Murder at the Library of Congress

Rating:
Summary: The library is the star...
Review: One of the best parts about a Margaret Truman mystery is the insight into the Washington DC institutions that are featured in her books. Murder in the Library of Congress is no exception, and we get a fascinating look inside this venerable but widely overlooked treasure.

Former lawyer and current art gallery owner, Annabel Reed-Smith, takes a two month sabbatical from her gallery to write an article that will appear in the Library of Congress magazine, Civilization. The article will be about Columbus' friend and colleague, Bartolome' Las Casas. Reed-Smith plans to spend two months in the Library of Congress doing research for this article. Many experts believe that Las Casas kept diaries and even a treasure map from the three voyages he made with Columbus. But many people searching for these diaries have met with tragic fates. Almost as soon as Annabel arrives at the library, she discovers the body of the number one Las Casas expert in the world. Unfortunately, he's been murdered. Also, 8 years prior to this, another Las Casas expert (who also worked at the library) vanished without a trace. Annabel quickly becomes immersed in trying to solve these mysteries.

While the premise of the plot is plausible, how Annabel seems to always be at the center of things is not. She is consulted by the police, asked to examine possible clues, and kept up to date on the investigation. This is the Washington DC Metro Police, not Mayberry RFD. Also, Annabel's perfect life is just a little too nauseating.

Still, the star of this book is the Library of Congress. She gives both a thumbnail sketch of its history, as well as procedures of operation today. After reading Murder in the Library of Congress, I'll definitely put it on my list of places to visit during my next trip to Washington.


Rating:
Summary: A Bit Silly
Review: This book is an Annabel Smith murder mystery. Annabel, a curator of a museum of pre-Columbian art, has for some reason been asked to write a feature article about Christopher Columbus for a special issue of "Civilization," the magazine of the Library of Congress. When she shows up at the Hispanic section of the library to start her 2 months of research for the article, she meets a cast of characters, some nice, and some not-so-nice. Meanwhile, a second-rate painting of Columbus is stolen from an art museum in Miami. Is there a connection from the heist to the Library? There must be, or else this story would be dead in the water. Clues like a fellow researcher at the Library turning up dead draw Annabel into the investigation.

This is the kind of mystery in which the author lets us know the whereabouts and thoughts of everyone, including the bad guys, as we go along. She tells us up front 80%-90% of who is involved in the suspicious activities, so the real suspense is in waiting to see if Annabel will solve the mystery before it's too late, and in seeing how the pieces of the plot-line are finally all tied together. Though the story is told coherently, the details are far from realistic. It's hard to picture librarians and researchers with the personalities that Truman describes. Yes, academics can be a motley bunch of interesting people, but I've never met any who act like this. Truman has the Library intern working on a long-term project of cataloging 15 Cuban newspapers, hardly the work of an intern. The researchers, Annabel included, go about their work like journalists rather than academics, for instance, starting their projects with interviews with other researchers, in which they hope to catch a great quote. A big deal is made of some computer disks which Annabel discovers, and spends all night reading on her computer screen-whereas any experienced computer user, especially a former lawyer, would immediately hit "Print" upon finding such material, or at the very least, make a copy to the hard drive (which Annabel's laptop apparently didn't have, back in 1997 when the story is set). Overall, I found the plot weak and predictable, the dialogue inane, and the plausibility very low. Nevertheless, the story at least hangs together and can keep one's interest for a short while.


Rating:
Summary: Another fun mystery in the Capitol Series
Review: This mystery once again has Annabelle Reed Smith and her husband Mac (he plays a very small part). This was a fun book because it takes us inside the Library of Congress and into the very expensive and illusory world of rare books. I have yet to read a book in this series that I have not liked. I find Margaret Truman to be a bit underrated and ignored in the mystery field. She puts me in mind of Agatha Christie as she also spins a good mystery without all the blood and gore.

Rating:
Summary: Another fun mystery in the Capitol Series
Review: This mystery once again has Annabelle Reed Smith and her husband Mac (he plays a very small part). This was a fun book because it takes us inside the Library of Congress and into the very expensive and illusory world of rare books. I have yet to read a book in this series that I have not liked. I find Margaret Truman to be a bit underrated and ignored in the mystery field. She puts me in mind of Agatha Christie as she also spins a good mystery without all the blood and gore.

Rating:
Summary: Fun Mystery
Review: This was my first Margaret Truman mystery, and after reading many of the others, this one is still my favorite. A noted scholar and researcher is murdered at the Library of Congress. A part-time researcher, a famous reporter, and many others in the library solve bits and pieces of the murder. I found this book engrossing, and read the entire thing in one day.

Rating:
Summary: Fun Mystery
Review: This was my first Margaret Truman mystery, and after reading many of the others, this one is still my favorite. A noted scholar and researcher is murdered at the Library of Congress. A part-time researcher, a famous reporter, and many others in the library solve bits and pieces of the murder. I found this book engrossing, and read the entire thing in one day.

Rating:
Summary: A workmanlike novel by an experienced mystery writer.
Review: Truman, in her latest "Capital Crimes" novel, delves into the world of scholarly skullduggery and murder at the Library of Congress. As usual, Truman has researched the background of her plot with care. This mystery deals with a diary and a map that was purportedly written by a friend of Christopher Columbus. The diary and map could possibly shed some light on the accomplishments or perhaps the evil deeds of Christopher Columbus during his trips to the New World. Annabel Reed-Smith, a former lawyer who is also an art expert, happens to be doing research in the Hispanic section of the library when a murder occurs. Naturally, she becomes embroiled in the investigation of the murder. The writing style is breezy and casual and Truman works out the plot in a competent, albeit unexciting, fashion. She may not be flashy, but Truman writes light mysteries that are easy to take.

Rating:
Summary: A workmanlike novel by an experienced mystery writer.
Review: Truman, in her latest "Capital Crimes" novel, delves into the world of scholarly skullduggery and murder at the Library of Congress. As usual, Truman has researched the background of her plot with care. This mystery deals with a diary and a map that was purportedly written by a friend of Christopher Columbus. The diary and map could possibly shed some light on the accomplishments or perhaps the evil deeds of Christopher Columbus during his trips to the New World. Annabel Reed-Smith, a former lawyer who is also an art expert, happens to be doing research in the Hispanic section of the library when a murder occurs. Naturally, she becomes embroiled in the investigation of the murder. The writing style is breezy and casual and Truman works out the plot in a competent, albeit unexciting, fashion. She may not be flashy, but Truman writes light mysteries that are easy to take.

Rating:
Summary: A Very Good Mystery
Review: While this not the best of her series. It was still a great read. I love Annabel and Mac Smith. Especially the interesting twists and turns throughout the novel. Overall great read.