Mourning for her uncle Cornelius Vanderbilt, the last place that Emma Cross wanted to be was at a Victorian fete at Wakehurst. After Vanderbilt’s will was read, his estranged son Neily felt slighted. His wife Grace feared that he may drink too much and cause a scene so she asked Emma to accompany them. She hopes to make an early escape during a jousting tournament but walking through the property she is drawn to the distressful barking of dogs. There she discovers the body of Judge Clayton Schuyler. As a reporter for the Newport Messenger, Emma has helped the police in past investigations. This time, however, there is a new detective on the case who warns her against interfering with his investigation.

Emma discovers that the judge’s marriage was in trouble. His daughter was set to marry a man that he had chosen for her. He had recently ruled in favor of mine workers, which may have caused difficulty with the mine’s investors. The judge’s family made their money in mining and a recent mining disaster may have provoked an act of vengeance against the former owner. Further attacks on mine investors re-enforce this last theory and Emma, Derrick Andrews, the newspaper’s owner, and her friend Officer Jesse Whyte work together to solve the murders.

Alyssa Maxwell takes you into the mansions of Gilded Age Newport, Rhode Island. Although raised with the Vanderbilt children, Emma is not a part of the privileged social set. She is a working woman who may make an appearance at some of the social functions but will never be fully accepted. She is a delightful, down to earth character who is observant and has made some important friends through her past investigations that she can call on for assistance. If you are a fan of Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell series or the novels of Rhys Bowen, the Maxwell’s Murder at Wakehurst will have you wanting to read more in this series. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing this book for my review.

Murder At Wakehurst is the ninth book in The Gilded Newport Mysteries series by Alyssa Maxwell.

The book begins with the Vanderbilt family in mourning for the passing of Cornelius Vanderbilt II. Shortly after returning from New York for the reading of Vanderbilt’s will, Emma Cross receives a telephone call from Grace Vanderbilt, wife of Cornelius III(Nellie), informing her that they have been invited to a fete at Wakehurst, a home owned by James Van Alen. Grace is pleading with Emma to attend with them. Emma can’t believe they would attend while in mourning. Grace agrees but wants Emma to help keep an eye on Nellie, as she fears he will drink too much say something regrettable.

Emma walks around the impressive garden at Wakehurst, discreetly following Nellie, when she notices him arguing with a gentleman in ill-fitting evening clothes. Later she will hear an argument between an engaged couple, Imogene Schuyler and Jerome Harrington. As the jousting exhibition is about to start, she hears Van Alen’s dogs begin to bark, and Emma realizes that their barking is one of distress. Emma head for where the barking is coming. She finds the dead body of Judge Schuyler, who has been shot with an arrow. When the police arrive, Emma is surprised that her friend, Jesse Whyte, has been replaced by a new detective, Detective Gifford Myers. Emma will soon learn that the police chief feels that Whyte relies too much on the investigative skills of Emma, therefore, relieving Whyte from the active investigation. Myers has ordered not to let Emma be involved in any inquiry.

The last person to be told they can’t do something is Emma Cross.

There are multiple ways the investigation can go for Emma. Was the murderer a deranged criminal that Schuyler sent to prison and has come back to gain revenge on Judge Schuyler? There is also the family to consider. Very possibly, there is marital strife in Schuyler. Also, Schuyler’s daughter, Imogene, may be unhappy with the marriage her father has arranged and had a violent argument with her father and ending in his death.

I love this series. It’s always enjoyable to visit Newport and learn about the Vanderbilts and, of course, to read about the beautiful homes. The book is well-written and plotted with an exciting and believable cast of characters. There were enough twists and turns that I was kept guessing until the end as to who the killer was.

I am anxiously awaiting the next book in this informative series.

I enjoy this series. This is one of my favorite authors. The mystery kept me guessing. I love being able to "see" inside the Newport, RI mansions. I like the characters and the setting, I like how relationships have moved forward in each of the books.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Following the death of her uncle, Cornelius Vanderbilt, in September 1899, a somber Emma is in no mood for one of Newport’s extravagant parties. But to keep Vanderbilt’s reckless son Neily out of trouble, she agrees to accompany him to an Elizabethan fete on the lavish grounds of Wakehurst, the Ochre Point “cottage” modeled after an English palace, owned by Anglophile James Van Alen.

