Murder At The Elms is the eleventh book in the A Gilded Newport Mystery series by Alyssa Maxwell.

On the first day back at the Newport Messenger after Emma and Derriclk’s return from their honeymoon, Emma is asked to come to The Elms, the home owned by Herminie and Edward Berwind. Upon arriving at The Elms, Emma is greeted by the home’s staff, where she is told they are going on strike for a weekly day off. Everyone agrees except for one maid, Ines, a Portuguese maid. When Mr. Berwind meets with the servants, he fires them all except for Ines.

A week later, Emma and Derrick receive an invitation to attend a musicale at The Elms. Shortly after the music had finished, a scream was heard, and it was learned that someone was lying dead in the coal tunnel. Emma and Derrick proceed to the coal tunnel, shocked to see that the body is Ines's. The police are called, and Detectives Jesse Whyte and Gifford Myers arrive to begin their investigation. Emma has worked well with Jesse previously, and he asks her and Derrick to talk with the Berwinds and their guests, knowing they will get more information than he would.

Rex, Silvie Morton, Charles, and Kay Gilchrist are the couples vacationing at The Elms. The investigation of the murder will get even more suspicious when it is learned that a precious diamond necklace belonging to Rex Morton goes missing. Emma and Derrick must now investigate whether Ines was involved with the missing necklace and was killed to silence her. There are plenty of suspects to investigate.

The story is well-written, plotted, descriptively told, and historically accurate. Many of the characters have returned in this book. They are all interesting and well-developed. The story moved at a good pace and was for me to put down. Plenty of red herrings should keep most guessing until the end.

Ms. Maxwell also provides an interesting and informative Author’s Note.

I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in this exciting series.

As a Gilded Age fan, I was happy to read this book! I was not aware it was a series and I think is missed out on some of the undercurrents due to not having read the prior books. Having said that, this was pretty much a standalone with everything that was happening explained well, and the strings being tied up by the end. I think I just missed some of the nuance and will need to go back and read the other titles in this series!

I enjoyed the 'inside look' at the times and the inequities between the have and the have nots as well as the servant class and the American Aristocracy!

Emma Cross is an independent newly married female who is breaking barriers and setting the stage for young women as the century begins. She and Derrick her new husband are invited to stay at one of the newly completed mansions in Newport RI. There is an employee strike, a murder, and other incidents that our intrepid sleuth has to untangle.

A nice Gilded Age book with lots of history interwoven with the fiction.

Thanks for Kensington and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Newport, Rhode Island - 1901

At long last, Emma Cross and Derrick Andrews have married. They own and run the “Newport Messenger” newspaper. Emma works as a news reporter while Derrick oversees everything else. They also employ Ethan Merriman as a society columnist.

Newport is the place where many of the Four Hundred have built stunning summer homes. The latest home built is called The Elms owned by Edward and Herminie Berwind. Emma gets news that something is happening there and hurries to cover it. It appears that the staff have decided to strike because they get no time off to rest. However, one young gal, Ines, from Portugal refuses to strike as she needs her job. Unfortunately, when the Berwinds are informed about the strike, they in turn, fire all of them and hire and staff which will now receive time off. Go figure!

The next evening, Emma and Derrick are invited to attend a musicale at The Elms. When a scream is heard, it is discovered that Ines has been strangled and pushed into the coal tunnel. Emma and Derrick are drawn in by the police to help them investigate the murder. Emma is well known for her sleuthing abilities and has solved many crimes in the past.

Once again, this author has written an intricate murder mystery that keeps the reader on their toes. I have always admired the attention to detail regarding the time period in her books. This book is like following a fun maze. Don’t miss it!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was so excited to receive an advanced reader copy of #MurderattheElms #NetGalley due out August 22, 2023!
Alyssa Maxwell writes historical mysteries that transport the reader into the Gilded Age with ease. I have enjoyed every book in the series even more because of the historical events of the period that are blended into each story. Entertaining mysteries and learning opportunities speak to me as a reader.
Emma and Derrick have returned to Newport after their Italian honeymoon. ready to begin work. while visiting The Elms, a maid is discovered, murdered, and the hunt is on for the culprit. The journey to find the murderer is twisted and littered with red herrings and clues. This is the part I most enjoy. Every book is entertaining and can be read as a standalone-- but I love seeing how the characters have grown over these eleven books, not to mention learning about the different cottages. Don't miss this book!
Thank you #NetGalley #KensingtonBooks #AlyssaDay for a complementary copy of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own, I review books that I love for friends and followers.

Alyssa Maxwell is a consistently good author. Her stories and characters are interesting and she expertly and subtly weaves historical facts in her narrative. Having visited Newport myself, I know there aren’t that many mansions. Will this series continue? Thanks to #NetGalley and #MurderInTheElms for advanced digital copy.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Alyssa Maxwell for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Murder at the Elms coming out August 22, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

1901: Back from their honeymoon in Italy, Emma and Derrick are getting used to life together as they return to work at the Newport Messenger. Edward Berwind’s new Bellevue Avenue estate The Elms, is newsworthy for two reasons: A modern mansion for the new century, it is one of the first homes in America to be wired for electricity with no backup power system, generated by coal from Berwind’s own mines. And their servants besides one have all gone on strike to protest their poor working conditions and wages. He callously replaces his staff with a new staff and throws a grand get together to show off the new aspects of his new “cottage.”
 
