Margaret Truman, the only child of President Harry Truman (33rd President of the United States), was born in Independence, Missouri and spent her early years between Missouri and Washington, DC, where her father was a senator. Upon the death of Franklin Roosevelt, Truman assumed the presidency and the young Margaret moved to the White House. From there it was on to George Washington University and a Bachelors of Arts degree in History.
After college, she pursued her interest and talent in singing and from the late 1940s into the early 1950s she performed around the world, as well as on radio and television shows. Her singing career received mixed reviews, but nonetheless was followed closely by the media in her day. Truman remained in the public eye when she went on to become one of the first women to be part of the then fledgling morning news and entertainment shows, paired with Mike Wallace on NBC’s show Monitor in 1955.
She began her writing career in 1956 with her first book, Souvenir, Margaret Truman's Own Story. The autobiography was followed by several works of nonfiction including books about her father, her mother, Bess Truman, and several books focusing on the history of the White House and its previous inhabitants, including former pets of White House families. In 1980, with the release of Murder in the White House, Truman began her foray into the world of fiction, which would continue for the rest of her life. Her Capital Crimes series remains popular with a whole new generation of readers who are intrigued by behind-the-scenes pictures of the political process.
A prolific writer in both the fiction and nonfiction genres, Truman has written a total of thirty-five books and is today a truly popular American writer.
Margaret Truman died in 2008 at the age of 83.
"Truman’s novels of Washington will continue to entertain both mystery and Washington buffs." (Washington Post)
Take yourself on a journey into the world of international art dealers and museum curators, European castles and the White House. Margaret Truman’s Murder in the Smithsonian tangles readers in an international plot that spans continents and governments. When Dr.Lewis Tunney, a brilliant historian, is boldly murdered during a posh black-tie affair at the Smithsonian Museum, Washington is set spinning with intrigue.
D.C. Police Captain Mac Hanrahan takes over the case, but the more he uncovers, the more deeply he becomes entangled in the web of secrets, lies, and revenge. From the deceased Tunney’s strong-willed fiancé, Heather McBean, to the congressmen with secrets to hide, Hanrahan finds himself under increasing pressure from all sides. He must do whatever he can to protect his government—and Heather McBean.
Murder in the Smithsonian is the fourth volume in Truman’s beloved Capital Crimes series, in which Truman enlivens history with her first-hand knowledge as the daughter of a U.S. president. The twenty-five Capital Crimes novels, published between 1980 and 2011, all revolve around Washington, D.C and its landmarks. The Smithsonian’s museums, with their quirky staff, forensic scientists, and sometimes-spooky exhibits are the perfect setting for a thrilling political crime novel.
"Whodunit? Ask the President’s daughter…. Truman has upheld executive honor." (Washington Post)
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.
"Truman[‘s] . . . murder mysteries evoke brilliantly the Washington she knows so well." —Houston Post
When the corpse of a young woman is found floating down Washington’s C&O canal, everyone is shocked to learn the victim is none other than Valerie Frolich—a senator’s daughter, Georgetown graduate, and a rising star in the cutthroat world of investigative journalism.
Washington Post reporter Joe Potamos is good at unearthing the skeletons in the nation’s capital, so when he’s assigned the Frolich story, he immediately senses this case is rife with secrets. As he digs further to uncover the truth about Valerie’s death, it soon becomes apparent someone wanted the young, beautiful report dead.
And when Joe’s search uncovers an evil labyrinth of intrigue involving murder, bribery, kidnapping, and even international espionage, he’ll have to race to find Valerie’s killer—before his own life is snuffed out.
