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Gilded Newport Mysteries #6
Murder at Ochre Court
For fans of HBO’s The Gilded Age, explore the dark side of the alluring world of America’s 19th century elite in this gripping series of riveting mysteries…
In the summer of 1898, reporter Emma Cross investigates a shocking death among the bright lights of Newport's high society . . .
After a disappointing year as a society columnist for the Herald and staying with her more well-heeled Vanderbilt relatives in New York City, Emma has returned to the salty air, glittering ocean vistas, and grand stately mansions of Newport, Rhode Island, more determined than ever to report on hard news.
But for now she's covering the social event of the season at Ochre Court, a coming-out ball designed to showcase Cleo Cooper-Smith, who will be literally on display, fittingly as Cleopatra, in an elaborate tableau vivant. Recently installed modern electricity will allow Miss Cooper-Smith to truly shine. But as the deb ascends to her place of honor, the ballroom is plunged into darkness. When the lights come back on, Cleo sits still on her throne, electrocuted to death.
Quickly establishing that the wiring was tampered with, Emma now has a murder to investigate. And the array of eligible suspects could fill another ballroom--from a shady New York real estate developer to a neglected sister and the mother of a spurned suitor. As Emma begins to discover this crime has unseen connections to a nefarious network, she puts her own life at risk to shine a light on the dark motives behind a merciless murder.
In the summer of 1898, reporter Emma Cross investigates a shocking death among the bright lights of Newport's high society . . .
After a disappointing year as a society columnist for the Herald and staying with her more well-heeled Vanderbilt relatives in New York City, Emma has returned to the salty air, glittering ocean vistas, and grand stately mansions of Newport, Rhode Island, more determined than ever to report on hard news.
But for now she's covering the social event of the season at Ochre Court, a coming-out ball designed to showcase Cleo Cooper-Smith, who will be literally on display, fittingly as Cleopatra, in an elaborate tableau vivant. Recently installed modern electricity will allow Miss Cooper-Smith to truly shine. But as the deb ascends to her place of honor, the ballroom is plunged into darkness. When the lights come back on, Cleo sits still on her throne, electrocuted to death.
Quickly establishing that the wiring was tampered with, Emma now has a murder to investigate. And the array of eligible suspects could fill another ballroom--from a shady New York real estate developer to a neglected sister and the mother of a spurned suitor. As Emma begins to discover this crime has unseen connections to a nefarious network, she puts her own life at risk to shine a light on the dark motives behind a merciless murder.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 31, 2018
345 people are currently reading
1201 people want to read
About the author
Alyssa Maxwell
29 books1,082 followersAlyssa Maxwell is the author of The Gilded Newport Mysteries, inspired by her husband’s family whose Newport origins date back numerous generations. The series features the glamour of the Gilded Age and a sleuth who is a Newporter born and raised, and also a less "well-heeled" cousin of the Vanderbilt family. Alyssa also writes A Lady & Lady’s Maid Mysteries, an English-set series that begins as WWI is ending. She and her husband live in South Florida, where she is a member of the Florida chapter of the Mystery Writers of America and the South Florida Fiction Writers. You can visit her at http://alyssamaxwell.com, and find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
August 26, 2018
Murder at Ochre Court is a decent addition to the Gilded Newport Mysteries series. I struggled a bit with this book because I loved the setting in the story but felt that there was too little focus on Ochre Court and too much focus on an unexciting mystery and other extraneous things. My favorite part of this series is learning about the various Newport “cottages” and would have loved to learn more about Ochre Court and its inhabitants and less about the characters that were part of this particular mystery. However, if you are a fan of this series, it is still worth the read.
August 17, 2018
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Emma clearly has not been happy in New York. Her work for the Herald as a society columnist has been pretty mundane. She really wants to be a hard news journalist, something very few women have been given the chance to do. She has a huge decision to make. Will she return to New York after covering the coming-out ball of Cleo Cooper-Smith or will she stay in Newport and try to find a way to follow her dream?
Ochre Court is where the party for Miss Cooper-Smith is taking place. The Goelet’s have just installed modern electricity and the decorations and planned tableau vivant should be spectacular and the talk of the season. But as the debutante dressed as Cleopatra takes her place on the throne, the room shockingly goes dark. As soon as lighting is restored a horrible sight awaits the crowd. Miss Cooper-Smith is dead, she has been electrocuted and the wiring has been tampered with. The young lady was murdered and there is a room full of suspects.
With Emma on the scene, she plans to report on the death for the Herald and investigate the murder too. The problem is as she uncovers the truth she is putting herself in the killer’s sights. She may miss her final deadline if she isn’t careful.
Alyssa Maxwell is an extraordinary storyteller. She is able to blend real historical times, places and events into a fictional story that will have readers believing they are reading a true account. She is careful to separate fact from fiction at the end of the story. It is so easy to see that she has researched the era and the area extensively. It is also very easy for the reader to escape right into the pages and away to Newport circa 1898.
Emma Cross is a protagonist that is smart, engaging and very independent for a woman at this point in history. Because of her shirttail relationship to the Vanderbilt family, she is able to call on and question almost all members of the elite 400 Club. She doesn’t hold back either. They are not always happy to see her, but they usually come around to answering her questions. Also in this story, Emma meets Nellie Bly, a famous female journalist who has inspired Emma to follow her passion of becoming a hard news reporter.
We meet many new characters in this installment and each is very defined but they all seem to have some kind of secret that causes Emma to really dig to find the truth. The truth leads her to some shady dealings in New York, and that takes the story in direction Emma has been pondering a while. Twists, yes. Turns, yet. Surprising reveal, yes, yes, yes.
The cover of the book gives us a nice picture of Ochre Court, but after reading each book in this series and the author’s notes at the end I always find myself searching for more information about the place and the family that actually lived there. I really enjoyed this post on The Gilded Age Era, complete with pictures and floor plans. Seeing those confirmed that what I had imagined from the author’s wonderful descriptions were spot on.
Thanks to Ms. Maxwell readers are treated to a rich story set in the Gilded Age with a complex mystery that keeps us guessing right up until the end. Then she gives us just a little snippet that leaves us craving for the next book in this series.
Every book in this series is wonderful and I do recommend reading them all in order. I am amazed at all Emma Cross has been through in these six stories.
Emma clearly has not been happy in New York. Her work for the Herald as a society columnist has been pretty mundane. She really wants to be a hard news journalist, something very few women have been given the chance to do. She has a huge decision to make. Will she return to New York after covering the coming-out ball of Cleo Cooper-Smith or will she stay in Newport and try to find a way to follow her dream?
Ochre Court is where the party for Miss Cooper-Smith is taking place. The Goelet’s have just installed modern electricity and the decorations and planned tableau vivant should be spectacular and the talk of the season. But as the debutante dressed as Cleopatra takes her place on the throne, the room shockingly goes dark. As soon as lighting is restored a horrible sight awaits the crowd. Miss Cooper-Smith is dead, she has been electrocuted and the wiring has been tampered with. The young lady was murdered and there is a room full of suspects.
