Rating: 
Summary: Discover a wonderful murder
Review: Columbus discovered America in 1492. Annabel discovers the body while editing an article on Columbus. The who done it is over shadowed by a where is it. A legendary diary and treasure map are hunted by unsavory characters in the tradition of the Maltese Falcon. Ms Truman always provides excellent Washington history and atmosphere. My only criticism was that the victem was so nasty I wanted the killer to get away with it.
Rating: 
Summary: Easy to read
Review: I listened to part of this mystery on the second of two audio cassettes. The first cassette was defective and had been discarded by the library. So, I read the first half. The hardbound version is really nicely printed, with big print and big margins. This was my first experience with Ms. Truman. Guess what. I didn't even know she was Harry's daughter!Truman did a good job of joining the Columbus-Las Casas angle with the mystery story. Some of the library people didn't really seem to much character, like Sue and Consuela. Walter Munsch, one of the bad guys, was a gas. Tell me: Are you going to walk around a Mexican brothel with a couple of thousand $ cash in your pocket? Munsch did. No wonder his life span was short. How did he even live that long? I had a hard time empathizing with Dolores, who fell in love with Michelle Paul and then murdered him. If Paul was such a jerk, and everyone else thought so, how could she have loved him? Well, I guess it didn't last, the love, that is. Does David Driscoll get off scot free, then? It's not really clear. Anyway, Margaret Truman is definitely worth trying out. I have another one I'm going to start soon. Probably take only a day or two to finish it, because she's easy reading. Diximus.
Rating:
Summary: Easy to read
Review: I listened to part of this mystery on the second of two audio cassettes. The first cassette was defective and had been discarded by the library. So, I read the first half. The hardbound version is really nicely printed, with big print and big margins. This was my first experience with Ms. Truman. Guess what. I didn't even know she was Harry's daughter! Truman did a good job of joining the Columbus-Las Casas angle with the mystery story. Some of the library people didn't really seem to much character, like Sue and Consuela. Walter Munsch, one of the bad guys, was a gas. Tell me: Are you going to walk around a Mexican brothel with a couple of thousand $ cash in your pocket? Munsch did. No wonder his life span was short. How did he even live that long? I had a hard time empathizing with Dolores, who fell in love with Michelle Paul and then murdered him. If Paul was such a jerk, and everyone else thought so, how could she have loved him? Well, I guess it didn't last, the love, that is. Does David Driscoll get off scot free, then? It's not really clear. Anyway, Margaret Truman is definitely worth trying out. I have another one I'm going to start soon. Probably take only a day or two to finish it, because she's easy reading. Diximus.
Rating:
Summary: Intellectual mystery
Review: In this the 16th title of Margaret Truman's Capital Crime Novels, Annabel Reed-Smith finds murder and mayhem in the Library of Congress (LC). In MURDER AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS I found the details about the LC interesting and like the other subjects in Ms. Truman's mysteries, the factual information was just right, I was not slowed down or distracted from the mystery. The solving of the mystery seemed easy for me, although the different paths confused me at times and I found myself back tracking. In this mystery three unusual thieves steal a not so famous painting that leads them in to a lot of trouble. And there is a rumor that a lost diary linked to Christopher Columbus may be hiding something more valuable than the worth of the diary it's self, if it exist. Annabel finds herself writing an article for the magazine Civilization and does the research at the LC. She also finds some stiff competition in both, her amateur sleuthing and in her marriage to Mac, with a gorgeous, aggressive TV Reporter name Lucianne Huston. One thing I will mention to the reader is, he or she will find there are many paths to this mystery and to get the complete picture they need to follow them all closely. MURDER AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS is a strong, intellectual mystery with interesting facts.
