5/5

My favorite mystery solving socialite is back on the case! I have waited so long for this and you would not believe how quickly I requested this audiobook when I saw it on NetGalley (thank you Netgalley for always making my dreams come true, and a big thank you to Dreamscape for providing the amazing audiobooks that you do and letting me listen to them early).

I didn't know this book would include a MLM (multi-level marketing) scheme plotline, and I am so happy it does. I am so fascinated by those, especially because they have been around for so long. It was the second chapter and I was more hooked than I had any right to be.

I don't have enough things to say about how much I love this book. I love Evelyn so much and even though it has been about two years since the last installment, I still hear her voice in my head whenever I get coins back as change ("I'll jingle!"). It was fantastic and always a good time!

Amara Jasper brings the character to life in her narration.

I am giving this five stars just because of the last few minutes of the last chapters. I screamed and scared my cat. No spoilers. But it was well worth the wait.

The Socialites Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets by S.K. Golden

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the 3rd book in the Pinnacle Hotel Mysteries series. Our FMC Evelyn Murphy is a hotel heiress who lives in her father's high-end Manhatten hotel, and due to a pretty serious case of agoraphobia she rarely leaves the property. Evelyn, however, is VERY good at finding things. So when a hotel guest ends up dying right in front of her, it is, of course, Evelyn herself, who finds a major piece of evidence leading her to believe this wasn't any natural death, but murder! Evelyn enlists the help of her amazing assistant Poppy as well as a retired police friend to help her try and solve the case. During the course of her investigation, a well-known jewelry thief begins targeting hotel guests as well as Evelyn herself, so we find ourselves with another mystery to solve. This book had me entertained, and I was genuinely entertained by the mysetery solving aspect of the story. I've also enjoyed seeing Evelyn's growth through the series!

Thank you to Netgalley for the free ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This isn't ever going to be a favorite series, but it is consistently entertaining, and I like the way that Golden is evolving Evelyn over time, something that a lot of cozies don't bother doing with their MCs. I do hope this series has an end point and that the author doesn't drag it out past its expiration date, but I'm in if and until that happens. I want to find out what happened to Evelyn's mother at the very least, and also see if she acquires any more animals she can name after iconic pop culture figures.

[3.5 stars, rounded up]

Admittedly I didn’t read the first book in this series but I can easily say that you can absolutely read , understand and enjoy this fun mystery as a stand alone book.

Things the show of historical fiction that so enjoy. I like that it’s set in the past, in this case the 1950’s NY so you get the touches of the time period but it’s not dependent on it. The plot could be out into any time period and still be a great read.

The author does play fast and loose with some things but she does address that in her authors note. The only thing I would change is to have that note at the beginning of the book instead of the end.

I consumed the audio ALC and it was a great listen. The narrator Amara Jasper did a wonderful job with the material and all the voices including different accents. She skillfully pulled you into the story giving just enough to entertain but still left room for the reader to create the world in their own mind.


I am thankful to have gotten the audio ALC for free from Dreamscape Media through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

This is the third in a series "starring" Evelyn Murphy, wealthy daughter of the owner of the Pinnacle Hotel and amateur sleuth. I had not read the prior two books. I started out really disliking Evelyn, the novel and the voice the narrator chose for Evelyn. A woman connected with a jewelry party sales company collapses at the table, falling into Evelyn's lap. It turns out she has a serious shellfish allergy and she ingested shrimp in some form and died. Evelyn, meanwhile, has not left the hotel in months because of a break up. Her assistant Poppy, sister to the heartbreaker, is also a friend. There is a cast of characters and over time, we learn she is paying a private detective to find out who murdered her mother. Her father is always away. Various people who work at the hotel interact with her. She's kind of a grown up Eloise at the Plaza. Eventually, I did get into the plot, which also involved a thief known as the Gentleman burglar (might have that wrong because I read the audio version). His calling card is a red pocket square. He strikes at the hotel and strikes hotel customers at their homes. Between that and two prior murders, the Pinnacle's reputation is starting to be frayed a bit.

Ultimately, I enjoyed some of the scenes, the overall plots and the voices for everyone except Evelyn, though I got used to the voice used for her. I don't know if I'd purchase this novel, but I did end up finishing it and liking it overall.

Audiobook

The third installment in the A Pinnacle Hotel Mystery, Hotel heiress Evelyn Murphy gets drawn into another murder investigation as a hotel guest dies in her lap! Mayhem ensues!

The story is a fun cozy mystery set in the 1950s and the elite glamorous life of hotel life. The plotting moves along, and the MLM aspect of the mystery is humorous. A few different mysteries at once - the murder of the guest, the Gentleman Thief, and more insight into Evelyn's mother's death.

This is my first entry to this series, so I will be kinder in my review, assuming I would be more invested if I had read the prior books.

Thank you Netgally and Dreamscape Media for the Advanced Listening Copy.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Book 3 of the book puts heartbroken heiress Evelyn in the midst of a pyramid scheme / murder and a wicked thief.

Evelyn, as always, is a bit self-absorbed, but you can see her changing slowly through the books and being pushed beyond her boundaries. Her ever-present entourage is there to put her in her place, encourage her, and support her. I really missed Mac in this book.

The murder mystery was a little wacky, and the secondary plot with the thief interesting too. The ending definitely was a big SURPRISE!

Cannot wait for book 4.

Amaras narration was on point with her accents. You could definitely hear various emotions, Evies sadness, Poppy's anger, the detectives' wryness, and Colin's seductiveness.

#netgalley #TheSocialitesGuidetoSleuthingandSecrets