The second in the Pinnacle Hotel Mystery series and it was okay but not as good as the first.

The main character, Evelyn Murphy, is the daughter of the hotel owner and therefore is used to all the good things in life. This is also New York in 1958 and the lifestyle is all fun and luxury and ditzy young women. I rather enjoyed Evelyn's mixture of smarts and naivety in book one but in this story she is rather overplayed and occasionally becomes irritating.

However there is still a good mystery and the book is very readable. I was a little disappointed in the boyfriend but who knows what will happen next? I will just have to read the next book and find out.

I love the concept of the protagonist as a young wealthy woman who is pretty much alone in the world except for the people she works with at the hotel her father owns. I liked the time period, which came through the writing subtly, but clearly. The mystery itself was well-crafted and interesting. However, I really struggled with the inconsistencies with the main character’s flaws, strengths, and persona. She is so insipid at times, and at others, quite insightful - though neither is a surprise? She is agoraphobic, but running all over town to investigate a murder. She is becoming aware of herself as spoiled and out of touch, but this seems to go nowhere. The publisher makes a comparison to Rhys Bowen’s books, and as an ardent fan of hers, perhaps my expectations were set too high.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this mystery.

The Socialite's Guide to Murder is the second Pinnacle Hotel murder mystery by S.K. Golden. Due out 10th Oct 2023 from Crooked Lane Books, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a refined and engaging cozy mystery with a young wealthy girl/woman who lives her life within the confines of her father's very posh hotel due to her agoraphobia, which she's trying to mitigate with therapy and by forcing herself outside. It's all lace curtains and silk stockings, social calendars and parties, until circumstances thrust her into the middle of another investigation.

The writing style is simple and direct. The characters are well rendered, albeit often fairly superficial. Main character Evelyn is a spoiled little rich girl, but nevertheless stands by her friends. She does develop over the course of the book, and it's an actively ongoing series.

This will likely appeal to fans of Ashley Weaver and Anna Lee Huber, although this series is set in America in the late 1950s and not Victorian England. There are a number of anachronisms, and often the dialogue seems to be cosplaying 1958 and not actually set during the time period. I am also not sure how accurate the availability of psychiatric treatment and therapy was for general anxiety in the late 1950s in the USA and couldn't find much resource info with a cursory search. All that being said, however, it *is* an entertaining and readable book with a good plot and pace.

The unabridged audiobook version has a run time of 10 hours, 4 minutes and is narrated by Amara Jasper. She has a well modulated rich alto voice and does a number of character voices distinctly and well. Her British accent(s) are not always flawless, but the characters are competently rendered and certainly don't distract from the read. I found her voice soothing to listen to and suited to the read overall.

Three and a half stars. Escapist comfort reading. There are two books in the series so far, so it would make a nice choice for a short binge/buddy read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

A somewhat light and silly rather than quirky read. It does touch on some of the social issues of the 1950s. The mystery was interesting however Evelyn was over the top and did detract from the story for me. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I wasn't a fan of the first in this series as I found Evelyn quite annoying but this, this was an improvement. it's 1950 and Evelyn is the spoiled agoraphobic daughter of a hotel owner who doesn't approve of her boyfriend Malcolm. He doesn't know that Malcolm will help Evelyn solve the murder of a judge at the hotel and his own attack by a person wielding heroin. This is somewhere between cozy and thriller-a little more gritty than cozy given the nature of the death/attack and a little more frothy than thriller thanks to Evelyn. Keep reminding yourself she's 21 and this is 1958. Thanks to Netgalley for he ARC. I'm hoping Golden keeps Evelyn maturing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't t sure what to expect from this book. I was three chapters in when I realized there was a previous book with the same characters. That book provides more context to the characters but you could probably get by without reading it. I did stop this book and go back to the first one though. Imagine a cozy mystery set in late 1950s New York. It was so much fun! I do so hope there will be another one (we are left set up with the possibility).

