Eleanor and the Cold War by Ellen Yardley: Book Review

Eleanor and the Cold War is the first in Ellen Yardley’s historical mystery series. It is expected to be released on January 21, 2025. In it, readers are taken back to 1950s Washington, D.C., and introduced to Kay Thompson, a young woman who finds herself thrust into a murder investigation as she works alongside Eleanor Roosevelt.

I want to thank Kensington and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Eleanor and the Cold War. All opinions presented here are solely mine.

Synopsis from Goodreads

Previously fired for speaking out against workplace injustices, twenty-five-year-old Kay Thompson finds her true calling once appointed to support Eleanor Roosevelt, a champion of human rights known as ER among those in her inner circle. Kay fully embraces her new role as the former First Lady’s right hand—typing up daily columns and juggling a blur of political meetings, ribbon cuttings, and charitable dinners. It’s not until a dead body is discovered on a train that her most compelling task comes into focus . . .  

Stunning Susie Taylor had star quality. Judging from her photos, it’s clear why she left Sweden with plans to make it big on Broadway. But when ER enlists Kay’s help on a discreet investigation about her sudden disappearance, the two suspect the up-and-comer was concealing secrets about her real identity and motives—all leading to her murder at Washington’s Union Station . . .

Plunged into a living Alfred Hitchcock film, an unseasoned Kay and a shrewd ER side with a handsome detective on a search for answers. What was Susie’s connection with a charismatic Soviet UN delegate and an atomic energy researcher? As ER makes it her mission to find out, danger looms upon the discovery of another body. Now, Kay must play a central role in exposing the killer—before she becomes the next rising beauty to meet a cruel fate . . .

My Opinions

Eleanor and the Cold War appears to be the first book in a new historical mystery series. I was intrigued by the inclusion of Eleanor Roosevelt in a mystery novel. How she is presented in the book is how I would like to believe she was in real life. She was a strong woman who fought injustice in her own way. A bit feisty, Eleanor in this book reminded me of my grandmother, and that is a great thing.

Kay Thompson is a 25-year-old woman who has her future figured out. She wants to find the perfect husband, the polar opposite of the father who abandoned her and her mother. In her time with Eleanor, Kay learns that she wants more from life than to be a wife and mother. Kay wants to do more with her life.

You may recognize a few names in the book besides Eleanor Roosevelt, such as Bobby and Jack Kennedy. I enjoyed seeing them in the book, but it was surprising to realize they most likely moved in the same circles as Eleanor Roosevelt. Maybe I’m the only one who didn’t realize that.

There are several possible suspects in Susie’s murder. But who is the culprit? Can you figure it out before reaching the final few chapters? I can honestly say that I did not figure it out.

Do you enjoy reading historical fiction? What about starting a new series? Do you enjoy meeting characters who love watching movies? What about matching Hitchcock movies? If you’ve answered yes to any, especially all, you should read Eleanor and the Cold War!

Are you looking for some more books to read? Check out my bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.