With Emma on the scene, she plans to report on the death for the Herald and investigate the murder too. The problem is as she uncovers the truth she is putting herself in the killer’s sights. She may miss her final deadline if she isn’t careful.
Alyssa Maxwell is an extraordinary storyteller. She is able to blend real historical times, places and events into a fictional story that will have readers believing they are reading a true account. She is careful to separate fact from fiction at the end of the story. It is so easy to see that she has researched the era and the area extensively. It is also very easy for the reader to escape right into the pages and away to Newport circa 1898.
Emma Cross is a protagonist that is smart, engaging and very independent for a woman at this point in history. Because of her shirttail relationship to the Vanderbilt family, she is able to call on and question almost all members of the elite 400 Club. She doesn’t hold back either. They are not always happy to see her, but they usually come around to answering her questions. Also in this story, Emma meets Nellie Bly, a famous female journalist who has inspired Emma to follow her passion of becoming a hard news reporter.
We meet many new characters in this installment and each is very defined but they all seem to have some kind of secret that causes Emma to really dig to find the truth. The truth leads her to some shady dealings in New York, and that takes the story in direction Emma has been pondering a while. Twists, yes. Turns, yet. Surprising reveal, yes, yes, yes.
The cover of the book gives us a nice picture of Ochre Court, but after reading each book in this series and the author’s notes at the end I always find myself searching for more information about the place and the family that actually lived there. I really enjoyed this post on The Gilded Age Era, complete with pictures and floor plans. Seeing those confirmed that what I had imagined from the author’s wonderful descriptions were spot on.
Thanks to Ms. Maxwell readers are treated to a rich story set in the Gilded Age with a complex mystery that keeps us guessing right up until the end. Then she gives us just a little snippet that leaves us craving for the next book in this series.
Every book in this series is wonderful and I do recommend reading them all in order. I am amazed at all Emma Cross has been through in these six stories.
April 8, 2021
After a year in New York City, Emma Cross has returned to Newport to cover the social scene for her newspaper. Her first day back she attends a coming out party at Ochre Court for Miss Cleo Cooper-Smith. Mrs. Goelet, the owner of Ochre Court, has pulled out all stops with the decor, including real electric lights. But things go wrong when the lights go out and the guest of honor ends up dead. When it is determined that Cleo was murdered, Emma interviews many of the guests who were at the party. She quickly discovers that Cleo was not well liked by the people at her party.
This is the sixth book in the Gilded Newport Mystery series. As usual, the author includes real historical figures as characters in her story. I enjoy that along with the description of the beautiful "summer cottages" in Newport.
Since Emma has just returned to her hometown, we have both Derrick and Jesse vying for her attention. She just can't seem to decide between them. Really, I don't think she love either of them; and I'd rather the author just give up on this storyline. This particular mystery had several suspects. I kept jumping between three that I thought could have been the killer. It was one of the better mysteries in the series.
My rating: 4.5 Stars.
This is the sixth book in the Gilded Newport Mystery series. As usual, the author includes real historical figures as characters in her story. I enjoy that along with the description of the beautiful "summer cottages" in Newport.
Since Emma has just returned to her hometown, we have both Derrick and Jesse vying for her attention. She just can't seem to decide between them. Really, I don't think she love either of them; and I'd rather the author just give up on this storyline. This particular mystery had several suspects. I kept jumping between three that I thought could have been the killer. It was one of the better mysteries in the series.
My rating: 4.5 Stars.
April 17, 2025
Murder at Ochre Court by Alyssa Maxwell
Gilded Newport Mysteries series #6. Historical cozy mystery. Can be read as a stand-alone but better as part of the series.
Emma Cross returns to her hometown of Newport, Rhode Island after a disappointing year working in New York. She’s determined to make a living reporting hard news instead of covering the social events. In the meantime, she still needs to money to support herself. She’s reporting on the social event of the season when a socialite is electrocuted by the recently installed modern electricity.
Emma finds the wiring was tampered with begins her investigation into who might benefit from the death or if there is more than personal reasons behind the murder.
While working through the case details, Emma still waffles between Derrick Andrews who had once proposed to her and Jessie Whyte who she has known all her life.
Emma asks all the questions to solve this cozy while also considering job, future and boyfriend. Lots of included historical facts between gas and electric of the times with a bit of suspense as the mystery gets solved.
Intriguing to think of electric as a new thing and have so many be afraid of it.
I was gifted a paperback copy of this book several years ago, at a library event.
Gilded Newport Mysteries series #6. Historical cozy mystery. Can be read as a stand-alone but better as part of the series.
Emma Cross returns to her hometown of Newport, Rhode Island after a disappointing year working in New York. She’s determined to make a living reporting hard news instead of covering the social events. In the meantime, she still needs to money to support herself. She’s reporting on the social event of the season when a socialite is electrocuted by the recently installed modern electricity.
Emma finds the wiring was tampered with begins her investigation into who might benefit from the death or if there is more than personal reasons behind the murder.
While working through the case details, Emma still waffles between Derrick Andrews who had once proposed to her and Jessie Whyte who she has known all her life.
Emma asks all the questions to solve this cozy while also considering job, future and boyfriend. Lots of included historical facts between gas and electric of the times with a bit of suspense as the mystery gets solved.
Intriguing to think of electric as a new thing and have so many be afraid of it.
I was gifted a paperback copy of this book several years ago, at a library event.
June 29, 2018
I love this series, and Murder at Ochre Court is a wonderful addition to it. Maxwell does a masterful job of threading historical events into her fictional narrative. The characters are likeable -except for the ones that shouldn't be! - and the mystery satisfying.
BRAVA! Can't wait for the next Gilded Newport Mystery.
BRAVA! Can't wait for the next Gilded Newport Mystery.
December 25, 2020
I felt that the solution was rather too involved for a reader to have a fair chance at deducing it... there were just so many threads, and I like my mysteries a bit more focused. But the setup was really compelling and as always I really enjoy Emma and her little family at Gull Manor.
January 19, 2019
Emma Cross is returning to Newport from New York City in the summer of 1898 as the book opens. While she is on assignment to cover a coming out event for one of the cultural elite for the New York Herald, Emma knows that she has missed her hometown too much to not stay. The party is set to take place at Ochre Court the second largest of the summer "cottages" in Newport and the home of the Goelets.
While the part is being thrown by the Goelets, the coming-out ball is really for Cleo Cooper-Smith, the daughter of a dear friend of Mrs. Goelet who recently died. Mrs. Goelet promised to make sure that Mrs. Cooper-Smith's daughters would get the best as they moved forward in society life. Unfortunately, the party takes a shocking turn when the lights go out at it's high point and the young lady at the center of the event is dead. While it could be considered an accident, it quickly becomes clear that it was really murder.
Emma is on hand to see everything takes place and can't help but step forward when her good friend and police detective Jesse Whyte is injured. He needs her to take point. Thankfully, her connections to everyone involved allow her to mingle and explore the case. Her previous experience in this area is involuable.