Held in Wakehurst’s English-style gardens, the festivities will include a swordplay demonstration, an archery competition, scenes from Shakespeare’s plays, and even a joust. As Emma wanders the grounds distracted by grief, she overhears a fierce argument between a man and a woman behind a tall hedge. As the joust begins, she’s drawn by the barking of Van Alen’s dogs and finds a man on the ground, an arrow through his chest.

The victim is one of the 400’s most influential members, Judge Clayton Schuyler. Could one of the countless criminals he’d imprisoned over the years have returned to seek revenge—or could one of his own family members have targeted him? With the help of her beau Derrick Andrews and Detective Jesse Whyte, Emma begins to learn the judge was not the straight arrow he appeared to be. As their investigation leads them in ever-widening circles, Emma will have to score a bull’s eye to stop the killer from taking another life . . .
Amazon.com

The death of Cornelius Vanderbilt II changes the Vanderbilt family including main character Emmaline Cross, who was his niece. The aftermath of that death sets the stage for Murder at Wakehurst, the ninth book in the Gilded Newport Mystery series. It will be released on August 31st.

Please welcome Alyssa Maxwell back to WWK. E. B. Davis

Thank you, Elaine. I’m delighted to be back talking to you and your readers. Thanks so much for having me!

You use real characters in your fiction, but you have kept their stories true to life. Just as you portray in your books, Cornelius Vanderbilt II and his wife Alice almost disowned their son Neily when he married Grace Wilson, a woman he loved, who is the daughter of a banker. What was so bad about Grace? Wasn’t her family wealthy enough? Were families different at the turn of the 20th century—were parents total dictators?

The Wilson family originally hailed from the south, and stories have it that Grace’s father, Richard Wilson, made his fortune initially as a blockade runner bringing supplies into the South. In fact, I’ve read that Rhett Butler might have been modeled after Richard Wilson. This alone would have set the family in a less than favorable light in the eyes of the 400, who considered them of questionable origins and character. But once established financially in New York, the Wilson siblings began marrying up into society—brother Orme into the Astor family, sister May into the Goelets—and they became known as The Marrying Wilsons, meaning, essentially, they were climbers and fortune hunters. Cornelius and Alice Vanderbilt simply didn’t trust Grace’s motives for marrying their son, but I believe that as Neily dug in and resisted their wishes, it became more a war of wills than anything else. Do bear in mind that the Vanderbilts themselves were considered upstarts of vulgar origins until only a decade earlier, when Mrs. Astor had to bite the bullet and recognize Alva Vanderbilt socially so that her daughter, Carrie, could attend the Vanderbilts’ fancy dress ball. All of Carrie’s friends were invited and she very much wanted to go!

In answer to that last question, yes, parents and families were different at that time. A parent’s word was seen as law, and defiance came with steep consequences. Most parents believed they knew what was best for even their adult children and often planned their lives for them accordingly. For example, Consuelo Vanderbilt had no wish to marry the Duke of Marlborough, with whom she had nothing in common. Alva, determined to have a title of nobility for her daughter, made her life miserable until Consuelo agreed to the marriage, but it’s said she walked down the aisle with tears in her eyes—and not happy ones.

I’m a bit incensed on behalf of Neily (ridiculous, but true even if 100+ years after the fact). From what I’ve read of Neily’s life, his parents had plenty to be proud of. He was awarded a Master’s degree in Engineering from Yale, which he earned because of the family’s interest in the railroads, and was made Brigadier General in 1918 by the US Army and received a Distinguished Service Metal from Congress. Ironically, Neily and Grace disinherited their son, Cornelius Vanderbilt IV due to his career in journalism. Did Neily III ever get his due?

