Murder in the Lincoln Bedroom

Book excerpt: It is 1943 and upon the eve of the Trident Conference-a highly classified council attended by FDR, Winston Churchill, and Dwight Eisenhower with the purpose of planning an invasion of Western Europe-the White House is aflutter with preparations and the presence of extra Secret Service agents and soldiers. When a body is discovered in the Lincoln Bedroom while the conferees are still in session, Eleanor Roosevelt knows that in order to keep the murder (as well as the Conference) a secret from the prying eyes of the press, not to mention foreign agents, she must solve it herself. Eleanor soon learns that the victim, Paul Weyrich, was a White House employee-one of the President's top advisors-who had been having an affair with his secretary. At first glance, it looks to be a crime of passion, instigated by Mr. Weyrich's refusal to marry his secretary. However, the deeper Eleanor digs into the case, the more clouded and uncertain the investigation becomes. Gradually, Eleanor discovers that the victim was part of a plot to assassinate the President, and she embarks on a daring plan to trap the assassin, using FDR as bait. Eleanor's skills will be put to the ultimate test as she must race to solve the mystery before the assassin strikes again. As the intrepid and charming Mrs. Roosevelt engages in her latest bit of Hawkshawing, readers are treated to all the historical re-creation and rich storytelling that have become hallmarks of the series. This satisfying wartime whodunit starring America's First Lady of Mystery is a warmly rewarding look at a fascinating era, and at a woman beloved by her family and her country-Eleanor Roosevelt.