Murder at the President's Door

I am a big fan of Mr. Roosevelt's books. It was great to discover one that I have not yet read. I am also glad that the family is still publishing and finishing Mr. Roosevelt's unfinished manuscripts. I consider Mrs. Roosevelt to be one of my idols. Her quiet strength has been an inspiration. It is easy for me to imagine her being involved in detective work. I think that this book would be enjoyed by both history fans and Roosevelt family fans. I highly recommend it.

This was my second of the Eleanor Roosevelt mysteries and I feel the same as I did in my review of the first. "As a historian I was tickled by some of the historical minutae that doesn't often surface about the White House or the Roosevelts. It is a light weight mystery but what a lark."

The mystery series, featuring Eleanor Roosevelt as the primary detective, is fascinating, not for the inventive plots but rather for the glimpse into the world of FDR's presidency. Only a son could have gotten away with such an unusual set-up. The historic characters are especially interesting: The hated J. Edgar Hoover with his paramour, Agent Clyde Tolson; FDR's female companion who spent hours alone with him in his bedroom and Eleanor not minding; Eleanor's female companions of questionable sexual orientation; Gen. McArthur, afraid his mama will find he has a Filipino girl stashed in a Washington hotel; etc. And we learn little tidbits about life in the White House during the Great Depression. Alcohol flowed, and prohibition couldn't stop it. The Roosevelts were responsible for buying all the groceries, and Eleanor had to keep a tight budget; tuna salad sandwiches for lunch, even though FDR hated them. The cook was really bad--on purpose, presumably, so people wouldn't eat so much. The floors sagged. The elevator didn't work much of the time. The furniture and draperies were shabby. There were secret entrances to the White House, tunnels to carry away rain water. And murders happened with surprising regularity, in practically every room of the White House or wherever Eleanor happened to be. Nevermind that we never read about them in the newspaper. Eleanor kept a tight lid on the publicity. In this installment a guard is stabbed right outside FDR's bedroom door, and no one saw a thing. Two detectives work with Mrs. Roosevelt in preventing the newspapers from hearing of it and in finding the murderer. The solution is unlikely, even absurd, but who cares? One shouldn't read the Eleanor Roosevelt novels for the plots. In fact, if the murder was omitted entirely in most cases, here especially, this would still be quite fun.

The phrase, "period piece" could have been coined to describe this book, as all the principles are presented in a realistic historical setting. Elliot Roosevelt is the son of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and the setting is the white house during FDR's first term. A security man is efficiently murdered outside the door of the room where FDR was staying and it is obvious that it was a professional job as there was no struggle. It is also clear that it was a foiled attempt to assassinate FDR. While the murder is of course the main point, I was more fascinated with the interactions between all of the historical figures. Joseph Kennedy and his current consort Gloria Swanson; General Douglas MacArthur and his current consort; J. Edgar Hoover and his longtime consort Clyde Tolson; Eleanor's close friends as well as Franklin's longtime companions all play roles in the story. There are also interactions with the current crop of mobsters as well as brief appearances by Harry Truman, Harry Hopkins, John L. Lewis and other figures of significant importance at that time. This lends a backdrop to the story that thrilled my historical roots. As a murder mystery, this is not an edge-of-your-seat thriller. However, as a story placed in an accurate historical context, there is none better. This is one of the best murder stories that I have ever read.

When President Franklin Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor moved into the White House, it was a shabby place to live. The furniture and curtains were old with most needing replacement, but with the country deep into the Depression, Congress refuses to authorize funds to redecorate the President's home. Thus the Roosevelts do the best they can with what they have. While the President is a movie with an aide, someone tries to assassinate him, but kills a police officer instead. The First lady theorizes that the killer ran away when he heard voices in her husband's bedroom, not realizing that the sound came from the movie. Obviously, White House security is lax and anyone who knows the layout of the place can easily enter and leave without detection. Eleanor, DC police Lieutenant Edward Kennelly, and the White House police join forces to ferret out the identity of the perpetrators. MURDER AT THE PRESIDENT'S DOOR is the latest Eleanor Roosevelt mystery in this long running series that provides a fascinating look at the 1930s White House. In this age of terrorism and Pennsylvania Avenue cordoned off it is difficult to fathom the Presidential home lacking security measures, and containing broken down furniture and torn curtains. Though the who-done-it is short on action, history buffs will enjoy the late Elliot Roosevelt's latest homage to his parents early years in the White House.Harriet Klausner