This is one of my favorite historical cozy series. I love the Gilded Age and I love that it's set in Newport. The descriptions are vivid, and the books are well researched. I've also enjoyed the progression of Emma and Derrick's relationship. When Emma and Derrick attend a dinner at Beacon Rock a young woman's body washes up. They then delve into the mystery of what happened to her.

I really enjoyed reading this cozy mystery. I like this series and this one did not disappoint. Beacon Rock and a meeting of the New York Yacht Club is the setting. During a dinner party Emma takes a walk and discovers a body, the body of a drowned woman. The police think the drowning is an accident or a suicide, but Emma is not convinced. I really enjoyed the way the author uses real characters and events in a fictional story. The mystery is also based on a real historical one. It is a good mystery and the solution makes sense. I look for word to reading the next one. Enjoy

Dollycas's Thoughts

Emma Cross and her now fiancé, Derrick Andrews have been invited to a private meeting at Beacon Rock of the New York Yacht Club to discuss the next American's Cup Challenge. Beacon Hill is the summer "cottage" of Edwin and Elizabeth Morgan. Also in attendance are Yacht Club Commodore John Pierpoint Morgan and the first woman admitted to the Yacht Club, Lucy Carnegie.

While walking the grounds Emma and Lucy hear a strange noise which leads them to find the body of a young woman in the water near one of the guest's boats. The woman is later identified as the daughter of a man who designs yachts. Why was she in the area? Did she fall from the ferry? or was she killed and brought in by the tides?

The police are calling her death a suicide but Emma and her friend, Detective Jesse Whyte are not buying that theory. Soon Emma along with Derrick are asking questions and following clues. Can one of the guests at Beacon Rock be a killer? Will Emma survive her investigation? or will she be the next body found floating in the water?

______

With each Gilded Newport Mystery, I know I am going to learn about another historic estate. This time it was Beacon Rock,  an estate that just sold a couple of years ago for 23 million dollars.  The home was built for Edwin Morgan, started in 1887 and completed 3 years later. It is said they summered there for 30 years. He, his wife Elizabeth, and his cousin J.P. Morgan are characters in this book. I appreciate all the research the author does and shares will us in each story.

All the core characters continue to develop in believable ways. I love that Emma and Derrick are engaged and telling people. I am sure Derrick's mother will be furious. Nanny and Katie are always on hand for anything Emma needs and Detective Jesse Whyte is adjusting to working with his new partner. I do enjoy how these characters band together, each in their own way when there is a murder to solve.

Lucy Carnegie is one heck of a character, a widow, trying to find her place in a man's world of yacht racing. The victim, Lillian Fahey, only 18, worked side by side with her father, an engineer specializing in aerodynamics as it relates to the speed of mechanical objects like yachts. She may have even been more responsible for the formulas than he was. I enjoy that Ms. Maxwell includes strong women like these in her stories as in the time frame they are few and far between or never mentioned. The fact that Lucy Carnegie like the Morgan's and others are actual people from history make this story even more grand.

The mystery was especially intriguing because Emma had no idea who she could trust. Was the killer one of the elite Four Hundred or was it a member of the crew of their ships or even a maid or cook? Emma and Derrick tried hard to stick together in the investigation but Emma did take some risks. I must say I really liked following step by step along with her. She is relentless when trying to get answers. The reveal was heartstopping and the showdown that ensued chilling in more ways than one.

Dollycas's Thoughts

Emma Cross and her now fiancé, Derrick Andrews have been invited to a private meeting at Beacon Rock of the New York Yacht Club to discuss the next American's Cup Challenge. Beacon Hill is the summer "cottage" of Edwin and Elizabeth Morgan. Also in attendance are Yacht Club Commodore John Pierpoint Morgan and the first woman admitted to the Yacht Club, Lucy Carnegie.

While walking the grounds Emma and Lucy hear a strange noise which leads them to find the body of a young woman in the water near one of the guest's boats. The woman is later identified as the daughter of a man who designs yachts. Why was she in the area? Did she fall from the ferry? or was she killed and brought in by the tides?

The police are calling her death a suicide but Emma and her friend, Detective Jesse Whyte are not buying that theory. Soon Emma along with Derrick are asking questions and following clues. Can one of the guests at Beacon Rock be a killer? Will Emma survive her investigation? or will she be the next body found floating in the water?

______

With each Gilded Newport Mystery, I know I am going to learn about another historic estate. This time it was Beacon Rock,  an estate that just sold a couple of years ago for 23 million dollars.  The home was built for Edwin Morgan, started in 1887 and completed 3 years later. It is said they summered there for 30 years. He, his wife Elizabeth, and his cousin J.P. Morgan are characters in this book. I appreciate all the research the author does and shares will us in each story.