Thank you for the ARC.

I love mysteries! This is a fun one with our agoraphobic hero, Evelyn.
I am "dying" to see where this series goes next. I'm loving books—especially mysteries set in the 1950s.

Happy reading!

This charming series follows Evelyn Elizabeth Grace Murphy in 1958 New York City. Her father owns the swanky Pinnacle Hotel, where Evelyn lives, and her father makes only occasional appearances in her life. As the book opens, she and her boyfriend, Mac, are at a party she’s planned at the hotel. It’s full of wealthy, prominent people, but as it’s wrapping up, Mac suggests they make a break for it and head to his place in Yonkers. Evelyn, who is agoraphobic (but she’s working on it) reluctantly agrees to this plan. Unfortunately, on their way out of the hotel garage, they find one of the guests, a Judge Baker, dead in his car of an apparent heroin overdose.

A screaming prostitute is discovered in the trunk of the Judge’s car, and all hell breaks loose. Evelyn, who takes crime in her hotel very personally, already wants to solve the case and Mac agrees to help out. When Evelyn’s father arrives unexpectedly, she and Mac have an uneasy meeting with him as he objects to their relationship. The next morning, Evelyn finds him having a seizure in his bedroom – the victim of another heroin overdose. What’s worse, Evelyn’s maid, Florence, is found dead in the closet.

With the help of Mac and her therapist, Evelyn is managing to hold it together, but the urgency of solving the crime after her father’s attack seems far more important. While her father is recovering in the hospital, she sends Mac out to hunt for clues, but he’s unfortunately arrested and Evelyn’s ally in the police department, Hodgson, is fired.

This plot set up makes the whole novel sound quite grim, but it’s really far from it. Evelyn is a young woman – only 21 – and while she does have agoraphobia, she manages, in this book, to take a taxi, get to the hospital, and taken to the police station for questioning – all without fainting or falling apart. While Evelyn is a somewhat frothy confection, interested in fashion, idolizing Marilyn Monroe, and throwing her father’s money around, she’s also a genuinely kind person who cares for her friends and employees, loves Mac, and worships her little dog, Presley (named for you know who).

The detective work is snappy and intelligent, with all kinds of false leads and hard work on the part of Evelyn and the fired detective Hodgson, who is now on Evelyn’s payroll. There’s some sly humor as well, but the real masterpiece of the books is Evelyn herself. At 21, she’s realizing she’s not the center of the universe, and she’s trying to take a deeper interest in those around her (other than just asking them to do things for her). She’s ashamed of how little she knew Florence, who worked for her for years.

She also has some genuine trauma that she’s still not quite dealt with. Her mother was murdered and the crime has never been solved. Evelyn was six at the time, and her father flew in, hired a nanny, and left. Evelyn also suffered the loss of her nanny. These things inform her personality and in my opinion, she’s a little too hard on herself. The clever Golden leaves the reader with a surprise turn of events at the end of the book, as well as a good cliffhanger for the next installment. This a charmingly odd series with a truly interesting heroine.
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The second installment in S.K. Golden’s Pinnacle Hotel Mysteries is as cute as the first. Evelyn Murphy is back solving mysteries and trying to overcome her agoraphobia. Fans of the first book or of any cozy mysteries will love this one!

I found out about the first book from the "Only Murders in the Building" TV show Reddit. It is similar as it takes places in New York (although different time periods) and a singular location (hotel vs apartment building).

I devoured the first one and I was really excited to see how the series continued. Unfortunately, I found this book to be a step backwards. I know that Evelyn is supposed to be a bit of ditzy but strong lady but I just found her to super annoying in this book - I was not as enthralled and the ending was rushed and not super satisfying. If there is a third book, I will read it because it has a lot of potential. All in all, it's still an enjoyable read but Rhys Bowen's Her Royal Spyness is still my favourite!

