Murder on the Metro
Murder on the Metro (Forge Books) is a prescient dive into the inner workings of Washington D.C. and the truth that yes, power corrupts, but it is the desire to hold on to power that corrupts most of all.
This is the 31st installment of Margaret Truman’s New York Times bestselling Capital Crimes political thrillers, and the first penned by Jon Land. New to the series but at home in the genre, he has taken the torch with style and set a pace that promises to keep long-time Margaret Truman fans more than satisfied.
In Murder on the Metro, an attempted bombing on a Washington Metro car forces private investigator Robert Brixton back into the world of high-stakes counterterrorism, a world he abandoned after his daughter died in an unnervingly similar attack five years earlier. At exactly the same time, a drone attack in Caesarea nearly robs retired Israeli operative Lia Ganz of her granddaughter.
These two incidents set Robert and Lia on a collision course with each other — and with a massive dirty bomb that could kill millions and well as wreak lasting havoc on America. Their investigation will leave them wondering who to trust, thrusting them in tightening spirals toward the political center of Washington and a powerful cabal of true believers desperate to maintain power.
The stakes could not be higher for Brixton and Ganz, but also for Jon Land; he follows in the celebrated footsteps of Margaret Truman and previous series torch-bearer Donald Bain. Happily, he rises to the challenge and then some. Known for the intricate plots of his Caitlin Strong thrillers, Jon Land works the same magic here.
In the early chapters, he introduces a number of threads, including a mystery surrounding an incarcerated nun which is drawn from a true story; then he begins weaving the threads together in a tapestry to keeps the pages turning. The Capital Crimes setting — the shadowed halls of Washington’s elite — feels real enough to add depth to our most recent news headlines. As for the action, fed by Brixton’s savvy and Ganz’s black ops skillset, it’s sharp and believable.
Murder on the Metro is the quintessential political thriller; hard-hitting, fast-paced, and simultaneously deft and timely in its examination of our nation’s power center. Jon Land has given readers an outstanding addition to Margaret Truman’s beloved series.
RELATED POSTS
Well done, Jon!