of Clarise Emerson, head of Ford's Theatre and nominee for chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. Once Clarise determines with Klayman's help that her son, Jeremiah, was the last to see Nadia alive, she appeals to former attorney Mackensie "Mac" Smith to represent him. But there are other suspects as well: theater controller Bernard Crowley; aging, past-his-prime British actor and artistic director Sydney Bancroft; and Senator Lerner himself. Mac and his police cohorts find these ambitious power seekers an unpleasant lot. As usual, the location takes center stage, and the fun lies in seeing how the author uses the national landmark in the service of the drama. In this case, the Lincoln theme pulls the plot threads together and brings weight to the proceedings. The performance may be a bit contrived, but fans will enjoy the show.

July 15, 2002
Uncomfortably familiar: Nadia's past as an intern (and perhaps more) for a right-wing senator may figure in her murder.

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2003
Adult/High School-When Washington, DC, police detectives Mo Johnson and Rick Klayman arrive at this famous venue, they find the body of Nadia Zarinski, a congressional intern romantically linked to Senator Bruce Lerner. Fate throws in a twist when the detectives discover that the senator's ex-wife is directing the theater's current production. Their son becomes the number one suspect when the footprint from a pair of shoes he has matches the one found in the alley alongside the deceased. The investigation includes segues into discussions about Abraham Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth, and other historical tidbits. Suspects include just about everyone, with the murderer turning out to be someone who is easily overlooked. The best "scene stealing" belongs to Sydney Bancroft, an older, scheming, once-handsome leading man whose better days were long ago but who can't give up the stage. Without the graphic violence or vulgar language sometimes common to this genre, this mystery is lively and interesting.-Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.