I think this series keeps getting better and better. I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the author grow into these characters and their stories. I adore the group of friends who surround Evelyn - Poppy, Henry, and Russell - and I love the father-daughter/mentor-mentee relationship she has with Hodgson. The hotel, too, is a character itself providing a lot of material for the mysteries. In this book, I liked the addition of the MLM angle and the duel crimes of jewel theft and murder. I can't wait for the next book, because I'm sure there will be one!

This is a great cozy mystery with a likable and sassy main character. I actually hadn't read the first books but this has made me want to!

The Socialite’s Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets is book three in the series from S.K. Golden and whilst you don’t need to have read the previous two novels, I do recommend them! Our leading lady is young, lonely, and seeking purpose. She is also rich, beautiful, and struggling with anxiety. This complex combination makes for an interesting character and perspective. With a knack for finding things (including murder victims) and good organisational skills, this fashionista has hit her mystery stride by this book. With a detective and maid for sidekicks, the three tackle what the police have written off as a death by misadventure. In addition, a jewellery thief is stalking the guests of Evelyn’s beloved hotel (and home) and she is determined to identify them!

I love the supportive cast in this series as well as the hotel setting, its unusual and fun! From start to finish, I enjoyed this one and with a personal cliff hanger (the mystery is wrapped up intelligently), I am eager for the next one to come out! Its a five out of five on the enjoyment scale and highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Socialite's Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets tells the story of Evelyn Murphy, the daughter of a hotel owner, who is a self-proclaimed detective. I did not realised this was the third book in a series. I only noticed after the first couple of pages kept referring to past solved mysteries and people with little to no introduction. I do take a bit of blame here, as it is mentioned in the book description. Because of my own lack of sight I pushed through the first pages hoping I would catch up eventually. That being said, two Mr Sharpe's in the very beginning of the story, with the only difference between them was "the older Mr Sharpe" and "the younger Mr Sharpe" while in a conversation about one being hot and the other not and one character being attracted to one and the other character being attracted to the other, was almost impossible to follow. This is one example of the many things I found annoying in this book.

First what I did like: the chosen era and the unexpected detective. Which were the reasons I chose this book, fail flat as little to no description of the era itself, with dialogue and descriptions in a modern tone. Which leads to to the second thing I found annoying: the scattered use of "golly" and "you are the ginchiest" as those two expressions were enough to give the story and book the era which is supposed to be set in.

Next what I didn't like: characters, story pace and structure in general. There is a lot of wishful thinking in this book. The main character is a beautiful heiress, super smart (that she solved two crimes already!), everyone loves her, men fall at her feet (but she is still pinning after the one that got away), and super rich. Clearly is the fantasy of the author in where she gives herself all the characteristics she wished she had and solves a mystery she wished she did like Mrs Marple. The story structure is murder happens, main characters rambles (and is so cute while at it!), mystery gets solves in an almost Scooby Doo manner with a falling net. And because the ramble hasn't finished yet, after main mystery is solved, she needs to continue with a smaller one in where a thief is so infatuated by her that attempts to kidnap her. I struggle with the pace because of all the rambling and the attempt at humour which I didn't found funny. One example is in the middle of chasing the thief, a detective and Evelyn need to take the subway but she calls the detective back to give her coins as she never carries them (as they make her jiggle), and then being offended that the thief took her to New Jersey of all places!. Or when a taxi makes her dress muddy and all she says is "This is Balenciaga!". To me it came across as out of touch in a not funny way. The other characters fall flat and cliche. Gay actor male best friend, smart assistant female best friend, serious detective and so on.

Trigger warning: MLM pyramid scam? Is the one thing that might trigger someone and not be expected in this context.

While this book was not to my preference, I can see what some might find appealing: the era and the cozy mystery like characteristic.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the Arc in exchange of my honest review. The Socialite's Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets will be published March 11th 2025.


#TheSocialitesGuidetoSleuthingandSecrets #NetGalley.

The most charming and beloved hotel heiress Evelyn Murphy is back. It's 1958 and she is still her wealthy sheltered self as she battles agoraphobia, misses her lost love Mac and slowly continues to unravel the mysteries of her parents. SK Golden has brought another mystery that continues to move the story of Evelyn forward while sharing a snapshot of life in New York in the 50's.

The story starts quickly as a small MLM group (multi level marketing) of women is lunching at the Pinnacle and one of the women dies right on the spot. Evelyn is positive this was a murder and not a hotel error. She puts her detective hat on and begins to follow her leads. What happens next is quite complex but light, cozy, and hilarious!

Follow Evelyn as she interacts with a new suitor or two, leaves the hotel (!), learns a bit about her family and still continues to charm everyone she encounters as she is just the best!
#crookedlanebooks #thesocialitesguidetosleuthingandsecrets #skgolden

I liked this far more than I thought I would!

Not to say I didn't think I'd like it. Let me start again.

I picked this through NetGalley solely because it looked intriguing - I haven't read the first two novels in the series - and within the first six chapters (read steadily over breakfast) the main character annoyed me to no end. But something changed. Evelyn went from seemingly obnoxious to simply a bit lost. She became a character with flaws and weakness just like the rest of us, and who am I to judge her for her fictional upbringing and life?

The mystery was fun, twisting and turning. One could guess the characters at play but it was still a surprise at the end.