I really lied this volume in the series. It really captures everything that has made this series so much fun. This also includes my own experiences having visited a lot of the settings. That includes Ochre Point, which has been the sight of portions of the RI Library Association conference fro a few years. Maxwell has really captured the beauty of the building's exterior and interior as she has set murder in it.
I definitely can't wait for the next book in the series.
While the part is being thrown by the Goelets, the coming-out ball is really for Cleo Cooper-Smith, the daughter of a dear friend of Mrs. Goelet who recently died. Mrs. Goelet promised to make sure that Mrs. Cooper-Smith's daughters would get the best as they moved forward in society life. Unfortunately, the party takes a shocking turn when the lights go out at it's high point and the young lady at the center of the event is dead. While it could be considered an accident, it quickly becomes clear that it was really murder.
Emma is on hand to see everything takes place and can't help but step forward when her good friend and police detective Jesse Whyte is injured. He needs her to take point. Thankfully, her connections to everyone involved allow her to mingle and explore the case. Her previous experience in this area is involuable.
I really lied this volume in the series. It really captures everything that has made this series so much fun. This also includes my own experiences having visited a lot of the settings. That includes Ochre Point, which has been the sight of portions of the RI Library Association conference fro a few years. Maxwell has really captured the beauty of the building's exterior and interior as she has set murder in it.
I definitely can't wait for the next book in the series.
August 11, 2018
When we last saw Emma Cross she was excitedly heading off to New York for a new job at The New York Herald. The owner, James Bennett, had more or less promised her more substantial reporting assignments, but instead, she has been given the same old Society News that so frustrated her in Newport. While it was pleasant living with her well-heeled Vanderbilt relations, she missed her home and family in Newport. She has a decision to make and is seriously considering returning home for good.
Emma still has her entree to the "400" events in Newport, so the Herald sends her to cover the society debut of Cleo Cooper-Smith. Mrs. Ogden Goelet, the widowed owner of Ochre Court, promised Cleo's mother, also deceased, a perfect launch into society thereby ensuring a suitable (and monied) marriage. Emma, on the other hand, is on the trail of Silas Griggson, who will be in attendance. Griggson is a wealthy real estate developer in New York whose tenement building collapsed, killing many inside. Griggson escaped taking responsibility for the collapse, but Emma thinks he is responsible by using shoddy materials and workmanship. Emma aims to prove his culpability but is sidetracked by a bizarre death at the debut ball. Could Griggson also be responsible for that death?
The Gilded Newport Mysteries are well- researched and bring to life the manners and mores of the late 1890's. Even the notorious Five Points Gang of New York plays a part in Murder at Ochre Court, and Emma has an encounter with the famous Nellie Bly, a woman who made a successful career in journalism. Emma wants to emulate Bly but is drawn to two different men with roots as deep in Newport as her own.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.
RATING- 3.5 Stars rounded up to 4
Emma still has her entree to the "400" events in Newport, so the Herald sends her to cover the society debut of Cleo Cooper-Smith. Mrs. Ogden Goelet, the widowed owner of Ochre Court, promised Cleo's mother, also deceased, a perfect launch into society thereby ensuring a suitable (and monied) marriage. Emma, on the other hand, is on the trail of Silas Griggson, who will be in attendance. Griggson is a wealthy real estate developer in New York whose tenement building collapsed, killing many inside. Griggson escaped taking responsibility for the collapse, but Emma thinks he is responsible by using shoddy materials and workmanship. Emma aims to prove his culpability but is sidetracked by a bizarre death at the debut ball. Could Griggson also be responsible for that death?
The Gilded Newport Mysteries are well- researched and bring to life the manners and mores of the late 1890's. Even the notorious Five Points Gang of New York plays a part in Murder at Ochre Court, and Emma has an encounter with the famous Nellie Bly, a woman who made a successful career in journalism. Emma wants to emulate Bly but is drawn to two different men with roots as deep in Newport as her own.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.
RATING- 3.5 Stars rounded up to 4
November 30, 2022
Bella storia, con un colpevole plausibile e odioso, ma anche con altri personaggi dubbi; alla fine non avevo proprio capito chi fosse la mente di tutto. Inoltre, sembra che la protagonista abbia finalmente preso una decisione per quanto riguarda la sua vita privata: evviva!
December 7, 2020
The summer of 1898, and Emma Cross is going back to Newport after a disappointing year in New York. This time she's covering an event at Ochre Court, where a young lady is about to make her debut. After a shocking display of Cleo Cooper-Smith at her coming out, she is murdered. Which plunges Emma into another investigation. She's happy to be back but who would murder this beautiful young lady? I really like Emma and that she won't let others dictate how she should behave. People (not all) are starting to respect her investigative skills but will she ever be a respected reporter? I love these gilded Newport settings and imagining all these real life homes. Maxwell does a great job in her descriptions. Emma is an easy character to like and you can't help but cheer her on.
July 24, 2019
I love the series and the setting of them just as much as I love the characters. The history is so rich and so well researched that you truly feel like you are being transported back in time. It’s very nostalgic. The growth of the characters is amazing to watch and you feel privileged to be a part of their journey.
July 16, 2022
There’s a lot going on at Ochre Point…a debutante is killed during her coming out ball, her former beau was killed in action in Cuba, there’s a conflict between electricians and gas workers, and a shady developer wants Emma’s home. Theres even more going on and I think this installment suffered just a tad as a result.
It seems like the love triangle is over and Emma is alone. Argh.
It seems like the love triangle is over and Emma is alone. Argh.
September 25, 2018
Emma Cross is happy to return to her beloved hometown of Newport after her job in New York didn't work out quite the way she had hoped. She hopes to find new opportunities for covering real news in Newport and also to maybe settle matters of the heart. Her last assignment for the New York Herald is to cover the coming out of Miss Cleo Cooper-Smith held at the luxurious Ochre Court, home of the sister of Emma's friend and cousin-in-law Grace Vanderbilt. Miss Cooper-Smith's coming out it to be THE social event of the season complete with a fantastic tableaux vivant and even electricity! Ochre Court has been fitted out for the new Edison bulbs and not everyone is excited about the dazzling new technology. Everyone is eager to see the lights go on but something goes terribly wrong and Cleo ends up dead! The electrician who wired the electricity is to blame, of course, but Emma knows Dale as a friend and he would never do anything so terrible. Someone else was responsible and Emma is determined to figure out who killed an innocent girl Could it be her sister, who is crippled by a curvature of the spine and perhaps jealous of the beautiful Cleo? What about the mother of Cleo's former suitor who was killed in Cuba? Could it be Cleo's current rejected suitor, a developer who came out of nowhere, Silas Griggson? Emma doesn't trust him after things she discovered in New York but could it be that his only crime is making a lot of money in a short amount of time? With so many people at the party it could have been anyone who killed Cleo. Alternately, it could have been someone with the gasworks, angry that electricity may put them out of a job.
