Book Review: Murder at The Washington Tribune

Reviewed By: Cheryl - RAM

Murder at The Washington Tribune     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Margaret Truman
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Series: Capitol Crimes # 21

Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. In this novel, the only people who are not corrupt are those who are on the sidelines - the wives of two of the main characters. Joe slides into corruption gradually, prodded by ambition and envy, and his unwillingness to accept what he has achieved in life. Hawthorne has been betraying trust for years, always minimizing his actions to himself. And Michael is almost inhuman behind the facade he presents to the world. His early experience with his own capacity for evil and his subsequent life has produced a very manipulative and ambiguous person.

The murders are almost incidental to the story of the lives of the people among whom the murders take place. Victims and killers provide work for the police; stories and therefore sales for the media. Hapless grieving friends and relatives are merely fodder for the police and media, public services run by fallible humans who bring their own private weaknesses to their service to the public.

At the focus of this book are the people who are at this intersection of public and private; the very human and imperfect people who operate in this milieu; who handle private tragedies in the public realm. Lacking absolute power, they are not absolutely corrupt - and the hope of continuing but imperfect life remains after the murders and scandals are forgotten.

The book ends on a rather ambiguous note - After the climax, the resulting fallout is related in a matter-of-fact way which lacks the neat, every puzzle solved and every loose end tied up, aspect of some mystery novels. In a way, this is a most appropriate ending for a novel with a focus on the messiness of real life and real failures.

The book works well both as a detective novel and as a portrayal of an aspect of life in Washington, as would be expected from this author.

Cheryl - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Cheryl - RAM