The mystery was complex with multiple moving parts. a possible murder, a jewel thief, and a journalist looking to start trouble. The search to discover more about her mother's murder adds more intrigue but this series is just OK for me I just can't seem to warm up her although it being set in the 1950s is a little different to the normal and this was perhaps just better than the first two, 3.5 stars. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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

I love this series so much! A cozy mystery series with real characters and problems. I especially appreciate how there is character growth from one novel to the next all while still being independent mysteries in each one. I recommend this series a lot for someone looking for a cosy mystery series that doesn't quite follow the pun titled cozies that are so prevalent.

There has been another murder at the Pinnacle Hotel. Evelyn Murphy, the owner’s daughter, was invited to join the Ladies Who Love to Sparkle at the hotel’s restaurant. As she looks over their catalogue of costume jewelry, champagne is served. Lois, the group’s leader, suffers an allergic reaction and later dies. The police call it an accidental death, but Evelyn is sure that it was murder. Lois was allergic to shrimp, which the restaurant did not have in supply. As Evelyn gets to know each member of the group she discovers that each one was hoping to make money from the sale of the jewelry. At that point, however, Lois was the only one who was profiting from their activities. Suffering from agoraphobia, Evelyn never leaves the hotel. She is still dealing with her boyfriend leaving her and she is responsible for organizing a charity ball. Luckily, she has Poppy, her assistant, to organize things for her. There is a journalist whose articles have been covering the murders associated with the hotel as well as a gentleman thief, who has been targeting wealthy clients of the hotel. To protect the hotel’s reputation, Evelyn calls on a retired detective who she originally hired to look into her mother’s death years earlier. She has provided a room at the hotel for his office and has daily meetings with him to discuss his progress and ask his advice on her investigation. He has finally discovered information about her mother that may require her to leave the hotel to follow his leads.

Evelyn’s life centers around her small dog, her wardrobe and her comfort. She may appear pampered and flighty, but people underestimate her. She has always had an uncanny ability to find things, including solutions to murder. As the charity ball approaches, S.K. golden brings all of the story lines together and provides a surprise appearance that will have you eager for Evelyn’s return. This was an entertaining mystery that brought smiles as Evelyn’s problems kept growing while she handled them in her own unique fashion. I would like to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this book.

This adorable series continues to be both adorable and thoughtful. The heroine, hotel heiress and agoraphobe Evelyn Murphy, dresses almost completely in pink and dyes her hair blonde like her idol, Marilyn. It’s 1958 and Elvis rules, as does Evelyn’s spoiled pom, Presley. Evelyn’s almost boyfriend Mac has taken off for parts unknown, and so she’s entertaining ideas of other suitors throughout the book.

The main story, however, centers on the “Ladies Who Love to Sparkle”, women who sell costume jewelry, Tupperware party style. As Evelyn enjoys tea in her hotel’s dining room, one of the sparkle ladies asks her to join them. They share their catalogue, and all share a glass of champagne. So far so good, but then the leader of the group collapses in Evelyn’s lap and later dies in the hospital.

Evelyn, who never leaves the hotel, decides that this death is a murder, not an accident, and using the many tools she has at her disposal – including a private detective she keeps on hand – she begins her sleuthing. The sleuthing does involve her actually leaving the hotel. I’m not exactly sure how Evelyn’s agoraphobia would have been viewed or treated in the 50’s – my reference here is Betty Draper’s treatment in Mad Men, where her doctor reported her progress back to her husband. But Evelyn does have a doctor who is encouraging her to change her routine and try and get outside the hotel. And she does.

Those moments are a triumph, and it certainly aids Evelyn’s sleuthing for her to meet her suspects on their home turf. She’s often escorted by Henry, a movie star, who is secretly gay and often uses Evelyn as a beard. The two are genuine friends, however, and Henry is another useful member of Evelyn’s sleuthing arsenal.

Golden is good at keeping her story percolating, including a possible romance with a lawyer and the new hotel piano player, who is very dashing. Evelyn and her assistant and friend Poppy are also putting together a gala for charity which is more or less the denouement of the novel, in classic golden age style.

