by Sarah E. Burr

This week we have a review of Eleanor and the South Beach Murders by Ellen Yardley, along with an interesting interview with Ellen. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

Eleanor and the South Beach Murders by Ellen Yardley
Review by Sarah E. Burr

This was my first time sleuthing alongside Eleanor Roosevelt and Kay Thompson, and boy, did I have fun! Ellen Yardley teleports readers to 1951 Miami for a mystery that sparkles with Art Deco glamour while confronting deep, disturbing social tensions. Told from the perspective of Kay Thompson, Eleanor Roosevelt’s capable and perceptive assistant, the novel blends historical intrigue with classic sleuthing. It’s fun to imagine what Eleanor Roosevelt’s life was like after leaving the White House.

With United Nations engagements bringing Mrs. Roosevelt to South Beach, Kay welcomes a reprieve from Washington, DC, and the sting of a recent breakup. Miami dazzles with sunlit beaches and vibrant nightlife, including the magnetic presence of famed performer Josephine Baker. But danger lurks beneath the glamour. After a man is found dead in Josephine’s dressing room, suspicion falls on her young assistant, Rosaleen.

Determined to clear Rosaleen’s name, Kay is drawn into a web of racial injustice, conspiracies, and prejudices tied to the uneasy postwar climate. Yardley balances personal stakes with political tension, grounding Kay’s investigation in empathy and conviction rather than idle curiosity. As Cold War anxieties surface, the threat grows more ominous.

Kay is an engaging and fully realized protagonist for someone so young (she’s only 25). Intelligent and quietly tenacious, she approaches the mystery with analytical precision and emotional depth. Her unresolved feelings for investigator Tim O’Malley add a subtle romantic tension without overshadowing the case. Instead, the personal elements deepen the impact of her choices.

Though Eleanor Roosevelt is a commanding presence, Kay’s voice anchors the story. Through her eyes, readers experience both Miami’s glittering façade and the terrifying inequities simmering beneath it. Yardley seamlessly integrates historical and pop culture details, enriching the mystery without slowing its pace. Clues unfold at a satisfying pace, and suspects are layered with believable motives.

Eleanor and the South Beach Murders is a stylish and thought-provoking historical mystery. Fans of Colleen Cambridge’s Phyllida Bright and Tabitha Knight characters will be hooked by this series. Ellen Yardley delivers a smart, character-driven cozy that will appeal to readers who enjoy immersive period settings, courageous heroines, and mysteries rooted in real-world tensions.

I look forward to seeing where Eleanor and Kay’s investigative path leads next.

Sarah E. Burr is the award-winning author of the Glenmyre Whim Mysteries, Trending Topic Mysteries, the Book Blogger Mysteries, and the Court of Mystery series. She is the producer and co-host of It’s Bookish Time TV, a web channel featuring live-streamed author interviews. When she’s not spinning up stories, Sarah reads everything from mystery to manga, plays video games, and enjoys walks with her dog, Eevee. Stay connected with Sarah and receive free short stories via her newsletter: saraheburrbooks.substack.com/subscribe.

Interview with Ellen Yardley:

KRL: How long have you been writing?

Ellen: My lifelong was to be a writer. At sixteen, I wrote my first attempt at a novel on a manual typewriter. It was not good, but I proved to myself that I could write a whole book. I sold my first book in 2004. What a surprise to realize I have been writing for 20 years!

KRL: When did your first novel come out, what was it called and would you tell us a little about it?

Ellen: My first novel was an e-book called A Gentleman Seduced, a historical romance. My first print book with Kensington Publishing – my current publisher – came out in 2006 and is called Sin. It is a historical romance, but I have a who-dunnit mystery as the plot. My heroine is an artist in Regency England. The hero, an earl, who accompanies her to a scandalous house party, where several guests and the host are murdered. I wrote it when my son was a baby, snatching time between feedings and outings.

Ellen Yardley

KR: Have you mostly written mysteries/suspense, and if not, what else have you written?

