A good whimsical mystery that kept me interested and listening. I’d recommend the audiobook which is what I am reviewing.

I listened to the previous book in the series:The Socialite’s Guide to Death and Dating and enjoyed the tale.

Outwardly vapid leading ladies are not ones I usually engage with, but this particular series surprised me. Evelyn Murphy has more money than she could spend and this is a matter of fact with her, making her oblivious to a lot of other nuances to ‘normal’ people’s lives. It is also the narrative style I think, that brings the world to life. I do not know if just reading it would have been as entertaining, but the intonations used by the narrator have not stuck with me and I am sure if I read the next, I will still hear things the same way in my head.

Evelyn is trying to recover from catching a criminal and being ditched. There’s also the matter of her mother’s death that she’s trying to have investigated. In the midst of all this, to maintain her sanity, she has been asked to host a gala. The pyramid scheme of selling jewellery just happens to fall into her lap ( almost literally). The related death and investigation is supposed to be yet another distraction but I enjoyed it all the same.

I am not sure prior experience with the characters is required to appreciate and understand this book ( since I just jumped in with the previous one). The central mystery ( not of the mother’s death) was investigated well and I liked the twist which made sense in the bigger picture. I look forward to listening to another book as soon as possible!

I would highly recommend this book/series and especially in this format to fans of the genre.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own listening experience.

I had such a fun time listening to the audiobook. the narrator brought the characters to life with charm and flair, perfectly matching the story's glitzy, glamorous vibe.

The heroine is clever, stylish, and a delight to follow as she navigates scandals, secrets, and sleuthing. I loved the mix of 1950s Hollywood-esque settings and the cozy mystery twists. The pacing felt just right, keeping me engaged without being too overwhelming, and the plot had enough surprises to keep me guessing.

The audiobook production is top-notch: crisp audio, expressive narration, and distinct character voices made it easy to stay immersed. It’s a great pick if you’re into lighthearted mysteries with a fashionable flair and a dash of romance.

Highly recommend for fans of historical cozies, vintage vibes, and sassy sleuths!

A charming setup and a glamorous setting make for an entertaining cozy mystery, but the pacing felt a bit uneven in this third installment. Evelyn remains a delightful protagonist—sharp, stylish, and determined—but the plot gets a little crowded with red herrings and characters. Still, the 1950s New York backdrop and the touch of old-school glitz add flair, and fans of the series will likely enjoy this outing. A solid whodunnit with a dash of sparkle, just not quite as dazzling as it could have been.

Probably my favorite book in this series, it had it all -- pyramid schemes, a jewel thief, and of course, murder at the Pinnacle.

Lots of fun! I really enjoyed the characters and the plot and the setting. I immediately went back to read the first two book which I had not yet read when I asked for this one.

One thing that I might suggest is that the author could have made the age of the in house detective and his relationship to our heroine a little more clear in this volume. I'm sure as I go back and read how they were introduced and see the actual relationship with Mac it will be much more clear, but in a book about her mooning over a past love, the older detective seems like a proper set up for a love triangle.

The Socialite's Guide to Sleuthing & Secrets
by S.K. Golden
read by Amara Jasper
A super fun cozy taking place in the late 1950s in New York! I enjoyed Evelyn and her pals as she used her detective skills (and her charm!) to find the culprit in the setting of the Pinnacle Hotel. I found the characters, especially Poppy, to be more comical than I expected as well, which is a big plus.
This is the 3rd in the Pinnacle Hotel Mystery series, but, while I do plan to go back and listen the the previous installments, I didn't feel as though my coming on the scene three books in detracted from my enjoyment at all.
This is the first I have heard of the author and of the narrator, so I look forward to discovering more of their work in future!
Highly recommend for a cozy lover!
As always, thank you to NetGalley for allowing me early access to this audiobook in exchange for a (brutally) honest review!

Evelyn Murphy is back, and she's not doing all that well. Mac's departure has left her sad, and again unwilling to leave the hotel.

During a luncheon, Evelyn comes to the attention of a costume jewellery sales team, whose leader Lois Mitchel urges Evelyn to get involved with the team. Unfortunately, Lois chokes and falls on Evelyn during the lunch, and is dead before the end of the day.

The papers, of course, point out that this is not the first death at the Pinnacle Hotel, angering Evelyn, who attempts to do damage control. But her words are twisted by a reporter, who points out that Evelyn lives a privileged, oblivious-to-reality life, and that the Gentleman Thief, a person who has been targeting New York City's wealthy, has turned his eyes to the hotel guests.

Evelyn knows she has to not only deal with a thief, but also find a murderer, and she begins poking into the lives of the sales team, including Lois'.

