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Murder at
Ford’s Theatre by Margaret Truman Rating: •• (Mildly Recommended) |
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Curtains Lovers of Washingtonia will appreciate
some of the local color that Margaret Truman provides in her new mystery
novel, Murder
at Ford’s Theatre, the latest in her capitol crimes series. I, for one,
appreciated the reference to Waddy Wood’s architectural skill. Mystery lovers
will be disappointed. While some of the classic structures are in place, and
clues are dropped, the whole storyline is predictable and lacks elements of
surprise and plot twists that confuse. Here’s an excerpt from the beginning of
Chapter 9 (p. 68-9) with my favorite reference to Wood: In the early twentieth century, the eminent architect
Waddy B. Wood designed more than thirty elegant homes, some of them mansion
size, in an area that was an extension of the exclusive Dupont Circle
residential community. The area was known as Kalorama—Greek for
"beautiful view"—and its
stately Norman, Tudor)
and Georgian homes
offered stunning views of Rock
Creek Park. One of the more imposing houses, in the chateauesque style
inspired by Paris's Ecole des Beaux-Arts, was the residence of Virginia
senator Bruce Lemer. Lerner and his then wife, Clarise, had purchased the house
in the early years of their marriage,
and it was to
there they'd brought their only
child, Jeremiah, home from the hospital. The previous owner had turned it
into a bed-and-breakfast, a highly unpopular move with his wealthy neighbors,
who were grateful when it again functioned as a private home for a
distinguished U.S. senator and his family. It was a large house, with twelve-foot-high ceilings,
period moldings, and hardwood floors
throughout its sixteen rooms. There were seven fireplaces,
four baths, a separate two-bedroom apartment, maid's quarters, a three-car
garage with a deck above that afforded views of Washington's monuments from
its front, and from its rear, the park. Senator and Mrs. Lemer paid $800,000 for it in the late '70s: its
current worth was estimated to be well in excess of $2 million. This night, Lemer sat on the deck, a glass of scotch on
the rocks in his hand. His pose in the chair was relaxed, long legs in gray
slacks stretched in front of him, double-breasted blue blazer hanging open,
blue-and-white-checkered button-down shirt unbuttoned. Internally, he
churned. The glass he held dangled at his side, hovering inches from the
tile floor. "How inconsiderate,"
the woman in another chair said, referring to the sound of music being played
too loud from somewhere, a car perhaps. "I'm sorry," he said,
realizing she was there and turning to look at her. "The music. I don't
understand why people think others should be subjected to their taste in
music." "It wouldn't bother you so
much if it were Mozart," he said, returning his attention to the city's
lights visible in the distance. "It wouldn't bother me so
much if it were anything other than what it is. You were saying before about
the media calls." "Oh, yes. They won't let it
go, those damn rumors about Nadia and me." His voice was low and well
modulated, and he spoke with deliberate slowness, a southern pace that he
tended to exaggerate at times. The woman, Shirley Lester, had
been seen frequently with Lemer at myriad social functions over the past six
months. They'd been friends for years. Lemer had been especially close to
Shirley's deceased husband. Vice Admiral Nelson Lester, the navy department's
inspector general. After her husband died, Shirley forged a closer friendship
with the bachelor senator that quickly led—too quickly, some said—to a
romantic one. "Nelson used to say
Shakespeare was wrong," she said. "It isn't the lawyers who need
killing. It's the journalists." "He was right, considering
I was a lawyer." He drew on his drink. "Nadia was flirtations,
Shirley. I don't doubt she would have entertained an affair with me." "She flirted with
you?" "Yes. Hung around after
hours a lot. Liked to squeeze in tight spots with me. She was damned
tempting." Truman’s dialogue is weak like this
throughout the novel. The plot is predictable. I can recommend Murder at
Ford’s Theatre only to those who just have to read this next installment
in her series, or those readers who love the City of Washington. Steve Hopkins, December 23, 2002 |
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ã 2003 Hopkins and Company, LLC The
recommendation rating for this book appeared in the January 2003
issue of Executive
Times For
Reprint Permission, Contact: Hopkins
& Company, LLC • 723 North Kenilworth Avenue • Oak Park, IL 60302 E-mail: books@hopkinsandcompany.com |
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