Mrs. Roosevelt’s Confidante: A Maggie Hope Mystery

It is 1941, shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor.  Winston Churchill makes a visit to the United States, accompanied by Maggie Hope, a secret agent posing as his typist.  While they are in Washington, staying at the White House and the Mayflower Hotel, one of Eleanor Roosevelt’s aides purportedly commits suicide.  Or is it murder?  Maggie is quickly drawn into Eleanor’s confidence as she investigates.   Maggie is also drawn into the case of Wendell Cotton, an African American southern sharecropper who has been condemned by an all white jury and sentenced to the electric chair.  And then there is Maggie’s love interest, RAF pilot John Sterling.  He arrives as part of Churchill’s entourage with hopes of spending some quality time with Maggie.  His efforts are thwarted by the demands of Maggie’s sleuthing.  Theirs has been a romance disabled by timing.  Will John keep trying or will he pursue other interests?  Will Maggie?

Mrs. Roosevelt’s Confidante is the 5th book in the Maggie Hope series by Susan Elia MacNeal.  If you haven’t tried this series, it is worth a look.  These books are rich in historical details, and share a more intimate perspective of historical figures.  Adding to the scenery are some great minor roles for some famous Americans, like Walt Disney and C.S. Forester.  Previous books have been set in England; moving this story to Maggie’s home turf for one book was a nice change.

I highly recommend the Maggie Hope series, and especially this well researched offering featuring Maggie at her best.