Ellen: My first fifteen novels were romances, with love stories and happy endings, but they always included mysteries and suspense. I have loved reading mysteries since I began with Nancy Drew and then found Agatha Christie in my teens. When I was learning to plot a book, I realized that having a mystery to solve gave me a structure I could understand. After changes in the writing market and changes in my life, I stopped writing romance. My agent suggested I would have a good voice for historical mystery.

KRL: What brought you to choose the setting and characters in your latest book/series?

Ellen: My agent told me that Kensington Books wanted to do a series featuring former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt as an amateur sleuth. He recommended me for the idea. I put together a proposal, setting the books in the early 1950s after Eleanor Roosevelt left the White House. I studied product design in university, so I was very interested in the styles of the 1950s.

A friend told me about the Delano Hotel in Miami Beach, which inspired my latest book, Eleanor and the South Beach Murders. While researching, I happened upon an article about the famous singer Josephine Baker, who performed in Miami in 1950. I thought she would be a fascinating character, especially after I read Agent Josephine by Damien Lewis, the true story of Josephine Baker’s spy work in WW2.

KRL: Do you write to entertain or is there something more you want the readers to experience from your work?

Ellen: My main goal is to entertain. I want to create a mystery with characters that readers care about, and a plot that keeps the reader turning pages. I also feel readers come to historical mystery to learn about history. When I wrote Eleanor and the South Beach Murders, I wanted to bring in real history about Florida at the time, and real events in Eleanor Roosevelt’s and Josephine Baker’s lives.

KRL: Do you have a schedule for your writing or just work whenever you can?

Ellen: I used to be more disciplined and keep to a schedule. I am a widow now and find that I must juggle my time. These days I work whenever I can. I set deadlines for myself, which keeps me on track. For example, I have nine months to write a book, but I break that into smaller deadlines, such as two to three months to complete the first draft. I take my computer or a manuscript with me to appointments and work while I wait. Recently, when my son was at an appointment, I noticed there was an empty reception desk, so I sat there to write. A woman came up to me, so I said, “Sorry, I don’t work here.” She said, “No, but I do.” I apologized but she graciously let me use the desk.

KRL: What is your ideal time to write?

Ellen: Early morning is my ideal time, but I manage to be flexible. I will write at night when I have a good idea to get onto paper, but I can’t write too late.

KRL: Do you outline? If not, do you have some other interesting way that you keep track of what’s going on or what needs to happen in your book?

Ellen: To start a book, I create a detailed synopsis, which tells the complete story of the book in ten pages. Even with that, I change the story as I go along. I find that I often move plot points around in the book for logic. Since I write six drafts, I start to lose track of the order of events. To help keep track, I store my manuscript on my computer in separate chapters. I label each chapter with a title that explains what happens.

KRL: Did you find it difficult to get published in the beginning?

Ellen: When I began, I sent out queries and was rejected. I joined a writing group in my area, where I learned about the market and improved my craft. I was still receiving rejections and decided to submit to a new publisher of e-books to “get in the game.” I was writing steamy romances when they became popular and that got my foot “in the door.” I was also fortunate to meet writing friends who have been my critique group for twenty years. We meet regularly to read each other’s work and just talk about writing and story.

KRL: Do you have a great rejection/critique or acceptance story you’d like to share?

Ellen: When I sold Sin, I sent my proposal to a writing friend’s editor and an agent. The proposal was one chapter and a synopsis. Both the agent and editor were interested. The agent asked if I had more that she could shop to other publishers. It is always recommended that a beginning writer have the whole book written, but I only had one chapter, because I knew the publishing house was looking for submissions and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity. So, I said the rest of the book was “very rough”, when it actually didn’t exist. The proposal netted me a three-book deal, but I did have a hard time writing the second chapter!

KRL: Most interesting book signing story–in a bookstore or other venue?

Ellen: I used to regularly attend writing conferences and take part in their huge multi-author book signings. I met readers who brought copies of my books in their luggage to have me sign. Since I went every year, I would see the same reader many times. I always tried to remember names, and I felt guilty when I couldn’t. To cover up, I would say, “I can’t quite remember how to spell your name.” Of course, once I said that to a reader named Pat, and without missing a beat she said, “P.A.T.”

