Murder in the White House

by Margaret Truman

1984

Status

Available

Publication

Not Avail (1984)

Description

Who better to write a political thriller than the daughter of a president? Margaret Truman's first book in the Capital Crimes series, Murder in the White House, takes readers on a whirlwind journey through the public halls of power and the private corridors of the White House. When the Secretary of State is found murdered in the Lincoln bedroom, Ron Fairbanks, special counsel to the president and secret suitor of presidential daughter Lynne, is appointed to head the investigation. The investigation leads Fairbanks headlong into the secrets of not only the Secretary of State, but the President, the First Lady, and his beloved Lynne. When the young attorney realizes the position he's in, torn between his job, his loyalty, his love, and uncovering the truth, he must make gut-wrenching choices, which lead to a surprise that no one could have foreseen. Margaret Truman used her first-hand Washington political knowledge to create Capital Crimes, a riveting twenty-five book series of political mysteries set in and around the landmarks of the capital city; from Foggy Bottom to Embassy Row to the Smithsonian. There are some recurring characters, but the series can be read out of sequence. Capital Crimes is Truman's most popular series, with several titles spending time on the New York Times Bestsellers List. Released in 1980, this novel quickly became a bestseller, as well as a Book-of-the-Month Club alternate selection. The book also forms the basis for the 1997 movie Murder at 1600 starring Wesley Snipes, Diane Lane, and Alan Alda.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member infjsarah
I found this a bit disappointing. I never felt involved with the characters. And if I had never seen The West Wing, I would have been very confused.
Interesting cos of who wrote it but I would not read any more.
LibraryThing member MerryMary
I love Ms Truman's Capitol Crimes series. Who knows Washington and its iconic locations better than she? The settings of her novels are so strong and believable that I am free to concentrate on the mystery, while Washington surrounds me with nary a misstep.

This particular entry in the series
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concerns the First Family (President, First Lady, and First Daughter) and the murder of the Secretary of State in one of the upstairs family rooms. A young and upcoming lawyer (Special Counsel to the President and occasional escort to the First Daughter) Ron Fairbanks, is placed in charge of the special investigation of this murder. The lifestyles, the corruption, the secrets that are uncovered lead Ron in ever-constricting circles around very powerful people. The President said, "Wherever it leads. No one is above suspicion," but Ron fears he has been set up as a scapegoat and a disposable element. Even if he finds the culprit, his career may be over, and the growing affection between Ron and the President's daughter Lynne Webster may have no future at all.

Enjoyable. Interesting twists along the way. Recommended.
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LibraryThing member AuntieClio
eeesh what a bad book. Poorly written, does not age well, just yuck. The only upside to reading this book is that it led me to get rid of several others that were in the box.
LibraryThing member jeffome
St. Bart's 2014 #4 - Good quick vacation mystery by Truman....nothing earth shattering, but somewhat clever. And coming from an actual inhabitant of the White House, one assumes there is some basic credibility in the portrayal of life there. I like a good story, I have always been interested in the
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Presidency and the White House, and it kept my interest......all good.
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LibraryThing member christinejoseph
ok - novel @ above.

In a town where the weapon of choice is usually a well-aimed rumor, the strangling of Secretary of State Lansard Blaine in the Lincoln Bedroom is a gruesome first. White House counsel Ron Fairbanks is ordered to investigate. There are persistent rumors that the Secretary was an
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accomplished womanizer with ties to a glamorous call girl. There is also troubling evidence of unofficial connections with international wheeler-dealers.

In death as in life, Blaine is a power to be reckoned with. For Fairbanks, who loves the President’s daughter, one point is soon clear: only a few highly placed insiders had access to the Lincoln Bedroom that fateful evening. And one of them was the president. . . .
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LibraryThing member dbhutch
The first in the Capitol Murder series, Truman's foray into the nation's capital is an excellent one.
The President returns from an overseas trip, and that night his Secretary of State dies in the White House with his throat cut. Appointing a young lawyer who he has on staff as Special Counsel, Ron
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Fairbanks, to the lead investigator as to who killed the Secretary, the President tells him no one, including the President himself is above suspicion.
Immersed in the uphraveal of the murder, Fairbanks researches, and finds out much more than he bargained for - family secrets, bribery, politicing, dealmaking, prostitution, and multiple layers of threats and secrets.
An excellent book, and a great read.
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LibraryThing member LindaMorris
Margaret Truman writes a wonderful murder mystery. She keeps you guessing until the end. An easy read with page turning qualities.
LibraryThing member DrLed
I've always wanted to read one of Margaret Truman's books; this falls into the category of 'a book written by a celebrity' on the 2016 Reading Challenge list. I knew that she was the only child of President Harry Truman and his wife, Bess. What I didn't know was that she was also a singer and an
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actress before becoming a writer.
Synopsis: While on the second floor of the White House, the Secretary of State is murdered. This presents several issues, among them that the only people with high security clearance are allowed on that level, including the president and his family. Ron Fairbanks, Special Counsel to the President, is appointed to find out why the Secretary was murdered and who the murder is.
Review: If you're politically naive, this book is an eye-opener. As to the mystery, it's got lots of red-herrings. While the murderer is a reasonable suspect, there are others who would have made better killers.
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LibraryThing member jepeters333
Investigating the strangling death of the Secretary of State in the Lincoln Bedroom, White House counsel Ron Fairbanks hears that the Secretary was a womanizer with ties to a glamorous call girl, and finds evidence of unofficial connections with international wheeler-dealers. Fairbanks discovers
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only a few highly placed insiders had access to the Lincoln Bedroom that fateful evening. And one of them was the president.
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LibraryThing member otori
What a good title in the year 2020. Sadly the wrong murder victim and the wrong murderer. But all in all a decent read
LibraryThing member Huba.Library
It was fun reading a novel interspersed with so much DC resident & neighborhood references, especially since they were used correctly. It's a DC mentality which picks out minutiae and lose sight of the novel as a whole. It's even worse for movies & TV shows when the background is moving opposite of
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their destination!
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Language

Original publication date

1980

Physical description

6.7 inches

ISBN

0446314021 / 9780446314022

Barcode

1600741
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