While Evelyn appears fluffy and dumb, she really has good instincts and ways of figuring out what’s happening. She reminds me a bit of Joan Coggin’s creation of Lady Lupin, who marries “down” (a vicar) and makes her way through village life with a startling amount of perception and humor. Evelyn shares Lady Lupin’s style and charm.

The mystery part is also quite clever and while the suspect pool is pretty small, Golden manages to create suspense and a bit of a thrill at the end of the novel which also includes a cliffhanger, making any reader more than ready for the next instalment.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and S. K. Golden for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Socialite's Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets coming out March 11, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I haven’t read the other two books in the series, but I was really interested in checking out this book. I love historical cozy mysteries. The 1950s time period is really interesting. Evelyn is definitely an entertaining character. I really enjoyed the writing and the mystery. I would definitely check out more books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy historical mysteries!

I received a copy of this title from the publisher; all opinions expressed are my own. This book is the third book featuring Evelyn Murphy, the daughter of the owner of the Pinnacle Hotel. Told in first person, the book picks up a couple weeks after the end of the prior book. Evelyn has retreated back into her agoraphobia and is currently planning to throw a fundraiser for a charity on the advice of her therapist. Unfortunately, a visitor to the hotel restaurant dies suddenly and a jewel thief is targeting the wealthy including at least one Pinnacle guest.

I really liked the mysteries and thought they were well done. I appreciate the setting of the 1950's and love the continued evolution of Evelyn. She's slowly maturing and the cast of supporting characters are a blast. I'm looking forward to the continuing developments in the years old death of Evelyn's mother and how she handles the surprising event at the end of the book.

Book three in this series and I enjoyed it very much. Evelyn Grace Murphy is our main character. She is the daughter of the owner of the Pinnacle Hotel and she suffers from agoraphobia which makes it very hard for her to venture out of the hotel at all. The year is 1958.

I loved book one, was not so happy with book two and book three is somewhere in between. Evelyn tries to get out of the hotel and manages a few short trips. She has been abandoned by her boyfriend Mac and misses him very much. She goes out with a few other men but none of them are really competition for her memories of Mac.

Despite Evelyn's ditzy attitude and frequent naivety, she still knows how to expose a killer and protect herself (and her jewels) at the same time. This is a fun read and the closing sentence makes it dead set that I have to read the next book as soon as possible!

THE SOCIALITE'S GUIDE TO SLEUTHING & SECRETS by S. K. Golden
The Third Pinnacle Hotel Mystery

Though she'd prefer to be in her room at the Pinnacle Hotel with just her pets as companions, Evelyn Murphy has agreed to eat lunch in the Gold Room with her friend Henry. While admiring a tiara that was just delivered to her, ladies at a nearby table ask her to join them. As the hotel owner's daughter, Evelyn graciously sits with them and is soon given a sales pitch from Lois Mitchel, leader of the Ladies Love to Sparkle. As Evelyn peruses their costume jewelry catalog, Lois suddenly collapses. While it looks as if Lois suffered from a deadly allergic reaction, Evelyn's first thought is murder. While Evelyn Murphy has great difficulty with many aspects of her life, one thing she does well is find things...and that includes murderers.

THE SOCIALITE'S GUIDE TO SLEUTHING & SECRETS brings readers back to the Pinnacle Hotel, a luxury hotel in 1958 New York City and home to the Evelyn Murphy. Still reeling from the departure of her lover, Evelyn has been backsliding, refusing once again to leave the hotel. But, when faced with another death, one where the woman fell right on top of her, she focuses on what she does best. It's fascinating to watch Evelyn's methods, her relationships with others, and her ultimate successes. I loved her plan to trap the killer!

In the first book in the Pinnacle Hotel Mystery series I found Evelyn Elizabeth Grace Murphy contrived, especially with her speech, thank you ever so much. However, she's growing and by this third book we can see the character she's cultivated slowly fading as she's slowly letting her true self out. She even is just Evelyn Murphy now. Of course, it's slow going, but she's trying to be a better person.

The mystery was complex with multiple moving parts. a possible murder, a jewel thief, and a journalist looking to start trouble. The search to discover more about her mother's murder adds depth and more intrigue.

Humorous, yet imbued with pathos, THE SOCIALITE'S GUIDE TO SLEUTHING & SECRETS is a skillfully crafted mystery bringing 1950s style to a novel that's simply the ginchiest!