All the core characters continue to develop in believable ways. I love that Emma and Derrick are engaged and telling people. I am sure Derrick's mother will be furious. Nanny and Katie are always on hand for anything Emma needs and Detective Jesse Whyte is adjusting to working with his new partner. I do enjoy how these characters band together, each in their own way when there is a murder to solve.

Lucy Carnegie is one heck of a character, a widow, trying to find her place in a man's world of yacht racing. The victim, Lillian Fahey, only 18, worked side by side with her father, an engineer specializing in aerodynamics as it relates to the speed of mechanical objects like yachts. She may have even been more responsible for the formulas than he was. I enjoy that Ms. Maxwell includes strong women like these in her stories as in the time frame they are few and far between or never mentioned. The fact that Lucy Carnegie like the Morgan's and others are actual people from history make this story even more grand.

The mystery was especially intriguing because Emma had no idea who she could trust. Was the killer one of the elite Four Hundred or was it a member of the crew of their ships or even a maid or cook? Emma and Derrick tried hard to stick together in the investigation but Emma did take some risks. I must say I really liked following step by step along with her. She is relentless when trying to get answers. The reveal was heartstopping and the showdown that ensued chilling in more ways than one.

Murder at Beacon Rock is an enthralling historical cozy mystery filled with engaging characters set in a fascinating time and place. It is well-written and totally entertaining. The cliffhanger has Emma and Derrick working on a very special story so I am really looking forward to escaping into Murder at the Elms very soon.

Note - Suicide is discussed in this story. It is well-written and totally entertaining. The cliffhanger has Emma and Derrick working on a very special story so I am really looking forward to escaping into Murder at the Elms very soon.

Note - Suicide is discussed in this story.

Emma Cross and Derrick Andrews are finally engaged to be married. Emma is a poor relation of the Vanderbilts while Derrick is from a wealthy social prominent family. They are at a dinner party at Beacon Rock, the home of the Morgans, as in JP, and while there Emma and in the company of Lucy Carnegie, discover a young woman's body washed up near the boat house. No one seems to know who she was but a small clue leads Emma and Derrick into dangerous waters to discover her identity and possible motive for her death.

I truly enjoy this series set at the beginning of the 20th century n Newport, each one highlighting one of the mansions of the rich and famous.

Murder at Beacon Rock is a good read and a period piece. I recommend it as a book that has been well researched so the reader gets the feel of that period in history. The characters are true to their roles..

I’m impressed with the way this series has maintained a standard of quality unusual for the genre 10 books in. In fact, I actually think these might be getting better as the series progresses.

This is a compelling and well-structured mystery with good pacing and a good solve, and the supplementary elements of the story remain excellent as well.

For a historical mystery series it’s a little light on the actual history for my taste. Could we at least get more descriptive passages on the beautiful and fascinating houses that serve as the theme for the series?

The story and the characters though, remain notably good, and I’m eager to see what Emma and company will uncover on their next case.

This novel is the tenth book in the Gilded Newport mystery series. In this installment, there is not much that happens in this story. Emma does not really do much sleuthing in this novel. The mystery itself was very predictable. Still, this was a nice cozy mystery for a lazy summer afternoon. It was just not as good as her other mysteries! Still, this novel is a light, perfect beach read! I recommend this for fans of The Gilded Hour, Murder on Astor Place, and The Body in the Ballroom!

Mysteries featuring historical figures shed light on the times in which they lived. It’s a bonus when the setting is a gorgeous destination. Welcome to Newport, Rhode Island, July 1900. Edwin and Elizabeth Morgan are summering at their Grecian-inspired summer cottage, Beacon Rock, a stunningly beautiful mansion.

Emmaline (Emma) Cross and her fiancé, Derrick Andrews, “a man born to wealth and pedigree,” are invited to dinner. The Morgans are entertaining a select group of very wealthy, competitive sailors. The guests, led by New York Yacht Club Commodore John Pierpoint Morgan (Edwin’s cousin), and Lucy Carnegie (the first woman allowed to join the NYYC and Thomas Carnegie’s widow), are intensely focused on the next year’s 1901 America’s Cup Race. Derrick owns a yacht but he’s not a captain of industry willing to spend any amount of money to hire great crews and harness the latest technology. “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.” This quip is attributed to none other than Commodore J.P. Morgan.

