Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis:
Set in NYC during the Gilded Age, author Edith Wharton sets out to solve a murder.

I read The Lindbergh Nanny by this author and really enjoyed it. So I Iistened to this one on audio. The narrator was good and fit the time period. The only thing I had known about Edith Wharton going into the book was that she wrote Ethan Frome. I liked learning about her life and struggles as a female author. I looked her up after I read the book to find out more about her.
The book itself was very slow for me. The murder mystery wasn’t really that gripping. It was more about her solving it as a woman at that time in history. It fell a little flat for me after reading her other book.
If you are interested in Edith Wharton, I would definitely give it a read though.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the gifted copy! ✍🏻

This book was a fun little read, though a bit slow at the start. I understand the pacing in the beginning, they are trying to introduce you to Edith Wharton and her life, but at a certain point it felt like we knew enough to move forward and have it peppered in. Once that happened, things began to move quickly.

I enjoyed this fun little romp, getting to know the author's version of Edith Wharton was fun and she was an enjoyable character to follow. The moral dilemmas that crop up and the way she interacts with them was done very well and felt authentic to the character even if her actions were frustrating at times.

I'd recommend this book especially to historical mystery fans or fans of the era, though it's a good cozy mystery overall.

I enjoyed the book but it did fall a bit flat for me at times. The premise was promising and the conclusions as well but it lacked a compelling cast of characters. It might have been that the story felt slow to me and only really picked up at the end. Overall, it was enjoyable but maybe not the best book for me.

Thank you to #Netgalley for a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for a fair review.

#TheWhartonPlot
My Interest

There have been a lot of famous people turned into fictional sleuths lately! I’ve had several posts (linked here) on such books here featuring the late Queen Elizabeth II as a gumshoe, and here with author Josephine Tay and Eleanor Roosevelt doing the sleuthing!

So, author Edith Wharton*** solving a mystery–but wait! This one is based on a true story! So, how much was fiction, how much fact? Plus I liked the author’s previous novel, The Lindbergh Nanny. (My review is linked). (*** the link is to my post reviewing Age of Innocence and two other books about Wharton).
The Story

In town to sell her New York home, Edith Wharton lunches with her publisher who introduces her to a flamboyant author wearing a white suit and chrysanthemum in his lapel in January! Author David Graham Phillips is irksome and domineering and Edith dislikes him from the get-go. But when the man is killed the next day outside the Princeton Club she gets involved in solving his murder.

In the background is the ill-health of her husband and their failing marriage.
My Thoughts

Note: Few people today know who Anthony Comstock was or what the Comstock Laws were. They were the laws that tried to stamp out p x r n and indecency in general in publishing and entertainment–and in society as a whole. (This is why Lady Chatterley’s Lover was banned, for instance).

This story was set in 1910, but was written for 2023-2024. Anyone who has studied history in depth knows that history runs in cycles and that the maxim “history repeats itself” is basically true. So it is with the highlighted aspects of New York and American society in this book. The flamboyant author whose last work is sensational for all the wrong reasons. His previous book, raking the muck on Congress. The Comstock-supporters up in arms about degeneracy, wanting thoughts and ideas of certain types kept from the written page or other entertainment. Corrupt do-nothing politicians are in the sway of the big money robber barons and captains of industry. Guns! Guns! Guns! Imagine–a man shot in broad daylight in front of Stanford White’s old home (i.e. the Princeton Club) and by a rakish young radical in a scarf!

While I felt Fredericks went just a touch heavy-handed with making it obvious she was relating it all to today, overall the book worked for me. It’s not the deepest of plots, but it was as fun as any “who done it”. I liked the occasional mentions of the Victorian language of flowers–that was a fun touch. So, too, was Wharton telephoning to Pittsburgh to speak to Mary Roberts Rineheart about how to solve a murder! And, a Wharton book without a visit with HJ–author Henry James just couldn’t happen, right?

This is a good read for people who like historical fiction with a murder included.
My Verdict
3.5

The Wharton Plot: A Novel by Mariah Fredericks

I listened to the audiobook.

A day after Edith Wharton meets David Graham Phillips, another author, he is murdered. She randomly decides to attend his funeral and is charged with ensuring his latest book gets published. She has written a book, is trying to write another one, doesn't like her husband, and is at the end of a love affair. She is also "trapped" in New York awaiting her husband's visit with a doctor before she can travel again, so alas, what better to do than solve a murder? Edith Wharton may have been a good writer (I've not read her work) but she was not a good detective.

Throughout the book Wharton throws out random and unbelievable accusations about who murdered him, and every time she is swiftly shot down she comes up with a new one. Ostensibly this keeps her away from her husband and her own book deadlines, and I guess as she starts to get threatening notes I understand why she wanted to keep looking, but ultimately the book was pretty sluggish and boring. I found Edith to be supremely unlikeable and foolish in her inquiries.