Yes, this is all true. Perhaps surprisingly, Neily was a man much like his father. He was studious, hardworking, dedicated, responsible, and inventive. Cornelius was all of those things. He had few vices, taught Sunday school, never put a sportsman’s pursuits ahead of running the family business (as so many other men of the 400 did), and was a dedicated family man. But father and son also possessed pride in spades, and this is where the problem lay. Neily inherited $500,000 in outright cash and the interest on a million-dollar trust account upon his father’s death. While to most of us this might seem an exorbitant sum, to a Vanderbilt it was a pittance, especially when you consider the lifestyles they were used to leading: multiple mansions, frequent and extravagant entertaining, yachts, trips back and forth to Europe every year, not to mention wives’ and adult daughters’ wardrobes, which ran upwards of tens of thousands each year. Neily’s inheritance was Cornelius’s way of having the last word, essentially saying, “Now you’ll have to live off your wife’s dowry.” Neily was, for all practical purposes, disinherited, while his younger brother, Alfred, inherited the bulk of the fortune and business interests. But Alfred did transfer $6 million to Neily soon after taking the reins as head of the family.

Sadly, Neily and Grace turned out to be of very different natures. Grace loved to entertain and often threw lavish parties; Neily preferred quiet time with his books. They grew apart fairly quickly. But yes, how ironic that they would inflict upon their son the very fate they’d had to contend with, merely because Corneil, as they called him, chose to follow his heart and enter the field of journalism as a profession.

What was/is Macassar oil?

Ah, yes, the Macassar oil. It was made from oil of the ylang-ylang tree and used as a hair dressing for men. Another type of dressing was called pomade (usually a fatty or lard like substance) and later, in the 20th century, Brylcreem, which I think I remember my brother using in the early sixties. All of these products tamed the hair and allowed it to be combed back into a slick style. Macassar oil was also reputed to promote healthy hair growth. Remember the term anti-macassar? Those were the squares of fabric people used to throw over the backs of their furniture to protect the fabric and came about precisely men’s oiled hair tended to stain anything it came in contact with.

I checked and you can actually still buy types of macassar oil, and it’s still marketed as a way to keep hair healthy.

Although Emma gets a few things like her buggy repaired, she ends up deciding to fund a scholarship with the funds she inherits. Admirable, but what about funding her old age, a new horse, a trip or gifts for her staff?

Emma is fine with making any necessary repairs to the house and seeing to it that Nanny and her maid, Katie, have all they need and then some. She will increase her donations to the St. Nicholas Orphanage in Providence, which she has been helping to support for years now. As for old age, she would have no reason to believe those railroad stocks wouldn’t continue to pay dividends long into the future. What she decides she cannot do is spend frivolously. She won’t redecorate the house or buy the types of things her relatives might have run out to buy, merely to show off her newfound wealth. Not only does she feel that she hasn’t earned this money, but, as much as she loved her Uncle Cornelius, she is also aware that some of his business practices were to the detriment of many of his common workers. She has always been grateful for what she has and doesn’t dwell on what she could have, which is a quality that stood out about my mother-in-law, who was also a Newporter born and raised, and who lived there all her life. I like to think I endowed Emma with some of her traits—a deep sense of social responsibility, a strong work ethic, and a depth of compassion.

Why did Emma step down from managing the Newport Messenger?

While the position of editor-in-chief is nothing to sneeze at, especially for a woman in 1899, it once again sidetracked Emma from her goal of being a hard news reporter. Being consigned to the society column at the Newport Observer chafed at her ambitions, and she relocated to New York for a year in hopes of realizing her dreams. Not only did writing for the New York Herald turn out to be a disappointment, she realized she missed her home in Newport too much to stay away. She took a chance in leaving the Herald and returning to Newport, and considered it quite a boon when Derrick asked her to head up his newly-purchased, fledgling newspaper. Unfortunately, they both came to realize Emma’s talents lay in investigating, in following trails of evidence, not managing others and tending to the daily desk work of running a newspaper. Sometimes greater prestige and even a high salary don’t equal happiness in one’s career.

What does nocking mean?

In archery, when you nock your arrow, it means positioning the shaft of the arrow on the bow’s rest (part of the handgrip), and engaging the arrow’s notched end with the bowstring. This ensures the arrow remains stable as you take aim, pull back the string, and release. My husband and I have bows – his is a lefthanded one – and enjoy taking our target to a park where there’s lots of space and we can’t inadvertently shoot anyone. We’re not particularly skilled archers (not nearly as skilled as Emma!), but it’s all in good fun and allows us to indulge in a historical-style sport. Important tip: if you take up archery, invest in a forearm guard and a finger tab. Your skin will thank you, because the bowstring can raise painful welts. We found that out the hard way!

