After an eventful vacation in a French chateau, the First Lady of Mystery is back on familiar ground, investigating murder and mayhem in Washington, D.C. The trouble begins when a wealthy judge is found murdered in his White House suite. The obvious suspect is the housekeeper--but she swears she is innocent. Can Eleanor catch the real killer without becoming a victim herself?
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
Working from the seemingly bottomless pile of unpublished manuscripts Roosevelt left behind when he died, St. Martin's offers a worthy addition to the Eleanor Roosevelt series, sprightlier (and sexier) than many of the earlier installments. Braintruster Horace Blackwell came to Washington with FDR in 1933, living in a guest room across the hall from Roosevelt's suite. Just months later, his naked, repeatedly stabbed body is found there by an African American White House maid--whom the prim Secret Service man and blowsy D.C. cop in charge of the case quickly nab for murder. The First Lady demands a further (though low-profile) investigation, which reveals Blackwell as a scoundrel and sadist. Readers whose sexual tolerance stops at the missionary position may pass, but most will find Murder at Midnight an intricately plotted, entertaining read, full of the series' offhand insights into New Deal history and vivid glimpses of 1930s celebrities. Mary Carroll
From Kirkus Reviews
Another of Roosevelt's posthumous stories (Murder in the Chateau, 1996, etc.)--this one set in the early days of FDR's first term, when a so-called Brain Trust was helping the President's efforts to solve the country's crucial problems. One of that esteemed group is Judge Horace Blackwell from New York. He has been a guest in a second-floor bedroom of the White House for several weeks when he's found, late one night, stabbed to death. Sara Carter, the young black maid who discovers the body, is promptly arrested by Secret Service agent Lawrence Pickering, despite the protestations of Eleanor Roosevelt, who declares herself an unofficial member of the investigating team. Blackwell, it soon appears, was a charismatic, sadistic rou‚, with a string of high- and low-placed sex partners. He also had some bitter enemies among the big-time mobsters back in New York. A couple of mob henchmen have now surfaced in Washington, for what purpose Pickering can't fathom, until the night Achille ``Chickie'' Pepino is found shot to death in a White House corridor. Confusion reigns until Eleanor gets the help of an expert to verify her suspicion of the killer's identity and proves to be right on target. All of this plays out side by side with glimpses of world and national events and the ongoing business of the presidency, lending piquancy and historical interest to a well-honed plot. One of the best in the series. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
EASY NIGHTIME READING,
This review is from: Murder at Midnight: An Eleanor Roosevelt Mystery (Hardcover)
EVEN THOUGH THIS STORY WAS "LIGHT" READING, I ALWAYS FIND ELLIOT ROOSEVELT'S WRITING ENTERTAINING WITH ENOUGH INTRIGUE TO MAKE THE BEDTIME RITUAL OF READING PLEASANT. THE TOUCHES OF HISTORY MAKE IT ALL THE MORE FUN.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Murder of a Scoundrel,
By
This review is from: Murder at Midnight (A St. Martin's Dead Letter Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)
In 1933, Franklin Roosevelt, new President of the United States, brought a "Brain Trust" of eminent people to Washington to find ways to end the Great Depression that was destroying the nation. Judge Horace Carter, a member of the Brain Trust, is murdered in the White House. Police arrest a maid, but Eleanor Roosevelt doubts her guilt. Investigation reveals that Judge Blackwell was a sexual sadist, with many people wishing him dead. But using the discarded Bertillon method of identification, Eleanor Roosevelt finds the murderer. It is a racier and faster-moving tale than many in this series, but it still gives us a window to view that long-ago time and its people. If you would like a fascinating mystery that gives you a thoroughly enjoyable insight into the early 1930's, this is the book for you.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An old, dear and familiar friend,
By A Customer
This review is from: Murder at Midnight: An Eleanor Roosevelt Mystery (Hardcover)
In 1933, Judge Horace Blackwell, friend and personal advisor to thepresident, is found murdered in the White House. Police make a quick arrest since the evidence points towards a black housekeeper Sara Carter, who swears she is innocent. The First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, believes that Sara is telling the truth and decides to investigate. ...... Eleanor quickly learns that Horace was not the squeaky clean judge that his image portrayed. Instead, he was a vicious womanizer. Several people surface who had legitimate gripes and grudges with the Judge. However, things turns nasty when a second murder occurs, making everyone wonder how safe is Franklin in the White House? Eleanor plans to insure her spouse's safety by uncovering the identity of the killer even if it places her won life at risk. ...... The entire Eleanor Roosevelt mystery novels (sixteen in all) are a lot of fun to read. Though the who-done-its are well designed, it is the presence of famous historical figures including such notables as Gertrude Stein, James Thurber, and Babe Ruth, etc. that brings the Depression Era DC into a lively perspective. Elliott Roosevelt, who died several years ago, has written a fabulous mystery that posthumously should garner him new fans. ......Harriet Klausner
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