Meanwhile, the gruff detective Hodgson, who has agreed to look into Evelyn's mother's untimely death, grudgingly aids her with her inquiries.

Despite Evelyn's occasional descent into ditziness, she's smart, and much more observant than people give her credit for, seeing only her love of fashion and glittery things.

I listened and read this story, and Amara Jasper again does a wonderful job voicing the perky Evelyn. Jasper also ably captures Hodgson's grumpiness, and Evelyn's friend Henry's enthusiasm for helping her expose the perpetrators.

Of course Evelyn solves the two mysteries, but what was more interesting to me is her progress, or lack of progress, with her mental health. Her loneliness and sadness with Mac's leaving has set her back, but I love that Hodgson and Poppy, her assistant, keep pushing her, kindly, out of her comfort zone.

And that ending means that I must have the next book in my hands right away!

Thank you to Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and to Dreamscape Media for these ARCs in exchange for my review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media and S.K Golden for providing me with a free copy of this book for review, the following is my opinion, freely given.

This book was a mixed bag for me. On one hand, the premise is intriguing and the setting is delightfully glamorous. The idea of a high-society socialite turning into a sleuth had me hooked from the blurb. The author does a great job of painting a vivid picture of the opulent world of the protagonist, and the descriptions of the lavish parties and elegant outfits were a treat.

However, the execution fell a bit flat. The pacing was uneven, with some parts dragging on while others felt rushed. The mystery itself was decent, but not particularly gripping. I found myself more interested in the socialite's personal drama than the actual sleuthing.

The main character, while charming and witty, sometimes came across as a bit too perfect. Her flaws felt superficial, and I would have liked to see more depth and vulnerability. The supporting characters were a bit one-dimensional, and I struggled to connect with them.

Overall, The Socialite's Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets is an enjoyable read if you're looking for something light and entertaining. It has its moments of charm and wit, but it didn't quite live up to its full potential. If you're a fan of cozy mysteries with a touch of glamour, this might be worth a read.

S.K. Golden’s The Socialite's Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets, part of the Pinnacle Hotel Mystery series, delivers a middling cozy mystery that struggles to rise above its quirky but flawed protagonist. Evelyn Murphy, the wealthy hotel heiress at the story’s center, is an odd concoction: a chronologically adult woman whose immaturity borders on caricature. She’s dripping in privilege yet clueless about money’s value or its sway over others, a trait that might’ve been endearing if it weren’t so exasperating. Layered with psychological quirks—most notably agoraphobia, which confines her to her father’s Pinnacle Hotel—she’s a mess of contradictions. Her worst flaw, though, is her abysmal judgment of people, stumbling through interactions with a naiveté that undermines her role as a sleuth.

The story itself is passable but hardly gripping. Set in 1958 New York, it follows Evelyn as she investigates a poisoning at a hotel luncheon and a thief targeting the elite guests. The premise has a glimmer of intrigue—murder and larceny amid mid-century glamour—but it never builds into anything truly entertaining or compelling. The pacing meanders, bogged down by Evelyn’s scattershot approach, and the dual mysteries resolve without much fanfare or surprise. It’s an OK tale, fine for a lazy afternoon, but it lacks the spark to keep you hooked.

Golden’s writing leans into Evelyn’s eccentricities and the hotel’s lush backdrop, but it doesn’t elevate the material. The prose is functional, occasionally bogged down by overlong tangents about 1950s trappings that feel more like filler than flavor. Evelyn’s bundle of issues—agoraphobia included—could’ve added depth, but they’re treated more as quirks than explored struggles, leaving her character flat despite the chaos.

The audiobook narration by Amara Jasper, however, is a bright spot. She handles the story with finesse, delivering a clear and engaging performance that smooths over some of the text’s rough edges. Her voice brings a steadiness to Evelyn’s erratic nature, and I’d happily listen to her work again in a stronger project.

In the end, The Socialite's Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets is a lukewarm read. Evelyn’s mix of immaturity, wealth, and poor judgment might appeal to some, but it left me more frustrated than charmed. The story’s just OK—neither offensive nor memorable—and while Jasper’s narration shines, it’s not enough to salvage the whole. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re already invested in the series or crave a lightweight mystery with a flawed lead.

Back to the Pinnacle Hotel in the 1950s! I love this series. And this is my favorite one of the series so far. I was laughing constantly. Evelyn is a favorite. I love how her mind works. The way Golden writes her is so enjoyable. Evelyn is still full of kindness and still throws her money around but I love her all the more for it. (She has an adventure on the subway that was very funny.)

