Margaret Truman

Havana may be far from Washington, but DC power brokers are never far from Havana. Neither are danger, deception, and sudden death. That's what draws Max Pauling there. As an ex-CIA, ex-State Department employee, he faces an uneventful early retirement-until he is asked to secretly fly some medical supplies into the mysterious Cuban city. If Max is looking for excitement, he finds it. First there's his contact, a breathtaking beauty with private plans of her own. Then there's a former senator, in Havana to ease the U. S. embargo, but who may have another, more malevolent, mission. Throw in endless supplies of under-the-table money- not to mention a murder-and Max has landed in a place even more corrupt . . . and more compelling . . . than the U. S. capital itself.

In the depths of the U. S. Library of Congress toil thousands of researchers, chasing down obsessions, breakthroughs, and new contributions to human wisdom. But when amateur D. C. sleuth Annabel Reed-Smith enters this stately American institution, she discovers a hornet's nest of intrigue and murder. After a renowned scholar is bludgeoned to death among the scholarly stacks, an ambitious TV reporter links the case to the heist of a Spanish painting from a Miami museum and a killing in Mexico City. Annabel suspects that buried in the Library are secrets some people will do anything to keep silent-the secret of a rich man's ambition, a researcher's disappearance, and a mysterious diary of Christopher Columbus's journey written five hundred years ago. . . .

The Watergate in Washington, D. C., is one of the world's most famous addresses-- although not everyone knows exactly what it is. This imposing, fabulous complex is made up of a hotel, residences, restaurants, offices, shops, and more. It is a haven for the famous after they break out and, on occasion, for the infamous when they break in. Its very name has become part of our history. Margaret Truman, herself the bearer of one of the world's most famous names, knows Washington's ins and outs, including who is "in" and who is "out." In this absorbing, timely Capital Crimes mystery, she shows us around this fascinating city that is America's center of power and--some would say--corruption. Some of those who are "out" here are very dead indeed. The glittering cast of characters includes Vice President Joe Aprile, who plans to become president, if he can avoid a tempting vice; a glamorous Washington hostess and fund-raiser, Elfie Dorrance, with a propensity for marrying rich and powerful men and then grieving prettily at the end--their end; and Chris Hedras, a special assistant to the vice president, with some very special ambitions. And, of course, Annabel Smith, gallery owner, and Mac Smith, law school professor. The story deals in part with the influence on political campaigns of "soft money" and its hard consequences, as well as this country's tortuous and often ambiguous relationship with Mexico, in particular the glorious San Miguel de Allende, home of the well-to-do, and a few ill-to-do, a place involving drugs, politics, and police and politicians looking the other way. Once again Margaret Truman offers a delight to the reader who likes a fast-turning page, the pleasure of inside information, the allure of high life crossing paths with lowlife, and the return of the attractive crime-solving couple Mac and Annabel

"Powerful . . . Fascinating . . . Truman absolutely amazes."--Atlanta Journal & Constitution When the senior curator at Washington's famed National Gallery finds a missing painting by the Renaissance master Caravaggio, he mounts a world-class exhibition--and plots a brilliant forgery scheme that will stun the art world. "A thrilling chase."--Publishers WeeklyBut an artful deception suddenly becomes a portrait of blackmail and murder--as gallery owner and part-time sleuth Annabel Reed-Smith and her husband go searching for clues in the heady arena of international art and uncover a rare collection of unscrupulous characters that leads all the way to Italy. "Highly recommended . . . One of Margaret] Truman's best."--Booklist

"Fascinating . . . First Ladies is a wonderfully generous look at the women who, often against their wishes, took on what Truman calls 'the world's second toughest job.'"--The Christian Science MonitorWhether they envision their role as protector, partner, advisor, or scold, First Ladies find themselves in a job that is impossible to define, and just as difficult to perform. Now Margaret Truman, daughter of President Harry Truman and an acclaimed novelist and biographer in her own right, explores the fascinating position of First Lady throughout history and up to the present day. With her unique perspective as the daughter of a First Lady, Ms. Truman reveals the truth behind some of the most misunderstood and forgotten First Ladies of our history, as well as the most famous and beloved. In recounting the charm and courage of Dolley Madison, the brazen ambition of Florence Harding, the calm, good sense of Grace Coolidge, the genius of Eleanor Roosevelt, the mysterious femininity of Jackie Kennedy, and the fierce protectiveness of Nancy Reagan, among others, Margaret Truman has assembled an honest yet affectionate portrait of our nation's First Ladies--one that freely acknowledges their virtues and their flaws.

