A very well written gilded age murder mystery. Great plot and character development. A real page turner. Mystery fans will love this book. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

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 Allyssa 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 Allyssa 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 Allyssa 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.

cozy-mystery, 1890s, law-enforcement, journalist, family, friendship, amateur-sleuth

On the cusp of a new century the young woman who is cousin of a sort to the moneyed Vanderbilts and is the editor of the local newspaper is present at a small dinner party when an auto accident occurs on the grounds. It is suspicious and the household's profligate son could well be at fault. When the victim dies it becomes a thorny matter for her friend, a police detective, as well as others who are more than friends. Let the sleuthing begin! There are exquisite descriptions of both attire and surroundings, plus exhaustive descriptions of the lineage and implications of financial heredity as well as the general snobbery of the era. The mystery is well done and the characters are very interesting and believable. A very good read.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley.

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. And who would have thought that this new crazy invention would also become a convenient murder weapon? I am a huge fan of this series and have loved seeing the development of the protagonist Emma Cross. Love the locale, the time period and the wit and humor this writer manages to include while weaving quite the mystery. As with all in this series it can read as a standalone but I highly recommend going back and reading them all. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Gilded Age mysteries are always so intriguing for some reason and this one was no exception. The characters were delightful and the mystery was tightly woven.

The story here is Emma Cross, editor-in-chief at her local newspaper in Newport, RI, is attending a dinner party at Kingscote, one of the legendary Newport mansions. The dinner party is interrupted when the hostess’s son, Phillip King, arrives drunk, and then the butler is discovered pinned between a tree and Phillip's automobile. Phillip is immediately suspected, but the butler turns out to be an unsavory character with many people who may have been pushed to murder. Emma of course can’t resist investigating the case herself.

Murder at Kingscote has an intriguing list of suspects, to include an Irish housemaid, a (probable) imposter trying to claim the King family fortune, plus a mysterious box in an insane asylum. Overall the mystery was okay, but there were far too many coincidences for my taste. Fans of the series will love it, but for me the most interesting element was the Newport/Gilded Age setting.

Emma is back using her sleuthing skills again! I continue to really like her and all the wonderful descriptions of Newport. As always, the whodunit keeps me guessing.

To any new readers, I think going back and reading the previous books helps give you the feeling that you know these characters. I look forward to the next book!

Full review to come closer to publication date.

Another great read from Alyssa Maxwell! Emma Cross is a brilliant main character. She's grown up a local in Rhode Island's famous Newport, but she is also distant cousins with the Vanderbilts. This allows Emma to dance between two worlds. This well crafted dance enables Emma to be front and center for the lavish house parties in Newport. It is at one of these dinner parties where Emma finds herself involved in yet another murder, the murder of the house butler. The homeowners son, Phillip, is accused of the murder, which Emma is not convinced he did. She then receives some startling letters informing her that he butler may have a hidden past. Emma takes it upon herself to investigate not only the events of the evening the butler was murdered but also the butler's past. Startling discoveries are made and many lives are turned upside down.

Alyssa Maxwell brilliantly describes the life of both local and prestigious residents in Newport during the early 20th century. The contrast between the two ways of life is startling and her main character Emma brilliantly handles the expectations of both worlds. I've always enjoyed the books in this series and this novel is no different. The plot has been clearly thought out and the twists and turns aren't predictable. The story line is unique and the characters are well developed. I wouldn't expect anything else from Alyssa Maxwell! Brilliant story and I'll look forward to the next one.

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.

Once again, I enjoyed reading as Emma helps uncover another murder/mystery in Newport. The series is wonderfully written, and this book is no exception! The story moves along briskly, with twists & turns, but not enough to confuse the reader as to who is who.

Until the murderer was revealed at the end, I had no idea who "had done it". Looking forward to reading more as the stories continue.

Thank you to NetGalley & Kensington Publishing for the preview of Murder at Kingscote in exchange for an honest review.

Great murder mystery novel that keeps you guessing until the end. This novel takes you back in time to the late 19th century and follows along the path of novice reporter Emma as she unravels a murder mystery involving a great family during that time.

A cozy mystery set at the turn of the century. 1899 in Rhode Island. Good story overall, but struggled to like many of the characters. Would still recommend this book though. Fun to read of the era.