Emma doesn’t like jousting because it can hurt the horses. Aren’t the horses covered in armor?

Armor wasn’t foolproof, neither for man nor beast, even in the Middle Ages when life depended on it. Lances could still make their way between the plates, and not all parts of a horse could be covered and still allow freedom of movement. Then there were falls, which could result in any number of injuries. Emma simply sees this as an unnecessary risk to an innocent animal, for no better purpose than for the entertainment of people with too much money on their hands. Also, her uncle has recently died, and she’s really in no mood for festivities. The only reason she attended the fete at all was to appease her friend Grace and make sure her cousin Neily didn’t get into trouble. The joust is, for her, the last straw in an interminable evening, when all she truly wants to do is go home and grieve her uncle Cornelius properly.

The host’s mastiffs find the body of Judge Schuyler. Due to the keening sound of the dogs, Emma knows from her own dog, Patch, that they are troubled. She reports the murder. When the police come to investigate, Emma finds that her friend Jesse Whyte has been demoted from large crimes due to his association with Emma. Why?

During the course of the series, Emma and her lifelong friend, Jesse, have fallen into a comfortable pattern discussing cases and sharing in the investigation. Jesse has gone from ordering her not to interfere to admiring her analytical skills and seeking out her assistance. This is partly because when a crime involves members of the wealthy set, the police often find their hands tied in the interest of preserving reputations and making sure certain individuals aren’t inconvenienced. Men like Cornelius Vanderbilt invested in the careers of politicians and authorities whom they believed would support their business interests, just like corporations continue to do today. So there are many times when word reaches Jesse, from on high down to his police chief, to either leave matters alone or accept the easiest and quickest solution—even if the wrong person is charged. Rather than acquiesce, Jesse secretly continues the investigation with Emma, who isn’t constrained by the same rules he is within the police force. But word of her involvement has gotten around, and the higher ups don’t like it. After all, she’s a mere woman--how dare she interfere in affairs the of men! They penalize Jesse by taking him off the important cases and replacing him with a man who refuses to listen to anything Emma has to say. This does not, however, thwart her in any way!

What is a Boston marriage? Why is it called that?

A Boston Marriage was initially when two single women of means—perhaps aging, unmarried heiresses or widows—lived together to pool their resources and stave off loneliness. However, it also came to be whispered that some of these arrangements concealed what then would have been considered an illicit relationship between them, i.e., a lesbian romance. Apparently, the term came into being after Henry James’s novel, The Bostonians, was published. He didn’t use the term in the book, but it featured two women who shared a residence long-term. It was whispered in the 1890s that Gertrude Vanderbilt and Esther Hunt, daughter of famed architect Richard Morris Hunt, might have engaged in just such a relationship, although they never lived together. They were very close friends, and their correspondence suggests strong feelings of affection. Although such expression was not unusual for female friends at the time, Alice Vanderbilt responded by discouraging the friendship (she didn’t believe Esther’s social standing made her a good friend for her daughter, anyway) and urging Gertrude to find a husband. In 1896, Gertrude married Harry Payne Whitney, with whom she was very much in love at the time, silencing the rumors.

Mrs. Andrews, Emma’s beau Derrick’s mother, is hostile and tries to get Emma arrested. Mrs. Andrews calls Emma a “doxy.” That’s a real cut to her character, isn’t it? Is she another dictatorial parent? Why doesn’t she like Emma?

Although Emma is a Vanderbilt cousin, she is a poor relation and, like Cornelius and Alice Vanderbilt, Lavinia Andrews doesn’t trust Emma’s motives for marrying her son. She believes Derrick can do much better, in the form of an heiress who will bring her own money and prestige to the family. But it goes beyond that. Emma works for a living—something no well-bred young lady would ever consider, much less act on. Her behavior, in Mrs. Andrews’s eyes, is unladylike and scandalous, and such a wife will do nothing to further her son’s fortune and social standing. She does begin to warm to Emma at one point, until Emma once again sullies her reputation by not only going to a brothel to question a young prostitute, but she also brazenly knocks at the front door of the Newport Reading Room. This was Newport’s most exclusive gentleman’s club and women were strictly forbidden to enter. It was so much a man’s haven that women sometimes crossed the street to avoid walking too closely to the property, in fear of being taunted by the men sitting on the front porch or by open windows.

