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Rating: 
Summary: Not Margaret Truman's best
Review: I'm a fan of Margaret Truman, but I found it laborious to get through this one. I found most of the characters shallow and totally unlikeable. The ending was absurd. Even Annabelle and Mac can't make this one worthwhile!
Rating: 
Summary: The ending ruins it
Review: If you are a Washingtonian who hangs around galleries, etc. then you'll recognize a lot of names in this book, and that may make it fun. But most of the time the story really drags and it takes some prodigious leaps to actually swallow some of the scenes described. The worst is the ending, which is a very deflating experience. Definately not one of her best.
Rating: 
Summary: Masterful skill in adding art forgery to mystery series a ma
Review: It is impossible to read just one Margaret Truman mystery book. It is like eating just one potato chip. Her skill in plotting, characterization and dialogue is such that the reader is compelled to read each one in the series. This book takes the reader into the world of art forgery and provides information that is not known to most people. Thus, it is a compelling tale of intrique as well as a good read.
Rating: 
Summary: Long on story, short on mystery . . .
Review: Luther Mason, respected senior curator at the National Gallery, hatches a complicated plan to "discover" a long lost Caravaggio painting in Italy, brings it to Washington to be a part of a Caravaggio exhibit and has 2 forgeries made, one of which will be sold and passed off as the original to a San Francisco mobster thug/art connoisseur who happens to be bankrolling Luther's activities to get the painting in the first place. Whew. . . It's an interesting story at times, but there are a lot of characters to keep track of. The last third of the book is where most of the mystery and action occurs. I would not recommend this book if you want something fast-paced and suspenseful.
Rating:
Summary: Long on story, short on mystery . . .
Review: Luther Mason, respected senior curator at the National Gallery, hatches a complicated plan to "discover" a long lost Caravaggio painting in Italy, brings it to Washington to be a part of a Caravaggio exhibit and has 2 forgeries made, one of which will be sold and passed off as the original to a San Francisco mobster thug/art connoisseur who happens to be bankrolling Luther's activities to get the painting in the first place. Whew. . . It's an interesting story at times, but there are a lot of characters to keep track of. The last third of the book is where most of the mystery and action occurs. I would not recommend this book if you want something fast-paced and suspenseful.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty decent story - lots about Caravaggio
Review: Synopsis:
Part of the series that features a murder in many prominent Washington, D.C. buildings, Murder at the National Gallery is all about the intrigues surrounding the opening of an art show featuring Renaissance artist Caravaggio and a "lost" piece of art that was found just in time for the show. Will the murderer be satisfied with just the murder of a member of the Italian diplomatic corps who had a reputation for stealing Italian masterpieces and selling them to foreign buyers? Are the rumors of forged paintings true? Did someone steal a priceless piece of art?
My Review:
Mrs. Truman knows her stuff when it comes to the Washington, D.C. social scene because yes, she is the daughter of Harry Truman. (...)
This is really a decent book. I've read others in this series and found them of varying quality. However, I found the topic interesting and I was introduced to the concept of 'Art Police.' Washington, D.C. has its very own squad to investigate art fraud and robbery.
There are characters that were introduced in other books.
The end of the book was a little...strange. But, overall I give this book '4 stars.'
Rating:
Summary: The old switch-a-roo !!!!
Review: The lost Carvaggio is discovered and a certain National Gallery curator has big ideas for its future. Why not copy it a couple of times, sell the fakes and take it with him to some far off place where he may enjoy the three r's for the rest of his life? He could let go of his useless family, nagging ex-wives and the daily D.C. grind. Can he get away with it? Will someone or something interrupt the perfect plan for the big switch-a-roo?Truman writes a predictable story that is mildly enjoyable. However, the characters she uses have absolutely no personality distinctions. It is extremely difficult for dear reader to draw a mental image of each character because she makes almost no attempt to give them any physically identifiable distinctions! This novel is somewhat discouraging for want of this reviewer to peruse another Truman story.
Rating:
Summary: The old switch-a-roo !!!!
Review: The lost Carvaggio is discovered and a certain National Gallery curator has big ideas for its future. Why not copy it a couple of times, sell the fakes and take it with him to some far off place where he may enjoy the three r's for the rest of his life? He could let go of his useless family, nagging ex-wives and the daily D.C. grind. Can he get away with it? Will someone or something interrupt the perfect plan for the big switch-a-roo? Truman writes a predictable story that is mildly enjoyable. However, the characters she uses have absolutely no personality distinctions. It is extremely difficult for dear reader to draw a mental image of each character because she makes almost no attempt to give them any physically identifiable distinctions! This novel is somewhat discouraging for want of this reviewer to peruse another Truman story.
Rating:
Summary: "Culties"
Review: Thus, according to somebody, civilization and the ability to write well consist of "knowing the neighborhoods, the restaurants, the atmosphere, and the attitude" of Washington, D.C., and those who include the "art" parameter are just "culties". Well, sorry: I'd rather gauge the degree of civilization by some knowledge of art and those who honoured it, than by those trivia.
Rating:
Summary: Overlong unless You're a Caravaggio cultie
Review: Truman knows Washington, and she's done her homework on the National Gallery and the life of sixteenth century painter Caravaggio. The plot turns on a blockbuster Caravaggio exhibition at the National and bounces from Italy to Washington and the underground world of stolen masterpieces. Truman's series of crime novels set in Washington ring true to anyone who has spent time there. She knows the neighborhoods, the restaurants, the atmosphere, and the attitude. But the novel is only average. The pages keep turning, the characters are thinly-drawn, and the plot is adequate. The story is overlong. The final third of the book builds toward a predictable denouement that is fun to read but would have benefited from judicious cutting. Thirty pages less would have been much more.
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