This was an interesting historical cozy mystery.
Great characters and a well written whodunit.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Editor-in-chief, Emma Cross is set to enjoy a dinner party in the company of her beau, Derrick Andrews. Phillip King arrives late and drink, and not long after, it is discovered that the butler is pinned between a tree and King's automobile. A drunken accident or something more? Trying to juggle her responsibilities, Emma pursues the truth once again.

Emma has come a long way since the first book. She has the responsibility of a newspaper on her shoulders, but she longs to be back in the field. Though she officially assigns the Philip King case to one of the newspaper's journalist, she cannot resist following the clues herself.

The case itself is one full of twists. There is a lot happening in this story. There is the woman competing for the King fortune, an inmate in an insane asylum, and boxing rings, to name just a few. There are suspects a plenty.

While I found the ending convenient, it was an enjoyable read. Fans of the series will enjoy this one.

The 8th installment of the Gilded Newport Mystery series. Emma Cross is a journalist and a distant relative of the some of the richest members of Newport society. As the editor of the Newport messenger she is covering the automobile parade but when one of the society’s son’s Phillip King runs off the course and is drunk it spills over later at his mothers party. Ella King is hosting a party at her “cottage” (really a mansion) Kingscote and Emma is in attendance with her beau Derrick and she is enjoying her evening when Phillip comes in drunk and then everyone starts shouting to save the butler who is pinned to a tree by the car. Is Phillip being framed or was her really reckless in his driving. Emma is determined to get to the bottom of it. As Emma investigates there is more to the butler and his relationships with his staff as well as other mysteries. I have not read all the books in the series but was able to follow along and I love the historical setting. Emma is a great heroine, and this is a great read. Another winner.

Murder at Kingscote by Alyssa Maxwell is the 8th installment of the Gilded Newport Mystery series. I have truly enjoyed this cozy mystery series from the beginning. I love the time period where the characters are placed: late 19th century. I also love the glimpses into the "Gilded Age" of Newport, Rhode Island and read about the characters, happenings, and society during that historical time. I also think it is ingenious to focus on an architectural building/house of grand and historic nature within the context of each book. Getting to learn about a piece of our country's past with each novel is so fascinating.

I always enjoy the murder/mystery plots that Ms. Emma Cross is placed within during each novel. Emma is smart, independent, strong, and feisty, yet she is humble, kind, and loyal. Having one leg on each side of the "privileged line" ( she is a cousin of the Vanderbilt family...not one of the well-off cousins mind you) gives Emma the ability to be realistic and down-to-earth, yet gives her that slim opening to have connections and opportunities for her life, experiences, and of course, story material for the books.

I love that she is pushing the envelope with her newfound occupation of Editor-in-Chief of the Newport Messenger and all the comings and goings of the paper itself, publishing, reporting, and all that opens up for her on that regard as well. I also like Derrick Andrews and feel that they work well together and have chemistry. The plot, pacing, character ensemble, and Emma herself are all excellent, likeable, and creative.

I will not rehash the plot so as not give away the intricacies, twists, and turns, but will say it is all truly a dream. Excellent series and I look forward to further installments.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am submitting my review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

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.

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.

While this was the first I had read in the Gilded Newport Mystery series, I was immediately pulled into Emma Cross’ world. Maxwell characters seem to leap off the page and the “who done it” keeps you anxious to turn the page. The historical details impressed as we joined Emma Cross and company on a quest for the truth after a man is murdered. This book kept me on my toes and I find myself anxious to read more from this series!

Murder at KingsCote continues the story of Emma Cross, a newspaper reporter and editor who solves mysteries in turn of the century Newport, R.I. The author takes you back in time to the families of the wealthy 400 as well as the working class and weaves a tale of mystery and history. In this story she brings in topics of that time including illegal boxing, the disparities between the classes, and real Newport events of 1899. I love the way she describes the home and cottage called KingsCote and the King family that lived there. Maxwell has a talent for bringing old characters from her Newport Gilded series and introducing new ones like Ethan Merriman who had a much bigger role in this novel. He has much potential to develop into another fun side kick of Emma’s like her housemates. The romantic interest named Derek Andrews is back and readers love the two of these paired up to investigate and solve the murders. Although we would have loved their relationship to progress in this novel, sadly readers must wait for the next to see if they can start a life given their difference in classes at this time.. Emma does have a epiphany about her career but we want more romance and adventure between Emma and Derrick in future novels. Overall this mystery is one that you keep turning the page to learn more clues that will help you solve the it but there’s always a surprise twist you didn’t see coming.