Mrs. Andrews tries to dictate, but Derrick frustrates her every attempt to control his life. Even the threat of being disinherited doesn’t faze him, and his purchasing the Newport Messenger and growing it into a successful newspaper shows his willingness to work and depend on his own devices rather than live under his parents’ thumb.

When people were in mourning, life didn’t carry on as usual? No one got engaged, married, or celebrated in any way? How long did mourning last?

Mourning customs at the time were laid out according to some fairly strict rules, especially for women—in fact, women bore the brunt of it. A wife typically was in deep mourning for a year, during which she wore all black, usually dull fabrics that had no sheen such as crepe, veils that covered her face, and little or no jewelry. During this time, she would not take part in any society events or receive visitors other than close family or friends. Emma would not want to announce her engagement during this time as it would seem like flaunting her happiness in the face of her aunt Alice, who could not take part in the celebration while she was in deep mourning, and could be seen as insensitive by the rest of the family. Cornelius was no ordinary patriarch, after all. As Emma says, the world changed because of his death.

After a year a widow entered second mourning, when she might begin to wear silks and taffetas again, with a bit more jewelry, although this usually consisted of jet beads and “mourning jewelry” which often incorporated woven bits of the loved one’s hair. This went on for a few months or another year. Finally, a widow entered half mourning, where she could begin wearing subdued colors such as grays or purples and venture out among people again.

Bear in mind, though, that these rules applied mostly to the wealthy, who could afford a whole new wardrobe and could alter their lifestyle for the time dictated. The poor, on the other hand, could neither afford new clothing nor leave their employment, (and many poor women did work, in some way or another). Even Emma wouldn’t have been expected to incur the expense of wearing mourning for Cornelius, not only because of her modest means but because she was not an immediate family member. But she commemorates his death by wearing a black armband.

What’s next for Emma?

I’m finishing up another of Emma’s adventures right now. In Murder at Beacon Rock, members of the New York Yacht Club, Derrick included, gather to begin strategizing for the America’s Cup Challenge that will take place the following year. In the midst of their planning at the Acropolis-like Beacon Rock, a young woman is found drowned in the cove below the house. While evidence found on her person leads the police to conclude it was suicide due to a broken heart, that same evidence convinces Emma, Derrick, and Jesse that there is much more to the tragedy, and leads directly back to those at Beacon Rock. Meanwhile, Emma is sorting out her feelings about marriage. That she’s in love with Derrick never comes into question, but the disparity in their backgrounds and her fears about losing her independence continue to plague her.



Bio:
Alyssa Maxwell, author of The Gilded Newport Mysteries and A Lady and Lady's Maid Mysteries, knew from an early age that she wanted to be a writer. Growing up in New England and traveling to Great Britain fueled a passion for history, while a love of puzzles of all kinds drew her to the mystery genre. She and her husband reside in Florida, where they love to, ride their bikes, and shop at farmer’s markets and go antiquing. Alyssa also loves to watch BBC productions, sip tea in the afternoons, and delve into the past. She is a member of her local chapter of the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Florida Romance Writers. You can learn more about Alyssa and her books at www.alyssamaxwell.com, and connect with her at:
https://www.facebook.com/gildednewport
https://www.facebook.com/AlyssaMaxwellauthor/
https://twitter.com/Alyssa__Maxwell
https://www.pinterest.com/alymaxauthor/
https://www.instagram.com/alyssamaxwellauthor/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7163135.Alyssa_Maxwell

Another interesting installment in the Gilded Newport mysteries. Alyssa Maxwell has once again captured the time and essence of the fabled “400” in their summer mansions. The descriptions are always informative and I never have any difficulty falling into each of her stories but I did wonder about a few of her choices on practices and decorum.

