Elliott Roosevelt (1910–1990)

It was better than it had a right to be. In addition to a reasonable mystery (which I, of course, did not guess), there are tidbits of historical events and people: Midway, war effort publicity, Harry Truman, Molotov, a Cabot and a Lowell, "modern girls" who wear slacks or patriotic short skirts and just want to have fun.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt is the unlikely detective in this mystery set in Nassau in 1940. The Duke of Windsor has recently taken up the post of governor of the Bahamas. It is known that the Duke and Duchess have pro-German sympathies, although not pro-Nazi, and that they want to visit the U.S. to promote their views. Mrs. Roosevelt's visit to the Bahamas is intended to preempt the Duke and Duchess's visit, as well as to allow American intelligence officers to assess the situation before show more the establishment of a U.S. naval base on one of the islands. Shortly after the arrival of the American entourage, a wealthy Swedish industrialist is murdered during a party on his yacht with the First Lady, the Duke and Duchess, and several others in attendance. The First Lady puts her logical mind to work to solve the crime, discovering in the process that even those in her official entourage are suspects.

Roosevelt does a lot of name dropping in the book. In addition to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the First Lady encounters a number of historical prominent individuals including Alfred P. Sloan, Errol Flynn, and Judy Garland. It's a little challenging to separate fact from fiction. Despite the convoluted plot, I enjoyed the blend of history, travel, amateur detection, and espionage. This book might appeal to readers who enjoy Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax series. show less

FDR's son is frustrated by other books highlighting his "parent's" peccadilloes and New Deal. He aims to amplify details, correct falsities (mostly in the medical area), and shade with nuance. The result is greatly detailed and even scholarly. This makes for a rather dry read even when covering the loved fishing ventures or yuletide gatherings. Still, an important work from an eyewitness to history. Some of the things that jumped out to me from his privileged view was how Finland alone show more persevered in WWI payments to the U.S. during the turmoil early in WWII and how the invasion and subjugation of Holland summoned in the Dutch-American FDR the desire to go for a 3rd term and be in the driver's seat to end Nazi aggression. Also, how radically socialist were some of the organizations supported by Eleanor, if she herself. show less

It’s 1938 and Eleanor Roosevelt is returning home on the S. S. Normandie from an ‘unofficial’ visit to France. Onboard ship she is surrounded by luminaries: Jack Benny & Mary Livingstone, Charles Lindbergh, Josephine Baker, and a very young John F. Kennedy. She is also surrounded by murder and international intrigue. A Russian diplomat is murdered during an impromptu cocktail party in his suite, and it appears only one person had the opportunity to spike his fatal drink. However, there show more are a myriad of suspects who might have wanted him dead. When a cache of jewels is stolen and another murder takes place, it seems there is a lot more going on aboard ship than meets the eye. Eleanor joins forces with the ship’s French detective, as well as Jack Kennedy, to solve the mystery and bring the killer to justice.

This is a reasonable little mystery that manages to hold the reader’s attention without being too captivating or entertaining. There really is nothing better than a traditional mystery set on a ship or a train, and the backdrop aboard the ocean liner Normandie is really the charming star of the show. All of the fun ‘guest stars’ are also a treat…especially Jack Benny; unfortunately, they are not as big a presence as they could have been, &—with the exception of Jack Kennedy—they don’t really come into play in solving the mysteries onboard. Eleanor Roosevelt herself comes across as kind of bland.

Politics and international intrigue— defections, Russian agents, turmoil in Europe, etc.—are a major component of the storyline which kind of made the story drag; espionage and war thrillers aren’t really my cup of tea, so I wish it had followed more of a straightforward cozy mystery plotline.

This isn’t a great mystery by any stretch of the imagination, but—if a copy happens to come your way—you could do a lot worse than this for reading material. show less