Murder in the Chateau

Murder in the Chateau is an Eleanor Roosevelt novel by Elliot Roosevelt, her son. This is the first of these novels I have read. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to those who like mystery mixed with history.

The novel is set in 1941. France has been occupied by Germany and everyone wonders when the United States will get involved in the war. The president's wife is summoned to the oval office. Her husband has a mission for her. There is a covert operation underway to assassinate Hitler. The French and the Germans are looking for commitment to the mission. The first lady is supposed to attend secretive meetings in Nazi occupied France with high ranking military officials from France and Germany, to establish the commitment of the United States. It is a very dangerous mission, but no one realizes how dangerous until people in the chateau where the meetings are taking place start ending up dead. Now Mrs. Roosevelt, with the aid of her U.S. intelligence assistants, must figure out why these murders are happening and who is committing them, while also remaining hidden from the Nazi troops that are patrolling the area.

There was a lot of military strategy in this book. In addition, there are some more touching moments where characters reveal exactly what living in Nazi occupied areas was like. Normally, this kind of book might not be my cup of tea, but because there were the more tender moments and because Mrs. Roosevelt's character was so intriguing and likable, I did enjoy this book. I also find it so interesting that it was written by the Roosevelt's son. To write a book about his mother, where she was portrayed with such elegance and intelligence, he must have truly loved and respected his mother. There is even a scene where one of the men involved in this mission makes mild advances toward the First Lady. It was quite an interesting and enjoyable, albeit fictional, look into her life.

If you like historical fiction, and military strategy, mixed in with some good old fashioned murder mystery then Murder in the Chateau would be a good choice for you.

Happy Reading!