Wakehurst, having been incorporated into the present day Salve Regina Campus, is a lesser known and toured mansion which made this book a must read for me. The actual murder is an ingenious device allowing suspicion to fall on and introduce us to another group of the wealthy summering in Newport, RI. Emma Cross is back as a reporter and crime solver but strapped by the introduction of a new detective. I am not sure why Maxwell felt the need to introduce this character as I felt it cumbersome, unproductive, and unnecessary. Other characters that have inhabited her previous pages are here but to a lesser extent.

Remembering it is the late 19th Century and this book focuses mainly on the wealthy and famous Four Hundred several things to puzzle over:

Would a son, even one who has been financially disowned, be seen at a lavish party a short time after his father’s death?

Does a young woman, on the outskirts of wealth, when coming into a deserved inheritance beat her drum and declare over and again that she is so overcome by social and economic injustice that she just has to give away this money?

Would a Mother, yet again, risk losing her son because he chooses a woman simply because she is in a lower financial strata?

Apparently the answer is yes to all and puzzlements aside, Murder At Wakehurst is a well thought out murder mystery with a strong political and moral compass. Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for a copy.

Set in 1899 Newport, RI this is ninth in the Gilded Newport mystery series.

Emma Cross, a local journalist and second cousin of the famous Vanderbilt clan, is pulled into a dangerous and perplexing mystery when she discovers the body of Judge Clayton Schuyler at a glittering Elizabethan-themed fete.

Two of the things I love most about this series: the determined, intrepid Emma and the vivid descriptions of the opulence and splendor of this enclave of the Four Hundred. This author does an excellent job of blending historical fact with fiction making for an interesting and entertaining series.

Much thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for providing me the free early arc of #MurderAtWakehurst for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Who shot Judge Clayton Schuyler with an arrow during the the party at Wakehurst? That's the question Emma, our heroine, decides to answer. A Vanderbilt (but from the less wealthy to say the least side of the family), she's a journalist in Newport, Rhode Island. Not one for parties, usually, she was at this one with cousin Nelly and really didn't expect it to be a crime scene. Luckily, her beau Derrick and Det. Jesse Whyte are both supportive when she goes snooping. While the mystery is classic cozy territory (i.e. more to the Judge than met the eye), the charm in the series is its Gilded Age setting. It's a fun read. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. I'm a fan of the series but this one will be just fine as a standalone as well.

3.5 stars

Emma Cross is back for another adventure set in Newport during the Gilded Age. Emma, a distant relation of the Vanderbilt family, has entree into their world but is not one of them. She is an intrepid reporter who has chafed against being assigned traditional female home and society stories.

Her love interest, Derrick, is a wealthy publisher whose family strongly disapproves of his relationship with Emma. Emma is an interesting character: strong, capable, opinionated, empathetic and nurturing. She is at a society party, reluctantly, to help keep an eye on a wayward cousin, when she stumbles across the body of a wealthy member of The 400, the elite class. Soon she is embroiled in helping solve the case.

As in many cozies, Emma goes to extreme lengths to gain information. The motive could be family as the victim was not much loved by his wife and daughter, or it could be business or political since he was a member of the ruling class.

Emma is an appealing character who is scrupulously honest and the setting is unusual and interesting with much inclusion of actual events and family dramas. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book by this author that I have read. I have been enjoying reading cozy historical mysteries and this one is included in the list. The story flowed beautifully and had me guessing till the end “who done it”. The characters were well written so that you could identify with them. There was plenty going on in the story to keep me turning the page. There was a lot of description in clothing, house and town which for this reviewer was a bit much. I tended to skip a lot of it because I prefer to just get on with the story. If you like a well-described book, this one is for you because it was very well done. The overabundance of description is the only reason I have given this book a 4*. I would still like to read another as I really enjoyed the storyline. There was no sex in this book. I received this as ARC and freely give my review.