I gave this mystery 4 stars instead of 5 simply because it's so dark! I didn't quite expect such a dark story from the glittering Gilded Age elite. An innocent teenage girl was killed and I hate that. It's much easier to accept a murder when it happens to an unpleasant person. Cleo may have been difficult at times but she was just a girl. For the first third or more of the book I was strongly convinced the killer was a certain person. I was surprised when the story went in a different and darker, more dangerous direction. I was a little confused by all the men who appear in the story. It made the ending more complicated. I stayed up way too late finishing this book! The author's note shares the history of Ochre Court. I want to make one minor correction: while tours are not available, the public is allowed to use the restrooms in the old servants' quarters (VERY Downton Abbey) and view the vestibule. I asked politely if I could see the library exhibit and was allowed to peek in the library for the panel display. It may help if you look like a student. I wanted to return to Ochre Court to read this book in Newport but I do not have time. Next summer I will take all the books to Newport and try to read them there as a guidebook to 19th-century Newport. I haven't been to Fort Adams yet but I would like to go if I can get there.
I did like the romantic dilemma. Sadly, over 100 years later women still face the same problems Emma faces in 1898. Women are still put in a waiting room until they have children. If we don't choose to have children, there must be something wrong with us. Emma wants to be a mother but she also wants to maintain her independence and in 1898, that's all but impossible.
I am torn in whether I want Emma to marry or not. I don't agree with Nellie Bly's advice to marry a wealthy man. Emma knows that's not a good solution in the world she comes from but how else can she support herself and her causes when no one will pay her to report real news? Obviously I can relate to Emma and her fierce desire for independence and a career she is passionate about. Her compassionate is wonderful but she also displays some preconceived ideas about rank. She questions what she was taught to believe and that gives Emma a modern touch and a great journalist. I like how she can associate with the rich and famous but also the old Newport society to which she belongs and the servants. That helps her out in this novel. I have mixed feelings about her relationships. Jesse is very kind but he's older and not really at the same social level. Derrick appeals to me more. He's grown a lot since we first met him and becoming his own person. I think independent of his family, he and Emma could be good for each other but as she notes, he needs his family and they need him and Emma would never feel comfortable around them. Is this match doomed to failure? There's no easy solution.
There are WAY too many secondary characters here. Obviously the story is populated with real life figures such as the Goelet family and Colonel John Jacob Astor IV. Ignoring them - there are still numerous secondary characters. Of primary importance is Cleo Cooper-Smith. She seems like a spoiled society beauty but may be hiding a secret or secrets. Her sister, Ilsa, is older but not destined for marriage because she has severe scoliosis and giving birth could kill her. (Because OBVIOUSLY the only purpose of marriage is to have children! Emma thinks otherwise but the other women don't think like Emma). Ilsa is a young woman who is content to live in her sister's shadow, or is she? She seems sweet and innocent but Emma isn't sure. There's also Ilsa's love interest, Patrick Floyd, a member of the 400 Club and grieving widower. He doesn't look at Ilsa the same way she looks at him which makes me sad for her. There's also some gossip about how his wife died. Another grieving person is Mrs. Kirke, mother of a young man killed in action during the Spanish American War. She isn't content that her son died a hero. She questions what happens and believes Cleo is responsible for her son's death. Oliver seems like he was a kind and sensitive young man, at least according to his mother. Captain Sam Caldwell is another one of Emma's Newport acquaintances and member of the U.S. Army. He is a hopeful for Cleo's notice and may not be as innocent as he seems. Then there's Silas Griggson. Emma suspects him of purposefully setting up a crooked deal that resulted in a tenement collapse, the deaths of many immigrants and one dead foreman floating in the East River. Hmmm. Stuff like that happens all the time. It shows Emma's innocence in her sheltered world that she is shocked by it. I admire Emma's persistence in trying to get to the bottom of the mystery but Griggson sounds like a dangerous enemy to have. He is easily the one character everyone will hate and suspect.
Belowstairs we have Ilsa's maid Camille. Camille doesn't fit in in the grand household. She longs for a better life. The way she goes about trying to get it may or may not be acceptable. Nora Taylor is an Irish maid for Mrs. Goelet at Ochre Court. Only Emma bothers to the learn the girl's name and ask Nora what she knows. I didn't care for Mrs. Goelet's butler. He doesn't do a good job letting people in or keeping them out. The housekeeper is more practical and aware of what is happening in her household. I like how the servants are a part of this story too.
I love this series and I can't wait to take them to Newport and use the books as a guidebook to the scandals of Gilded Age Newport.
I gave this mystery 4 stars instead of 5 simply because it's so dark! I didn't quite expect such a dark story from the glittering Gilded Age elite. An innocent teenage girl was killed and I hate that. It's much easier to accept a murder when it happens to an unpleasant person. Cleo may have been difficult at times but she was just a girl. For the first third or more of the book I was strongly convinced the killer was a certain person. I was surprised when the story went in a different and darker, more dangerous direction. I was a little confused by all the men who appear in the story. It made the ending more complicated. I stayed up way too late finishing this book! The author's note shares the history of Ochre Court. I want to make one minor correction: while tours are not available, the public is allowed to use the restrooms in the old servants' quarters (VERY Downton Abbey) and view the vestibule. I asked politely if I could see the library exhibit and was allowed to peek in the library for the panel display. It may help if you look like a student. I wanted to return to Ochre Court to read this book in Newport but I do not have time. Next summer I will take all the books to Newport and try to read them there as a guidebook to 19th-century Newport. I haven't been to Fort Adams yet but I would like to go if I can get there.
I did like the romantic dilemma. Sadly, over 100 years later women still face the same problems Emma faces in 1898. Women are still put in a waiting room until they have children. If we don't choose to have children, there must be something wrong with us. Emma wants to be a mother but she also wants to maintain her independence and in 1898, that's all but impossible.
I am torn in whether I want Emma to marry or not. I don't agree with Nellie Bly's advice to marry a wealthy man. Emma knows that's not a good solution in the world she comes from but how else can she support herself and her causes when no one will pay her to report real news? Obviously I can relate to Emma and her fierce desire for independence and a career she is passionate about. Her compassionate is wonderful but she also displays some preconceived ideas about rank. She questions what she was taught to believe and that gives Emma a modern touch and a great journalist. I like how she can associate with the rich and famous but also the old Newport society to which she belongs and the servants. That helps her out in this novel. I have mixed feelings about her relationships. Jesse is very kind but he's older and not really at the same social level. Derrick appeals to me more. He's grown a lot since we first met him and becoming his own person. I think independent of his family, he and Emma could be good for each other but as she notes, he needs his family and they need him and Emma would never feel comfortable around them. Is this match doomed to failure? There's no easy solution.
