Dollycas’s Thoughts

A beautiful day in 1899 Newport brings everyone out to watch the first-ever automobile parade. A little accident mars the day for the King family but that doesn’t stop Ella King’s plan for her dinner party at the “magnificent Gothic-inspired “cottage,” Kingscote”. Journalist Emma Cross and her beau Derrick Andrews are delighted to attend. Mrs. King is upset that her son has not arrived when dinner is served but she is furious when he staggers in drunk as dessert is being served. Soon after shouts are heard from outside. The fog has set in making it almost impossible to see what is causing the ruckus but as they get closer they see the family’s butler smashed between a tree and the drunken Phillip’s car. He dies soon after being freed and the death was no accident.

Emma is drawn into the case when she receives a message about the butler’s past. There is also plenty of other drama involving the King family so Emma is running herself ragged to fit all the pieces together and find a killer.

I really enjoy this series. Allyssa Maxwell takes us back in times so effortlessly. This time we were treated to Kingscote, a Gothic-inspired “cottage” and other Newport places. The book cover starts us off with a vision and then the author’s writing paints the perfect picture of each and every scene.

The character descriptions are also detailed and developed. Emma is an independent free-thinking woman and an excellent sleuth. Her quest to get the truth has no bounds. Phillip King claims he did not drive the car into the butler and the tree and her investigation seems to point in that direction as well. It is so much fun to tag along with her as pursues each clue and theory.

Her relationship with newspaper owner Derrick Andrews is progressing nicely. His mother is still not happy about their courting but he seems to be gaining more independence in each story. They also make a great investigative team.

The entire supporting cast comes truly alive. I envisioned each and every one so clearly. From the clothes they were wearing, the tone of their voices, how they moved, where they went, and everything around them. Ms. Maxwell’s descriptive writing style really is a gift.

The author has written a complex mystery that takes Emma and Derrick beyond the confines of Newport. They make visits to a boxing ring and an insane asylum trying to find the answers they need. The story twists and turns in very interesting ways. Secrets and family connections were revealed. It brought out emotions I don’t usually feel when reading a mystery. I was on the right track solving the mystery but I was surprised at part of the reveal. The twist at the end was very unexpected.

Murder at Kingscote was a very engaging read. The characters were extraordinary, the mystery was so richly plotted and written, and the setting was ideal. I love stories set in the Gilded Era. Each book in this series has been a pleasure to read. Emma has had some amazing adventures. I am a stickler for reading books in order but each of the books reads very well on its own.

Emma Cross, now the editor-in-chief of a local newspaper in Newport is having dinner with the King family at Kingscote when it is discovered that the butler has been hit by the motorcar that the Kin's drunken son had been driving earlier in the day. Mrs. King enlists Emma and her boss Derrick Andrews to find out what really happened.

Emma and Derrick use their social connections to delve into the history of the butler and why he was a target.

Enjoyable mystery with a good historical venue. The characters could use a bit more growth, they seem to in a stalemate but possibilities loom!

Almost to the turn of the century. There are automobiles to be ogled and Emma is actually editor now. I enjoy the Newport setting so much and the touches of historical interest that brings to this really good series.

I enjoyed reading this latest book my Alyssa Maxwell. I enjoy reading about Emma's latest adventures and I was happy to see that Derrick was back! I am looking forward to the next book in the series!

The Gilded Newport series is one of my favorite cozy mystery series. Alyssa Maxwell really makes you feel like you’re in Newport at that time.

I love mysteries and enjoyed reading this one. I found the setting and characters really interesting I just wish it was a little longer.

It’s the summer of 1899 and the residents of Aquidneck Island are witnessing a life-changing event. It’s the first car parade. Not a race, each car is decorated to the extreme degree with flowers, live birds, and more. Driving a motor car is a new adventure.

Emma Cross, editor-in-chief of the Newport Messenger, is among the viewers. Steering the tiller (no steering wheel) doesn’t always go as planned. Philip King is drunk, a usual pastime of late, and on the obstacle course, crashes his car into a cutout of a nanny pushing a pram.

Emma and her boss and beau, Derrick, are invited to the King’s for dinner. Philip arrives to dinner late, still drunk. However, dinner comes to a halt when the coachman runs in yelling that the butler has been hit by Philip’s car. In fact, the butler is pinned against a tree and near death. Philip swears he didn’t hit the man or tree, but who can believe him when he’s barely coherent?

At first, it’s thought to be an accident, but Emma receives a note that says the butler was a bully and took advantage of the young women who worked in the house. It seems there are more names to add to the list of suspects as far as motive goes. The means of course, is the car. Opportunity is the stickler.

Another annoyance is a woman who claims to be the true heir to the family home and fortune. It’s not exactly clear about her connection to the family, but she’s willing to harass the family until she gets what she wants.

The butler also had links to the local boxing contests where betting was a money maker for some and a source of anguish for others.

This is book eight of the series. Derrick and Emma are a couple, if discreet about it. She’s running the newspaper but longs to investigate and report. Readers of historical mysteries with a bit of romance will enjoy Emma’s evolving life.

