Murder at the Pentagon by Margaret Truman ***

Murder at the Pentagon (Captial Crimes #11/31) starts with the murder of DARPA scientist Dr. Richard Joycelen. Immediately the murderer, Captain Robert Cobol, is arrested for the crime. Our protagonist, Major Margit Falk, lawyer and helicopter pilot, is ordered to defend Cobol, but the case is quickly closed when Cobol commits suicide. The book explores the size of the military budget, arms dealers, and the 1992 concerns about women in combat and homosexuals in the military. While the book is generally a fast-paced thriller, it regularly takes time out for long political speeches. The plot is predictable.

 This book includes one of my pet peeves. The antagonist is a cabal of bureaucrats and criminals who are willing to murder anyone who gets in their way, along with innocent bystanders. A ruthless, brutally evil force. However, for no rhyme or reason, our protagonist is immune to their retribution. These cold-blooded killers ignore our protagonist. Early in the book, she appears to be in jeopardy, but it turns out that the apparent risk just vaporizes without explanation.

 Similarly, the mystery begins with two murder weapons, but one just fades away.

 The book is a collection of intriguing set-pieces, thrilling in the moment, but do not hold together with the overall plot.  Part of the way the author deals with these inconsistencies is by ending with an ambiguous epilog.

 A fast-paced, predictable murder mystery with heavy-handed politics.

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