Murder at Wakehurst
By Alyssa Maxwell
Reviewed by Stephanie Saxon Levine
The publication of the newest Gilded Newport Mystery always brings this reader delight, and this latest, Murder at Wakehurst, is no exception. I love an engaging historical mystery, and Alyssa Maxwell certainly knows how to write them.
It is September of 1899, and Emma is saddened by the death of her uncle, Cornelius Vanderbilt II. Her cousin Neily, however, seems unaffected by his father’s death. When Neily decides to attend a festive event, his wife, Grace, pleads with Emma to accompany the couple to exert a restraining influence on Neily’s behavior. Emma reluctantly agrees.
At the party at Wakehurst, the entertainment includes an archery competition, a joust, scenes from Shakespeare’s plays, and a swordplay demonstration. Emma wanders off and finds Judge Clayton Schuyler dead, struck by an arrow.
With help from her boyfriend, Derrick Andrews, and Detective Jesse Whyte, as well as from her own reporter’s investigative instincts, Emma uncovers information which could lead to more loss of life.
What makes this ninth in the series, as well as the earlier eight, so enjoyable is Alyssa Maxwell’s combination of vivid historical detail and her excellent writing craft, blending character development and an intriguing plot. Murder at Wakehurst is an engrossing mystery. Read it!

"In the autumnal chill of Newport, Rhode Island, at the close of the nineteenth century, journalist Emma Cross discovers an instance of cold-blooded murder on the grounds of a mansion...

Following the death of her uncle, Cornelius Vanderbilt, in September 1899, a somber Emma is in no mood for one of Newport's extravagant parties. But to keep Vanderbilt's reckless son Neily out of trouble, she agrees to accompany him to an Elizabethan fete on the lavish grounds of Wakehurst, the Ochre Point "cottage" modeled after an English palace, owned by Anglophile James Van Alen.

Held in Wakehurst's English-style gardens, the festivities will include a swordplay demonstration, an archery competition, scenes from Shakespeare's plays, and even a joust. As Emma wanders the grounds distracted by grief, she overhears a fierce argument between a man and a woman behind a tall hedge. As the joust begins, she's drawn by the barking of Van Alen's dogs and finds a man on the ground, an arrow through his chest.

The victim is one of the 400's most influential members, Judge Clayton Schuyler. Could one of the countless criminals he'd imprisoned over the years have returned to seek revenge - or could one of his own family members have targeted him? With the help of her beau Derrick Andrews and Detective Jesse Whyte, Emma begins to learn the judge was not the straight arrow he appeared to be. As their investigation leads them in ever-widening circles, Emma will have to score a bull's eye to stop the killer from taking another life..."

This entry in this wonderful series sounds like Midsomer Murders Rhode Island!

As always, Alyssa Maxwell dazzles with her depictions of the Gilded Age “cottages” in Newport, descriptions of the time period, and characterizations of all involved. Miss Emma Cross is once more drawn into a murder investigation after coming across yet another dead body - the poor girl can’t catch a break! But her growing relationship with Derek gives her a soft place to land during her investigations.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

If you’ve read any of Maxwell’s other novels featuring Emma Cross, an intrepid reporter and Vanderbilt cousin who pursues murders in Gilded Age Newport, you know what you’ll be getting in this newest entry. If you haven’t read any of the previous books, you’ll probably be lost since there are references to earlier developments and relations among the characters that you won’t know.

Emma continues to stick her nose in to try to figure out who shot a prominent judge with an arrow during a fancy Newport event. It’s amazing how almost everyone she talks to will tell her something to help her advance her investigation. And then the guilty party will eventually say what amounts to a confession when Emma wouldn’t have had an idea that she was talking to the guilty person without that person giving it all away.

I enjoy this series and find myself googling the homes featured in every book. I like the way the author is to describe the location and time with seeming authenticity.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Emma, Derrick and Jesse are embroiled in another murder of a formidable figure of the Gilded
Age. Judge Schulyer has put away many a criminal away, and now he has been murdered at an Elizabethan costume party after Emma hears a furious argument thru the hedgerow. But who are the suspects? A former convict sentenced by the Judge or someone more powerful and sinister? I have been a fan of this series since the first book and this installment does not disappoint. The book has great pacing and is filled with juicy details about the Astor 400 on their summer break in Newport. Derrick and Emma make a great couple and the relationship continues to develop. Fans of the Gilded Age and mysteries are in for a treat. Thanks to Net Galley for the
ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

LOVED this read. Well plotted, fantastic characters, and truly enjoyable afternoon's read. I am looking forward to the next installment eagerly,