NATIONAL BESTSELLERMARGARET TRUMANBestselling author of MURDER AT THE PENTAGON MURDER ON THE POTOMAC "A first-rate mystery writer."--Los Angeles Times Book ReviewFirst time in paperback "Harry's daughter knows her milieu; better still, she knows how to portray it convincingly."--The San Diego UnionLaw professor Mac has unflagging passion for two things in his life: his wife Annabel and the majestic Potomac River. When Mac discovers a weed-shrouded body in the latter, the former gets edgy. Lovely Annabel, owner of a flourishing Georgetown art gallery, must not only endure her husband's obsession with another killing, but she must believe Mac when he says that a stunning female former student is one of the only people who can help him. They discover that the corpse was once the confidante' of a wealthy Washingtonian, which leads to the Scarlet Sin Society, a theatrical group that--perilously--reenacts historical murders. And soon, the only thing that matters more to Mac than solving this serpentine case is preventing Annabel's untimely death (." Truman 'knows the forks' in the nation's capital and how to pitchfork her readers into a web of murder and detection."--The Christian Science Monitor"Margaret Truman has settled firmly into a career of writing murder mysteries, all evoking brilliantly the Washington she knows so well."--The Houston Post

"Margaret Truman has become a first-rate mystery writer." LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK REVIEWWhen a genius doctor is murdered and a desert madman gains the means to kill millions, Major Margit Falk, a helicopter pilot and Pentagon lawyer, is drawn into Project Safekeep--an antimissile scheme under congressional investigation. The alleged murderer has his share of secrets, but Falk smells conspiracy in the air. And although she turns to her mentor, law professor Mackenzie Smith for help, she's got to beat a cunning madman and a nuclear blast.... An Alternate Selection of the Literary Guild

"A vigorous tale of twists and turns . . . An authentic thriller."--The Washington Post Book WorldMurder didn't stop Mac Smith or Annabel Reed from falling in love, or from getting married at the glorious church on the hill in Washington, D. C., the National Cathedral. But the brutal murder of a friend drags them from their newlywed bliss into an unholy web of intrigue and danger. The body is found in the cathedral. There are scant clues and no suspects. And to further complicate matters, a parallel crime is committed at a church in England's Cotswolds, where the honeymooners have recently been visitors. Across the sea go the Smiths again, and straight into the center of an ungodly plot of secret agents, a playboy priest, a frustrated lover, a choleric cleric . . . and a murder so perfect it's a sin. Praise for Murder at the National Cathedral"One of her most enjoyable books."--Associated Press"Margaret Truman has become a first-rate mystery writer."--Los Angeles Times Book Review

Shortly after he left office, President Harry S. Truman began to write down his typically blunt, honest commentaries about FDR and his other colleagues, the job of the presidency, the workings of the government and the Constitution -- and his picks for the nation's best and worst presidents. Since he minced no words, Truman asked that these writings -- sometimes funny, sometimes very serious, always to the point -- be released to the public only after he and Mrs. Truman were gone. Now, this totally frank book by the thirty-third president, lovingly edited by his daughter, Margaret, has been published at last. In it, Truman speaks clearly in his own inimitable voice, and with the down-home, across-the-back-fence feeling of a born storyteller from Missouri, he tells you exactly what's on his mind about these and other subjects:

"An exciting romp through the maze of Washington politics."--The Dallas Morning News During a gala benefit for the Democratic Party's hottest presidential hopeful at the glittering Kennedy Center, a young woman dies, a victim of quick and brutal violence. The murder weapon belongs to the candidate. The chief suspect is the candidate's son. The dynamic campaign of Senator Kenneth Ewald has collided with a tragedy that can send his son to jail--and wreck his own career. George Washington University law professor Mac Smith comes out of the classroom to tackle a case that's bad for Senator Ewald but may prove even worse for the nation. And Smith himself marches straight into the firing line of an unscrupulous TV evangelist who gets his orders from God and a dethroned Central American dictator who takes interference from no one. . . . "Margaret Truman has become a first-rate mystery writer."--Los Angeles Times Book Review

"She invades the turf of John le Carr . . . . It is very good."--Los Angeles Times Book Review Barrie Mayer, a beautiful Washington literary agent, arrives at London's Heathrow Airport with plenty of time to make her flight to Budapest, where she's planning to meet an author. The airport is crowded, but it's not a scheduling problem that keeps Barrie from getting off the ground. The doctors call her death a heart attack, but her best friend, Collette Cahill, has her doubts. A CIA agent herself, Collette knows that Barrie was carrying more than just contracts to Hungary. Then Collette gets the order from above: Find out what happened to Barrie. And, more important, what happened to her briefcase. So Collette sets off on a search that will take her from London to Washington to the Caribbean, from restaurants to psychiatrists' offices to bedrooms. After all--even CIA agents lose their hearts every now and then. But Collette may lose her life. . . . "Her most far-ranging and, arguably, her best."--New Woman

"A thriller...a novel...a fun thing, an entertainment and good reading." LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK REVIEWWho would want to kill Clarence Sutherland, a bright and handsome young man? The answer: practically everybody.