Murder at Union Station

August 9, 2004
The Truman franchise chugs along with little sign of losing steam in the 20th entry (after 2002's Murder at Ford's Theatre
) in this reliably entertaining series. Writer Richard Marienthal is eagerly anticipating his publishing debut, an organized crime exposé that owes much to Louis Russo, a former hitman turned government informant. But when Russo returns from Israel, where he's been living under witness protection, to help promote the book, the elderly mobster is gunned down in D.C.'s landmark Union Station. Apparently, someone is unhappy with the book's revelation of a clandestine overseas operation authorized by the top echelons of power. As the search for the killer expands, Marienthal realizes it's one thing to risk his own life and career, quite another to expose his fiancée and others to potential harm. As usual, Truman supplies a heady mix of high and low Washington. The FBI, the CIA and the D.C. police each have their own agendas, and few of the good guys are all that good. Meanwhile, travelers stream past the magnificent train station's shoeshine man, Joe Jenks, who serves as an astute observer of the Washington scene. By the end, one can't help wondering where murder will strike next in the nation's capital. Agent, Ted Chichak. (Oct. 26)

FYI:
Truman's latest work of nonfiction is
The President's House (2003).

July 1, 2004
A former hit man gets a taste of his own medicine when he arrives at Union Station in Washington, DC, to help promote a book about his life.

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2005
Adult/High School -Readers will have a lot to think about when what appears to be a revenge-motivated hit on an ailing, tell-all Mafia informant leads to another murder. Truman lends authenticity to this engaging work with accurate descriptions of the Washington metropolitan area and plausible insight into its political mentality. Teens native to the suburbs of the nation's capital or acquainted with the Hill will revel in the familiar. They will enjoy the contemporary setting where stereotypes of pundits, power mongers, and do-gooders converge. Whether sweet or unscrupulous, the characters exude purpose: to help their livelihoods, loved ones, or libidos. Richly described, this is a first-class ticket for mystery fans." -Karen Sokol, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2004
Despite occasional echoes of John Grisham's " The Pelican Brief "(1992), this thriller about suspected corruption in the highest office in the land has a character all its own, which is largely the product of Truman's love-hate relationship with the U.S. government. Her mix of skepticism and respect weaves through a story about how a young writer's zealous pursuit of success causes him to compromise his ethics. When the writer prints an unsubstantiated story told him by an old mobster, all hell breaks loose: a right-wing senator attempts to use the story to unseat the president, and the mobster is murdered at Union Station before he can testify for the senator's committee. Thanks to Truman's unflinching perspective on partisan politics, it becomes increasingly difficult to tell the good guys from the bad as the tale unfolds. Solid fare for her fans and for others who like political thrillers without a lot of blood and gore.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)