There are WAY too many secondary characters here. Obviously the story is populated with real life figures such as the Goelet family and Colonel John Jacob Astor IV. Ignoring them - there are still numerous secondary characters. Of primary importance is Cleo Cooper-Smith. She seems like a spoiled society beauty but may be hiding a secret or secrets. Her sister, Ilsa, is older but not destined for marriage because she has severe scoliosis and giving birth could kill her. (Because OBVIOUSLY the only purpose of marriage is to have children! Emma thinks otherwise but the other women don't think like Emma). Ilsa is a young woman who is content to live in her sister's shadow, or is she? She seems sweet and innocent but Emma isn't sure. There's also Ilsa's love interest, Patrick Floyd, a member of the 400 Club and grieving widower. He doesn't look at Ilsa the same way she looks at him which makes me sad for her. There's also some gossip about how his wife died. Another grieving person is Mrs. Kirke, mother of a young man killed in action during the Spanish American War. She isn't content that her son died a hero. She questions what happens and believes Cleo is responsible for her son's death. Oliver seems like he was a kind and sensitive young man, at least according to his mother. Captain Sam Caldwell is another one of Emma's Newport acquaintances and member of the U.S. Army. He is a hopeful for Cleo's notice and may not be as innocent as he seems. Then there's Silas Griggson. Emma suspects him of purposefully setting up a crooked deal that resulted in a tenement collapse, the deaths of many immigrants and one dead foreman floating in the East River. Hmmm. Stuff like that happens all the time. It shows Emma's innocence in her sheltered world that she is shocked by it. I admire Emma's persistence in trying to get to the bottom of the mystery but Griggson sounds like a dangerous enemy to have. He is easily the one character everyone will hate and suspect.
Belowstairs we have Ilsa's maid Camille. Camille doesn't fit in in the grand household. She longs for a better life. The way she goes about trying to get it may or may not be acceptable. Nora Taylor is an Irish maid for Mrs. Goelet at Ochre Court. Only Emma bothers to the learn the girl's name and ask Nora what she knows. I didn't care for Mrs. Goelet's butler. He doesn't do a good job letting people in or keeping them out. The housekeeper is more practical and aware of what is happening in her household. I like how the servants are a part of this story too.
I love this series and I can't wait to take them to Newport and use the books as a guidebook to the scandals of Gilded Age Newport.
July 23, 2022
I have been enjoying reading this series and following Emma as she helps solve the different mysteries. While I really enjoyed this one, when it ended I was left with several questions. I did not feel that things were fully answered and explained.
July 23, 2018
Murder At Ochre Court is the sixth book in the Gilded Newport Mysteries series.
I love historical cozy mysteries and this series is definitely one of my favorites.
After spending an unsatisfying year writing society columns for the Herald in New York City, Emma’s editor sends her home to cover the society debut of Cleo Cooper-Smith. Mrs. Goelet is handling the gala affair, having promised Cleo’s mother before she died. Mrs. Goelet has planned an elaborate throne, much like Cleopatra would have had, for Cleo to reside on. She had local electrician, Dale Hanson, string so Edison lights near where Cleo would be sitting. After the decoration have been hung and Hanson has completed the wiring, Mrs. Goelet has ordered that the ballroom is locked and that no one is allowed in the ballroom until the gala that evening. That evening when Cleo assumes her seat and the Edison lights are turned on some of the guests sense something is wrong and when the ballroom lights are turned back on Cleo’s lifeless body is seen having apparently having been electrocuted. Then when Jessie Whyte, police detective and friend of Emma, and Hanson arrive, Hanson unwittingly touches the chair and Whyte grabs him and attempts to dislodge Hanson. They both require hospitalization and Whyte asks Emma to investigate what might have gone wrong.
When Emma returns to the Goelet’s home to begin her investigation she notices wiring around the feet of the chair that Cleo had been sitting on and was able to get confirmation that this was definitely a case of murder. She has many suspects to sort through. The owner of the local gas company, Max Brentworth, who might feel his business is being threatened by all the homes that are converting to electricity, Silas Griggson, a real estate developer, who was hoping to get engaged to Cleo but had been spurned by her, and her maid who had had an argument on the day of Cleo’s death and who had valuables of Cleo in her possession, and others.
This is another well-plotted and told story from Ms. Maxwell. Maxwell does a wonderful job of portraying what life might have been like in the late 1800’s in Newport and providing the reader with an interesting and believable cast of characters.
I will definitely be watching for the next book in this exciting series.
I love historical cozy mysteries and this series is definitely one of my favorites.
After spending an unsatisfying year writing society columns for the Herald in New York City, Emma’s editor sends her home to cover the society debut of Cleo Cooper-Smith. Mrs. Goelet is handling the gala affair, having promised Cleo’s mother before she died. Mrs. Goelet has planned an elaborate throne, much like Cleopatra would have had, for Cleo to reside on. She had local electrician, Dale Hanson, string so Edison lights near where Cleo would be sitting. After the decoration have been hung and Hanson has completed the wiring, Mrs. Goelet has ordered that the ballroom is locked and that no one is allowed in the ballroom until the gala that evening. That evening when Cleo assumes her seat and the Edison lights are turned on some of the guests sense something is wrong and when the ballroom lights are turned back on Cleo’s lifeless body is seen having apparently having been electrocuted. Then when Jessie Whyte, police detective and friend of Emma, and Hanson arrive, Hanson unwittingly touches the chair and Whyte grabs him and attempts to dislodge Hanson. They both require hospitalization and Whyte asks Emma to investigate what might have gone wrong.
When Emma returns to the Goelet’s home to begin her investigation she notices wiring around the feet of the chair that Cleo had been sitting on and was able to get confirmation that this was definitely a case of murder. She has many suspects to sort through. The owner of the local gas company, Max Brentworth, who might feel his business is being threatened by all the homes that are converting to electricity, Silas Griggson, a real estate developer, who was hoping to get engaged to Cleo but had been spurned by her, and her maid who had had an argument on the day of Cleo’s death and who had valuables of Cleo in her possession, and others.
This is another well-plotted and told story from Ms. Maxwell. Maxwell does a wonderful job of portraying what life might have been like in the late 1800’s in Newport and providing the reader with an interesting and believable cast of characters.
I will definitely be watching for the next book in this exciting series.
September 11, 2018
I really enjoy the Gilded Newport Mystery Series, and Maxwell has proven time and again that she is great storyteller. She manages to blend real settings and historical figures seamlessly with fictional characters and scenarios. The mystery is engaging and the characters are well developed, both those recurring and those centric to this story. Emma is a strong, intelligent, and independent (perhaps a little too independent for the era) protagonist. She has grown a lot over the course of the series. There are enough suspects, potential motives, clues and twists with just the right amount of tension and danger to keep me reading. I was surprised by the killer’s identity. Fans of the series will be pleased with this fine addition to the series. I recommend MURDER AT OCHRE COURT to any reader interested in the Gilded Age, strong amateur sleuths, and complex historical mysteries.
I received a copy of this title from the publisher through NetGalley and voluntarily shared my thoughts here. The opinions are my own.
