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Read Murder At The National Cathedral (1999)

Murder at the National Cathedral (1999)

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Rating
3.66 of 5 Votes: 5
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ISBN
0449459284 (ISBN13: 9780449459287)
Language
English
Publisher
fawcett books

Murder At The National Cathedral (1999) - Plot & Excerpts

Tedious at bestPublished in 1990 by Random House AudioRead by Rene AuberjonoisDuration: approximately 3 hours.I have read a number of Margaret Truman's murder mysteries and was pleased to find this one as an audiobook so that I could enjoy it on my drive to work. However, this one was a true departure from her other works that I have read and approached what I was afraid that all of her books would be like when I first started reading them: the pretentious writings of a Washington insider. The murder mystery in and of itself is very simplistic. Truman brings in a vague ecumenical movement called "Word of Peace" and has everyone in the Episcopal/Anglican Church hierarchy express their doubts and fears about the group without going into detail why they should be afraid of it. Truman seems to think that an ongoing, out-in-the-open sexual relationship by an unmarried Bishop is not a big deal - and she would be wrong in that assertion.Truman's descriptions of church activities and goings on have no natural feel - which is unfortunate because her other books were so much better and somehow managed to "feel" right.My audiobook version was read by Emmy award-winning actor Rene Auberjonois (from Benson and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine). he did a remarkable job with the many accents required. His female voices even sound like they were read by females! A+ for the reading.http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2012/...

I give this book 3.5 stars. Another good mystery by Margaret Truman. We visited the National Cathedral this summer for the first time so reading this book reminded me of our visit. Mac and Annabel are married by the priest Paul Singletary and shortly after that he is found murdered in the cathedral. Did someone connected with the church kill him or was it someone walking in off the street. Mac is drawn into this murder and when he and Annabel go to London on their honeymoon he decides to do some investigating there. This was where Paul Singletary had been right before he was killed and he came home from his trip a day early so maybe they can find some clues there that would help. While they are in London, Mac finds another body of a priest murdered and his wife is attacked. They return tot eh States and the investigation continues. Are the two murders connected? What does one of the choir boys know? Truman does a good job of drawing the reader in and keeping the story moving at a good pace.

What do You think about Murder At The National Cathedral (1999)?

What the heck?It's books like this that give me hope that I, too, can one day call myself a published writer. The writing is clunky, the characters not likable, the mystery not too intense at all. I like D.C., so if I'm in a D.C. mystery mood and don't really need to lend my brain too much, then sure, I might read Margaret Truman again. This book was at least a fast read. Maybe her first novel is better? It's actually set in the White House, so that might be more appealing.I'm actually more interested in just learning more about Margaret Truman--President Truman's daughter, one time a singer, then wrote all of these books set in Washington, married to a journalist from the New York Times. Her life just sounds exciting to me.
—Michelle

I chose this book for several reasons. One was that I grew up in Washington, D.C. and have spent untold hours in the National Cathedral since the early 1960s. Yep, I'm that old. Anyway, it has been fascinating watching the Cathedral's construction over the decades. Both of my children were baptized in the Cathedral--one in the chapel where the murder in this book occurred. Another reason is that I have never read a book by Margaret Truman and I have been curious about her books set in Washington. Lastly, this book satisfied the Washington, D.C. setting for the mystery challenge that I'm involved in. That said, I doubt that I will be reading any more Margaret Truman books. I enjoyed the location of the story--the Cathedral, Foggy Bottom, and George Washington University, but the plot was thin and the characters were not very well developed. Also, being familiar with the Cathedral, the errors contained in the book drove me crazy. Truman referred frequently to the pews in both the Nave and in the Chapels. There aren't any pews, there are chairs. Also, she wrote about windows that could be opened in one of the chapels--really Margaret?--and about details in some of the chapels that don't exist. Other than that, the information about D.C. and the Cathedral was interesting and brought back many memories. An easy read, but fluffy.
—Judy

The sleuthing duo, Mac Smith and Annabell Reed, are married in the National Cathedral. Soon after a violent murder shatters the tranquility of the church community and interrupts Mac and Annabel's newlywed bliss. Devoted to each other and to their work and trying to avoid other entanglements, they find themselves drawn into harsh and unholy realities. A similar crime in England and a collection of strange characters including a playboy priest, a jealous husband, and terrorist elements deepen the mystery. This was an enjoyable book with several twists and turns that kept me guessing. The characters are not developed very deeply but the plot is intriguing. It's a fun mystery.
—Sherry Carter

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