Maxwell also writes the Lady and Lady’s Maid series, five in all, and equally enjoyable.

This is a smart, well-done series. The author is very adept at drawing life during the "Golden" era in Newport, Rhode Island. On a clear July day in 1899, the salty ocean breeze along Bellevue Avenue carries new smells of gasoline and exhaust as Emma, now editor-in-chief of the Newport Messenger, covers Newport's first-ever automobile parade. But the festive atmosphere soon turns to shock as young Philip King drunkenly swerves his motorcar into a wooden figure of a nanny pushing a pram on the obstacle course.

That evening, at a dinner party hosted by Ella King at her magnificent Gothic-inspired "cottage," Kingscote, Emma and her beau Derrick Andrews are enjoying the food and the company when Ella's son staggers in, obviously still inebriated. But the disruption is nothing compared to the urgent shouts of the coachman. Rushing out, they find the family's butler pinned against a tree beneath the front wheels of Philip's motorcar, close to death.

At first, the tragic tableau appears to be a reckless accident--one which could ruin Philip's reputation. But when Emma later receives a message informing her that the butler bullied his staff and took advantage of young maids, she begins to suspect the scene may have been staged and steers the police toward a murder investigation. But while Emma investigates the connections between a competing heir for the King fortune, a mysterious child, an inmate of an insane asylum, and the brutal boxing rings of Providence, a killer remains at large--with unfinished business to attend to .

When a dinner party is held at Kingscote, the butler is seemingly killed by the the family motorcar, but Emma Cross, Editor of the local newspaper suspects murder. Plenty of secrets come to light as Emma Cross assists local police with detecting to uncover the murderer. Emma digs up information about betting, gambling, blackmail and more.
Derek Andrews returns, assisting Emma with her investigation, an there are plenty of twists and turns as Emma uncovers the mystery of who killed the butler. This series is one of my favorites, with tight plotting and good pacing. All of the plots of Maxwell's books are unique and the setting of Newport and the Gilded Age are spot on.
I recommend this book to lovers of historic mysteries,
I received this book from Net Galley in return for an unbiased review.

The Gilded Newport Mystery Series is my favorite historical mystery series. This newest book most definitely didn't disappoint. Once again, the author weaves a tale of mystery that includes real places and real personages in Newport, 1899. Emmaline Cross is a forward thinking woman ho makes an enjoyable main character. This mystery is so well written and the characters are definitely well developed and interesting. This book can be read as a standalone but I recommend the whole series for your reading pleasure.

I really like this series. I enjoyed this mystery and thought it was a good read My favorite books in this series are those that really center on the house versus the people, but I did like it.

July 1899 and the residents of Newport are lining up to witness a parade of the latest form of transportation – the automobile. Emma Cross, editor-in-chief of the local newspaper, and distant Vanderbilt relative, is attending with Derrick Andrews, owner of the newspaper, member of society’s Four Hundred, and admirer of Emma. Invited to a dinner by the wealthy King family after the parade, Emma and Derrick find themselves witness to the antics of the King’s son Phillip, when he arrives drunk, and the King’s butler, Baldwin, wedged between an automobile and a tree. When the Baldwin later dies, Phillip King is the number one suspect. Emma again finds herself investigating a mysterious death. Was it an accident, or murder?

This is the 8th installment in the Gilded Newport Mystery series, of which I’ve read about half. I must admit, that while the writing continues to be sharp, the plotlines of the murder investigation, as well as inheritance claims along the way, get lost in the of the social events of the day. Emma is a strong character, a woman with a career, and ahead of her time. While the main story is of Emma her investigation and her career, it could have concentrated more on these aspects rather than the romance. I love a romance in my mystery novels, but here, the story only felt interesting to me in those times when the romance took a backseat to the mystery.

A cozy read, light on the mystery, but good entertainment none-the-less.

Alyssa Maxwell continues her Gilded Newport mysteries with Murder at Kingscote. Emma, editor-in-chief of the Newport Messenger, becomes involved in the murder of the Kingscote butler, pinned against a tree under the automobile recently driven by Philip King in an automobile parade. King is the drunken son of the matriarch Mrs. King who owns Kingscote, a Newport mansion. Was the butler murdered? Whodunit? Upstairs family and downstairs servants all have secrets. Then there is a tie to boxing. Read this well plotted historical mystery.

I enjoyed this historical mystery with strong, ahead-of-their times female character like Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher. In Murder at Kingscote, our protagonist journalist Emma Cross, editor-in-chief of the Newport Messenger, is covering Newport's first-ever automobile parade set in 1899. Emma investigates a reckless accident or a plot deep into murder against the heir of the King fortune. Set in the backdrop of a gothic inspired mansion the Kingscote is everything I love in this amazing cozy mystery series! A tight and twisty plot, fun characters, the elegant Newport setting and a strong woman ahead of her time that is relatable as she is admirable. Totally enjoyed this one and will be reading the rest of the series! Alyssa Maxwell is a fantastic writer and definitely transported me to Newport in 1899.