Reporter Emma Cross, a “lesser Vanderbilt,” has lived in Newport her whole life. As a poor relation, she is well acquainted with the exclusive Four Hundred, leaders of New York society in the Gilded Age. She is uncertain about her married future, with one foot in their world, via her fiancé, and one foot in the world of investigative journalism and crime solving. Elizabeth Morgan ushers the ladies to the drawing room, leaving the gentleman to brandy and cigars. The conversation is of parties, gowns, and the summer Season: Emma finds it “not only inconsequential, but disheartening,” so she slips outside.

She stops at the stairs leading down to the harbor when Lucy Carnegie calls out. Emma murmurs she’s admiring the boats but Lucy says, “Fiddlesticks! You were as bored in there as I was.” Emma hears a slap-thumping sound from below, like that of some large ocean debris caught against the pilings of a pier. They see the body of a woman in the water. Lucy jumps in and grabs the corpse while Emma sets the boathouse bell pealing.

Amid the rescuers, Emma thinks of the drowned woman? Did she fall off the Newport ferry or is she a suicide or did someone drown her?

She was young—very young. Even mottled by water and death, her face was smooth and softly formed, that of someone who had been a mere child not long ago.



Suddenly overcome by the tragedy of one so young meeting her end, I fell to a crouch beside her. “Who are you?” I whispered, staring into those empty eyes.

Emma explores the pockets of the woman’s traveling suit, the tailoring of which suggests good quality—the kind only the well-off could afford. The ladies disapprove of her searching the dead woman’s clothes but Emma says, “There is no dignity in dying an anonymous death.” She discovers a head shot of a young, beautiful woman with a confident and direct gaze. There’s a short inscription: “To Wally darling, from L.” The photographer’s stamp on the back is Edward Gorman of Great Neck, Long Island. The police arrive, and Emma is glad to see her friend Detective Jesse Whyte. He doesn’t treat her like a nosy reporter, but his partner, Detective Myers, notes that “Miss Cross seems to always be on hand in situations such as these, don’t you, Miss Cross?”

The dead woman is Lillian Fahey, eighteen years old. Derrick and Emma talk to the police after the autopsy. Based on questionable reasoning, the powers-that-be proclaim that the young woman must have jumped to her death when a love affair went awry. Emma suspects they don’t want to inconvenience Edwin and Elizabeth Morgan since the body was found floating in their harbor, but she’s not buying it. She sees herself in Lillian, a capable young woman. This theory is strengthened after she talks to Eben Fahey and asks him his profession.

“I am engineer, specializing in aerodynamics as it relates to the speed of mechanical objects.”



“I see. And you said your daughter helped with your work?”



“She is—was—a brilliant mathematician. She often helped me with my formulae.”



“And how do you apply your formulas, if I might ask?”



“These days, I work mostly with watercraft. My services are in high demand for racing yachts and I often collaborate with Nat Herreshoff.”



My gaze darted to Jesse. He had suddenly gone as pale as I felt. Nathanael Herreshoff designed many of the racing yachts belonging to New York Yacht Club members, including the Columbia.

Derrick and Emma sail in Derrick’s yacht, the Polaris, to Long Island and travel to Great Neck. Eben Fahey’s housekeeper shows them his study where “one box sat open on the floor, its cover tossed aside, and the contents strewn over the oak boards.” They find photographer Edward Gorman dead in his studio. Ferreting through his paperwork, Lillian learns that Walter Raleigh—darling Wally—was photographed right after Lillian. A sailor who accosted Lillian is found murdered. Given Eben and tangentially Lillian’s work collaborating with the racing elite to maximize speed, suicide seems a non-starter. Emma’s thoughts echo Agatha Christie: “Any coincidence is worth noticing. You can throw it away later if it is only a coincidence.”

There are too many coincidences—Emma, Derrick and Jesse sift through myriad suspects to solve Lillian’s murder.

Alyssa Maxwell keeps the reader guessing to the very end.

Alyssa Maxwell continues her Gilded Newport mysteries in Murder at Beacon Rock with the death of a young woman whose father is designing yachts for the 400. Emma, a relative of the Vanderbilts, reports Newport society news With her fiance, Derick Andrews, she attends an exclusive get together at Beacon Rock, the gilded "cottage: of the Morgans; there she finds the dead young woman floating in the ocean. While police think she fell into the ocean or committed suicide.; Emma is sure it was murder. Read and find out whodunit.

This series continues to be a winner, from the settings to the characters to the well-plotted mysteries. I love the settings in houses of famous men and women of the Gilded Age in Newport, RI. Emma, a poor Vanderbilt cousin, is the perfect main character to give us a peek into the upper and lower classes of that period of history.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

This is a charming and slow-moving mystery, enjoyable and interesting, but unlikely to keep you up late at night. I am a big fan of historical fiction, and cosy mysteries, and this one, part of a series by Alyssa Maxwell, is set in one of my favourite eras, The Gilded Age. The Newport setting, and the Gilded Age characters provide extra appeal.

