There's a terrorist attack involving a drone on an Israeli beach. American Vice President has an heart attack. A suicide bomber is spotted in a Washington metro. These three seemingly unconnected incidents happen within a span of a few days and each incident has a different person investigating it. That is until their paths cross and seemingly random incidents do not seem so random afterall. Robert Brixton has just lost his PI job with a law firm and has also foiled the metro suicide bomber's plans; only to be contacted by Secret Service's Kendra Rendine who is pretty sure that the VP's death was a foul play. It would be fair to say that Brixton has a lot on his plate and not enough answers. Once he is put in touch with Mossad's Lia Ganz, things start falling into place. How are these incidents connected? Will Brixton be able to solve the puzzle before it is too late?

I cannot believe that I did not hear about this series before! 31 books out and I finally am discovering this series. This fact though gave me an advantage - since I have not read the original series by Margaret Truman, I have nothing to compare this book and it's characters to.

Brixton is an interesting character. An ex-cop who is now a private investigator comes with the baggage of having lost his daughter to a suicide bomber few years ago. He never could get it out of his mind and luckily, for some people, that made him took notice of an inappropriately dressed individual in the metro. His quick thinking saved a lot of lives. Though Brixton has his flaws, which only make him human to the readers, he is a protagonist who can reel you in. The supporting characters in the book are interesting too. Each doing their part to move the story along while adding to the flesh of it. I got the feeling that some of them are recurring characters in the series.

With three different incident and multiple threads, the plot is fast paced. The author does an admirable job of setting up the story in a manner that as I directly dove into the 31st book of a series, I did not feel lost at any point. In fact the plot had its hook in me early on. It was fast and intense and I absolutely loved the way the author wrapped everything up in the end. I am now a fan of Robert Brixton and Jon Land. I will absolutely be looking up the other books in the series.

Pick this one up for a thrilling ride with characters you'll love.

This 31st in the "Capital Crimes" series, written by Jon Land, is fast-paced and totally engrossing.

It begins as international PI Robert Brixton foils a terrorist bombing on the Washington Metro. Vice President Stephanie Davenport dies, apparently from a heart attack. Secret Service agent Kendra Rendine, in charge of her protective detail, is convinced it as murder and asks for Brixton's help.

In Israel,legendary Lia Ganz, Lioness of Judah, is with her granddaughter by a Caesarea beach when a drone attack slaughters many. Ganz leaves retirement.. Her quest takes her to the United States, where she eventually works with Brixton.

It becomes a race against time for Brixton, Lia, and an elderly nun to 'prevent the looming deaths of five million Americans.'

Another great one in Truman’s themed series. While I had figured out who was behind it the twists leading up to solving it kept me enthralled. Can’t wait for the next one, please keep this themed series going.

A commute to a friends office ends with a bomb on the Metro and Robert Brixton is no ordinary commuter . This isn't the first time Robert has experience a bomb attack but it turns out better because in the first one he lost his daughter.
When the vice president dies suddenly her body guard isn't sure it was a natural death so she calls on Robert to help her look in to it. Then a terrorist attack happens in India while a retired agent and her granddaughter are at the beach causing her to become active again.
What happens when evidence points in the direction that these events are all connected.
This book will take you on a roller coaster ride of action. I enjoyed the story and characters and none stop action.

An excellent intrigue/mystery story. Lots of what I’m going to call pieces going on. I’m using the term “pieces” here because plots would sound as if this were a confusing read. And...it’s not. I’m not sure how an author can put all of these singularly intriguing pieces together in a clear yet interwoven way. Everything touched everything in one way or another. No one event could have been triggered without the other in some way. The character in the book brings up a conundrum that I myself have pondered on many times. Fate. Can there really be a “being in the right place at the right time”.

As I have “blathered” on here you can probably already tell I enjoyed this book. I have read several Margaret Truman books and will admit I found some to be slow beginners. Not this time. The amount of secrecy and action don’t seem one bit futuristic. The author has done the research and there is very little in this thriller that can’t be pictured as coming to real life. I have to but hope that we only read about such occurrences in fiction books and never know of them in real life.

I’m sure you are aware this is Book 31 of Capital Crimes. While Margaret Truman did write a few of the books in this series, most of the series was written by a famous ghostwriter named Donald Baines. Even more important now that we have lost both Mrs. Truman and Donald Baines is the current “ghostwriter” or coauthor of this book, Jon Land. You’ll see in this book that Jon Land has created the same page turner type mystery/thriller writing as you have read before. Let me also point out that Jon Land is the author of his own book. All which have good reviews.