In 1950s Manhattan, hotel heiress Evelyn Murphy finds herself entangled in a dazzling yet deadly mystery in the third Pinnacle Hotel Mystery installment. During a luncheon, she unexpectedly receives a diamond tiara, drawing the interest of jewelry saleswoman Lois Mitchell. Moments later, Lois collapses in Evelyn’s lap—appearing to have had an anaphylactic response to something she ate. Meanwhile, the city buzzes about a Gentleman Thief, leaving red pocket squares at crime scenes. Determined to uncover the truth, Evelyn navigates a world of fake jewels, elusive criminals, and hotel intrigue. With sharp wit and relentless curiosity, she’s ready to crack this glittering, high-stakes case.

Pub Date: March 11, 2025

4.5 stars!

I loved this cozy mystery! It was fun and light hearted and easy to follow, which I'll be honest I struggle to keep the pieces of a mystery together. I'm too distracted by life to also have to keep track of all the threads, so thank you S. K. Golden for throwing your girl a bone! Evelyn Murphy is equal parts ditzy, glitzy, clever and observant. She is thoughtful about those who are in her inner circle, but gives her whole heart and attention to them once they're in. She uses her personality, her means and her quick wit to gather information to use toward solving two mysteries - the identity of the Gentleman Thief who steals precious jewels throughout the city, and the murder of Lois Mitchell who died in the Gold Room of Evelyn's hotel. Evelyn is the girliest, sassiest sleuth and I'm here for it. 

After reading this third installment, I will definitely be going back to read the first two, though I did not feel like readers needed to read the first two to read this one. The first book is The Socialite's Guide to Murder and the second book is The Socialite's Guide to Death and Dating. Such a fast and fun read - perfect for on the go, vacation or just a cozy weekend at home!

Thank you so much to the author, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this early gifted eARC!

Book 3 of the book puts heartbroken heiress Evelyn in the midst of a pyramid scheme / murder and a wicked thief.

Evelyn, as always, is a bit self-absorbed, but you can see her changing slowly through the books and being pushed beyond her boundaries. Her ever-present entourage is there to put her in her place, encourage her, and support her. I really missed Mac in this book.

The murder mystery was a little wacky, and the secondary plot with the thief interesting too. The ending definitely was a big SURPRISE!

Cannot wait for book 4.

Amaras narration was on point with her accents. You could definitely hear various emotions, Evies sadness, Poppy's anger, the detectives' wryness, and Colin's seductiveness.

#netgalley #TheSocialitesGuidetoSleuthingandSecrets

This latest in the series- which will be fine as a standalone- sees Evelyn, the wealthy agoraphobic daughter of a hotel magnate once again solve crimes with the help of an entertaining cast of characters. A ladies lunch at the hotel goes bad, a jewel thief is afoot and Evelyn has to take a deep breath. Good atmospherics for this novel at in 1958 New York. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I wasn't a fan of Evelyn in the past but she's grown on me and I suspect on others as well.

Evelyn’s personal growth is truly a joy to see. And the mystery was very cool to watch unfold. It took me a while to get accustomed to not seeing certain characters in this book but oh well, life goes on lol. The cherry on top for me will always be the side characters. I can’t wait to read more of this series.

A very enjoyable series. Evelyn Murphy, the socialite daughter of a wealthy hotel owner, lives in, and rarely leaves the Pinnacle Hotel in New York City. Along with her friends, hotel employees, and others, once again, she sets out to solve a murder, this time of someone who actually lands in her lap.

This is a fun, fast-paced series. Great characters and a terrific plot, once again. I love this series more and more with each passing book.

Highly recommended!!

The Socialite's Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets is book 3 in S.K. Gordon’s Pinnacle Hotel Mystery series but as someone who was not familiar with the series, I can confidently say that it’s easily read as a standalone.

The story is written in first person from the point of view of Evelyn Murphy, the daughter of a rich hotelier, and living in the fabulous Pinnacle Hotel in London circa 1958. Evelyn is attending a charity luncheon at the hotel when she is summoned to the table of a bunch of ladies, and shortly afterward one of them falls dead into her lap. Evelyn is determined to solve the crime in order to prevent the reputation of the hotel from being affected.