KRL: What are your future writing goals?

Ellen: I just completed the manuscript of the third Eleanor Roosevelt Mystery, Eleanor and the Transatlantic Murders. I am now working on a proposal for more, which involves writing a detailed synopsis that outlines the whole mystery and a sample chapter. My goal, and my hope, is to be able to continue the Eleanor Roosevelt mystery series.

KRL: Who are your writing heroes?

Ellen: I have writing heroes who I have had the opportunity to meet at writing conferences. Some are friends, such as Kathryn Smith aka Kate Locke, who was so helpful when I began my writing journey. Jayne Ann Krentz is a writing hero to me, and I had the chance to meet her at a book signing. I loved how seamlessly she blends romance and mystery, and I was impressed by her ability to write in many genres. Rhys Bowen is also a writing hero as I have loved all her series, and I am impressed by her long-running career.

KRL: What kind of research do you do?

Ellen: The Eleanor Roosevelt mysteries meant lots of research. I began by reading Eleanor Roosevelt’s autobiography, as well as many biographies about her. Eleanor Roosevelt wrote My Day, a national syndicated newspaper column, for almost three decades. It is available online and is a terrific resource about her experiences and opinions. For example, if I am writing dialogue for Eleanor Roosevelt, I will search her My Day columns to find her actual words on a subject. I want to be as true to what she actually said as possible. The internet is a great resource for images from the 1950s on makeup, fashion, cars, hotels, etc.

KRL: What do you like to read?

Ellen: I read a lot for research and have found books I have really enjoyed. Camera Girl, a biography of Jacqueline Bouvier before she married JFK was fascinating.

Agent Josephine is a book I could not put down. I have a local bookstore and local library, so I can find new mystery authors by scanning the shelves and trying something that catches my eye. That way I found Megan Miranda, Rhys Bowen, Clare Mackintosh, Cara Black. My daughter loves reading mysteries and I have given her mysteries by Ruth Ware and Kathy Reichs to read. My comfort novels are Agatha Christie’s mysteries.

KRL: What are your favorite TV shows or movies?

Ellen: I used to love Columbo, and watched it regularly with my mother while I did homework. Right now, I love to watch mysteries on Netflix such Harlan Coben’s adaptations like Fool Me Once and Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials. My son introduced me to anime. He just got me to watch the anime Death Note with him, which has terrific writing.

KRL: I love anime! Have you any advice for aspiring or beginning writers?

Ellen: To keep writing and writing. Don’t give up. Keep pushing yourself to find your voice, to find the genres you most enjoy writing and to find ways to present your books that will excite agents and editors. One thing I’ve discovered is that it doesn’t get easier. All you can do is put your rear end in the chair and write. Some books will be hard, and some will flow. I’ve tried to take a “make lemonade from lemons” approach through my writing career, and I’ve learned that you never know when opportunities will come along.

KRL: What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

Ellen: This is the toughest question. I feel I don’t have any exciting tidbits in my life that are surprising. As a writer, I spend a lot of time at my desk, but I love outdoor activities such as skiing, tennis and biking. I love water and try to swim as much as possible in the summer. Sometimes that makes it challenging to get work done.

KRL: Do you have any pets?

Ellen: No. My daughter’s cat, Whiskers, stayed with us for a while when she first moved out. We enjoyed having his company. He could come up to me while I was writing and tap me on the leg with his paw to get my attention. Then he would lead me to the couch so he could sit on my lap while I worked.

KRL: Is there anything you would like to add?

Ellen: You have asked so many terrific questions that I can’t think of more. I want to thank you for the opportunity to do an interview.

KRL: Thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Where can our readers find you online?

Ellen: Website link: ellenyardley.com
Facebook: facebook.com/EllenYardleyWrites
Twitter: @EllenYwrites
Instagram: EllenYardleyWrites

Sign up for my occasional newsletter which announces new books, bookseller sales, and contests: ellenyardley.com/newsletter.

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

To enter to win a copy of Eleanor and the South Beach Murders, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Eleanor” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen March 7, 2026. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.

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