Thank you to Crooked Lane books and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Evelyn Murphy, daughter of the Pinnacle Hotel owner, has just successfully thrown a big fundraiser for the reelection campaign of New York’s mayor. To celebrate, her steady beau Malcolm Cooper plans to drive them both to his place in Yonkers. Unfortunately, the two get no further than the Pinnacle parking garage when they discover the dead body of Judge Baker.

Detective Hodgson arrives with his new partner Detective McJimsey, who immediately suspects Evelyn. He takes her into custody when a woman is found in the boot of the car and has a terrifying reaction to what is assumed Evelyn’s presence. However, Evelyn is released immediately and is picked up by her usually absent father.

Evelyn knows she has a mystery solve, but she also now has to contend with her father, who insists she breaks off her relationship with Mac. She refuses and both go to bed, but Evelyn finds her father in the morning having been attacked similar to Judge Baker. There’s also a dead woman in his closet.

Now Mac is in the detectives’ crosshairs, and Evelyn must continue the investigation on her own.

Evelyn continues to grow into a person who understands her advantages. This growth is tested in so many ways, but Evelyn wades into everything with all of the charm expected of a socialite. It is her emotional state, the anxiety and agoraphobia, however that make her a more realistic character. Her daddy issues give the story an Orphan Annie vibe that weaves through the storyline seamlessly.

I hate Evelyn’s father. I didn’t feel much about him in the first novel, because he was never around. However, now he is part of the mystery and I really rooted for the murderer. I wanted so badly for him to have a personality change and yet that didn’t happen. I will also say that I threw the book (not really because it's on my phone, but you understand what I mean), because of two scenes at the end. Just sheer frustration that I hope is resolved in the next book.

The action starts as soon as the book begins, which I appreciated. I love novels that get to the main plot line quickly. This also made the pace for the novel steady and smooth. The mystery, for the most part, was solid, but I knew who the murderer was right away. I continued reading to discover the why because that was not obvious. Once the explanation was given, it was like a duh moment. Of course that’s why everything happened.

Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

Cozy mystery, round 2 with Ev and the gang! Nice and easy little read and perfect for the fall. It would probably be helpful to have read The Socialite's Guide to Murder to understand Evelyn a little better, but I think you could manage and figure out a lot of the major points even if you didn't.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really loved the first book and was so excited to read the second one. It wasn't as good, though, in my opinion. I found Evelyn to be quite a bit more annoying in this one, almost to the point where I couldn't stand her. I also didn't like Malcolm nearly as much either. My dislike of these main characters made it hard to enjoy the story.

"Perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Ashley Weaver, the second Pinnacle Hotel mystery finds another murder that strikes too close to home, and hotel heiress Evelyn Murphy knows she's the only one who can save the hotel before it's lights out.

New York, 1958. Even though Evelyn Murphy has made progress conquering her agoraphobia by leaving the Pinnacle, she still feels most comfortable in her father's hotel. With Malcolm Cooper, her new boyfriend and fellow employee at the hotel, Evelyn feels prepared for whatever happens next. In this case, it's throwing a big fundraiser with the who's who of New York City.

The night is a success, and Evelyn finally takes up Malcolm's offer to finally visit his apartment in Yonkers. As the party ends, they sneak away to the garage to get Evelyn's car. But Evelyn's always been good at finding things, and she discovers the dead body of a guest, Judge Baker, in a car - with a needle in his arm.

Detective Hodgson and his new partner, Detective McJimsey, arrive on the scene, but before they can begin to question Evelyn, they are startled by another mysterious discovery: there's a woman in the trunk of the car, and she screams as soon as she sees Evelyn's face. Tangled up in the police investigation, Evelyn's got another problem, too - her father insists she break off her relationship with Mac. The next day, her father is found attacked just like the judge, only this time the detectives find a dead woman nearby.

With Mac accused of the attacks and in police custody, Evelyn will have to find the killer on her own before she's checked out of the hotel - this time, for good."

