Death of a Washington Madame

"Death of a Washington Madame" is a mystery novel by Warren Adler, published in 2005.

Infobox Book |
name = Death of a Washington Madame


image_caption = Cover to Stonehouse edition of Death of a Washington Madame
author = Warren Adler
country = USA
language = English
series = sixth installment of The Fiona FitzGerald Mysteries
genre = Mystery
publisher = Stonehouse
release_date = September 2005
media_type = Hardcover/Paperback/E-Text
pages = 284 pages
isbn = ISBN 1-59006-072-5 (Paperback)
preceded_by = The Tie That Bind

Plot introduction

Deb Shipley, a popular Washington socialite and mother of Governor William Shipley, meets a rather brutal demise. It’s up to Fiona FitzGerald and her new partner to discover who would benefit from killing an elderly woman who was largely loved by all.

Plot summary

Nothing about the murder makes sense to Fiona. It was not a robbery that went wrong. Nothing was touched over than the victim. The nature of the crime was particularly horrific, even more so when a suspect is apprehended. A local juvenile of less intelligence admits to it. He maintains that someone paid him to do it. Clearly, his mental handicapped prevented him from refusing, but that does not answer who put him up to it.

There were Shipling’s two loyal servants, both working for the madame for nearly half a century. But they loved her and depended on her livelihood in order to survive. The question of inheritance is raised. All her money was to go to them. But both were accustomed to their lives and saw no reason to even think of the money.

The closest person to enemy is Shipley’s daughter-in-law, Madeline Newton. She never liked Mother Shipley. Dislike is not grounds for murder though, Fiona knows. Madeline is well off, so even if she and her husband were to receive the inheritance, it would have mattered little to them.

Even if Deb Shipley had hidden secrets, there is no one willing to discuss them. Fiona has to explore for herself the shrouded past of a loved public figure if she is to discover who would want to kill her.

Major themes

With the revelation of the love affair between Shipley and her one long-term servant, Roy, the mystery can come together. The Governor, Deb Shipley’s own son, commissioned the boy to commit the murder. He did not want the truth to be revealed, that his father was a servant, not a war hero. He had built up a specific past for himself, and when it became threatened, something had to be done. Matricide cannot be treated lightly. For the Governor, it was his only option. He physically had to destroy the truth in order to preserve the illusion.

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

In 2002, a television pilot based around the Fiona FitzGerald character was produced by the Lifetime Network. Kellie Martin portrayed the titular character.

External links

* [http://www.warrenadler.com/title-madame.shtml Official Website]
* [http://www.warrenadler.com/title-madame-sample.shtml Read the first chapter]