Eleanor Roosevelt, Master Sleuth

Well, truth be told, she didn't, but her son,Elliot, named for her father, wrote 30 of the most fun murder mysteries with his mother, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt as the super sleuth who solved the crimes. Many of them took place in almost every famous room in the White House, from the Lincoln Bedroom to the Red Room and other 'color rooms' as well as the Map Room.

I discovered these books almost 20 years ago when I was going through a mystery book kick. These were among the best. They are well written, fun and actually supply an interesting insight into life in the White House during WWII and the ten years that the Roosevelts were in office.

What is really great is that while having a First Lady solve White House murders is a fantasy, the stories were intertwined with a lot of historical information about the White House.

1. We learn about the time that Stalin stayed at the White House during WWII. Remember that he was an ally then.

2. We learn that the White House was cold and the food budget, even for feeding foreign dignitaries was sparse. It was meatloaf and peanut butter and jelly at the White House.

3. We learn that FDR's mistress Missy LeHand was an accepted part of the family. One of the books tells us that Eleanor visited her husband's room while Missy was there. That was shocking, but unlikely to be put into the book written by their son if it didn't happen. Elliot has also written non fiction books about his parents.

So get some of these books and look forward to some challenge to your brain, some information about the White House and some of its occupants, and a lot of fun!