Murder in Georgetown (An Eleanor Roosevelt Mystery) [Hardcover]

Elliott Roosevelt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1999

It's early in 1935, and Washington, D.C., is enjoying a mild winter. But from the bleak expression on the face of Eleanor Roosevelt's young friend, Jessica Dee, as she sits across from the First Lady in a shapeless prison dress, Mrs. Roosevelt can almost believe that a frigid chill has enveloped the nation's capitol. Jessica, a beautiful young Jewish woman who was smuggled out of Poland as a child, has been accused of murder. One of her lovers, a member of the Federal Treasury Board, has been found dead of a gunshot wound in his Georgetown townhouse.

Despite the evidence against her, Mrs. Roosevelt refuses to believe that Jessica could be guilty of murder. Not only is she a personal friend, Jessica has proven invaluable to Mrs. Roosevelt's husband, the President, by passing along information gleaned while working as a secretary in the office of FDR's most potent political rival: Huey Long, the Kingfish. Determined to clear Jessica's name by solving the crime, Mrs. Roosevelt uncovers a trail of deceit and greed that leads all the way to the privileged world of Boston banking and the dark underworld of the Irish Mob, her every move shadowed by a notorious female assassin whose calling card is a fiery mane of hair.

As the intrepid Mrs. Roosevelt investigates the circumstances surrounding Peavy's murder, the reader is treated to all the historical recreation and satisfying storytelling that have become hallmarks of this series. Murder in Georgetown is a warmly rewarding look at a fascinating era in our history, and at a woman beloved by her son and her country--Eleanor Roosevelt.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Like its predecessors (Murder in the Map Room, etc.), this latest (and posthumously published) mystery by the son of Eleanor and Franklin portrays the First Lady engaged in D.C. crime fighting while carrying out her White House duties. When Sargent Peavy, a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, is found murdered in his Georgetown home, police detective Lt. Edward Kennelly arrests Peavy's lover, Jessica, a staff member in Louisiana Senator Huey Long's office. The First Lady, who placed Jessica in Long's office, doubts the girl's guilt. She works with Kennelly to find out if Jessica really did shoot the man. After learning that Peavy had broken off with Jessica because his wife strongly objected to the affair, they hear rumors that he had taken up with a stunning, mysterious woman who has caught the eye of even Joe Kennedy. When a hitman is killed with the same pistol that shot Peavy, the mob connection adds a new element to the puzzle. While publicly entertaining celebrities such as H.L. Mencken, W.C. Fields and the Marx Brothers, Eleanor goes undercover to interrogate suspects and does her own brand of cerebral sleuthing with the help of a chalkboard listing of possible motives. Fans who enjoy constant name-dropping and tidbits about the famous and infamous won't mind the cardboard characters or thin plot, as long as FDR and Missy end up in bed together and Eleanor and Lorena Hickock exchange at least one steamy note. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

-Eleanor Roosevelt comes to the rescue of a lovely young woman who is wrongly accused of murder. As the First Lady investigates the circumstances surrounding the crime, readers discover that she has helped to place the accused in a job where she can spy on the President's rivals. Through personal interactions among the Roosevelts, their staff, friends, and business associates, readers are treated to unique insights into the White House in the 1930s. New Deal history comes alive as do famous personalities in this easy-to-read mystery. Despite a pat ending, this entertaining whodunit is an enjoyable read.
Anita Short, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 230 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312242212
• ISBN-13: 978-0312242213
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,254,704 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good read, September 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Murder in Georgetown (An Eleanor Roosevelt Mystery) (Hardcover)

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt learns from the newspaper that the police arrested Senator Long staffer Jessica Dee for killing her married lover Sergeant Peavy. Evidence clearly points towards Jessica firing a bullet into the head of the naked body of Peavy, a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve after he had sex. As she has done before, Eleanor takes an interest in the investigation because her memo to Kingfish led to Jessica joining the charismatic senator's staff.

Calling her friend, police Lieutenant Edward Kennelly, Eleanor joins the investigation. However, by 1935, the President finds his administration battling with Congress over various social issues such as Social Security. Knowing he needs to stay squeaky clean, Franklin warns Eleanor not to embarrass him by crossing any questionable lines when she makes her inquiries into the Jessica case. The case turns more complex as two more murders occur. Eleanor believes that if they do not act quickly, the true killer, will escape.

The fun of MURDER IN GEORGETOWN lies in author Elliot Roosevelt's ability to provide insight into numerous historical figures, especially that of his parents. The who-done-it is very simplistic but entertaining. Historical mystery buffs will enjoy seeing the interrelationships of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, their personal staff, and several famous people such as Joseph Kennedy and Huey Long. It is that insider's glimpse that makes Mr. Roosevelt's Eleanor mysteries so enthralling.

Harriet Klausner

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Eleanor, oh my goodness!, January 16, 2000

By 

"kenwmill" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder in Georgetown (An Eleanor Roosevelt Mystery) (Hardcover)

I've enjoyed reading Elliot Roosevelt's murder mysteries as an easy, enjoyable read in between tackling the 600 plus page novels by other authors. You can put your mind back into the 1930's and 40's, and get an interesting look (albeit fictional) into some of the famous names from the era. 'Murder in Georgetown' was more of the same, with Eleanor meeting with the Marx brothers, J. Edgar, Joe Kennedy, and others. However, the content of this book seemed to take an alarming change from previous books in the series. Is this really one of the late Elliot's unpublished manuscripts, or an attempt by a 'ghost' writer to continue the series? There is too much of a sexual content present, with repeated references to sex, stripping, lovemaking, etc. I lost count on how many times the author used the phrase "empty seminal vesicles" during the book. While the style and content may fit well into books by other authors, it seemed out of place in a Roosevelt mystery. I'm no prude by any stretch of the imagination, but Eleanor, please, clean up your act! P.S. The date typo (1945) near the end of the book was also a sloppy oversight by the editor.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fast Paced Historical Murder Mystery, June 4, 2000

By 

algerina "algerina" (Saint Paul, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Murder in Georgetown (An Eleanor Roosevelt Mystery) (Hardcover)

This novel is packed with family references. Rumors, bootleggers, bank fraud, love affairs and murder all combined to make this a wonderful read. Reality blends so well with the fictional murder that it leaves the reader wondering what is the truth. The main plot is excellent but it is the political tidbets which spice up the story. Before I read this book I had no idea some American cultures ate dirt and that it was good for you. Put it on your summer reading list.