Murder at the Museum of Natural History: A Bill Donovan Mystery

Bill Donovan #4

by Michael Jahn

When the host of a long-awaited archaeological exhibit is murdered on the exhibit's opening night at Manhattan's American Museum of Natural History, Bill Donovan must scour the museum's famous Hall of the Dinosaurs to find the killer.

Genres: Mystery

294 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1994

About the author

I'm a reporter, photographer, and professional novelist. A newspaperman's son, I began my daily newspaper career at The New York Times, where I was hired in 1968 to cover the music beat (folk, blues, and rock), making me the first full-time rock journalist for major media.

That made me well-enough known (or notorious, maybe) so that a few years on I switched to writing fiction, mostly detective novels, and have published 50 books, one of which won the prestigious Edgar Award.

In reviewing "Night Rituals" (1982), the New Yorker wrote that "Jahn writes with a flourish that is entirely his own." And they didn't say "and he can keep it too" so I've been using that quote ever since.

Right now (2012) I'm publishing Kindle editions of my critically acclaimed Bill Donovan Mysteries, which I published from 1982 to 2008. Up so far: "Murder in Coney Island," "Murder in Central Park," "Murder on Theatre Row," "Murder on the Waterfront," and "Murder at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine" (originally published as "City of God"). My Edgar winner, "The Quark Maneuver," also is up in Kindle.

I've begun writing a memoir, not so much of me but of my very unusual ancestors, who had this Forest Gumpian ability to find themselves standing next to fame or infamy. An ancestor on the Spanish side, a sailor, went to Japan with Perry, fought in the Civil War under Farragut (and, I like to think, was the man the Admiral was thinking about when he hollered "Damn the torpedoes ... full speed ahead!"), and later helped rescue a man-eating meteorologist who was frozen in the Arctic ice. My newspaperman dad survived a car chase with Dutch Schultz and drank bourbon on a transcontinental train with Harry Truman.

I'll write about all this stuff. Wouldn't you? The working title is "Told to Me by a Sailor who Died (I'll Never Know if the Bastard Lied)."

I live in New York City.

Reviews

[Meredith · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 10%, I didn't think it was well written and too much casual racism to even try to go further.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a while ago but as I recently read another in this series, I decided to post. (plus i didn't know about Goodreads then)

I picked this up at random at a library used book sale. I chose it b/c the premise interested me.
Being very familar w/NYC I liked that it took place in the Museum of Natural History. I liked the Bill Donovan character. He has his flaws but I thought it was a good portrayal of a NYC detective.
He had good chemistry w/the other characters.

Very smartly written and a really good mystery.

[Emg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I might have enjoyed it more if Donovan wasn't so much of a paragon. Didn't take long to figure out who did it - the red herrings were so obvious and insistent that it was a wonder that the paragon Bill was blinded to it.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started the Bill Donovan series by Michael Jahn in mid-stream, as it were, with Murder on Theatre Row (#4) back in 2011. I've since been grabbing up the books as I find them at book sales and what-not and when Charlie updated her What's in a Name? Challenge to include a "read a book with
a school subject in the title" category I decided to step backwards in the series to read Murder at the Museum of Natural History (#3).

By the time Donovan is investigating the murder in Theatre Row, he has established himself as an expert on crimes with unusual weapons. In Museum, we see part of the reason for his reputation. It's Donovan's birthday and he's getting some major presents. His friends and colleagues manage to surprise him with a new set of home exercise equipment (to replace the rusty weight bench he's had since forever). The Commissioner stops by his birthday celebration to not only surprise him with the news that he's been recommended for a captaincy but also that the Commissioner is unable to attend the gala opening of the new Silk Road exhibit at the Museum of Natural History--an event that Donovan, a widely-read man with varying interests (including history), would give his eye teeth to attend.

The centerpiece of the exhibit is a priceless one-thousand-year-old dagger which Marco Polo carried along the Silk Road as a gift from the Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII to Kublai Khan. During the media circus surrounding the opening, someone steals the dagger and plants it in the chest of Paolo Lucca--the man who has made the exhibit possible. Not only does Donovan have to figure out how the killer got their hands on the ancient dagger, but he also has to make his way through the minefield of famous people and touchy diplomats. The suspects are all high-powered individuals--from Lucca's beautiful model wife to the provincial terrorists--er--diplomats to the Russian mafiosi--and if Donovan wants to make captain he'll have to be careful whose toes he steps on.

As with Theatre Row, I really enjoy the character of Bill Donovan. He's just the right mix of tough-guy cop and intelligent, widely read man--he makes it easy to believe that he just might know something about everything or if he doesn't that he'll soon be reading up on it and have a mastery of the subject. The supporting character are also good and Bill has excellent interactions with them all. Jahn also tells an interesting, fast-paced story that is fun to read. The main problem--and for some it might be too big--is that a major key to the mystery is blatantly telegraphed and there really isn't much of a mystery to solve. Fortunately, the characters and the pacing make up for that and it is still an enjoyable read.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.

[E · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. While it wasn't terrible, it felt too much like a script for a made-for-TV movie from1972....