Emma, a clever young reporter and a maverick in her wealthy family - she is a relation of the Vanderbilts - is astonished when she discovers the body of a drowned young woman near Beacon Rock, the Morgan's spectacular mansion. She enlists the help of her supportive fiancee, and Joe, her policeman friend, to find out who committed this dastardly crime, but she wants to do most of the work herself, which gets her into rather scary scrapes.

The descriptions of the snooty members of the Four Hundred, the ambitious widow Lucy Carnegie, and the sailing background help to capture the atmosphere of the time. Emma and Lucy are both feisty and ambitious characters, who don't want to sit about and embroider, or be bossed about by any men! You are sure to enjoy it if you like cleverly-executed historical mysteries.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781496736178
PRICE $26.00 (USD)

In this installment of the Gilded Newport Series, Alyssa Maxwell focuses on the Morgans, as in Edwin and his overly charming and condescending wife Elizabeth, John Pierpont Morgan and his wife Fanny and all things relating to the America’s Cup and The New York Yacht Club. While Maxwell has never shied away from exposing some of the absurdities of the Families of the Four Hundred in this book she actively goes after their affluence and attitudes. But hey of what importance is a dead body washed up on your property when you have a piece of silver to chase after and win for your beloved Yacht Club.

The story was interesting, especially if you enjoy sailing and more-so if you are acquainted with The New York Yacht Club and the America’s Cup Challenge. The mystery was a little here and a little there and not as exciting as some others but well thought out and seamlessly executed. The introduction of the very sympathetic Lucy Carnegie was a huge plus. As was the strengthening of our protagonist’s personal relationship with a strong, supportive fiancée.

I especially enjoyed learning about this Mansion as it is not available for viewing by mere mortals. It has been privately held by only a handful of owners since its construction in 1887-1890. Thanks Ms. Maxwell for the descriptions and insights and your perseverance during a particularly difficult personal time. Further thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for a copy.

Newport, Rhode Island - 1900

Beacon Rock is the home of Elizabeth and Edwin Morgan and has a wonderful view of Brenton Cove and Narragansett Bay. It has a white marble facade with many columns and three large wings.

Emma Cross is a distant relative of Cornelius Vanderbilt and she is now engaged to Derrick Andrews. They have been invited by the Morgans for the evening. Emma works as a reporter for the “Messenger” newspaper.

After dinner, Emma ventures outside for fresh air and to enjoy the view of the dock and the Yachts. Hearing a noise at the dock, Emma discovers the body of Miss Lillian Fahey floating in the water. When her body is pulled out, she is found to wear a ring with the initials F and R. Now, Emma is determined to find out how this young woman ended up in the water and who’s the person with the R initial.

Once again, Emma is off and running to solve a murder but this time she has her fiancé, Derrick, to assist her. Ms. Maxwell’s mysteries are always written in a way that requires the reader’s close attention to keep up with plot. I do find it somewhat amusing that Emma, a reporter and not a policewoman, is able to get access to family and friends and private information about a victim or suspect. Enjoy.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is my favorite of the series so far! I loved the relationship between Emma and Derrick as well as their perceptions of different people in all parts of society. The mystery was well crafted and, though I figured out who the guilty party was fairly early on, I loved investigating with them until the very end. I was sad, however, to see that I won't be able to visit Beacon Rock on my upcoming trip to Newport (it's a private residence). Can't wait for the next in the series.

Murder At Beacon Rock is the tenth book in the Gilded Newport Mysteries by Alyssa Maxwell.

The setting for this book is Beacon Rock, the home of Edwin and Elizabeth Morgan. Edwin is the cousin of J. P. Morgan. The New York Yacht Club members are meeting at Morgan’s beautiful home to discuss upcoming America’s Cup race strategies. Emma, and her fiance, Derrick Andrews, a club member, have been invited to the dinner party at Beacon Rock. After listening to enough “society” talk, Emma goes outdoors for fresh air. Emma is standing by the stairs leading to the home's pier when she meets Lucy Carnegie, widow of Thomas Carnegie. They decide to walk to the dock to get a better look at the yachts moored in the cove. Once there, they notice a girl's body floating near the pier. They pull the body out of the water. The body is unknown to anyone, and the only thing found on the body is a small picture of the girl. Detective Jesse Whyte and Gifford Myers arrive, quickly ruling her death a suicide. It is soon learned that the body is that of 18-year-old Lillian Fahey. Lillian’s father is a nautical engineer, dealing mainly with the aerodynamics of yachts.