Emma and Derrick are invited to the housewarming, which culminates not only in a grand musicale but a tragedy. A chambermaid is found murdered in the coal tunnel. They also realize that a guest’s diamond necklace is missing and a laborer has vanished. 
 
Detective Jesse Whyte asks Emma and Derrick to help with the investigation to determine whether the murdered maid and stolen necklace are connected. As the dark deeds cast a dark shadow over the new mansion, it’s up to Emma to shine a light on the killer.

I love this series! Emma is a fun character who knows when to go after a story and when to back down. She’s caring and compassionate and definitely wants the truth. I always enjoyed her relationship with Jesse more, but I’m coming around on Derrick. I love that he supports her and understands her needs. They work together well. I’ve been to a hotel called the Elms, so I thought this would be a fun read. I love the time period. The mystery was good and offered all the coziness I love.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys turn of the century, cozy mysteries!

Det. Jesse Whyte asks Emma and Derrick to help investigate the murder of a house maid at the newly built Elms, owned by coal baron Edwin Baron. It's 1901 and he's not a generous employer. His staff went on strike just before the Musicale meant to celebrate the estate and the maid was one of the few who did not walk out. Emma and Derrick run a newspaper but they also solve crimes, often with the help of Emma's family inroads into the Newport community. They're also navigating marriage and how to deal with one another. This is a delightful Gilded Age mystery with characters who show growth with every installment. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A very good read that should be fine as a standalone.

Murder at the Elms is the eleventh Gilded Newport Mystery. When Emma Andrews and her new husband Derrick Andrews end up entangled in another murder investigation, this one at the Elms, they put on their investigative hats and work together to unravel the mystery.

I have loved this whole series and this latest mystery sure didn’t disappoint. I have always enjoyed following along while Emma sleuths for a case, but I really enjoyed the addition of Derrick helping Emma along the way. This series is full of great characters, intriguing mysteries and the glamour of the early 1900s. Every time I pick up a book in this series I know I am in for a fun ride as I lose myself in the gilded Newport set. This is a great historical mystery and a great series.! I highly recommend this series if you haven’t checked it out!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

I first started reading the Gilded Newport Mysteries because of my fascination with the "cottages" in Newport and this era in American history. Murder at the Elms is the 11th book in a series that continues to be fun to read. This time, Emma, an ahead-of-her-time reporter and distant relative of the Vanderbilts, and her husband, Derrick, are visiting the Elms when a maid in murdered. Maxwell serves up a labor dispute, missing jewels, and more. This is a series that must be read in order because of the character development.

I enjoy this Gilded Age series that takes place at Newport among the rich. I’ve read all the books in the series and I always enjoy searching out the history of the real mansions and the people who lived there. Now that Emma and Derrick are married, they’re able to work together. They don’t really solve the mystery, but it was still fun to follow them as they talk to the various people, upstairs and downstairs, while trying to find the murderer.

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.

The 11th installment of the Gilded Newport mystery series (of which I have read three so far), was set 1901 in the opulent new mansion of the coal baron Edward Berwind.

Following a murder/theft at a glittering society party, married newspaper co-owners Emma and Derrick as attendees and amateur detective are asked by the authorities to help with the investigation. They uncover much more than they ever expected.

I enjoy this series, perhaps not as much as some historical mysteries, but the evolution of the characters is involving and interesting, and the detail and attention to the history of high society Newport, RI is well done and enlightening.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing the free early arc of Murder at the Elms for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

This is a very twisty, complicated murder for Emma, Derrick, and Jesse to solve. It all begins with a domestic servants' strike at the Elms. They are all fired. The one servant who didn't strike is later found murdered. Emma's sorrow for her slowly turns to incredulity as she realizes she didn't know the girl at all. It is amusing to watch Derrick's tightrope act protecting Emma but leaving her independence alone. Good for him! Emma loves him for it. She is slightly offkilter as she doesn't feel like her house is his too, nor is his apartment theirs. Another problem to be sorted out.

Emma and Derrick are back from their honeymoon when they are invited to a musical night at the Elms by the Berwinds. With the exception of one housemaid, the household staff has been replaced. When the housemaid is killed, a laborer goes missing and a necklace is stolen, Emma wonders what the connection may be. As more is learned about the other Berwind guests and the dead maid, more questions arise.
In addition to her investigation, Emma is also dealing with the changes that marriage brings.
#MurderattheElms#NetGalley

In the eleventh Gilded Newport mystery, Emma and Derrick are married and back from their honeymoon. Emma is fretting that neither his house nor her house feels like their house. But it is back to work for her as the reporter for the Newport Messenger.

Emma is called to the Elms, a newly built mansion, when she learns that the servants are threatening to strike over working conditions. She goes there and finds rival publisher Orville Brown agitating for the workers. When they do strike, The Elms owner Ned Berwind fires all of them but a Portuguese woman named Ines who refuses to join the strike.

