Murder at Kingscote

This is the latest in Alyssa Maxwell's Guilded Newport mysteries. Each of the books centers around one of the Newport mansions where America's wealthy summered at the end of the 19th century. The heroine, Emmaline Cross is a second cousin of Cornelius Vanderbilt, but without the Vanderbilt money. Her passion is reporting and as such, she becomes involved in unravelling mysteries. In this case, a Butler is murdered by a new fangled automobile and the King family's wealthy son is accused.. The mystery is intriguing and Ms Maxwell's knowledge of and use of actual historical detail of the family and the house enhances the story. I definitely recommend this book to any lover of historical fiction.

Maxwell's series featuring Newport, Rhode Island, near the turn of the 20th century, is one of the best examples of suspenseful, historical fiction. Readers have enjoyed getting to know young Emma Cross, a Vanderbilt cousin from the poor side of the family. Emma is trying to make it as a reporter, now an newspaper editor, in her home town of Newport, Rhode Island, where the fabled 400 of society's top shelf have their summer mansions. In each of the novels, Maxwell describes, with well researched detail, the fascinating landscape, the interesting and often real-life characters, their incredible homes and lavious life styles. But the main story is Emma getting on with her hard-won career and solving mysteries. This eighth novel keeps the pace going, with yet another fabulous mansion as the setting - Kingscote. The characters are compelling and the plot keeps readers engaged. A fine series for all public library collections.

A very interesting setting at Newport, Rhode Island in it's heyday lead to my interest in this series. I thoroughly enjoyed the historical setting as well as the characters and, of course, the mystery. An added bonus was the social commentary on the class differences at that time. I really enjoyed the book and will recommend.

I always look forward to reading Alyssa Maxwell's Gilded Newport Mysteries, and Murder at Kingscote does not disappoint. This book is both a well-done mystery with an assortment of suspects and plot twists as well as a window into another age. Alyssa Maxwell does a great job of setting the scene through depictions of the landscapes and clothing and also by showing the roles of class and gender during the Gilded Age. Historical facts and figures are integrated into the plot while still keeping the novel's fast pace and without bogging down the storyline. Alyssa Maxwell does a great job of using real historical figures as characters without distorting their legacies or manipulating their life stories to suit her own plot. I can wait for the next Gilded Newport Mystery!!!