I enjoyed the mystery. There’s another murder at the Pinnacle and now a thief is on the loose. Evelyn, of course, has her usual well timed one liners. I laughed out loud many times. I think she is such a great and memorable character. I appreciated the progress of information in Evelyn’s mother’s murder. Another intriguing mystery that expands in each book.

Evelyn and Poppy are planning a gala (Evelyn can never remember who benefits and it makes me smile every time) and someone is killed a few days before. People keep getting robbed at the Pinnacle and my favorite socialite, who is so good at finding things, stops at nothing to solve them. Hodgson, Sharpe, and Henry (yay!) are around too. This is a great cast of characters.

I also listened to the audio. Amara Jasper does such a fantastic job as Evelyn. I’ve enjoyed her talent for all 3 books. Her range of characters is always done well and Jasper has the variety of accents down flat.

I am hoping for many more books in this great series.

I received a NetGalley approval for the ebook and the audio book. Thank you to the publishers!

The title and blurb hooked me in and I was excited to get my hands on this ARC audiobook from S.K. Golden courtesy of Dreamscape Media. It was the 3rd of an already started series so I can't compare it with any others as it was the first I have read. I know a lot about the generic 50's and even 60's but to be set in 1958 threw me a little as I wasn't quite sure who to base my idea of Evelyn on. I like the relationships that she has with Poppy, her private detective and her actor friend, Henry and think those relationships will continue to grow over the series. I tried really hard but I found that I didn't like Evelyn very much. Spoiled rich girl with no particular genius brain cells and often quite whiny. I found myself cringing with the word she uses to describe her friends (Ginchy?) and just couldn't relate. The story was very slow and Evelyn took ages to come to the conclusions that most readers would have immediately found suspicious. Except in the end when she uncovers the thief and apparently know for some time that it was them. I'm sorry but I won't be reading further.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to read.

I had the opportunity to receive an advance copy of "The Socialite's Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets" by S. K. Golden. As someone who hadn't read the other books in the series, I found it somewhat challenging to get into the story initially. It felt as though the author assumed familiarity with the backstory, which wasn't extended to new readers.

Overall, the book was an okay read, but it didn't particularly stand out for me. While there was some good character development, I often found the main character difficult to relate to, which impacted my engagement with the story. This book might cater more effectively to those who are already fans of the series and familiar with its characters and their histories.

I found this book very hard to get into, and hard to get through.

Having not read the first two books, I was so confused in the beginning as a lot of information was supposed to have been known. Like Mac, who was he? Did he die? No, later you find out he just left. Why can Evelyn not leave the hotel? I don’t think I know the full reason. But at least she has all the amenities she could want simply at the hotel.

Evelyn forgetting the party that she was throwing got so annoying, I don’t know if it was to try and show her ditziness, but it just seemed more like she was flippant about anything/everything. How hard is it to remember something you were supposed to be the face of? Which then added to her not having much character development, and she sounds so spoiled! Not knowing the price of anything, and almost pouting when people asked to pay for their own things. I can understand wanting to help someone, but it seemed more like she was just showing off their wealth, winking at people when she does it. Just seems so unclassy.

The side mystery of her mom, although interesting just seemed to add a small thread, as I guess this was a continuance of book 2, but even that wasn’t resolved. Which also adds, to other one-off things like the job for Poppy’s beau, did we need to know all that?

A lot of sucking teeth, biting lips, and running their tongue over their teeth, why so much emphasize on the mouth! I understand the added movement to flush out a scene, but there are a lot of other movements that could happen.

This book was what it was, just wasn't one that I enjoyed, which is sad, as the summary sounded so promising.

If you’ve read the first two books in this series, you know exactly what to expect: a cozy mystery full of charm and intrigue. A Socialite’s Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets is just as fun as its predecessors, even if our main character remains as exasperating as ever. I love the time period these books are set in, which adds to their appeal personally. That said, this third installment requires a bit more willing suspension of disbelief than the previous two. Still, it’s a delightful, cozy read that keeps the series' signature charm intact.

I have to add that I did listen to this via audiobook and the narrator did a fabulous job. Specifically with the many different dialects and accents of the diverse characters.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and S.K. Golden for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Our protagonist, hotel heiress / socialite Evelyn Murphy, still finds herself in 1958's New York city in the latest (third) installment of the Pinnacle Hotel Mystery, and for the third time in only a matter of weeks, a guest dies at her father's hotel. Thankfully, Evelyn still has her sleuthing skills and her partner from the previous book, detective turned private investigator Hodgson, to help her get to the bottom of things.

