Experiment in Murder

Capital Crimes #26

by Donald Bain, Margaret Truman (Series Creator)

Book 26 of 31: Capital Crimes

Donald Bain continues the wonderful Capital Crime series started by the late Margaret Truman. He has as deft a hand in weaving the story and thrills again with Experiment in Murder, a riveting installment in the series!

A Washington psychiatrist is killed in a hit-and-run on the street in front of his office. Suspicion quickly focuses on one of the doctor's patients, and Mackenzie Smith is called in to defend her. Then information emerges that links the slain shrink to a highly secret CIA mind-control project.

A young man, the perfect mind control subject, is programmed to assassinate the front-runner in the U.S. presidential race. As he zeroes in on his target, other government agencies become aware of the rogue CIA program. Mac's client, the accused killer, seems to be the key to infiltrating the project―she's become the perfect spy.

But the assassin is programmed to kill anyone who threatens him or his organization―even Mac and his wife, Annabel.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller

367 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 27, 2012

About the author

From Wikipedia: Donald Bain (1935-2017) was a United States author and ghostwriter.

Author Jack Pearl is his cousin and sometime co-author.

Known Pseudonyms:
Jessica Fletcher
Joan Wood
J.D. Hardin
Nick Vasile
Mike Lundy
Pamela South
Lee Jackson
Stephanie Blake
Marjorie Margolies
Kathy Cole
Donna Bain

Reviews

[Janette · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is nothing like Margaret Truman's books....just because he uses her old characters ( just throws them in now and then), does not mean it is the same. Notice the title, not the same as the others. Don't bother to read the book if you are looking for a new Truman mystery. This guy should just use his own name and drop Margaret Truman's. This was just stupid. Her family should not let him write anymore!

[Debbie Behning · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be a sorry abut Annabell and Mac, easy breezy book with the usual DC comments and places. Not what I got, they are such a minor part of the story, they dont even need to be mentioned. An interesting plot, but to my type of thing. Was thinking it was a mystery, but really a story of government subversive plots and such.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay mystery but definitely not a Capital Crimes book. The two characters from the Capital Crime series, Mac and Annabelle Smith have more of a cameo appearance and no weight in the story or the solving of the crime. It would be better to let Margaret Truman's work stand by itself than to churn out an inferior imitation.

[Doris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Margaret Truman's books are always interesting, but I think this may be one of her best.
This is a story on covert actions by people with power on unsuspecting individuals using mind control. A doctor is killed and all the evidence points to a former patient, who swears she couldn't have done it. THe story takes many twists and turns, including a plot to assassinate a senator who is running for president. Through the story various people are trying to figure out what is going on, only to be helped or hindered by the people they thought were helping them.
In today's world, with all it quests for power by any means, it seems like a very true and realistic story of events that could be happening as I write this review. Talk about Big Brother watching or controlling you!

[Sue Landes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointed! Mac and Annabelle were hardly part of the story. So very sorry that the Truman Estate allowed this book to be published as a Capital Crimes story. Donald Bain has deviated way too much from Truman’s story line! Truman’s name should not be on this book. This should be under Donald Bain’s name only and should have been promoted as a government conspiracy novel with no closure. I normally read all series books in order but I missed several of the previous Capital Crimes books including #25 which was the first story written by Bain after Truman’s death. Trust me, I will not bother with reading it!

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

April 2019. I read for escape and the Truman murder mysteries, until now, were that - escape reading. This one came too close to home with conspiracy theories and government conspiracies and the CIA. The ending was most unsettling with a "same old same old" feeling. As far as the writing goes, I dropped from a 5 star to 4 star due to way too much repetitiveness of previously stated information. Pure filler. Too bad......

[Ellen · Rating 1 out of 5]

audio book read by Dick Hill who did a good job.
This was my first book in this series so I didn't even notice that there were re-occurring characters.
The plot was interesting, if distasteful, and I was hoping for a better ending. I hate it when the bad guys get away with murder, and it didn't even do any good! The substitute candidate won the presidency so what was the point?