1899 A few days after the death of Cornelius Vanderbilt II has died, the wife of the eldest son, Neily, asks Emmaline Cross to accompany them to a fete at the home of James Van Alen. She wants Emma to watch out for her husband. Unfortunately at the fete Emma discovers the body of a murdererd man, killed by an arrow, and decides to investigate even though warned off by the new murder detective.
The story unfortunately didn’t totally capture my interest, nor did I found the motive convincing. I also found Emma’s nosiness just too much this time.
Overall an enjoyable well-written historical mystery.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mourning the death of her "Uncle Cornelius" Vanderbilt, the last thing Emma wants to do is a party at Wakehurst. However , she goes along to keep an eye on her cousin Neily, the disinherited son of Cornelius as requested by Neily's wife Grace. unfortunately, Emma finds the body of a prominent judge at the party. Is the murder related to any of the judge's cases? Is the judge's family involved?
Due to her involvement in past cases, her friend Detective Jesse Whyte as been replaced as the homicide investigator.
A delightful addition to the Gilded Newport Mysteries.

Fans will enjoy another installment in the fascinating and readable series Maxwell has created. Featuring a poor but spirited cousin of the famed Vanderbilt family, Emma, the series is an intriguing portrait of the "Four Hundred" who ruled society in New York and Newport during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Each story is set around one of the fabled mansions ("cottages") of the elite on the cost of Newport, Rhode Island. Maxwell does extensive research for each novel and details it after the story concludes, so readers can find out more about the featured house and the families involved. Emma is a wonderfully drawn character - born and raised by eccentric and neglectful parents, on the edge of society but required to make a living - in this cases, as a reporter since she has an "in" with her family, the Vanderbilts. This mix gives Maxwell plenty to work with in creating interesting stories and great plots.
This story begins after the death of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, whose great power was felt not only in the business world but in his own family. Emma is in mourning but still supports her cousin Neily (Cornelius Vanderbilt III), who was ostracized by his father Cornelius for marrying against his wishes. With that, Emma feels she must go to the great house of Wakefield to attend a party with Neily and his pregnant wife, both of whom need her support. Of course, there is a murder during the event, and Emma is in the middle of it. Maxwell gives us another intriguing mystery while advancing the personal story of Emma, which has its own compelling events.
There's everything in this period mystery to satisfy fans and newcomers to the series.

Murder set in the 1800's, rich and famous families. The Vanderbilt's are mourning the death of the head of the family, Cornelius.. Cross, news reporter and niece of the deceased, worries about her disinherited cousin Neily, who has caused the family so much pain. His mother thinking he was the cause of his fathers death. Instead of staying home and mourning her uncle, Emma who isn't in the mood for a night out goes to James Van Alen's party to keep an eye on her cousin. Little does she know she will stumble upon a body. The body being Judge Clayton Schuyler one of the 400's most influential members.. Poor Emma who always finds herself in the middle of a murder, even when she isn't looking for it. There are countless people who might have committed this murder. Emma herself is a suspect since she is a marksman with an arrow the weapon used to kill the judge.. Can her beau Derrick Andrews and friend Jesse Whyte help find the killer and protect Emma. Love the description of the time period of he novel, the colorful and exciting characters. Especially Emma who was on one side the news reporter, the other side the kind caring women who strives to be a better person and helps others Emma reminds me of a female Sherlock Holmes.. Loved how the author put notes on the true insight of the characters while adding her own twists to the story.Truly enjoyed this cozy mystery. Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for this great novel. Highly recommend it.

Maxwell delivers her signature blend of clever plotting, convincing characters, and fascinating Newport history in her ninth Gilded Newport mystery, MURDER AT WAKEHURST. This installment of the story of Emma Cross finds the journalist mourning the death of her uncle Cornelius Vanderbilt. Family obligations—Vanderbilt’s unpredictable son “Niely” needs some extra oversight—and the demands of Newport’s social life impel her to attend a lavish Elizabethan fete hosted on the grounds of Wakehurst, a palatial Newport mansion. The fete’s mock swordplay, joust and archery demonstrations take a grim turn when a prominent judge is found dead with an arrow through his chest. As always, Maxwell combines a well-crafted mystery with a nuanced portrait of the people and places of an iconic New England location.