This is just all fascinating and it made me want to read all of everyone’s books! There are so many I’ll have piles of them. O Happy Day.

Margaret Truman’s Murder on the Metro - A Capital Crimes Novel


Non-stop action with lots of moving parts! I loved it.

I have recently begun to read political thrillers and this story got me off on the right track: very entertaining, easy to read, believable. These are all the things I look for in reading for entertainment.

Next, I have to locate all of the Capital Crimes series so I can have more in what was a very good series to read.

I enjoyed this novel with a continuously moving plot and plenty of action. It was interesting to contemplate an Israeli operative (retired Mossad) helping save the United States from disaster. There is a nefarious conspiracy under way and a Secret Service agent works with a private investigator to figure out what is going on. Add the Israeli and an incarcerated nun and you have a recipe for a suspenseful thriller.

I felt there were a few unrealistic aspects to the plot, however. The hero, Robert, has the help of many people. One is the retired Mossad agent who seems to be able to fight her way out of every unwinnable situation, no matter the number of bad guys. Another of Robert's helpers is an attorney who can call in all the help needed, including a private jet on a moment's notice. I couldn't visualize the suspenseful end so well yet it seemed to me there must have been at least a few laws of physics bent in the scene.

This is a good book for readers who like a somewhat common man helped by others to save the nation from a devastating conspiracy. Be prepared for over the top action and a high body count. But at least the nation is safe.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

This the first Capital Crimes series I read and the first by Jon Land as well.
I read that the books in this series and by this author are excellent and was happy to be able to read and review this one.
This is a mix of political and action thriller, fast paced and extremely gripping. It kept me on the edge and reading even if there was a moment when I thought I was going to stop as it was a bit too strong for me.
My warning is that if you are a cat lover and a supporter of Amnesty International it could be a bit too much for you to read about a cat used to torture prisoners by making them becoming attached to the pet and then killing in front of the prisoner.
I read this part just after having lost a pet and I thought “I can’t go on”.
I decided to continue and it was the right decision because I enjoyed the story and the characters.
I think that the author did in excellent job in deleting Lia and Brixton. They are both middle aged, they were fighters but they think they need to go back to fighting as they are personally involved in what is happening.
The secondary characters are well written and strong. I loved sister Mary Alice and Rendine but I must tell that also the villains are interesting.
The plot is tightly knitted and fast paced. There’s a lot of actions and the description of Washington political environment is interesting and vivid.
Given what happened recently you are left wondering how much of the plot is fantasy and how much could be real. It’s a disturbing thought that add layers to this story.
I want to read the other novels in Capitol Crimes series, this one is strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Forge Books, Partners in Crime and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

I read and greatly enjoyed the original Capital Crimes Series written by Margaret Truman many, many years ago. I loved her insider knowledge about Washington and the political scene. They also had wonderful mysteries to solve and great characters. I've missed a lot of books between that time and this current book, but the same vibe is still here and Mackenzie Smith, much older now, too.

A terrorist drone attack on a beach in Israel. The death of the Vice President of the United States due to a heart attack. A Washington DC Metro car barely escapes a suicide bomber. All apparently unrelated to each other, but happening within the span of a few days. Soon after, international private investigator Robert Brixton, who thwarted the Merto bomber, is given his pink slip from longtime friend, Mac Smith, who is downsizing his law practice. Could life get any more complicated? Why, yes, it could. When Brixton is contacted by Kendra Rendine, the Secret Service agent in charge of the security detail for the vice president, his life gets complicated, very, very complicated.

Kendra is convinced the vice president's death was not due to natural causes and she wants Braxton to help her prove it and find out why. Since there are several anomalies occurring all at once, Braxton agrees to help. When he is put in contact with former Mossed agent, Lia Ganz, due to a link between the drone attack and the bombing, Braxton is shocked to discover all three incidents were connected. The trail leads to some of the most powerful people in Washington and the plot they uncover could destroy the United States as we know it.