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was not really a murder mystery- more of a thriller with a stupid conspiracy type theme with a supposed mind control experiment by the CIA. I got fed up with it and skimmed the last 1/2 of the book.

[Helenk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book which mentions many landmarks in Washington DC. It also has an interesting plot involving conspiracy and hypnotism underwritten by the CIA. It gives one pause for thought on how supposedly good things can be twisted into bad. At times it made me think of Manchurian Candidate.

[Gordon MacLeod · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first book in the Capital Crimes series. I've read a lot of Bain's Murder She Wrote books and enjoyed them as easy reads. This book was...just ok. It didn't have the most original plot and I found it to be kind of predictable. I'm going to try other books in this series though.

[Judy Parker Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

good plot

[Bonnie Muzny · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t care for this book.

[Kathy kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Series of suspicious deaths at hands of rogue CIA.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good mystery but I felt like it ended too abruptly. I like a real ending, especially with mysteries.

[Tomi · Rating 1 out of 5]

What did I read? Murder mystery? True crime tell-all? Exposition of government conspiracy? I have no clue….Margaret Truman should come after this Bain guy!

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always enjoy the DC venue, this time combined with San Fran. Lots of bad guys and intrigue. Timely topic given the plethora of conspiracy theories running around today.

[Susan Mattes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a continuation of the series written by Margaret Truman; pretty well done.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating ideas.

[Kate Danczyk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good in the way law and order is good at 3 am

[Betty McKinney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing!

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting take on hypnosis and assassins. The ending really surprised me, that doesn't happen often, still not sure if I'm mad about the ending or admire the author's decision.

[Janet Balliet]

People being programmed to kill. Funded by CIA. Friend of Mac's is murdered by one of these people.

[Christopher Ramsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gripping drama explores the world of the CIA and the wide variety of experiments that are run in secret. Oftentimes without government knowledge or approval.

[Buckeye_reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read all of Margaret Truman's book. When I saw a few more come out, I was interested in reading them. This was my first one under the new author. Seemed very repetitive and wordy to me. Story line was so-so. Didn't feel to me like a Truman book.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Capital Crime series returns with its second post-Truman novel, penned by Donald Bain. In this latest novel, Mackensie and Annabel Smith (famed regulars throughout) make appearances at various points in the book, though their role in the larger plot is minimal, as it has been in the last few novels. Front and centre is the death/murder of a prominent D.C. psychiatrist, mowed down as he headed to work. When it becomes apparent a former patient is at the centre of the murder investigation, it appears to be an open and shut case. Hypnosis and the injection of suggestion through the subconscious play key roles and leaves the reader to wonder how this can be interpreted in a legal setting. Bain also turns the book away from solving the crime, creating a novel whereby the reader knows the crime and its actors, waiting to see if the plan can be brought to fruition. Memory suggestion will prove the ultimate weapon against the larger victim. Minor police and psychological investigations expose portions of the plot, but will it be enough and can the two halves merge before it’s too late? It will take more than fast-paced characters to solve the crime, but also a clear and sober mind, which is harder to do than might be expected. Bain resurrects the theme Truman made popular with a strong D.C. backdrop and keeps the reader intrigued throughout, asked about the ‘why’ rather than the usual ‘who’.

While the story is surely less intriguing than those written by Truman earlier in the series, I could not help but be drawn in to the plot that makes its presence known throughout the entire novel and overtakes even discovering the truth behind the ultimate crime. Use of hypnosis for negative means, especially in a therapeutic setting, adds a layer of interest to the entire story. While I would have preferred something more legal or even investigative, Bain keeps the reader somewhat hooked and surely at least partially curious about its truth. Pushing the blame on the CIA (though trying to rationalise it as creation of a super spy to help America) is an age-old trick more to vilify than anything else. Still, Bain writes in such a way as not to blatantly turn the entire situation into a far-fetched conspiracy theory.

Kudos Mr. Bain for picked up the thread where Margaret Truman left off. Not as poor as some of the posthumously continued series (read: Ludlum’s Bourne), Bain is to be commended for his efforts. That said, I would have preferred a Smith-centred novel, as they kept the series alive for over 25 years.

