Murder in the Lincoln Bedroom: An Eleanor Roosevelt Mystery (Eleanor Roosevelt Mysteries) [Paperback]

Elliott Roosevelt (Author)

Book Description

Series: Eleanor Roosevelt Mysteries | Publication Date: February 18, 2002

It is 1943 and upon the eve of the Trident Conference-a highly classified council attended by FDR, Winston Churchill, and Dwight Eisenhower with the purpose of planning an invasion of Western Europe-the White House is aflutter with preparations and the presence of extra Secret Service agents and soldiers. When a body is discovered in the Lincoln Bedroom while the conferees are still in session, Eleanor Roosevelt knows that in order to keep the murder (as well as the Conference) a secret from the prying eyes of the press, not to mention foreign agents, she must solve it herself.

Eleanor soon learns that the victim, Paul Weyrich, was a White House employee-one of the President's top advisors-who had been having an affair with his secretary. At first glance, it looks to be a crime of passion, instigated by Mr. Weyrich's refusal to marry his secretary. However, the deeper Eleanor digs into the case, the more clouded and uncertain the investigation becomes. Gradually, Eleanor discovers that the victim was part of a plot to assassinate the President, and she embarks on a daring plan to trap the assassin, using FDR as bait. Eleanor's skills will be put to the ultimate test as she must race to solve the mystery before the assassin strikes again.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Once again, Eleanor Roosevelt calmly juggles her official duties as First Lady with her unofficial role as amateur sleuth in this unpretentious, undemanding offering attributed to her late son Elliott, who according to St. Martin's left behind a number of unpublished manuscripts when he died. When lawyer Paul Weyrich, special White House counsel, turns up dead in the Lincoln Bedroom with an unauthorized gun in his suit jacket, Mrs. Roosevelt takes on the case, aided by old friend D.C. police captain Ed Kennelly. Since FDR is busy hosting the secret Trident Conference to plot the liberation of Europe with guests Prime Minister Churchill and General Eisenhower, it's vitally important that nothing disturb their deliberations. In between interviewing Weyrich's "Government Girl" girlfriend and other suspects, the First Lady mingles with such celebrities of the day as Danny Kaye and Jack Benny. In a sly touch, the author is himself the subject of a Hollywood tale told by Humphrey Bogart that reflects on the young man's discretion. ("Elliott has not invariably used good judgment," comments the First Lady.) While the villains behind the murder soon become obvious, the victim's method of smuggling a gun inside the executive mansion is quite ingenious. And if in the end the motivation for the murder is weak, it really doesn't matter, for it's the sympathetic portrayal of the people in the Roosevelt White House that ultimately counts in this unique series. (Nov.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

To the benefit of many older readers and political history buffs, the late Elliott Roosevelt, son of FDR and Eleanor, seems to have left behind a considerable number of unpublished mysteries--further installments in his White House series starring Eleanor as the resident sleuth. In this one, a plan is afoot to assassinate FDR in the midst of a secret meeting with Winston Churchill and Generals Marshall and Eisenhower. Sundry other famous people, from Humphrey Bogart to Hedda Hopper, make passing appearances as the heads of state plan when to invade France. As in the other entries in the series, figuring out the whodunit element is not likely to cause sleepless nights, but the plot is decently constructed, and the whole is painlessly entertaining. At the risk of giving away the story, FDR evades the baddies, and the Allies win the war. Budd Arthur
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (February 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312979193
• ISBN-13: 978-0312979195
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 3.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,198,491 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a great glimpse into history!, January 28, 2004

By 

Patricia K. Teague (Cullman, AL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder in the Lincoln Bedroom: An Eleanor Roosevelt Mystery (Eleanor Roosevelt Mysteries) (Paperback)

For anyone who loves history (and my preferred historical periods are the Great Depression and World War II), Elliott Roosevelt offers the sense that you are actually there, reliving the events themselves. So many facts that he includes in his books are historically accurate, and a delight to encounter in a novel. His mysteries are, to me, less about solving various murders than about his fascinating parents, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. And the mysteries are pretty good, too! I'd recommend them to anyone.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Plot To Assassinate The President, March 25, 2003

By 

George Webster, Ph.D., (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Murder in the Lincoln Bedroom: An Eleanor Roosevelt Mystery (Eleanor Roosevelt Mysteries) (Paperback)

Elliott Roosevelt has written a series of mysteries in which his mother, the First Lady, solves one or more murders. Each gives us a mystery plus a sense of the White House and popular culture during the Roosevelt administration in the 1930-1940 era. In this story, it is 1943. The allies and the axis powers are fighting desperately around the world. Winston Churchill and his Generals have come to the White House secretly to plan the invasion of France. But upstairs, a policeman finds the body of one of the President's aides, murdered in the Lincoln Bedroom. Realizing that this must be kept secret because of the conference, Eleanor Roosevelt sets out to solve the killing. With the aid of a Secret Service agent and a Washington Police detective, she uncovers and thwarts a plot to assassinate the President. The book is enjoyable, more for the flavor of 1943 than for its simple plot, but it is a smooth-reading story.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good read in this long running series, November 12, 2000

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder in the Lincoln Bedroom: An Eleanor Roosevelt Mystery (Eleanor Roosevelt Mysteries) (Hardcover)

In 1943, the Roosevelt White House worries about the corpse of attorney Paul Weyrich found in the Lincoln Bedroom due to the timing of the event. FDR hosts a critical conference attended by Prime Minister Churchill and European Theater of Operation Commander Eisenhower with the agenda being the plan to liberate Europe from the Nazis.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt accompanied by her friend local police officer Ed Kennelly begin investigating the homicide thinking it is probably a stand alone murder. As Eleanor digs deeper into the background of the culprit, she soon realizes that the homicide is part of a gamut to kill her spouse. With the free world at stake, Eleanor sets in motion a plan to use Franklin as bait to capture an assassin before the deadly deed occurs.

The latest Eleanor Roosevelt amateur sleuth novel, MURDER IN THE LINCOLN BEDROOM, is typical of the long running series. The story line is fun but a no brainer and the motives when revealed seem feeble when considering the momentous event envisioned by the criminals. Still Elliot Roosevelt writes in a easy to read, smooth manner including using self deprecating humor when other noted twentieth century figures discuss the shortcomings of the Icon,s son. The opportunity to see the major players during the long running FDR Administration turns this novel like its twenty or so predecessors into an enjoyable, albeit one-sided experience for historical mystery buffs who are not concerned with a historiographer's perspective.

Harriet Klausner