Congressman Latham has maintained an impeccable record in Washington, and so he seems the logical choice when nominated by his friend, President Scott, to become the next secretary of state. His confirmation hearings appear to be a formality until rumors emerge of sexual misconduct and influence peddling. Then, early one morning, he is found shot to death, an apparent suicide.Nobody close to Paul Latham believes his demise a suicide; there are just too many questions left unanswered. Why would he kill himself, and why would he do it in a public place? Why was there no suicide note? Where did he get the gun? Where is Latham's appointment secretary, Marge Edwards? So Latham's close friend lawyer-professor Mackensie Smith goes about uncovering the truth. In the process he unearths connections to the CIA, businessman Warren Brazier, Russian communists, and a shady private detective. Eventually Smith's own life is threatened, leading him to a dramatic and shocking...

Max Pauling, of Murder in Foggy Bottom, is coaxed out of a restless retirement by another "ex-" CIA colleague. The case that tempts him is one involving a large American pharmaceutical firm that may be using a German company as a front to get around the U.S. scientific and technical embargo of Cuba. What's at stake? An ex-senator, who heads up a drug company, is after big game: the surprising and stunning medical research being conducted by the Cubans to develop a more effective anticancer drug. Max, who is among other things a pilot, is assured that this will be a purely private assignment--no assassinations, no government to subvert, no informers to turnjust a few easy flights and a little time in the sun. Once in Havana, he makes contact with a ravishing Cuban-American woman who is to be his "translator." Soon, he finds himself hunted as an assassin in a place where murder is sanctioned for a greater good, or greater greed, and those caught in the...

Senator Cale Caldwell and his wife maintained a far-reaching and powerful grip on Capitol Hill society—but not powerful enough to save him from foul play. Despite his eminence and influence, the Senator's life is cut short in brutal fashion at a glamorous reception held in his honor, just two short years after tragedy struck the Caldwell family in the form of the unsolved murder of his niece.When attorney Lydia James suggests a connection between the two deaths, she's shut down, and fast. But who stands to benefit from the Caldwell's tragedies, and James' silence? The Senator's political rivals? The media? The Caldwells' closest allies?Working with a dizzying number of suspects and possible motives, James embarks on a hunt for the Caldwell killer amidst a web of Washington intrigue and political maneuvering that's sure to leave no stone unturned—or life unthreatened.Murder on Capitol Hill is the second book in the popular Capital Crimes mystery series,...

If there's one organization you don't want to mess with, it's the FBI. But Ross Lizenby and his fellow agent and girlfriend, Christine Saksis, must rush headlong into a showdown with one of the world's most respected—and feared—government agencies.When they are brought together to investigate the murder of Special Agent George Pritchard, they face serious doubts about the work they have dedicated their lives to. Pritchard was murdered on the FBI's own shooting range, his body found hanging behind a target during a public tour of the facility. Because of the embarrassment, the FBI had to launch an investigation—but was their heart really in it?With roadblocks at every turn, the evidence—and lack of evidence—mounts to a thrilling breaking point. Would the agency that Lizenby and Saksis had so much respect for really engage in cover-ups just to keep their image clean?With this novel, sixth in her Capital Crimes series, Margaret Truman takes...

Margaret Truman, who knows where all the bodies are buried inside the Beltway, has written her most thrilling novel of suspense yet. Murder at the Opera features the popular crime-fighting couple Mac Smith and his wife, Annabel Reed-Smith, as they navigate the glitz, glamour, and grime that is Washington, D.C.It ain't over till the fat lady sings . . . but the show hasn't even started yet when a diva is found dead. The soprano in question, a petite young Asian Canadian named Charise Lee, was scarcely a star at the Washington National Opera. But when the aspiring singer is stabbed in the heart backstage during rehearsals, she suddenly takes center stage.Georgetown law professor Mac Smith thought he'd just be carrying a rapier in Tosca as a favor for his beloved Annabel, but now they're both being pressured by the panicked theater board to unmask a killer. Providing accompaniment will be former homicide detective, current P.I., and eternal opera fan Raymond...

Historic Union Station means nothing to the elderly man speeding south on the last lap of what will turn out to be a one-way journey from Tel Aviv to D.C. – on a train that will soon land him at Gate A-8 and, moments later, at St. Peter's Gate. This weary traveler, whose terminal destination is probably hell, is Louis Russo, former mob hit man and government informer. Two men are at the station to meet him. One is Richard Marienthal, a young writer whose forthcoming book is based on Russo's life. The other is the man who'll kill him. Russo has returned to help promote Marienthal's book, which, although no one has been allowed to read it, already has some people shaking in their Gucci boots. Those in power fear that the contents will expose not only organized crime's nefarious business but also a top-secret assignment abroad that Russo once masterminded for a very-high-profile Capitol Hill client. As news of Russo's murder rockets from the MPD to the FBI and the CIA, from Congress to the West Wing, the final chapter of the story begins its rapid-fire unfolding. In addition to the bewildered Marienthal and his worried girlfriend, Murder at Union Station features an array of memorable characters: rock-ribbed right-wing Senator Karl Widmer; ruthless New York publisher Pamela Warren; boozy MPD Detective Bret Mullin; shoe-shine virtuoso Joe Jenks; dedicated presidential political adviser Chet Fletcher; and President Adam Parmele himself – not to mention freelance snoops, blow-dried climbers, and a killer or two. There's no place like the nation's capital, and as her myriad fans know, Margaret Truman always gets it right. Murder at Union Station is a luxury express, non stopdelight.