[Brick · Rating 1 out of 5]

If only there were a way to give out ratings of negative stars!! This book would set a record. The good guys come to a bad end, the bad guys get away with murder, literally and metaphorically, as does the author. All of the characters are remarkably stupid, cartoonish, and although there are many elegant and sophisticated cartoons, these are remarkably stupid cartoons. The most engaging character, supposed to be a very astute psychologist with a prior background of consulting for the police, quickly discovers that a hit and run murder has been committed by a uniquely suggestible victim of mind control, he discovers the identity of the gratuitously evil psychiatrist responsible and discovers the links to a CIA sponsored research effort studying mind control, and then this astute and experienced individual reveals his own concerns and discoveries to all the folks who could possibly wish him ill, and finally in a crowning bit of stupidity goes alone to visit personally the "programmed" murderer, who, of course, has been "programmed" to murder him and self destruct, and, of course, the "programmed" murderer accomplishes this with ease. Who would have seen that coming? Anyone who read even part of the prior text. Of course all of the other participants act with coincidentally similar levels of stupidity. As it happens, the ridiculously stupid activities of the evil doers work out well for them, in spite of their mistakes and misjudgments, because of the overwhelming ineptness of all of the good guys, including the friends, acquaintances, lawyers, and police.

A friend of mine once advised "don't ascribe anything to conspiracy that is more easily explained by stupidity" but here the author hits all of the bases, putting together a totally unbelievable conspiracy remarkable for the stupid mistakes of the conspirators who succeed and then escape all accountability because of the even more remarkable stupidity of everyone else.

[Paul · Rating 1 out of 5]

This title can hardly be considered a Margaret Truman work (remember that Margaret passed away early 2008). The story line, etc. by Bain is far removed from the good mystery writing that Truman gave us which also was not too agenda driven if at all. In this title, you have multiple agendas being driven which detracts from the story flow. Margaret had been retiring certain characters late in the series (logical progression) and was moving on. Those characters are suddenly resurrected despite the fact that they have little reason to be in the story. She also used fictional political characters and did not use her books to take pot shots at living persons or to elevate others. Margaret was sensitive to having been a 'target' herself as the daughter of a past president, and kept political figures as fictional. Therefore, the use of living persons, etc. would be out of character for her. I am disappointed at how Bain wrote this title and sorry for the Truman family as her name is used as first author. I don't think Margaret would have liked how this title was written nor approved of it.

[Massanutten Regional Library · Rating 2 out of 5]

Elizabeth, Central patron, June 2016, 2 stars:

I read this book for the library's mystery book club which meets next Monday night. I have read a couple of Margaret Truman's mysteries, the most recent of which was Murder at the Library of Congress, and think she hits the right amount of violence and suspense to keep me interested but not tense. She is dead now, and Donald Bain is supposed to be writing in the same style. It doesn't work: this book had more violence and was more like a thriller with a not so good ending. Truman's main characters, Annabel and Mac Smith, were just tangential in this novel. Didn't much like it.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was assigned by my book club. I have read all of the Capital Crimes books by Margaret Truman and loved them. I was very pleasantly surprised that this book continues the storyline that Ms. Truman began. The book features Mac and Annabelle Smith, though in fairly demure roles. They are there and are part of the story but the main character is Dr. Sheldon Borger. He is the "bad guy" in the book but has to be the main character because he dominates the story. Also, you know what he is doing, why he is doing it and how it is done. The other featured characters in the story are pawns of his design or people who are trying to catch him. The story is well written and intelligent. It isn't a copy of Ms. Truman's work but a continuation. I will read more of these.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donald Bain continues the wonderful Capital Crime series started by the late Margaret Truman. He has as deft a hand in weaving the story and this one in which a psychiatrist programs an assassin to murder a Presidential aspirant is riveting. The possibility of this type of programming is frightening and the possibility that the CIA would do such a thing is horrifying. And yet......

My one complaint is that Margaret's hero and heroine, if those are the correct descriptions are practically non-existent in the plot. Mac and Annabelle Smith only appear a few times and really could have been left out completely without any harm to the story. That is unfortunate, since they are a major reason that I've read all of the series.