“Murder on the Metro” is part of the “Capital Crimes Series” originally written by Margaret Truman. Jon Land has successfully continued the politically-based thriller series with this latest installment. The plot is compelling, grounded in truth, centered in headline grabbing international politics, but extending just beyond the edge of reality, at least for now.
Land gives readers an inside look at Washington D. C., the people who live there, work there, and die there. The first-ever female vice president (Watch out Kamala) dies of a heart attack, but perhaps is it murder disguised as something else. Mackensie Smith’s law firm is downsizing. Robert Brixton, a private investigator in the greater DC area, prevents an unspeakable tragedy by a thwarting suicide bomber on the Metro. Detective Rogers is an enigma. Who is he? Who should he be? On the other side of the world, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel, retired Mossad agent Lia Ganz avoids the tragedy of a drone attack on the beach. Elaborate sensory descriptions set the stage for the disaster and danger that is to come. The usual technology, including hidden cameras and drones bring all these characters together along with unlikely weapons such as a roller coaster and an actual ceiling.
“Murder on the Metro” is a non-stop thrill ride that places readers inside the treachery and action. Events that are not supposed to happen just do. I received a review copy of “Murder on the Metro” from Jon Land and Forge Books. Land has continued the magnificent tradition of “Capital Crimes,” and with so much “material” available to draw on in D.C., I am sure there will be many more compelling installments to come.

In the book Murder on the Metro, author Jon Land has continued and re-imagined Margaret Truman’s Capital Crimes series. What does a drone strike on a beach in Israel, the death of the Vice President and a bombing on the Washington Metro have in common? Terrorism! Are they linked? But it’s not what you think!
This is a great roller coaster ride of a book. Land did well with a classic line of books and I look forward to more in the series. I would highly recommend this book. I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I started reading Margaret Truman murder mysteries in 1980 with her first one, Murder in the White House, and have yet to read a less than excellent title. Jon Land has continued her excellent work.
As always, several story threads will run at the same time, a drone attack on a group of beach goers, an attempted bombing on a DC metro and the death of the vice president under suspicious circumstances. As our favorite investigative characters work together to link the crimes and solve them before the Nation's infrastructure is irreparably damaged is a tense, suspense filled journey. Be sure to buckle up, it's going to be a very bumpy ride.

On a beach in Israel drones attack and kill dozens of people.
The Vice President of the United States unexpectedly dies from a heart attack.
On a Washington DC metro train a terrorist detonates a bomb.

On the surface there doesn’t seem to be any connections between these devastating events. But Robert Brixton, a private investigator, has questions. He was involved in the Metro bombing, thwarting the bomber who detonated the bomb outside the train car. As he investigates, along with the help of an Israeli anti-terrorist fighter, they discover a plot that leads them into the highest levels of Washington DC power.
Jon Land has written a book that carries on Margaret Truman’s tradition of suspense, Washington politics, and mystery. The action is nearly non-stop and the storyline is compelling. One of the things I found most enjoyable were the characters themselves. Both Brixton and his Israeli counterpart are older, wiser, and experienced. This alone makes Murder on the Metro a different kind of thriller and one that I found refreshing.

Jon Land has made an admirable first attempt at carrying on Margaret Truman’s legacy. I’m looking forward to his next endeavor.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

I received this book from NetGalley for my unbiased review.

I hadn't read a book from the Margaret Truman series in quite awhile. After reading this book I wondered why?
I always enjoyed the series and this one did not disappoint. The characters were well developed and the international additions were interesting.

The book seemed grittier then I remembered from past reading. I believe this was the addition of Jon Land's writing.

I will be looking forward to reading more of the Truman series.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Jon Land, Macmillan-Tor Forge, and Forge Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Having been passed the torch to continue Margaret Truman’s Capital Crimes series, Jon Land fills two pairs of very large shoes. Developing the Robert Brixton character a little more, Land is able to continue the narrative and show readers that this P.I. still has what it takes, especially when stumbling upon a massive secret that could leave many dead across the United States. Fans of the series who have accepted that Mackensie Smith has become a secondary character will likely enjoy this one, as well as any reader who enjoys an intense political thriller with a peppering of international intrigue.

Robert Brixton has spent the better part of the last five years remember his daughter and how she was killed by a suicide bomber while seated in a cafe. The pain remains wedged front and centre in his mind, though he is now able to compartmentalise it when needed. After learning from his best friend, Mackensie Smith, that his job as a P.I. is being made redundant, he wonders what the next chapter in his life might be.

While riding on the Washington Metro, Brixton noticing a woman not dressed for the weather and acting in a highly suspicious manner. Following her, Brixton is able to chase her off the train, just in time for her suicide vest to explode. Brixton’s keen senses have saved many lives and he is congratulated when interviewed by a gruff detective before being whisked away for medical treatment.

