Murder at Rosecliff (A Gilded Newport Mystery)
Historical Mystery
14th in Series
Setting – Rhode Island
Publisher : Kensington
Publication date : August 25, 2026
Print length : 288 pages
Hardcover
ISBN-10 : 1496753283
ISBN-13 : 978-1496753281
Kindle
ISBN-13 : 978-1496753304
ASIN : B0G7NWVTLB
Audio CD
ISBN-13 : 979-8228828100
ASIN : B0GN5VQ8DB
Audiobook
ASIN B0G1QPKW3K
When a troublemaking party crasher is found dead in a fountain during an elegant soiree in Newport, Rhode Island, newspaper editor Emma Cross Andrews must clear her own society reporter from suspicion of murder…
August 1903. Emma and her husband Derrick are among the men in white tie and tails and the women wearing white gowns from the House of Worth at Tessie Oelrichs’s Bal Blanc, or White Ball, at Rosecliff, her grand cottage on Bellevue Avenue. There to cover the event of the season is young Ethan Merriman, society reporter for the Newport Messenger, the newspaper owned by Emma and Derrick.
It’s an utterly charming affair until a stranger intrudes flaunting a green-striped necktie and matching vest in defiance of their hostess’s theme. But his fashion crime is a mere misdemeanor compared to his intention to blackmail Mrs. Oelrichs by producing a compromising document supposedly signed by Tessie over a decade ago.
Insisting it’s a forgery but terrified of scandal, she agrees to his terms, but the blackmailer will not live to see payday. His body is found face down in a fountain before the party’s end. Beside him stands a very wet Ethan, who was seen being confronted by the man earlier in the evening. Coming to the aid of their luckless cub reporter, Emma and Derrick must sort through the white lies and blackened reputations to discover the identity of the true killer.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Tessie Oelrichs is hosting her Bal Blanc, or White Ball, at her beautiful residence, Rosecliff, and Emma Cross Andrews and her loving husband, Derrick, are in attendance at the grand event. Their employee Ethan Merriman is there to cover the wondrous affair. Everyone is enjoying the food and dancing until an ill-mannered and horribly dressed stranger crashes the party and approaches Mrs. Oelrichs. He claims he has a document she needs to see and that she will need to pay him dearly. She insists the paper has nothing to do with her, but a scandal worries her greatly. She regretfully decides to pay the man so that he will go away. Though before she can gather the funds, her blackmailer is found dead, face down in a garden fountain. And Ethan Merriman, a very wet Ethan Merriman, is standing over the body.
Emma and Derrick know Ethan would never kill anyone; they just need to find the evidence to prove it.
Ms. Maxwell has created such strong layered characters for this series. Emma has always been an independent woman, but her marriage to Derrick gives her even more confidence; together they make an excellent team for anything life throws at them, including investigating a murder. They can move freely between the classes and are liked and well-respected. They run a comfortable household with just Nanny and Katie to cook, clean, and take care of their daughter, Annamarie. They have always been family to Emma, and it was Derrick who was welcomed in. It is why they are so concerned about their employee. It is just who they are; they care about everyone connected to them.
To clear Ethan’s name, it will take some legwork and clever questioning. Several people at the party communicated with Solomon Wheeler. Some cannot be accounted for during the time the murder was committed. They need to find who was connected to the dead man and how, and who had the most to gain from his death. The whole process is made more difficult by lies, half-truths, and omissions. When Emma has a harrowing event, they know they are getting close.
What makes the books in this series so outstanding is how Ms. Maxwell blends actual people, places, events, traditions, and attitudes from history with her complex mysteries. Her Author’s Note at the end of the book details the true lives of the new people featured in the book. In Murder at Rosecliff, Emma and Derrick continue to work toward their dream of building a school for girls next to Gull Manor, and by the end of the book, they are one step closer, which brings another new character to the pages.
I appreciate how hard Alyssa Maxwell works to bring these books to her readers. It must take hours and hours of research to bring these stories to life. Murder at Rosecliff is another extraordinary installment in this series. With endearing characters, notable locations, and a fabulous mystery filled with history, this reader was captivated from the first page to the last. Thank you, Ms. Maxwell, for another Perfect Escape.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
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, ghostwriter, and fiction editor, but knew from an early age that she wanted to be a fiction author. Growing up in New England and traveling to Great Britain and Ireland fueled a passion for history, while a love of puzzles 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 and the South Florida Fiction Writers.
Author Links
Facebook – Webpage – GoodReads – Facebook Sleuths In Crime – Instagram – Threads – BlueSky
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