Despite the fact that Sleuthing and Secrets isn't even published yet, I'm keenly awaiting the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Evelyn Murphy has been through a lot. Her erstwhile paramour has taken off, and she's reverted to her "not leaving the hotel" ways. She get gets roped into another mystery when a woman drops dead next to her at lunch. A group of MLM women selling jewelry are all suspects, and Miss Murphy decides to investigate when the police think it a tragic accident. She ropes in her former inspector sidekick, capable assistant, and flamboyant actor in her quest to solve the mysteries. Along the way she finds herself entangled with a gentleman thief as well.

Oh, and the ending? Talk about a cliffhanger! I can't wait for the next one!

This is a delightful cosy mystery featuring a glamorous protagonist with a knack for uncovering secrets. Set in a glitzy world of high society, the novel combines humor, charm, and a well-crafted mystery as the socialite-turned-sleuth navigates scandal and intrigue. Golden’s witty writing and engaging plot make this a fun and entertaining read for fans of lighthearted mysteries with a stylish twist.

I look forward to going back and discovering the rest of this series.

I did not realise this was a book that was part of a series (and I usually check this before I request) so I did find at first that there were a lot of references from previous books that I did have to work out so it took me a while to work it all out (although I don't think I actually have yet) and now I feel I need to get the other books to read and then come back to this one.

But having said that the book itself is is quite good and I love the setting and the characters as they take you on their journey through the ups and downs of murder, mystery, diamonds and a few twists and turns that make this a very readable book. Now to find the previous ones and start at the beginning.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book was a fun light read and while it was clear that the solution to one of the mysteries was close at hand, I didn't guess the solution to either before it was revealed. I read this book without reading the earlier books in the series and I think it would have been better to read the entire series in order as there was context I was missing and a lot of references to past events and characters. The hotel setting was something different and the main character is clearly supposed to be funny which makes her more likable. All in all, a fun read!

I love this series. Evelyn is a charming sleuth and loyal friend, and she grows in each book which makes for a satisfying read. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with smart and sassy sleuths, you'll want to read the Pinnacle Hotel Mysteries.

Thank you to Crooked Lane for the ARC.

Evelyn Murphy is the heiress to the Pinnacle Hotel empire. She's rich and somewhat spoiled. But she's also a darned good detective. In the next book in The Pinnacle Hotel Mystery series, she is faced with another mystery.

Evelyn is dining with a woman who runs a network marketing jewelry company and several of her associates. But the woman falls dead in Evelyn's lap. It appears that her husband and any of her associates could have slipped some shellfish in her food or drink. And it was well-known that she was highly allergic to shellfish.

To complicate things, there is a burglar operating in Manhattan, preying primarily on the wealthy. That's the prime clientele of the Pinnacle Hotel. So, Evelyn is suspected by a nosy member of the press of having some connection to, not only the murder, but also the burglaries. Evelyn needs to find the murderer and the burglar to clear her name.

The author knows how to write a lively mystery series. Evelyn is an enjoyable heroine. The cast of characters is engaging. The plot was a bit predictable, but the read was still very enjoyable.

There were a lot of things assumed to be known from previous books (which I have not read yet) and it took me ages to catch up. Although I never warmed to the protagonist, Evelyn, I enjoyed reading this cozy. I found a number of spellchecker errors (homonyms) and a few misplaced quotation marks.
I received this as an advance copy from the author via NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Super quick, fun read. Good insight to pyramid schemes, and life as a spoiled really rich young woman who needs to learn to really care about others beyond just giving generous tips.

Wow, what a wild ride! I just finished reading this book and I'm still reeling from the twists and turns. It's set in 1950s New York and follows Evelyn, a fierce and determined woman who gets caught up in a murder mystery. I loved how sassy and smart Evelyn is - she's like a female Sherlock Holmes!

The story is full of surprises, from the diamond tiara to the costume jewelry sales team to the Gentleman Thief (who's basically a 50s version of a cat burglar). I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out whodunit and why.

The writing is witty and fun, with great period details that made me feel like I was right there in 1950s New York. The characters are all unique and interesting, and I loved how they all had secrets and motives.

Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone who loves a good mystery, strong female leads, and a dash of vintage glamour. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

OH SK Golden. I have loved following the heiress of the Pinnacle over the previous 2 books, but the third installment was a bit slower to pick up. The book is reasonably short, which was necessary. Evelyn's character, as fabulous and sleuthy as she is, was just not a demanding presence in this book.

Don't get me wrong, I would certainly read a fourth installment if it presents itself, but I would hope the murder is not the most obvious suspect.

This is a really enjoyable historical mystery! I loved the characters and the mystery held my attention throughout. Will be looking forward to more from this series!

The Pinnacle Hotel Mystery series is truly one of my favorite cozy mystery series!!
Evelyn is investigating a murder and thievery at the Pinnacle Hotel! Evelyn can seem a little annoying at the beginning of the novel, however she truly is a character who is well developed and flawed like the rest of us!!
I cannot wait for the next book in the series!
SK Golden writes truly intriguing mysteries and I can’t recommend her writing enough!
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

This frothy mystery would make a diverting tv mini-series and the book read a bit like a film treatment to me.

What it lacked in literary “ chops,” it offered up I easily visualized characters with snippets of style. I loved the premise of the wealthy, somewhat “ damaged” heiress “ pulling the rabbit out of the hat” to solve the mystery, but reading her repetitive thoughts and musings just didn’t retain my interest. And, I wanted to find her endearing, or even a sympathetic heroine, but I never reached that point.

The descriptions of the “ home sales” pyramid scheme was fun at times, but I found the book high on concept, and a little short on delivery.

Netgalley provided me a complimentary egalley in return for a candid review.