I appreciate the opportunity to review this ARC.

The narrator was great here. However, I really struggled with the main character. I just wasn’t a fan of the way she was written and it left me not wanting to read this, so I’m moving on. I’m hoping it finds its right historical fiction audience because I loved The Lindbergh Nanny and know that this author creates captivating books.

Mariah Fredericks’ "The Wharton Plot" is a celebration of its namesake—her bravery, her originality, the way exacting humor can meet even the gravest of subjects on the page.

Like Wharton’s own work, this book is an homage to New York City, and to days gone by. Unapologetic in its critique of a society in which aging women are invisible, "The Wharton Plot" is a memorable commentary on the passing of time — how dramatically and quickly the world changes, and yet how painfully familiar the female experience has been since the turn-of-the-century in 1900.

To start, a review of the audiobook itself (with thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an advance copy): the narration was well done and perfectly cast. Kitty Hendrix’ performance gives one the feeling of Wharton being the subject - rather, the heroine - of one of her own novels.

However, I do suspect readers will want to speed up the audio to 1.25x - 1.5x, as I did early in my listen.

As for the story, "The Wharton Plot" is well-researched. It includes enough inspiration from Wharton’s history that those familiar with the writer’s life and work will find many literary anchors and few points to take issue with.

At the same time, it includes enough fiction and context that those new to Wharton’s story and writing can enjoy this read - and will likely wish to immediately read "The House of Mirth" and "Ethan Frome." But only to start. (Which, I suspect, was good part of Fredericks’ goal for this book).

So, this was a very interesting book!
It is historical fiction, as well as a murder investigation, as well as a novel.
AND, it is based on a true writer from the early 1900's, Edith Wharton, who I just read was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1921!
So, the fact that I did some fact checking always makes me love a book so much more!!

Edith is a middle aged woman (almost 50), and actually, now that I think about it, she referred to HERSELF as an OLD woman...different times I guess.... She is an esteemed writer, and obviously ahead of her time in thinking that women should be treated equally... and speaking her mind.

She is in a marriage that she is not very happy with...and hasn't written for a few years...

While in a meeting with her publisher, another writer comes in to the restaurant, and takes a seat with them. He is brash, bold, loud, and nothing that she likes or is interested in...
But then, shortly after, he is murdered...

She then spends the rest of the book trying to figure out who and why!

That's all I'll give you, but I will say that I never would have guessed it!

Lots of suspense. Lots of suspects. Lots of great history and descriptions of a bygone era and the surrounding NYC of that time. Beautiful to imagine in my mind.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for an ARC of this very interesting, very original audiobook!

#TheWhartonPlot by #MariahFredericks and beautifully narrated by #KittyHendrix.

It is due out on shelves tomorrow, 1/23/24, so look for it then!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!!

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IG @ #BookReviews_with_emsr, or
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for all my upcoming PRE-views and reviews!

And as always, Happy Reading! 📚📖😊

I love Edith Wharton and remember reading her book, THE AGE OF INNOCENCE. This book has lots of real life influencers from the Gilded Age in New York City. It gives some insight into Edith Wharton’s life. It also has a mystery which is based on real life.

From this book, I’ve now got to do four things: read THE HOUSE OF MIRTH, spend deep dive time in the murder of David Graham Phillips, get a biography on Edith Wharton, and buy the finished copy of this book so I can read the Author’s Note which is not in either the ARC print or audio version.

Mariah Fredericks does a nice job of evoking the Gilded era in this historical fiction featuring a light mystery. A hybrid of a true story laced heavily with fiction, "The Wharton Plot" follows a snapshot in the life of author Edith Wharton. An author, who Wharton first met just days before, is found murdered. Intrigued by his death and using it as an excuse to spend less time with a husband she does not love, Edith decides to seek out the culprit herself.

This novel will be a good choice for those who like a slow sink into another time. I felt a deep sense of place while I was reading, and found the character of Edith Wharton seemed to fit in it perfectly. For me personally, however, this isn't an era that naturally resonates with me. I found the pacing too slow and the mystery too low on thrills to offset that. It didn't seem to have the same vividly engaging characters as Fredericks achieved in "The Lindburgh Nanny," which I loved, but perhaps that's simply staying true to Wharton's genuine personality. For those who are fond of that time frame or are familiar with Wharton's work and just want to spend a little time with her, this novel will likely still be a great choice. On audio, Kitty Hendrix does a solid job with narration and I didn't find it a distraction.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Mariah Fredericks for providing an advance copy of this novel for my review. This review reflects my honest opinions.

The Golden Age in New York City. Old money. New murder. What’s not to love?