I received a copy of this title from the publisher through NetGalley and voluntarily shared my thoughts here. The opinions are my own.
July 26, 2018
Find more reviews on my blog, Pages & Pepper by following the link below!
I received a free copy of this book from Kensington Books in exchange for my honest review.
To begin, the cover of this novel is stunning. A French-chateau style home (likely Ochre Court itself) graces the cover with a romantic gated entryway and beautiful, dark romantic colours. I admit, the cover attracted me to the story at least as much as the book description itself.
The novel begins with a conversation about marriage and money with none other than Nellie Bly.
This beginning is an ambitious one, considering her historical importance. The interaction is done well, but we are left wondering why this conversation really matters. At the end of the 19th century, many if not most women were openly encouraged to try to marry at least slightly above their own circumstances in order to improve their own and their family’s social standing. But we never encounter Bly again. This ends up coming across as lazy writing… Why I is our protagonist doing/saying/thinking this? Because Nellie Bly said so. So? Because she’s Nellie Bly! Instead of creating and developing a trustworthy and capable character whose word we can take because of trouble the author took to establish her as credible, the author fictitiously uses a fairly well-known historical person, leaving the reader to rely on biographical knowledge acquired prior to reading this book (or, for those who would be unfamiliar with Bly, Wikipedia). Bly doesn’t come back into the picture at all during this story except in a sort of “What Would Nellie Do?” manner, making their first and only meeting appear somewhat contrived and gratuitous. What we are left with at the beginning of the story is a woman sitting in a train car with a complete stranger, who offers advice that we must then subsequently read about for the rest of the novel.
I was rather annoyed by the awkward juxtaposition of phrasing. Maxwell seems unable to decide whether she wishes for her writing to mimic the English of the period or whether she wishes to use a contemporary style. Her occasional incorrect usage of vocabulary is frustrating. Unless done very deliberately for effect (which is obviously not the case here), consistency is key. I would highly recommend some editing simply to establish that consistency.
Our protagonist, Emmaline “Emma” Cross, is a distant relation of the Vanderbilt family, which, to be frank, it also rather lazy writing. By making Emma a relation, the reader is expected to infer a certain degree of wealth (even if it is minor, dwindling, or relatively newly squandered), social capital and connections, and status that one would expect of anyone connected to the Vanderbilt dynasty. Yet by making her such a distant relation (“[t]he Vanderbilts were my third cousins – or was it fourth- on my father’s side”), the author can capitalize on the Vanderbilt splendour without having to do more than cursory research on the family. The Vanderbilt family is so iconic that much of Emma’s family history requires no explanation or description – so, very little work from the writer. Emma Cross is important enough to be granted access to society, but not so important that real-life contradicts the author’s story. I would expect for an author who can concoct a murder-mystery to be capable of providing a superior backstory than what was provided for Emma Cross.
Our players are rather one-dimensional. They do not exhibit humour (we hear how Robbie can make Emma laugh all the time, but we never actually see this happen), they do not playfully engage with each other. I understand that this story is a classic murder-mystery, but the only way to give it depth is to provide extraneous detail and interaction. The murder-mystery formula is adhered to far too rigidly. People are either nice or not nice, helpful or withholding, everyone who appeared to be straightforward remained straightforward. I would have loved to have seen more depth from Emma and the supporting characters.
For a woman who is upset about the abhorrent possibility of being defined by a future spouse, Emma is very pre-occupied with her feelings toward Jesse the policeman and Derrick the newspaper man. Following the first scene in which she has her brief interaction with Bly, Emma reminds us at every turn that she doesn’t want to marry and has no intention to marry and that marriage is such a burden to an independent woman and so forth. It dominates the pages until right around the end when we’re sure of the choice she will soon be making. The lady doth protest too much? Between her frequent holier-than-thou attitude, her oscillation between two men and remaining single, her rich relative name dropping (while seemingly martyring herself by not wanting to accept help from them and worrying about how she would fit in with their set if she did marry up), and her complete inability to read people, I found myself wishing that I could root for anyone else.
That being said, the author did obviously conduct a thorough investigation of late 19th century Newport geography, and learned a great deal about the houses of the Gilded Age, which comes through in the detail with which she describes our surroundings. Having never entered one these great houses, I feel as though as I have in mind’s eye.
I do wonder if this book could have been improved had it not felt so rushed.
See this review and more at:
http://pagespepper.com/2018/07/26/mur...
I received a free copy of this book from Kensington Books in exchange for my honest review.
To begin, the cover of this novel is stunning. A French-chateau style home (likely Ochre Court itself) graces the cover with a romantic gated entryway and beautiful, dark romantic colours. I admit, the cover attracted me to the story at least as much as the book description itself.
The novel begins with a conversation about marriage and money with none other than Nellie Bly.
This beginning is an ambitious one, considering her historical importance. The interaction is done well, but we are left wondering why this conversation really matters. At the end of the 19th century, many if not most women were openly encouraged to try to marry at least slightly above their own circumstances in order to improve their own and their family’s social standing. But we never encounter Bly again. This ends up coming across as lazy writing… Why I is our protagonist doing/saying/thinking this? Because Nellie Bly said so. So? Because she’s Nellie Bly! Instead of creating and developing a trustworthy and capable character whose word we can take because of trouble the author took to establish her as credible, the author fictitiously uses a fairly well-known historical person, leaving the reader to rely on biographical knowledge acquired prior to reading this book (or, for those who would be unfamiliar with Bly, Wikipedia). Bly doesn’t come back into the picture at all during this story except in a sort of “What Would Nellie Do?” manner, making their first and only meeting appear somewhat contrived and gratuitous. What we are left with at the beginning of the story is a woman sitting in a train car with a complete stranger, who offers advice that we must then subsequently read about for the rest of the novel.
I was rather annoyed by the awkward juxtaposition of phrasing. Maxwell seems unable to decide whether she wishes for her writing to mimic the English of the period or whether she wishes to use a contemporary style. Her occasional incorrect usage of vocabulary is frustrating. Unless done very deliberately for effect (which is obviously not the case here), consistency is key. I would highly recommend some editing simply to establish that consistency.
Our protagonist, Emmaline “Emma” Cross, is a distant relation of the Vanderbilt family, which, to be frank, it also rather lazy writing. By making Emma a relation, the reader is expected to infer a certain degree of wealth (even if it is minor, dwindling, or relatively newly squandered), social capital and connections, and status that one would expect of anyone connected to the Vanderbilt dynasty. Yet by making her such a distant relation (“[t]he Vanderbilts were my third cousins – or was it fourth- on my father’s side”), the author can capitalize on the Vanderbilt splendour without having to do more than cursory research on the family. The Vanderbilt family is so iconic that much of Emma’s family history requires no explanation or description – so, very little work from the writer. Emma Cross is important enough to be granted access to society, but not so important that real-life contradicts the author’s story. I would expect for an author who can concoct a murder-mystery to be capable of providing a superior backstory than what was provided for Emma Cross.