Emma and Derrick don’t believe Lilian’s death was suicide and start their investigation. There seems to be no shortage of suspects. The suspects will include the crews of the yachts owned by the dinner guest, even a dinner guest, and Lillian’s father.


I love this series. I’ve always enjoyed reading history, which I love about this series. This book is well written and plotted. It’s exciting to read about how things were in the past. I particularly enjoy the people in the book who are well described and bring so much life to the story.

I can’t wait for the next book in this amazing series.

I always look forward to new additions to this series. Ms. Maxwell captures the Newport Gilded Age in her stories so well that they seem drawn from actual events, It does add to the story the weaving in of actual people who resided there. Mystery is also top notch.. Thanks to #NetGalley and #MurderAtBeaconRock for advanced digital copy..

3.5 stars rounded up only because the mystery was too easy to solve.

Alyssa Maxwell writes a very nice cozy and I've been following her for a while.

I felt this story was not as good as the others. The mystery and suspect were easy to spot and happily, Derrick and Emma are progressing nicely in their marriage plans.

This story had the Morgans and Carnegies in it. I love how she brings these bigger-than-life real characters into her story. ( I love JP Morgan and have read his autobiography) We had the America's cup as the setting and I wish she would have gone on a little more about having the actual race. Maybe some more espionage and missing trade secrets.

Overall, it was a good cozy to read. Alyssa Maxwell does not disappoint.

Thank you Net Galley and publisher for allowing me the opportunity to review.

As a cousin to the Vanderbilts, Emma Cross was raised in Newport among the families of great wealth and large estates. Her aunt left her a small manor and she receives an inheritance from Cornelius Vanderbilt that allows her to live comfortably, but far from the wealth of others. At a party at Beacon Rock, the Morgan’s estate, she escapes the conversations about yachts and racing by walking on the grounds accompanied by Lucy Carnegie. As they approach the water, they discover the body of a young woman floating close to the dock. It is Lillian Fahey, the daughter of the engineer whose designs have been used in many of the racing yachts. The police are quick to dismiss this as a suicide. Emma, however, believes that an intelligent independent woman would not be quick to take her own life.

Emma, an investigative journalist, is engaged to Derrick, the newspaper’s owner. She is no stranger to murder investigations. With Derrick’s support and her connections in the community she begins an investigation into Lillian’s death. Evidence suggests that Lillian was seeing someone connected to the crew of one of the yachts. Emma also discovers that some of her father’s plans have been stolen. These are normally locked away, but Lillian had access to them. Members of the yachting group in Newport are influential and powerful, making Emma’s investigation more difficult. She is acquainted with everyone involved and fears that one of them is the murderer. She has a strong sense of justice that will not let her quit. Even though she was raised near the water, she is not comfortable around boats. When she finally discovers a clue to the murderer’s identity, it leads to a life threatening escape over water. Alyssa Maxwell’s series takes you into the lives and estates of 1900s elite society and Murder at Beacon Rock will leave you hoping to see more of these adventures with Emma Cross. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing this book for my review.

It's the Summer of 1900 and the location is Newport, RI, the playground of the rich and famous of the Gilded Age. Emma Cross is a lesser Vanderbilt who makes her living as a reporter....and a darned good homicide investigator. With her place in society being able to move both upstairs and downstairs gives her an advantage over the police. Now, in the 10th book in this great historical series, Emma is engaged to one of the upstairs group. Derrick Andrews. He is member of the New York Yacht Club and together they are attending an event at Beacon Rock, the Summer cottage of Edwin Morgan. Among all of the yachts clustered at the base of Beacon Rock Emma and Lucy Carnegie discover a drowned woman. It turns out that she has ties to the yachting community and The America's Cup. The police declare it an accidental death but Emma is sure it's murder.
One of the aspects of this series that I enjoy is the vivid painting of the world of the Gilded Age. Not only the houses, the decor and the fashions but the real life people of the era. My favorite in this mystery has to be Lucy Carnegie. She is a breath of fresh air, a woman who speaks her mind and can hold her own in a man's world.
This is another well plotted mystery in a great series that is best read in order. If you enjoy historical mysteries then this series is a must for your TBR shelf. My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Alyssa Maxwell’s mysteries offer the reader an insiders look at upperclass Society during the Gilded Age. Her heroine is determined to pursue a career during a period when gentile women were not expected to have such interests.

I enjoy Maxwell’s descriptions of the Newport cottages and very sheltered women. This latest installment in the series moves the personal life of our protagonist forward, but I didnt enjoy the story as much as most in the series. I missed her interaction with her familt and the contrast between her life and theirs.