Just a couple of weeks later, Emma and Derrick are invited to a musical night at The Elms and meets two different couples who are houseguests. Charles and Kay Gilchrist are a mismatched couple. He's much older and a colleague of Ned's. Rex and Sylvie Morton are the other couple. He's an investment banker and she's the one who sponsored the musical entertainment.

When the entertainment is broken up by the discovery of maid Ines's body in the coal tunnel, Emma and Derrick both decide to look into the crime. And just a while later, when a valuable diamond necklace is stolen from Rex's safe, things get more complicated.

As Emma looks into the mystery, she discovers lots and lots of connections between the couple and lots more questions than answers when she interviews them leading her to find herself in danger.

This was an entertaining mystery. I liked the historical setting. I also liked the relationship between Emma and Derrick. I've only read the first in this series and had no trouble getting into this one. While earlier events are mentioned, no knowledge is needed to understand and enjoy this mystery.

Fans of historical mysteries will enjoy this story.

I always enjoy reading each entry in the Gilded Newport mystery series, and this one was no exception. The setting was vivid and the time period really came to life. I truly felt transported to turn of the century Newport (and I just visited Newport recently so that made it extra fun)! Cozy mysteries aren’t really my thing, but I still enjoyed following Emma as she pieced the clues together. I don’t like Derrick at all so the segments with him detracted for me a bit. Overall this was an enjoyable read and the author’s love of Newport really came through in her writing.

"For fans of HBO's The Gilded Age, the glorious mansions of Newport house many mysteries - murder, theft, scandal - and no one is more adept at solving them than reporter Emma Andrews...

1901: Back from their honeymoon in Italy, Emma and Derrick are adapting to married life as they return to their duties at their jointly owned newspaper, the Newport Messenger. The Elms, coal baron Edward Berwind's newly completed Bellevue Avenue estate, is newsworthy for two reasons: A modern mansion for the new century, it is one of the first homes in America to be wired for electricity with no backup power system, generated by coal from Berwind's own mines. And their servants - with a single exception - have all gone on strike to protest their working conditions. Summarily dismissing and replacing his staff with cool and callous efficiency, Berwind throws a grand party to showcase the marvels of his new "cottage."

Emma and Derrick are invited to the fete, which culminates not only in a fabulous musicale but an unforeseen tragedy--a chambermaid is found dead in the coal tunnel. In short order, it is also discovered that a guest's diamond necklace is missing and a laborer has disappeared.

Detective Jesse Whyte entreats Emma and Derrick to help with the investigation and determine whether the murdered maid and stolen necklace are connected. As the dark deeds cast a shadow over the blazing mansion, it's up to Emma to shine a light on the culprit..."

I've been dreaming of spending the waning days of summer in Newport...

In the style and era of the beloved Agatha Christie, Alyssa Maxwell is a mystery writer to add to your list.

Murder At the Elms reminds me of Christie's style, certainly, but Maxwell has her own distinctive style.

To me, this was such a well-written cozy mystery. It was quick to read, the mystery was just the right amount of puzzling, and main character Emma is the best kind of sleuth.

Definitely recommended!

The 11th book in the “Gilded Newport” series features a newly-married Emma Cross as she adjusts to her new life. While still a newspaper reporter—although now writing new articles and no longer a society columnist—she also has established a more solid position within society with her marriage to Derrick Andrews. Emma’s unique character allows her to do things other women of the period do not, such as interacting with all levels of Newporters, and this always adds an interesting flavor. I love that this series features historical homes as well as historical figures and this book takes a close look at The Elms, which opened for the summer in 1901. The murder that is the focus of this book is that of a maid at The Elms and quickly the intrigue expands to involve theft and the crimes seem to involve both the affairs of the wealthy guests staying at the cottage and the staff. Alyssa Maxwell brings together these worlds in the context of a staff demanding time off and summarily being replaced, a new cottage opening, and the usual adventures of the Newport elite. Longtime fans of the series will love the latest installment. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Another brilliant read. The characters are always well-written and the plot is easy to follow with lots of twists and turns but not always easy to work out who the murderer is. This one especially kept me guessing till the end. There were a few different mysteries going on throughout the story which made it very enjoyable. Once again I look forward to the next installment. I received this as an ARC from Netgallley and freely give my review.

A week after covering the servant strike at the newly constructed Bellevue Avenue estate, newspaper reporter Emma Cross and her new husband attend a party at the mansion. During the party, the body of the only worker not to go on strike is found in the coal tunnel that connects to the mansion’s subterranean level. As Emma helps the Newport Police investigate the murder, the question becomes not only who killed the chambermaid but who exactly is the chambermaid? The victim turns out not to be just a shy chambermaid but a master criminal.

Alyssa Maxwell and Emma Cross never disappoint in the Gilded Newport Mysteries. Maxwell really brings turn-of-the-century Newport to life by taking the readers into the mansions and introducing us to the wealthy occupants and the people who keep the estates running. It’s good to see Emma and Derrick married and settling into their new life as a couple.