Our players are rather one-dimensional. They do not exhibit humour (we hear how Robbie can make Emma laugh all the time, but we never actually see this happen), they do not playfully engage with each other. I understand that this story is a classic murder-mystery, but the only way to give it depth is to provide extraneous detail and interaction. The murder-mystery formula is adhered to far too rigidly. People are either nice or not nice, helpful or withholding, everyone who appeared to be straightforward remained straightforward. I would have loved to have seen more depth from Emma and the supporting characters.
For a woman who is upset about the abhorrent possibility of being defined by a future spouse, Emma is very pre-occupied with her feelings toward Jesse the policeman and Derrick the newspaper man. Following the first scene in which she has her brief interaction with Bly, Emma reminds us at every turn that she doesn’t want to marry and has no intention to marry and that marriage is such a burden to an independent woman and so forth. It dominates the pages until right around the end when we’re sure of the choice she will soon be making. The lady doth protest too much? Between her frequent holier-than-thou attitude, her oscillation between two men and remaining single, her rich relative name dropping (while seemingly martyring herself by not wanting to accept help from them and worrying about how she would fit in with their set if she did marry up), and her complete inability to read people, I found myself wishing that I could root for anyone else.
That being said, the author did obviously conduct a thorough investigation of late 19th century Newport geography, and learned a great deal about the houses of the Gilded Age, which comes through in the detail with which she describes our surroundings. Having never entered one these great houses, I feel as though as I have in mind’s eye.
I do wonder if this book could have been improved had it not felt so rushed.
See this review and more at:
http://pagespepper.com/2018/07/26/mur...
July 31, 2018
Newport, Rhode Island - 1898
Emma Cross has just returned to Newport by train after spending the last year in New York reporting for the New York Herald. Riding with her is the famous journalist, Nellie Bly, and they are discussing marriage. Nellie tells her that she must find a man she can trust, make her laugh, and who is very wealthy. Emma has known some nice men, but as yet, not one she wants to marry.
Currently, she is on assignment from the New York Herald and is also investigating Silas Griggson, who owns a construction company. A building built by his company recently collapsed killing and injuring people, but he appears to be blameless.
Emma has been a reporter for the local Newport newspaper for years, but has only been relegated to report on the social scene. She is a cousin to the Vanderbilt family but does not share in their money. She has come to Newport to report on a ball at Ochre Court hosted by Mrs. Goelet in honor of Miss Cleo Cooper-Smith’s come-out.
Emma’s home is Gull Court which she shares with her old nanny and some other young women whom she has taken in when they needed help. She has now decided to stay in Newport and not return to New York. Even though she enjoyed working for the Herald, she found that the editor only wanted her to report on the society events due to her social connections.
At the ball, Mrs. Goelet has decorated Ochre Court quite elaborately. She meets Cleo who appears to be a rather spoiled person. When she meets Cleo’s sister, Ilsa, she finds a lovely and kind young woman. Sadly, Ilsa has an extreme curvature of the spine which limits some movement for her. Also attending the ball is Silas Griggson who appears to be enamored by Cleo, but she does not return his affection. At the climax of the ball, an electrical accident occurs killing Cleo and frightening everyone.
As always, our sleuth, Emma Cross, decides to try and find the killer. Along the way, she meets some questionable people and even encounters some threats against her. Who killed Cleo and will they strike again?
I think my favorite book of this series is “Murder at Chateau sur Mer” because there weren’t a lot of characters and the story centered itself in and around the Chateau. I have read all of the other books in this series and I have to say “Murder at Ochre Court” is my least favorite. It’s because there are so many, many characters and the story line branches out into too many places making it difficult for the reader to keep up with who is who. I have enjoyed the character of Emma in the past, but in this book, she comes across as a hardened spinster-wanna-be. I’m wondering if it’s time to wrap up this series and start another, because the author is certainly very talented and I would like to see her write something new. I enjoy her “A Lady and Lady’s Maid” mystery series and look forward to reading more of those books.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Emma Cross has just returned to Newport by train after spending the last year in New York reporting for the New York Herald. Riding with her is the famous journalist, Nellie Bly, and they are discussing marriage. Nellie tells her that she must find a man she can trust, make her laugh, and who is very wealthy. Emma has known some nice men, but as yet, not one she wants to marry.
Currently, she is on assignment from the New York Herald and is also investigating Silas Griggson, who owns a construction company. A building built by his company recently collapsed killing and injuring people, but he appears to be blameless.
Emma has been a reporter for the local Newport newspaper for years, but has only been relegated to report on the social scene. She is a cousin to the Vanderbilt family but does not share in their money. She has come to Newport to report on a ball at Ochre Court hosted by Mrs. Goelet in honor of Miss Cleo Cooper-Smith’s come-out.
Emma’s home is Gull Court which she shares with her old nanny and some other young women whom she has taken in when they needed help. She has now decided to stay in Newport and not return to New York. Even though she enjoyed working for the Herald, she found that the editor only wanted her to report on the society events due to her social connections.
At the ball, Mrs. Goelet has decorated Ochre Court quite elaborately. She meets Cleo who appears to be a rather spoiled person. When she meets Cleo’s sister, Ilsa, she finds a lovely and kind young woman. Sadly, Ilsa has an extreme curvature of the spine which limits some movement for her. Also attending the ball is Silas Griggson who appears to be enamored by Cleo, but she does not return his affection. At the climax of the ball, an electrical accident occurs killing Cleo and frightening everyone.
As always, our sleuth, Emma Cross, decides to try and find the killer. Along the way, she meets some questionable people and even encounters some threats against her. Who killed Cleo and will they strike again?
I think my favorite book of this series is “Murder at Chateau sur Mer” because there weren’t a lot of characters and the story centered itself in and around the Chateau. I have read all of the other books in this series and I have to say “Murder at Ochre Court” is my least favorite. It’s because there are so many, many characters and the story line branches out into too many places making it difficult for the reader to keep up with who is who. I have enjoyed the character of Emma in the past, but in this book, she comes across as a hardened spinster-wanna-be. I’m wondering if it’s time to wrap up this series and start another, because the author is certainly very talented and I would like to see her write something new. I enjoy her “A Lady and Lady’s Maid” mystery series and look forward to reading more of those books.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
August 1, 2018
The last person you would suspect !!! The one behind all the evil in Alyssa Maxwell's latest installment of her Gilded Newport Mystery series is the LAST person you would ever imagine it would be !! A complete unexpected surprise !!
I LOVE the Gilded Newport Mystery series and can never get enough of Emma !!! Emma is truly someone to admire....she is a strong, independent woman during a time when women were looked upon as being nothing more than servants, debutantes, wives and mothers. Emma wants so much more and being a journalist for the society page of newspapers, although unusual at that time, still isn't want she wants. She wants to be taken serious and given more important stories. After all with her background and family and society connections, she knows more than just who is at the party and what they are wearing.
