Well written, extremely enjoyable.We both have read with interest as many of this series as we can get.

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

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.

I had just recommended this book to a friend and was appalled to read the nasty review. they forgot that it is fiction.

I loved this book especially since we go every year to Pawley's
Island where it is set,

The use of personalities already known of jusst adds interest to the plot.

The estate at Hobcaw Barony was given to the state of S. C. and may be visited with a tour given.

Hope this will be helpful to those who might otherwise be put off by the review.

They might produce offspring like Mr. Roosevelt.

This is a very bad book, and an insult to the memory of Mr. Roosevelt's great mother, Eleanor. Mrs. Roosevelt isn't the only one to suffer, Joan Crawford and Tallulah Bankhead are made to do some rather nasty and entirely fictional things.

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.

In 1933, Judge Horace Blackwell, friend and personal advisor to the president, 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

The crime in this book is the classic murder in a room locked and bolted from the inside. The difference was that the room was the oval office of the White House. However, once it was noted that the locks in the room were old and unsophisticated, the solution to that problem was obvious. Like the other stories in this series, the most interesting aspects are the presence of other historical figures. J. Edgar Hoover and Clyde Tolson get slapped down by a crooked banker and there are cameo appearances by a junior officer named Dwight Eisenhower and a rising politician named Lyndon Johnson.
My greatest enjoyment from the book was engaging in idle speculation regarding the historical accuracy of the actions of the people other than the Roosevelts. It is quite possible that some of the events have a bit of historical accuracy. The mystery is ordinary and I solved it rather quickly. However, the other events kept me interested and I enjoyed the book anyway.

This is a mystery book that combines story with reality. The reality is the White House, its people, and events of 1930's. A very interesting way of learning history, through a mystery story which is told masterfully. If you like mystery and history books (tapes), this is for you.

In 1938, people traveled between Europe and America on luxury liners. Those in First Class were pampered endlessly across the Atlantic, and this is the lot of America's First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, as she sails home on the French liner, Normandie. But it's not going to be a peaceful voyage. Someone murders the Russian Ambassador. Potential assassins seem to be everywhere until Eleanor, with the aid of young John F. Kennedy, son of America's Ambassador to Great Britain, unravels a maze of deceit and danger to trap the killer. As in other Eleanor Roosevelt mysteries, the First Lady solves the murder with grace and brilliance. Along the way, we meet a covey of famous people and get a look at real luxury in travel. The book may be out of print, but it is worth the search for a copy.

It is June of 1941. The United States is at peace, but war is only six months ahead. President Roosevelt asks his wife, Eleanor to represent him at a secret meeting of leaders plotting to overthrow Hitler to stop the spread of war. After American agents slip her into a chateau in German-occupied France, she finds that the plotters include German Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, SS Colonel Artur Brandt, and French General Paul Rousseau. Just as the conference begins, Eleanor Roosevelt finds Colonel Brandt murdered. This could destroy the conference and bring the SS down on them. She keeps the murder secret while she sets about to solve it in the gracious, but astute, manner that we see in other books of the Eleanor Roosevelt series. This is not a thriller that grabs you and won't let go. Instead, the writing is easy-going, with a minimum of gratuitous violence and gore. It's strong point is the true picture of America and Americans in the quiet days before war came to the United States. Elliott Roosevelt was there, and his insight alone makes the book worth reading.

It is June of 1940, and German troops are nearing Paris. In the White House, concern over the defeat of France is suddenly joined by shock. Senator Gibson excuses himself from a dinner in the State Dining Room and is later found murdered in the deserted East Room. Eleanor Roosevelt immediately goes all out to aid Police and Secret Service in tracking down the murderer. Unfortunately, the Senator's many adulterous affairs had infuriated not only his wife, but also a string of misled women. He also had political enemies willing to kill him. With her usual calm insight, Mrs. Roosevelt sorts out the mass of suspects until she reveals the murderer. Along with the mystery, you also get a picture of goings on in the White House during that momentous time in history. It's always fun to match wits with the First Lady in these mysteries while you watch history being made.

A Japanese spy is found murdered in the top-secret map room of the White House in 1943 during World War II while Madame Chiang Kai-Shek and her entourage are visiting the Roosevelts. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, along with the D.C. Chief of Detectives and a Secret Service Agent, solve the mystery. But Mrs. Roosevelt is shown going about her duties, for example, attending a celebrity auction and only assisting the professionals investigating the murder. Her son, author Elliott Roosevelt, realistically portrays his mother and father, FDR, and probably Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, too, who is a great character who dominates every scene she's in. Interestingly, the author mentions 19 year-old Margaret Truman who became a fellow mystery writer. The story was suspenseful especially with diplomacy involved and the urgency of the war going on. For someone who's been dead for nine years, Elliott Roosevelt writes a good mystery although Eleanor Roosevelt is always fascinating to read about.

I've enjoyed reading Elliot Roosevelt's murder mysteries as an easy, enjoyable read in between tackling the 600 plus page novels by other authors. You can put your mind back into the 1930's and 40's, and get an interesting look (albeit fictional) into some of the famous names from the era. 'Murder in Georgetown' was more of the same, with Eleanor meeting with the Marx brothers, J. Edgar, Joe Kennedy, and others. However, the content of this book seemed to take an alarming change from previous books in the series. Is this really one of the late Elliot's unpublished manuscripts, or an attempt by a 'ghost' writer to continue the series? There is too much of a sexual content present, with repeated references to sex, stripping, lovemaking, etc. I lost count on how many times the author used the phrase "empty seminal vesicles" during the book. While the style and content may fit well into books by other authors, it seemed out of place in a Roosevelt mystery. I'm no prude by any stretch of the imagination, but Eleanor, please, clean up your act! P.S. The date typo (1945) near the end of the book was also a sloppy oversight by the editor.

This was a very interesting look at the First Lady and how she helped solve a murder of a very prominent member of the Federal Reserve Board. She enlisted the help of the Secret Service and Joe Kennedy. It led her down a path of deceit and theft. I found the book to be very interesting and the First Lady Eleanor to be portrayed as a formidable person to deal with. I don't think you would want to be on her bad side. Interesting facts about the White House and President in this book as well.

This novel is packed with family references. Rumors, bootleggers, bank fraud, love affairs and murder all combined to make this a wonderful read. Reality blends so well with the fictional murder that it leaves the reader wondering what is the truth. The main plot is excellent but it is the political tidbets which spice up the story. Before I read this book I had no idea some American cultures ate dirt and that it was good for you. Put it on your summer reading list.