Murder in the West Wing

Eleanor Roosevelt #11

by Elliott Roosevelt

In what seems to be an open-and-shut case, Eleanor Roosevelt take on her most challenging murder mystery. FDR's special assistant dies after having a drink laced with cyanide in his closed office, in the company of a lady. Her fate appears to be sealed, but Eleanor's suspicions lead in another direction. Martin's.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Crime

281 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Elliott Roosevelt (September 23, 1910 – October 27, 1990) was an United States Army Air Forces officer and an author. Roosevelt was a son of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

Reviews

[Karen GoatKeeper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Duroc dies from cyanide poisoning. One person was in his office and must be guilty. Eleanor Roosevelt doesn't think she is guilty. But that leaves problems, mainly how someone else could have poisoned Duroc. He had lots of enemies.
Set before WWII and shortly after the assassination of Huey Long, the book has much about Long and the run up to the 1936 presidential election.
Clues abound in this novel. Nothing is quite what it seems. It is an easy read with a relaxed pace.

[Ahtims · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring....
I can't even review this one properly as I was in an unpleasant trance while reading this. Mechanically registering the words, not really assimilating the plot. It is the 1930s. Roosevelt is the American president and Eleanor, his wife is busy with publicity and other related chores. A mud er by cyanide poisoning occurs, the victim being a prominent political caddy. And the choice suspect is Terry, a Whitehouse worker, who is sort of a black sheep, and is immediately arrested. Eleanor believes in her innocence and sets out to clear her name, revealing many political indiscretions and intrigue in the meanwhile.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, the inside look at the White House and Eleanor and FDR's life is intriguing. This book also has an inside look at the political scene in Washington. One character divides the scene into three parts, one of honest, dedicated people, one of venality and trying to earn money any way they can, like falsifying contract bids. and one of criminals, in which category they place Huey Long. I found that viewpoint quite interesting and hopefully no longer true, but I cannot discount it. The mystery is somewhat more intricate than in previous books, so I enjoyed that as well.

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

#11-cyanide poisoning of White House auditor have having a drink in his closed office with Terry Rolland, a White House acquisitions officer, pins the murder on her, but Mrs. Roosevelt is convinced she’s not guilty and works with D. C. detective Kennelly and Secret Service Stan Szczgiel to figure out who else could have killed him and how with expanding cast of Louisiana Huey Long connections- prostitutes, “whoahs” spindles, thieves, drug dealers, positions on the take.

[Helenk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book more than some of the others. It is always amazing that so many murders can happen in the White House. The historical background of things happening in the world as well as mention of political figures is always of interest. The epilogue is always entertaining.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little book but very unbelievable. What police detective would go to the First Lady for advice on how to solve a homicide? With that being said, it was an easy read and fun to read about the famous people they encountered.

[Derek Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fun to be in the FDR White House. Writing was average at best. The plot was fairly straight forward.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good political historical fiction political thriller. Amazing that this was written in the 1990's about the 1930's. politically it could be today. Always enjoy these books and the characters

[Lynette Caulkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the strongest book in this series, but still a decent cozy historical fiction mystery when an easy read fits the mood. You can tell the later books in the series were written by the other author.

[Della Tingle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this Eleanor Roosevelt book very much! This is only the second book I have read in the series, but they are easily able to be read as stand alone books. The first book I read from this series was The Hyde Park Murder (Eleanor Roosevelt #2), and I was disappointed by it. However, book #11 does not disappoint in the least! If you can appreciate the wealth of historical name-dropping (Jean Harlow, Charlie Chaplin, Wallis Simpson, and more!) and seeing Eleanor solving crime, this book is for you!

[Livia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 11 in the Eleanor Roosevelt Mystery Series, is a fun story but unlike the previous books I've read, this one dragged in places. Throughout each book there is always information on the progress of the Roosevelt Administration but this time there seems to have been more than usual which fortunately did not take away from the story, it just made it bulky.

At any rate the dead person was another member of the President's Staff and the accused killer is a White House aide. What makes the story fascinating is that both have ties to the now deceased Senator Huey Long of Louisiana. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt knows the aide is innocent and in an attempt to prove it uncovers a steady stream of lies and deceit. As in each novel readers catch a glimpse of some very interesting historical figures and this time it is Mr. and Mrs. Albert Einstein along with Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, Bella Lugosi, and Jean Harlow. Also in keeping with the times, President Roosevelt shares some very interesting gossip on the new King of England. It seems he is having a torrid affair with a married American by the name of Wallis Warfield Simpson and Mrs. Simpson's husband wants to divorce her so the King can have her. Never a dull moment in this White House!

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an Elliott Roosevelt mystery using his mother Eleanor as the amateur sleuth. Once again someone is murdered in the White House and Mrs. Roosevelt must figure out who done it.
There’s plenty of political gossip. For instance the president and Missy Lehand discuss Edward VII’s romance with Wallis Simpson. The first lady meets with performers Charlie Chaplin and Bela Lugosi as well as Walter Reuther, the labor leader and J. Edgar Hoover. The president and the first lady both have lunch with Albert Einstein. There’s an interesting sequence where the president introduces comic strip creators. Thus we get a good blend of history and fiction. The how done it in this case is interesting, and it would clearly take someone of Eleanor Roosevelt’s intelligence to figure out. If you like history, politics and mystery stories, this might be a book for you.

[Martha Groeber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eleanor Roosevelt lends a hand to solving another murder committed at the White House. This time, an auditor is killed in his office and another staff member is accused of the crime. To solve the murder, DC police lieutenant Kennelly and Secret Service agent Szczygiel must search the seamier side of Washington, DC.

Elliott Roosevelt interlaces the history of 1936 into his mystery. In this book, Huey Long (assassinated prior to the start of the novel), Bela Lugosi, Albert Einstein, and Eliot Ness all have cameo roles. Part of the enjoyment of this series is the mixture of Eleanor Roosevelt's real-life activities and her fictional detective exploits. Roosevelt paints an unblinking picture of the White House years of his parents as only he could do.

[Ellen Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. It involved a murder by cyanide poisoning and Mrs. Roosevelt's defense of the woman suspected of poisoning him. Like most books in this series, the author shows the many duties of this First Lady and how busy she is with additional responsibilities filling in for her disabled husband. She is widely respected for all that she does and for her caring nature. The book gives a colorful portrayal of this momentous period in our nation's history as FDR plans his 1936 reelection campaign.

[Jack Dunigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set a few years before the author's Murder in the Blue Room, this one has more plot twists. However, it does start slowly and I almost moved on to something else. However, my wife recommended I read it and I'm glad I listened. Worth the time!

[Janene · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Elliott Roosevelt mysteries are wonderful for letting you see into the life of Eleanor Roosevelt and the political times.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of little tid bits of history here. Fun to read. The pice list for food verses the wages received was amazing.

[Polly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like this series because you learn behind the scene things about the President.

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since this is written as a mystery with his mom as the great detective, it is a fun read, but it definitely shows a glimpse of history.