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Eleanor and the South Beach Murders

by Ellen Yardley

A 1951 Miami mystery amid Cold War tensions

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AlbakiReads Editorial

A 1951 Miami mystery amid Cold War tensions

Set in Miami during a 1951 visit by Eleanor Roosevelt, the mystery brings Kay Thompson—Roosevelt’s assistant—into the orbit of performer Josephine Baker. After a man is found dead in Baker’s dressing room and Baker’s assistant is arrested, Kay works to clear her friend. The case connects a murder investigation with Baker’s opposition to segregation, postwar anxieties, and the political tensions of the Cold War. Roosevelt and Kay’s former partner, a private investigator, join the effort as the inquiry reaches beyond South Beach’s glamorous Art Deco setting. The historical framework links a personal effort to free an accused friend with broader conflicts over prejudice and public life.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in historical mysteries set in the early 1950s.
  • Readers who enjoy mysteries involving real historical figures, including Eleanor Roosevelt and Josephine Baker.
  • Readers seeking a murder investigation with themes of segregation, postwar politics, and Cold War tensions.

Themes

Historical mysteryCold War-era politicsSegregation and prejudiceFriendship and justice

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

For fans of Colleen Cambridge, S.K. Golden, Jacqueline Winspear, and Ashley Weaver, a brilliant 1950s Cold War historical mystery featuring the former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt's indispensable assistant as an equally resourceful sleuth. As the duo become entangled in a deadly international mystery connected to famous performer Josephine Baker, can Kay trust her own instincts before it's too late?

Miami, 1951. With a flurry of UN engagements bringing Mrs. Roosevelt to vibrant South Beach, Kay Thompson is thrilled to escape the post-Christmas blues in Washington, DC--and distance herself from the sting of her recent breakup with private investigator Tim O'Malley. The dizzying sights and sounds of Miami reach their peak at the Copa City Club, where a late-night meeting with singer Josephine Baker reveals a troubling truth: Baker's bold stand against segregation has made her a target.

Josephine dismisses the threats. But Rosaleen--her cautious young assistant with big dreams--is deeply afraid. That's why it's a stunning shock when a dead man turns up in Josephine's dressing room and Rosaleen is the one arrested for his murder. Determined to exonerate her new friend, Kay realizes it will mean facing conspiracies and prejudices that reach into the darkest corners of American society still haunted by the horrors of World War II.

Now, tangled in a high-stakes murder case with lives and legacies on the line, Kay joins forces with Mrs. Roosevelt and her former flame to confront the sinister forces lurking just beneath Miami's glittering Art Deco surface. But when a killer's scheme comes into sharp focus, Kay must act swiftly in a quest for justice that proves far more dangerous than she ever bargained for . . .
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