While it's not necessary to have read the previous two books in the series, it definitely helps, especially concerning Evelyn's love life.

After the ending of the second book, I actually expected this latest installment in the series to be about the investigation into the murder of Evelyn's mother, and while there is a bit of that, it definitely isn't the book's focus, which was a tad disappointing (but this may just be because I expected something else). Thankfully, this murder was much more intriguing than the last book's mystery, and a gentlemanly robber haunting the hotel's wealthiest guests on top of that only added to the intrigue, especially when Evelyn's investigation into the murder seemed to be going around in circles.

The additional complication of Evelyn's love life after her abrupt heartbreak at the end of the last book fell flat for me; I really liked her interactions with Mac, and her new dating woes didn't draw me in as much. On top of that, Evelyn's youth and naiveté, which were adorable at the beginning of the series, seem to get worse with every book and make her sound like a caricature of herself at times. She may be a talented sleuth, but her social interactions are often cringe-worthy. Instead of growing into herself and becoming more confident and aware, Evelyn's portrayal in this book makes her sound more spoiled, aloof, and ditzy than ever before, which is a shame. At least she finally provides an explanation for her overuse of both "ever so" and "ginchy", though she still uses both way too much.

Overall, I enjoyed this cozy mystery and will be on the lookout for the next book in the series. I listened to the audiobook, which was excellent; as with the previous books, the narrator did a great job bringing this series to life.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with the audiobook of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I really love this book despite coming into it not realizing it was a series. Can't wait to go back and read the rest of the series. Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC as well as helping me find one of my favorite new cozy mystery series. Evelyn is great!

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for providing a free arc of this novel.

*2.5 stars

Unfortunately, this book didn't land as well with me as I had hoped. The tone was a too flippant for my taste, especially considering some of the heavier topics that come up later on in the story. I did enjoy the emotional depth that came up later on regarding Evelyn's character, but my initial impression of her was not very favorable and by that point, it was a bit late for me to change my mind about her. Her attitude toward the murders, even the fact that her hotel could be harmed by negative publicity due to the murders in her hotel, was too light, like she only had superficial concerns and didn't care about what was at stake. Granted, I was reading on audio so that may have influenced my impressions as well. I also grew frustrated that the only aspect of the murder that they seemed to focus on was the shrimp. I prefer more interwoven clues, rather than a linear investigation in that regard. As I previously said, there is some character depth that comes in, but even then I wish someone addressed her flippantness, connecting her superficiality to being a coping mechanism. Personally, the combination of characterization with the plot was a let down for me.

This is the first book that I have read in this series, but thankfully with a good mystery series, you can pick up any book and catch up.

Evelyn Murphy is a 1950s Paris Hilton/London Tipton who lives in her father's hotel chain - the Pinnacle - and never leaves because she is rich and has agoraphobia. One of the wealthiest women in New York City, she is spoiled, out of touch, brokenhearted, narcissistic, and generally means well. One day when dining with her friends and admiring the handsome new hotel pianist, a group of women invite her to join them for lunch. They're all members of Lois Mitchell's MLM team and hope to rope Evelyn in with either costume jewelry or a new sales career... and then Lois has an anaphylactic reaction to her lunch and dies in Evelyn's lap. So of course Evelyn decides to investigate the death, find a jewel thief, and fight off a nosy reporter who has it in for Evelyn, all while trying to remember which charity she (ie her assistant) is hosting and planning a gala for. Other subplots include: Evelyn's longing for the boyfriend who dumped her and disappeared (I haven't read the other books so I don't know if he is worth this energy) and Evelyn's investigation into her mother's cold case death.

The audiobook is read by Amara Jasper, who does a good job (though I personally would have read the handsome actor friend differently).

The mystery was good. I laughed listening to Evelyn try to understand how an MLM works. I didn't really care about the descriptions of everyone's clothes, but I think that is Evelyn's personality to list all of that out. She's self-involved and doesn't concern herself with the details of other people. Her friends are a bit flat, but again, I think that Evelyn just views them all as characters in her life. Part of her growth in this book is going through a major fight with her best friend and learning to accept Poppy's choices. Evelyn is annoying, but she is learning.

I don't think I'll read the other books since I don't really like Evelyn, but I think that this series could be fun for someone who's intrigued at the idea of a 1950s Paris Hilton solving murders.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this audio ARC.

This was an easy, somewhat light-hearted audiobook. I didn't read the other books in the series before reading this one. However, it can stand alone. The main character was a bit annoying and redundant. I couldn't tell if the author wanted her to be smart or not. It was all over the place. By the end, I lost interest in who actually committed the murder and it left me wondering who was telling secrets......