I think there's a slight difference between being good at finding things a stumbling upon corpses...

This book is absolutely as good as the first!

It's hard to believe this is just SK Golden's sophomore story. This book reads like a seasoned veteran's.

It's a cozy mystery with a hint of thriller, and a heaping spoonful of humor!

The story opens with a romp through a Halloween gala (costumes optional, apparently) and dashes through twisty turns until the end.

I adore Evelyn. "I'm extremely angry? I'm the right amount of angry, thank you ever so." Evie's ornery, spoiled, and stubborn, and a great deal of fun.

I highly recommend both of these books (and hope for many more).

Spoiled and rich, but charming and likeable Evelyn stumbles upon another murder in her family's hotel.

New York, 1958. Evelyn Murphy, the twenty-one year old daughter of a very wealthy man has, in some respects, lived a charmed life. Her mother was murdered however, leaving her traumatised, agoraphobic, and unable to leave The Pinnacle, her father's New York hotel. Discovering a talent for event organisation has given her a focus and enabled her to arrange a very successful fundraiser, at least it was until she found a dead body and the police arrived!

With her boyfriend and personal assistant, Mac, by her side, Evelyn finds the courage to leave The Pinnacle and, much to their dismay, investigate alongside the local detectives! The danger isn't over however, and with victims found far too close to home for comfort Evelyn realises her unique perspective on everything that has happened may mean she is the only one who can solve this case; as long as the killer doesn't get to her first!

Book two in the Pinnacle Hotel Mystery Series is an entertaining, well written, and original crime story which I thoroughly enjoyed. I have yet to read the first novel but didn't find that a disadvantage at all. I really liked Evelyn and her inner turmoil was extremely well explained and seen through her eyes. It was apparent that there will be at least one more book in this series which I will definitely be on the lookout for.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Crooked Lane Books, but the opinions expressed are my own. This was a great read which I happily recommend.

This was an excellent historical cozy mystery! The vibes of the book felt like a combination of Legally Blonde, Clueless, and Agatha Christie. The mystery played out really well and I was entertained from start to finish.

Clueless meets Ms. Marble meets Hercule Poirot. Very well-thought-out mystery plot.

I rounded up to 4 stars, as Evelyn is still growing on me. Before I go into the review, I want to preface it by saying that yes, Evelyn is a character that you at times laugh with, roll your eyes at, root for and want to knock some common sense into.... HOWEVER, you also want to hug her and give her love. Back story - mother is murdered when she is 6 years old, raised by a Nanny with an absent father, who feels money fixes all the problems. Evelyn develops agoraphobia and with help, slowly starts to leave the hotel.

Evelyn is a great finder of lost things. This time, when trying to leave the hotel at night with Mac, go to Yonkers, they find the dead body of a high ranking judge with a syringe in his arm, with a woman locked in the trunk. Quickly Evelyn and then Mac become suspects. Evelyn is dragged down to the police department by a new detective working with Hodgeson, where she is told she is suspect, and quickly asks for a lawyer. Loved this part. Soon, the mayor and police chief show up and release her.

Daddy is also back, and delivering ultimatums. He wants Evelyn to break up with Mac, and to grow up - not be such an airhead - so that she can help in the business like her mother used to. He threatens to cut her off financially if she doesn't tow the line. Her father, very shortly after his arrival is attacked with a syringe in his room, and Florence, the maid, is found strangled in the closet.

This was a good mystery, and we learn more about Evelyn - we get to see her humanity, and pass her ingenue. She is an intelligent woman and not at all what she appears.

I absolutely loved the first Socialite's Guide book and was so excited to receive this second book! As much as I enjoy Evelyn and her quirks, I felt like they were a bit too much this time around (more so the language she continuously uses- ginchiest and lover). However, I did appreciate her working through her panic attacks and overcoming them- a lot of growth from the first book! While one major component of the ending was a bit sad, I am excited to see what happens in the third book given the premise is teased.