Rating:
Summary: Another tantalizing addition to a superb series
Review: Margaret Truman knows Washington, D. C. intimately and this comes through clearly in all the books of her Capitol Crime series. In this book the detailed descriptions of the Library of Congress bring the scenery clearly into the mind of the reader even if one has not been privileged enough to see it first hand. Her protagonist, Annabel Reed-Smith has been allowed to grow in the series and this latest caper of an art theft shows the skill of the author's continuing talent at characterization.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best in the series
Review: Murder at the Library of Congress is definitely not Truman's best work in the capital crimes series. Annabel Reed-Smith is commissioned to write an article on Colombus at LC. With a couple of murders thrown in the mix - one new and one 8 years old, she gets a bit side-tracked. Truman does keep the reader engaged, following an art thief on a cross-country trek, as well as interesting descriptions of LC. However, the plot around Annabel is without its usual punch. And, for fans of husband Mac, he is sadly in a much more backstage role. In fact, the aggressive news reporter does most of the crime solving for Annabel and Mac. Overall, an okay read, but not her best.
Rating:
Summary: Great Mystery, Deep respect for Libraries
Review: Murder at the Library of Congress, by Margaret Truman (November 1, 1999)
Margaret Truman continues her series of excellent murder mysteries set in well known venues in our nation's capitol.
A pre-eminent researcher on Columbus is murdered in the Library of Congress. As the plot unfolds, the number of suspects multiplies--it seems everyone wanted him dead! We learn about the black market in antiquities, and related tax scams. Drug money, violence, and multiple murders all make an appearance, as does comic relief, in the form of one of the most inept art thieves ever created--makes Inspector Cluseau look suave in comparison.
As usual, her settings are perfectly blended with her characters and plot. It is great to see a mystery writer showing deep respect for books, libraries, and the librarians who make sure the books are in the libraries (among many other tasks--if you've ever wondered what librarians do, you'll learn through this book).
The only problem was with the technology. For some reason, everyone thought it was perfectly normal for it to take hours on end to copy three computer disks--I had to check the copyright to be sure I wasn't imposing modern standards, but no, its 1999--ever since DOS it only takes a few minutes to copy five floppies. Obviously, there was something else going on, but none of the characters raised the remotest hint of suspicion. In fact, the "good guy" heroine also had to stay up all night to copy just small sections of these very same disks. Even in the good old DOS days, there was a copy disk command which would have accomplished this function in seconds, not hours!
To her credit, Truman does give us an explanation, and it ends up being the key to unlock the solution to the crime(s), but the reader knew it long before anyone in the book. I found this totally frustrating for the entire last quarter of the book.
Rating: 
Summary: My Review of Murder at the Library of Congress
Review: Murder at the Library of Congress, by Margaret Truman, is a mystery that is set in the Library of Congress. In this book, Annabel Reed-Smith, an owner of a Gallery in Georgetown, is assigned to write an article for a magazine about Christopher Columbus. She goes to the Library of Congress to research a legendary map and diaries of a shipmate of Columbus, but ends up in the midst of a murder. As Annabel's time in the Library of Congress progresses, she delves into her own investigation about the death of Michele Paul, a renown expert on the subject of the diaries and maps and also a man disliked by many, and all the possible suspect of who could have committed the crime. Do the map and the diaries exist? What and how had this crime been committed? Who is the murderer? And most importantly, why? In this book, Truman paints a vivid picture of the characters and of all the events that take place. She also writes the plot in a clear and organized fashion, with each chapter going on to elaborate on different events and on what is happening to each character. There is no element of confusion in this book and anyone can read this mystery without having to flip back and reread what had already happened. This book was really detailed in describing events and having less, but sufficient, emphasis on the scenery. I thought that was one positive point about this book because I find that multiple paragraphs describing the setting of a story is dull and drags out a story. One thing that I cannot stand is a book that leaves the ending of the story to the reader's imagination because there are just too many possibilities to choose. So, I also thought that it was nice how this book concluded itself without leaving any elements hanging or questions unanswered. But, there were several times when I found myself just looking at the words and not actually reading the story and paying full attention to the book. Personally, I do not recommend this book because I found parts of the story, such as when the diaries and map was described, which did not draw my attention. I have noted several things that are good in this book, but nothing that would make me say, " I was not able to put it down". All in all, I thought that Murder in the Library of Congress was satisfactory.
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: 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.
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