Meanwhile, in the Naval Observatory, the US vice-president is ending another day with her head of Secret Service detail. Kendra Rendine has promised to keep the VPOTUS safe at all costs, though nothing could prepare her when the second most powerful person in American politics—a woman, no less—dies suddenly of a heart attack. Rendine is stunned, moreso when she learns that there may have been some ‘help’ to ensure the medical event occurred.

Working alongside Brixton, Rendine begins exploring the truth behind the heart attack, surmising that someone has been plotting for a while. When Brixton uncovers truths behind the Metro bombing that he had not realised before, he’s stunned to see that there are ties to a meeting in the White House and a prisoner in a federal facility with no formal documentation.

All the while, a drone attack in Israel awakens a Mossad operative to a larger terrorist cell developing in Washington. Answers await, though who can be trusted is anyone’s guess. Brixton and Rendine may have some needed answers, but Mossad has never played well in the sandbox with others.

As Brixton uncovers the truth behind the bombing, the murder of VPOTUS, and a terror cell’s strike in Israel, he discovers that there is something taking place deep in the White House that no one could have predicted was taking place. It’s going to take more than a simple accusation to reveal this truth, with an election on the horizon.

Jon Land does well to pick up where his two predecessors left off. Donald Bain and Margaret Truman both honed the complex and long-running narrative of the Capital Crime series effectively, though Land does not miss a beat. He tackles the big issues and is able to spin a tale like no other, keeping series fans from bemoaning a change in style and intensity.

Robert Brixton remains at the centre of the story, a place that Donald Bain chose for him years ago. Brixton continues to struggler with the death of his daughter, as well as his search for love with a woman who does not always accept his hands-off approach. Instilled with a determination to seek answers wherever questions remain, Brixton is keen to get to the heart of the matter without thinking of himself. There is little time for backstory, though the limited development Land permits works well to solidify him as an essential part of the series and this story.

The use of strong secondary characters works well in this series, As mentioned above, one-time star, Mac Smith, has been relegated to window dressing, though he does well in his position. Kendra Rendine is a wonderful Land creation and she works well throughout the quick-pace narrative. Rendine works effectively throughout the piece, offering up some nuggets that readers will likely enjoy. She surrounds herself with a handful of other key players, each of whom brings something to the story that makes it the strong piece that readers will come to find exciting.

I often have issues when an author takes up the worl of another, particularly on the death of the series creator. When Margaret Truman passed and the torch went to Donald Bain, I worried about the strength of the series. After a little patience, I realised that while this would not be Truman 2.0, it worked and I could continue to commit to the books. Now, with Bain having passed, Jon Land is handed the reins to see what he can make of things. Neither Truman 3.0 or Bain 2.0, Land has begun to carve out his own niche and does so well. I hope he will be able to commit to keeping the series on point and not allow this to be a ‘side job’.

The story worked really well for me, combining the political and criminal elements of a decent thriller. A strong narrative pushed things together nicely and meshed some strong plots into a cohesive story that finds a way to come together at its climax. With a number of strong characters, Land keeps the reader invested in the story, offering some ties to those who laid the groundwork for the series—read: Mac Smith—without getting lost in the past. Using a mix of chapter lengths and plot perspectives, Land keeps the reader wondering and pushing on, if only to learn how the various crimes connect and what the master plan might be for those pulling all the strings. I came into this piece somewhat hesitant about what to expect, but am keen to see Jon Land’s plan for series writing, after this stellar effort.

Kudos, Mr. Land, for impressing me with your first attempt at this long and highly intriguing series. Donald Bain did well in choosing you for his successor and I am sure Margaret Truman would be equally as impressed. Keep writing and series fans will take notice!

At Breakneck Speed.....
At breakneck speed the reader is launched into a catalogue of catastrophic events in this well written, top notch thriller and the first of this series to be in the hands of the very talented Jon Land. Tense from the first page to the last with a fully engaging storyline and always tautly plotted. Difficult to put down and compulsively readable.

I’d read Margaret Truman’s books ages ago and was thrilled to find this one. Great story on r that kept me on the edge of my seat. Looking forward to the next one!