In the beginning of the book I found Evelyn to be a bit selfish, and unaware or uncaring of the feelings of some of the people she interacted with. Even later in the novel there were a few places where I felt like she was a bit self absorbed, but she did grow on me.

There were a number of people to serve as suspects in the murder of Mrs. Mitchell, and with a secondary mystery to solve, that of the jewelry thief, this mystery was quite an interesting read with a rather exciting ending.

I think any lover of cosy mysteries would enjoy this book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Evelyn is back! Minus a beau but plus new friends and frenemies. The action begins right from the start, when she is invited to a table of ladies who lunch, only to end up with their leader passing out in her arms. When she eventually dies, the police call it an accident. Evelyn knows better. This is a book that benefits from reading the previous volumes, but just in case, I’ll try to avoid spoilers. This time, a character is missing and this forces Evelyn to rely more on other recurring characters, getting to know them better. There are also additions to the cast, including the dreamboat son of Mr. Sharpe, who brings some romantic tension to the plot, since Evelyn is also considering dating her attorney. This time I didn’t figure out whodunit and, even if I did predict one of the twists, the ending left me flabbergasted. I’m really intrigued by her Mother’s case, which we don’t get to find out a lot about, but hopefully will feature more prominently in the future. That said, what I like the most about this series is the main character. She is a spoiled, egocentric rich girl and yet, I like her so much! Her love for animals, the fierce loyalty to her friends and her remarkable intelligence (which she’s forced to hide) makes it understandable how everybody is willing to help her, beyond the obvious that she is insanely wealthy. So I just have one bone to pick with her: Marple over Poirot? Really? I can’t wait for the next volume. Five stars!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Crooked Lane Books.

“It’s a curious thing to know exactly where you are and still be lost. For example, I was at lunch.”
Here are reasons to read the Mystery book:

3rd in series - In this 3rd book in the series
Hotel - we continue to follow Evelyn as the heiress in residence/ owners daughter of the Pinnacle hotel
Guest - in which she has a guest literally turn purple and fall into her lap

While you don’t need to necessarily read the first two books to get context, it does help. At the beginning of this book Evelyn’s boyfriend Mac from the first 2 books has left her. And she is also slightly agoraphobic, so she regresses a bit when he leaves. But she is always down to solve a murder. The fun thing about this one is that it talks about pyramid schemes similar to other jewelry selling businesses. And considering it’s 1958 this is a really interesting topic. If you like cozy mysteries that aren’t too complicated, this one's for you.

I got so excited about the idea of an heiress going about her day as an undercover sleuth. It's like Nancy Drew meets Gossip Girl. There is just a little bit of hesitation in propelling the plot much faster. Overall a good book!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Focusing on the daughter of hotelier, Evelyn is anxious, clueless about life and often selfish. However there is something endearing about Evelyn, and I did enjoy the banter and sleuthing within the story. It didn’t blow me away but it was fun.

I didn’t realise going into this book that it is part of a series, it is totally readable without reading the rest of the books. However, I think I may have enjoyed the story more if I had read the previous books in the series.

Another fun Socialite's Guide by S.K. Golden. Evelyn is the feisty protagonist who is not without faults but she has a quick wit and notices every detail! The time period and physical setting is perfect for Evelyn's story and I have enjoyed every twist and turn that had me guessing to the very end. Some of Evelyn's romantic antics add a lot to the story but does not take away from the mystery! I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

The Socialite's Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets, book three in the Pinnacle Hotel Mystery series by S. K. Golden, is a fun romp with two distinct mysteries for the main character, hotel heiress Evelyn Murphy, and her friends to solve.
The suspects for the first mystery, the death of an unscrupulous woman at the head of a pyramid scheme taking advantage of desperate women, are plenty, while the suspects for the jewel thief preying on the rich, are few and far between. Golden metes out the clues one by one, culminating in a tense situation for our heroine.
This is the first book of the series that I have read, and it stands well on its own. I initially found Evelyn unrelatable and even irritating in her privilege, but found myself warming to her slightly by the end of the book.
I was happy to receive an ARC of #TheSocialitesGuidetoSleuthingandSecrets from #NetGalley, and recommend the book for a fun, easy read.