Summary: Murder at Kingscote (A Gilded Newport Mystery #8) by Alyssa Maxwell
On a clear July day in 1899, the
salty ocean breeze along Bellevue Avenue carries new smells of gasoline and
exhaust as Emma, now editor-in-chief of the Newport Messenger,
covers Newport's first-ever automobile parade. But the festive atmosphere soon
turns to shock as young Philip King drunkenly swerves his motorcar into a
wooden figure of a nanny pushing a pram on the obstacle course.
That evening, at a dinner party hosted by Ella King at her magnificent
Gothic-inspired "cottage," Kingscote, Emma and her beau Derrick
Andrews are enjoying the food and the company when Ella's son staggers in,
obviously still inebriated. But the disruption is nothing compared to the
urgent shouts of the coachman. Rushing out, they find the family's butler
pinned against a tree beneath the front wheels of Philip's motorcar, close to
death.
At first, the tragic tableau appears to be a reckless accident--one which could
ruin Philip's reputation. But when Emma later receives a message informing her
that the butler bullied his staff and took advantage of young maids, she begins
to suspect the scene may have been staged and steers the police toward a murder
investigation. But while Emma investigates the connections between a competing
heir for the King fortune, a mysterious child, an inmate of an insane asylum,
and the brutal boxing rings of Providence, a killer remains at large--with
unfinished business to attend to . . .(from Goodreads).
Book Review of Murder at Kingscote
When a dinner party is held at Kingscote cottage, the
butler is found run into by the family motorcar, and dies from the injury.
Plenty of secrets come to light as investigative journalist and amateur sleuth
Emma Cross assists local police with detecting who murdered the butler. She digs
up surprising information
about betting, gambling, blackmail and more.
Murder at Kingscote is book 8 of 8 in A Gilded Newport Mystery series by Alyssa Maxwell, published by Kensington Books. The story is set in July 1899 Newport,
Rhode Island, where the richest Four Hundred come to spend their summer.
We follow Emmeline, Emma,
Cross in her sleuthing adventure. The seriously unpopular butler of Kingscote is
found close to death between the family motorcar and a tree in the cottage garden.
Philip King, eldest son, has just used the car and is suspected of the murder. Everything
is not as it seems and with Emma’s contacts, friends and intimate knowledge of
the community, she uncovers links to betting, gambling, and more.
Main character and narrator, Emmaline, Emma, Cross is
editor-in-chief of Newport Messenger. I am impressed with her. There’s
something relentless about her questioning of suspects. She’s like a dog with a
bone, reminding me of Miss Marple; always close by when a murder happens.
She is my favorite character of this story.
Supporting character Derrick Andrews is owner of
several newspapers. He seems under his mother’s thumb about his presence in Society
and choosing the right woman to marry. He seems to have little mind of his own
around Emma, which annoys me.
I felt the characters
of this story interesting and multilayered. It’s like I could have known them I
real life. The descriptions of New England luxury cottages of the gilded age
were detailed and well researched, particularly the grand gothic Newport
cottage Kingscote.
I found descriptions of a New England charity event to be my favorite part of this story. The lifestyle and interactions between people reminded me of Downton Abbey with all the grandeur and luxury.
My least favorite part of this story was descriptions of how mental Health treatment was conducted at the time. To put close relatives into institutions seem to have been pretty easy to do.
Murder at Kingscote is the first book I have read by Alyssa Maxwell. As there were plenty of hints to previous stories, reading it as a standalone worked perfectly. Plenty of exiting and surprising twists and turns along the way made me end up with quite a few suspects, none of which was the right one. The ending was a complete surprise unlike any other I have read.
Murder at Kingscote is the captivating series conclusion about a murder in rich
people’s summer haven Newport, where an investigative journalist digs up
information to help police solve the case.
Fans of Alyssa Maxwell will enjoy this book. As will readers of murder mystery. Similar authors to explore might be Clara McKenna or Dianne Freeman.
Thank you to publisher Kensington Books and NetGally for this eARC which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.
Rating: 4 stars / 5
Main reasons: captivating
series finale, vivid writing, well researched, surprise ending
Get your copy here:
Book Details
Print Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Kensington Books (August 25, 2020)
Publication Date: August 25, 2020
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B082WQVX6D
About The Author
Alyssa Maxwell is the author of The Gilded Newport Mysteries and A Lady and Lady's Maid Mysteries. She has worked in publishing as a reference book editor, ghost writer, and fiction editor, but knew from an early age that she wanted to be a novelist. Growing up in New England and traveling to Great Britain and Ireland fueled a passion for history, while a love of puzzles of all kinds drew her to the mystery genre. She and her husband have make their home in South Florida. She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, the Florida Romance Writers, Sisters in Crime, and Novelists Inc. You can learn more about Alyssa and her books, and find her social media links, at www.alyssamaxwell.com.
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