Great Start — Questionable Ending At Least For Me

The novel opens with a retired Mossad grandmother enjoying the waters of Caesarea, Israel, with her granddaughter. The child was discovering her grandmother’s gunshot injuries when two drones buzz the beach and start shooting and killing everyone in sight. Next, the head of the Vice-President security detail has just left the VP in her bedroom for the night. The VP recently had heart surgery and is on a heart monitor. The VP flat lines and is dead before the protection team can enter her bedroom. Lastly, an ex-cop, who previously has performed some security work for the State Department, is riding the Metro to work and notices a woman trying to be inconspicuous but reminding him of the woman five years earlier who was a suicide-bomber had killed his young daughter right before his eyes. She starts toward the end of the car and tries to go between the doors into the next car. She disappears between the train and her vest explodes. From here the novel proceeds at full speed.

The main storyline is fast paced and action packed. In most conspiratorial-thriller novels, there are twists, turns, and dead ends in trying to identify the perpetrator. In this novel, each bit of progress starts to indicate that a terrible ominous threat is unfolding. I felt that the storyline was sending tendrils out that entangled my attention and would not let it go. This quality in a novel is my major requirement for a high star rating.

As I have seen in these action thrillers, the B-storyline is sprinkled along the way as the action timeline. It is there and provides enough to provide some depth of understanding of the main storyline. A more robust B-storyline would only slow down an action thriller like this.

For characteristics that some fine objectionable, there are not any intimate scenes. As you would expect an action thriller, there is quite a bit of violence, such as, fights, killings, and terrorist attacks. Most all of it is described as it happen and in the first person, so it is much more edgy. Use of vulgar language is quite low level.

There was an aspect of this novel that I did like very much. There is a character in the novel that you do not know who he really is. Is he on the hero’s side or is he playing the hero? This unknown status enhanced the thriller side of this novel for me.

As I was approaching the last quarter of the novel, it was running like a bullet train. Then, for me, it derailed. There were glaring, to me, errors in technology, physics, and history. I’m being quite vague because I am a quandary on how handle this in my review. After writing a review on a recent novel, I looked at the 1 star reviews. The heroine of the novel was a diver, and a diver ripped this novel for how unrealistic was the novel’s heroine. I first wanted to give a low star rating, but I thought that I recently justified a high star rating against this type of criticism by stating that I was entertained and enjoyed reading this novel. I read to be entertained. I do not know of any entertainment movie or TV show that does not take short cuts to keep the storyline flowing and come to a satisfactory conclusion.

Overall, my star rating plummeted from a four to five to two star rating when the storyline derailed. After finishing reading, I developed my thoughts expressed in the previous paragraph. For me, I rated the book at three, but removing my objections with the novel, I rate this novel with four stars. Just remember that there are literary land mines that may spoil your enjoyment. It is possible that you will not trip across one of these. Let the reader be forewarned. I will say that I will not be reading any more novels from this series.

I have received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Macmillan-Tor/Forge Books with an expectation for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Macmillan-Tor/Forge Books for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

I have long enjoyed Margaret Truman’s Capital Crimes books which were formerly written by Donald Bain. This is the first with one written by Jon Land who has also taken over the Murder She Wrote series. Jon Land brings a new freshness to the series and in his first outing has written a pulse-pounding engaging suspense novel that moves quickly and keeps the reader (well this reader) rivetted.
The story begins with an attack on innocent fun seekers on a beach in Israel then shifts to the death of the first female vice-president and to an attempted bombing on a Metro train. Are these incidents related or random?
In comes Robert Brixton who has been associated with several government agencies as an adjunct. He was on the train when the bombing happened and was questioned by a Metro police officer who turned out to be fraudulent. He immediately becomes involved in investigating the incident.
Is the Vice President’s death natural or murder? What was odd about the suicide bomber and her vest? Lia Ganz Israeli agent, known as the Lioness of Judah was on the beach with her granddaughter. Is there a connection with the others? Add into that Sister Mary Alice an over eighty-year-old nun in a federal prison. The connections exist, the subterfuge and the undercover dealings are widespread.
Can Robert Brixton, Lia Ganz, and the others stop the underhanded plot in time? It is a well written and plotted book, it is a nail biter full of suspense.

international-crime-and-mystery, terrorism, investigation, private-investigators, feds, friendship, PTSD, espionage

Gather the threads of several plots and braid them into a coherent whole complete with several in depth studies of the main protagonists and you have an idea of what this riveting book is like. Unputdownable. A classic Capital Crimes mystery with lots of domestic and international intrigue updated to the plots of terrorism.
It's been too long since I've read any of the Capital Crimes but now I have to go putter around in some of the unread!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Forge Books via NetGalley. Thank you!