Murder on Embassy Row

I love the venue of M. Truman's mysteries. She a first rate writer. The many twists held my interest until it ended.

Geoffrey James is the British Ambassador. His earlier posting had been Iran. Geoffrey James dies. His personal valet, Nuri Hafez, disappears. Salvatore Morizio, MPD, and Connie Lake work together. Morizio finds that his morgue is invaded by the British. The ambassador was poisoned by ricin it is determined, one of the world's most toxic substances. Captain Morizio is ordered to appear at a press conference. In the announcement of the death, America is dubbed the host country. Next it develops that Nuri Hafez is designated the murderer and a warrant is issued for his arrest. Paul Pringle, Morizio's embassy contact, is supposed to have been sent back to England. He gets word to Sal to avoid the Geoffrey James murder case, that there are more important things in life. Sal believes the case has not been solved and even though he has been warned off of the case he can't leave it alone. Pringle dies and a secretary at the embassy tells Connie Lake that Pringle had cared about people, a decent man. Nigel Barnsworth, second in command at the embassy, may be in possession of some of the answers. Morizio had taught Lake that sometimes orders have to be disobeyed to maintain the soul. He is reading THE THIRTIES by Edmund Wilson. Lake and Morizio learn that their apartments have been bugged. Ideas as to the identity of the parties involved include their department, the State Department, and the CIA. It seems the ricin could have been embedded in synthethetic caviar. Morizio learns that Pringle is linked to the CIA. When Morizio and Lake are suspended they no longer have a base. In England and Denmark connections are made by them to Iranian caviar and cocaine smuggling schemes serving to form the basis of the murders. At one point Lake goes missing in Christiana, an enclave inside of Copenhagen designated a free area, not subject to law enforcement activity, sort of along the lines of an embassy or an Indian tribal region. In the end, Morizio uses Connie's countercultural Danish aunt to help him in the search. This is well written and exciting.

Who killed the person? Truman isthe only one who knows. Her expertise in mystery is first rate!

Once again, Margaret Truman has shared her intimate knowledge of Washington, D. C., governmental politics, and international diplomacy create a credible additional to her spectular crime series. The dialog is real and the story moves along swiftly because of it. This is a mystery that mystery lovers should enjoy.