Murder at the National Gallery

Margaret Truman

4/7/1999

Luther Mason is the senior curator at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., one of America's premiere art galleries. He has worked there for years, helping with many special shows as well as the work permanently stored there. He has also had a special fondness for the Italian artist/master, Michaelangelo Merisi Caravaggio (not the artist who painted the Sistine Chapel for those, like me, who do not know their art extremely well).

Because of Mason's work, the National Gallery is sponsoring a six month showing of Carvaggio masterpieces. They are being borrowed from different owners and brought to Washington, D.C. They will later go on to New York and London for further showings before being returned to their owners. Mason pulls off a coup. While setting up the show, he is able (through some shady dealings) to locate a missing Carvaggio piece. He is able, with the help of his friend the Italian ambassadorial aide, to arrange for the lost artwork to go to Washington to be authenticated, then included in the artist's show for one month before being returned to the Italian government.

Annabelle Reed-Smith, Mac's wife, is also involved with the Caravaggio show, being the liaison appointed by her friend, the vice president's wife. She has known Mason for years since he helped her start her own small art gallery/shop. She is looking forward to working with the show. She does not know that it will be she, and not Mac for once, who will get involved in intrigue and murder.

As usual, Ms. Truman gives the reader great background to our country's capitol. She takes us to the gossipy, coniving side of Washington, D.C., this time in the art world rather than in the political arena. This novel is global in its scope. The reader learns more about the workings of the international art trade than would ever be learned walking around a gallery or museum. Mason is an honest character with a weakness we can all identify with. This book is well worth reading.

You can find more about this book at .

The Series:

Murder in the White House
Murder on Capitol Hill
Murder in the Supreme Court
Murder in the Smithsonian
Murder on Embassy Row
Murder at the FBI
Murder in Georgetown
Murder in the CIA
Murder at the Kennedy Center
Murder at the National Cathedral
Murder at the Pentagon
Murder on the Potomac
Murder at the National Gallery
Murder in the House
Murder at the Watergate
Murder in the Library of Congress
Murder in Foggy Bottom
Murder in Havana
Murder at Ford's Theater
Murder at Union Station
Murder at the Washington Tribune
Murder at the Opera
Murder on K Street