Edith Wharton is an aristocrat, world traveler, and author. While stuck in New York City for longer than expected, an acquaintance is murdered, catapulting her into the self-appointed role of amateur detective. She is determined to solve the murder without the help of the proper authorities even as the risks mount.

Readers should be aware that Edith oozes sometimes cringey levels of superiority and privilege in keeping with an aristocrat of her time. Though at times over-the-top, it really did feel true to the character and drive the plot of the novel.

Nevertheless, this enjoyable book is full of unexpected twists, fascinating characters, and Edith’s witty internal dialogue.

Would recommend to fans of Marie Benedict. Very good on audio. 4⭐️

Pub date 1/23/24

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Wharton Plot is a historical romo through New York with icon Edith Wharton at its center. Despite having read a couple of Wharton's novel's I was unaware of the events that inspired this story. It gives some really interesting insight and speculation into her life. I'm so glad I read the audio, the narrator really does this Wharton era dialogue justice. She has a very classic sounding voice that lends to the writing style. The Wharton Plot has to tone and wording of early 20th century novel with a more modern cadence that keeps it very readable.

The Wharton Plot by Mariah Fredericks
Narrated by Kitty Hendrix

Even though I've actually read a good number of Edith Wharton's books, it's been a very long time since I've done so. So depressing that at some point I've put the stories out of my mind. But this book has allowed me to remember that I actually know a lot about Edith Wharton and her work. Kitty Hendrix does a good job as the narrator of this story. I don't know what Edith Wharton really sounded like but Kitty's narration gives Edith a voice that sounds kind, even as it might be using cutting words. Edith knew how to be polite even when she wasn't being polite and Kitty makes this seem possible with her narration.

It's hard to imagine Edith Wharton as an amateur detective. When a man she has just met is killed the next day, she becomes determined to find his killer. Some reasons she gives (or doesn't admit) for this interest are that it happened on her birthday, that she's trying to avoid a husband she no longer loves, and that she's dealing with a bit of writer's block. Or maybe not so much writer's block but that her publisher wants her to write in a way she doesn't want to write.

The murder mystery really isn't what this book is about but instead it's used to bring out parts of Wharton's life. Things are mentioned and things happen that will be seen, in some way or another, in her future books. This is sort of a character study of Wharton in a very brief period of her life. She's very critical of her aging body, seeing herself less as a 49 year old woman with a lot of life left but instead as a dried out, withered, flabby, wrinkled old thing that no one would notice unless to criticize that she's old and decrepit. Of course, she's quick to think unkind things about everyone else so maybe she thinks everyone is just like her. But then she knows the cruelty of high society, something that appears in so much of her work.

But Wharton did have a kind and charitable side and I'm glad that some of that makes it into this story. I think I would have enjoyed it more if the cozy mystery part of the story had been left out of the book. Wharton's critique on everyone and everything (she's quick to completely redecorate even the finest establishment in her mind, to better suit her) is what really showcases her thoughts on those around her. What I have come away with is that I might want to read a biography on Edith Wharton after listening to this book. She really was an interesting woman, I just don't see her doing amateur detective work even while listening to a book that has her doing just that. Rated 3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.

I’ve sat on this overnight to really gather my thoughts. I think THE WHARTON PLOT is a profound book. It deals with themes, y’all. Themes that still haunt women today, especially the theme: Can women choose themselves and their talents first? How do women navigate the chains placed on them by American society? And, how important is Women’s Art?

Now, that’s surprising, given that this is a book with the word “plot” in the title, and given that this is, essentially, a murder mystery. And the cover doesn’t really give that away, except that it looks a little bit like, IDK, a gilded age Anna Karenina cover.

So, on the one hand, the “murder mystery” and solve were very different than typical. Edith Wharton is no true sleuth. But on the other, if you know this, how remarkable to deep
Dive into the moment that absolutely changed Wharton’s life, enabling her to do what she had to do, enabling her to go on and make history. It’s definitely worth the read and worth many, many book club discussions. The audiobook narration was enjoyable and may elevate the experience.

This is so boring!
The only saving grace are the snippets of historical details. The author can write & obviously did a great deal of research on her subject & this particular period of history.
But personally I was never drawn into the story other than for the bits of history I grabbed here & there & that's the only thing that kept me listening.

The Wharton Plot
By: Mariah Fredericks
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

1911-This novel is based on novelist Edith Wharton in New York City during the Gilded Age.

A well-written historical fiction novel as we follow Edith later in life. Murder, intrigue, and the setting make this novel fascinating. I read her last book The Lindbergh Nanny and enjoyed that one soon.

Thank you @stmartinspress, @minotaurbooks and @dreamscape media for these copies. This book is available January 23, 2024.
#thewhartonplot, #edithwharton, #theguildedage, #stamperlady50, #stmartinspress, #dreamscapemedia, #bookstagram