And in Murder at Ochre Court, the sixth book in this amazing series, you follow Emma down some dark tunnels and easedrop on some pretty scary conversations but that will not deter her from finding out the truth behind the death of Cleo....... to think that she was electrocuted when electricity was just becoming a thing.......
The imagination of an author always amazes me but the research that some authors do when writing a story, a piece of fiction, that blows my mind !!! You cannot truly appreciate the story until you read the Author's Note at the end of one of Maxwell's stories ...... she sheds more light onto the background of the buildings and the Newport area that Emma calls home.
I HIGHLY recommend getting lost in Murder at Ochre Court....it will take you on a very memorable journey and even though there are a lot of twists and turns you will not lose your way !!!
I LOVE the Gilded Newport Mystery series and can never get enough of Emma !!! Emma is truly someone to admire....she is a strong, independent woman during a time when women were looked upon as being nothing more than servants, debutantes, wives and mothers. Emma wants so much more and being a journalist for the society page of newspapers, although unusual at that time, still isn't want she wants. She wants to be taken serious and given more important stories. After all with her background and family and society connections, she knows more than just who is at the party and what they are wearing.
And in Murder at Ochre Court, the sixth book in this amazing series, you follow Emma down some dark tunnels and easedrop on some pretty scary conversations but that will not deter her from finding out the truth behind the death of Cleo....... to think that she was electrocuted when electricity was just becoming a thing.......
The imagination of an author always amazes me but the research that some authors do when writing a story, a piece of fiction, that blows my mind !!! You cannot truly appreciate the story until you read the Author's Note at the end of one of Maxwell's stories ...... she sheds more light onto the background of the buildings and the Newport area that Emma calls home.
I HIGHLY recommend getting lost in Murder at Ochre Court....it will take you on a very memorable journey and even though there are a lot of twists and turns you will not lose your way !!!
January 7, 2019
I am always so happy when I sit down with one of Alyssa Maxwell's books, especially the Newport series. They're like time travel tourism, taking you to a fascinating locale when the Astors, Vanderbilts, and Goelets still roamed those gorgeous homes. In Ochre Court, Emma Cross is a little at sea, coming off a bump in her reporting career. She returns to Newport to cover a spectacular coming out party, which ends in a fabulously theatrical death. There are many suspects and the sub dramas in each of their stories are so well done, keeping you happily occupied until the satisfying conclusion. There are all the pleasures of Gilded Newport, but these books are so smart, giving you little unexpected pleasures like a discussion of marriage with Nellie Bly or an appearance by Reginald Vanderbilt before Gloria. When's the next one out??
September 15, 2018
I’ve been slow to finish this book because I had a gut feeling that Emma wouldn’t choose the guy I like in the love triangle....and I was right. Ugh. I hate it when characters don’t agree with me!
The mystery in this one wasn’t as well flushed out as some of the others, but the historical atmosphere is excellent as always. I enjoyed the author’s note at the end. I’ve said this in my other reviews of the series but it bears repeating. The author’s love of Newport really comes through in her writing, and as someone who also loves Newport, I really enjoyed that.
2.5 stars (for Emma making the wrong choice in suitors), rounded up to 3 stars (because I love Newport and the mansion that would eventually become Salve Regina).
The mystery in this one wasn’t as well flushed out as some of the others, but the historical atmosphere is excellent as always. I enjoyed the author’s note at the end. I’ve said this in my other reviews of the series but it bears repeating. The author’s love of Newport really comes through in her writing, and as someone who also loves Newport, I really enjoyed that.
2.5 stars (for Emma making the wrong choice in suitors), rounded up to 3 stars (because I love Newport and the mansion that would eventually become Salve Regina).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2024
things are heating up
There was a lot of complexities to this book in the series. Many victims, many involved in the crimes taking place. Emma was intimately involved as her home is in jeopardy, her friends, herself. Wealth, gangs, military, death, class systems, all rolled into one mystery after another as bodies start falling. Among the solving of the crimes, Emma finds time to sort out her heart, Jesse or Derrick, which direction will she choose? Looking forward to where this goes from here.
There was a lot of complexities to this book in the series. Many victims, many involved in the crimes taking place. Emma was intimately involved as her home is in jeopardy, her friends, herself. Wealth, gangs, military, death, class systems, all rolled into one mystery after another as bodies start falling. Among the solving of the crimes, Emma finds time to sort out her heart, Jesse or Derrick, which direction will she choose? Looking forward to where this goes from here.
June 27, 2018
Emma Cross has been living in New York City covering the society pages for the Herald. She is sent back to Newport to cover the debutant's ball for Cleo Cooper- Smith in the 6th book of The Gilded Age series. At the ball Cleo preparing a scene to dazzle the guests. The lights go and when the lights return Cleo is dead. The first responders are also shocked trying rescue Cleo. Am a meets a shoddy developer at the ball. Emma and Jesse work together solve the riddle of why Cleo lost her life.
Class distinctions are in play Emma has decided to remain in Newport and has made up her mind which suitor she wants. The morals of the time are in play. I am looking forward to the next installment.
Disclosure: Many thanks to Kensington Books for a review copy. The opinions expressed are my own.
Class distinctions are in play Emma has decided to remain in Newport and has made up her mind which suitor she wants. The morals of the time are in play. I am looking forward to the next installment.
Disclosure: Many thanks to Kensington Books for a review copy. The opinions expressed are my own.
September 14, 2018
Really well done. All the clues are hidden in there and nothing is glaringly out of place for the time or the crime. I love a well written mystery but too often the ending comes out of nowhere. This one does not do that. There are also little side plots that are probably part of the over all series by this author which work in nicely and do not detract in any way. It is not like I do not have enough books to read but now I am going to have to find more from this author!
April 27, 2022
Another exciting Newport mystery! The action of this story was very engaging, and once again Maxwell seamlessly introduced a new group of characters. I was glad to see Emma’s personal life take a bit of a backseat in this novel, particularly the love triangle - it was still mentioned here and there as she pondered her future but the main focus was the murder and its investigation. There were many viable suspects and we were left to keep guessing all the way to the end!
September 5, 2018
I was first excited to read about the Newport gilded age, and Ochre Court in particular. Miss Emma Cross is a reporter and part time detective, who is called upon to solve the murder of debutante Cleo Cooper-Smith. The turn of century Newport setting, and mentions of Vanderbilt and Astor relatives are mentioned throughout the book. However, I found the book to be rather draggy and slow.
August 20, 2018
Maxwell's books provide such an intriguing look at the society of the time, with the Astors and the Vanderbilts and so on. Really breathes life into the era.
April 30, 2021
Not bad. Previous stories were better
December 14, 2021
I quite enjoyed this mystery set in Newport, RI during the Gilded Age. The book opens with a scene between Nellie Bly and the heroine, a cousin of the Vanderbilts and a budding journalist who is determined to have a career as a serious reporter. The mystery involves a death by new technology and there are plenty of people for the intrepid reporter to investigate. I'm looking forward to reading another in the series.
November 29, 2023
Another solid and fun installment in this delightful series.
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