Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Murder at Capitol Hill (Capital Crimes #2) by Margaret Truman | A Book Review

Murder at Capitol Hill by Margaret Truman | A Book Review by iamnotabookworm

I found this book at a second hand bookstore in a mall here in Cebu. I have read books of Margaret Truman before and they were similar to this one. They were all about politicians in DC. I think these kind of stories are Margaret Truman's specialty. By the way, Margaret Truman is the daughter of former US President Harry S. Truman. Just so you know. :)

What is in this story? 
A dead senator. A lot of suspects. A shady religious cult who is accused of brainwashing its members to keep them. A female defense lawyer as a protagonist. A very nosy radio announcer. An unsolved murder that might or may not be related to the case but the victim was related to the senator. Add in a few more people with their own motives and agendas. All these make for a very chaotic and big mess. The only way to solve the case is to check each possible angle without dismissing any single thing, no matter how tiny that might have any relevance or shed light to the case. 

Margaret Truman's insider knowledge of DC is shining through here. No one does it like her. The classic question of who has done it lives in every page. It seemed like everyone could be a suspect but the real culprit is never ever obvious. You have to read the whole book to find out and be astonished in the revelation. This is definitely one of those mind-boggling crime mysteries I have read. The suspect I had in mind was not the real killer. If there were clues as to who has done it, they were so subtle that even I, a self-proclaimed mystery, thriller and suspense junkie had missed them. Which means, the author is at the top of her game. I am happy to be told that my hunch was wrong. I love that the story is so unpredictable. The best thing about mysteries is to never know what's coming. To surprise and to bewilder both the suspicious and the unsuspecting reader.

I give the book 4/5 video tapes. This is a classic case of leave no stone un-turned. The puzzle has to be solved by connecting the pieces one at a time. Unraveling the secrets bit by bit. This is one good old-fashioned mystery in its finest. This story reminds me why I was so drawn into this genre. I think most of the books I have read is composed of 50% of this genre. When YA was not yet the thing, this was my default setting for stories to read. It was like second nature to me to hunt for these kind of stories. I live for these kind of stories. 


I admire people who demand the truth, even if they are annoying.

- Margaret Truman, Murder on Capitol Hill - 




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