When the family's butler is pinned to a tree by a motorcar the prime suspect is young Philip King, who owns the motorcar and is known for reckless driving while intoxicated. Journalist Emma Cross suspects that the accident was staged and decides to delve into the mystery and the past of the butler, uncovering a conspiracy that runs deeper than anyone could have fathomed.

I received a copy of Murder at Kingscote through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Murder at Kingscote is the 8th installment of the Gilded Newport Mysteries series and the second in the series I have read. In this mystery, a dinner party is held at Kingscote and things don’t go exactly as planned. When the butler turns up pinned to a tree with an automobile, murder is declared and the mystery ensues. Emma Cross, a journalist and amateur sleuth, searches for the answers to the mystery. Many secrets are revealed on the way to finding out the true identity of the murderer.

I have to say I really enjoyed Murder at Kingscote. The mystery was fun, the characters interesting and the setting very detailed and realistic. This is the second in the series I have read and I loved this one as much as the first. I really enjoy this time period and setting and this mystery really makes you feel like you are there. The characters are enjoyable, especially Emma. I am definitely planning on going back and reading the rest of this series and look forward to seeing what comes next.

1899 Newport genteel and with very rigid demarcations of society. Emma is not part of famous Four Hundred families and hence though on the fringes related to everyone is not quite accepted as being within the famed group. It does not bother Emma who has now landed the position of Editor in chief of the Messenger but it does affect her marital chances with someone whom she has fallen in love with.

An automobile parade is a highlight of the summer events, but a death seems to uncover a string of suspects, hidden histories and past events which everyone is trying very hard to conceal. The blame seems to fall on young Philip King a notable young man prone to gambling debts and a very likely suspect in the first murder. For the sake of his mother Emma along with the help of Douglas the owner of the paper who is also the man she is in love with, pursue various avenues trying to find out who could want the butler dead.

Past incidents with long histories of animosity and revenge surface and now there are multiple suspects all have to be researched and eliminated to come to the truth.

The mystery murder was one story, but the social setting of 1989 Newport was the one which I liked very much. Reveals a world stepping into the modern era but with strong holds to tradition sometimes hidebound tradition and customs which surely must be eliminated.

Interesting social history reading.

Newspaper manager Emma Cross gets more than she bargained for when (once again) she ends up involved in a murder investigation! Although she prefers to discover the truths behind stories, Emma's time is often taken up with her role of managing employees and assigning stories. When a butler comes to an unfortunate end following a sumptuous meal at the lovely mansion called Kingscote, Emma and her gentleman friend Derrick are both drawn into finding out what happened. What does the butler have to hide? With the aid of an undercover reporter, the investigation is underway!

The beautiful "cottages" of Newport serve as a sumptuous background for deadly drivers, family scandals, and secret sporting events. The detailed descriptions of the homes make the story come alive, although some readers might find them too lengthy for their own tastes. The background information is well-researched, and the author endnotes add perspective to the story.

While this historical novel is part of a series of stories set in Newport, the book can be read as a stand-alone novel. The end of the book sets the stage for further action and adventure for Emma Cross.

I received this novel from the Publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

I’d like to offer you my take on Gilded Newport Mystery series by Alyssa Maxwell. I was given the opportunity to read Murder at Kingscote (Gilded Newport Mystery #8) for Netgalley.

This author was recommended in the CrimeReads article among several others who write seaside cozies. I am not big lover of cozies (have been) but… this book is one of those that changed my mind.

Emma Cross is a reporter by heart and editor-in-chief by position description. She is caught between two worlds, two professions and too many responsibilities.

Distant cousin of Vanderbilts, Emma is not really part of Four Hundred and is having troubles entering their world. On the other hand, being that distant relation, Emma is trusted with secrets and problems that inhabit summer cottages of American Elite.

Murder at Kingscote is taking reader on a car journey. Yes, automobiles are introduced at Newport. They are both marvel and monstrosity. They are to be gaped at and to be feared. No wonder, the weapon of the first murder in the story is a big beautiful automobile still decorated in flowers for the parade.

Emma Cross is investigating by invitation. She is assisted and protected by her beau Derrick Andrews (who is the story of his own), her nanny, her maid and her employees at the paper.

I liked Emma Cross and would love to read all her other adventures. I feel for her when it comes to her struggles with what and whom to choose and why. Will she? Won’t she?

Murders (there are more than one) are solved. People are helped. Justice is served (but a very Newport sort). Life goes on. Kingscote is back to its normal routine… Until the next time.

Murder at Kingscote is a very nice cozy mystery. It is sprinkled with real personalities, real existing properties and landmaks. It gives reader a taste of life in Newport at the end of the nineteenth century and accentuates the differences and intricacies of society life at that time.

I enjoyed the journey and characters. Five stars from me.

Another winner from Alyssa Maxwell! Emma investigates what appears to be Newport's first car accident fatality when the son of one of the 400 seems to be implicated. The year round population is outraged when the summer visitor isn't arrested because of his social status. Things get more complicated when the victim isn't who he appeared to be. Was he really the intended victim? If so, what is the motive? If not, who was the real target and why? Murder at Kingscote is a complicated case with no end of suspects.