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Gilded Age #1
Death on the Cliff Walk
Set at the turn of the century, in Newport, Rhode Island, Death on the Cliff Walk introduces debutante Brooke Cassidy, who teams up with local cop, Matt Devlin, to solve a murder that reaches to the heart of Newport's glittering high society.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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134 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 28, 2013
I read this book because it took place in Newport, Rhode Island during the time it was a summer resort. That is to say, in this case, 1895. I was previously unaware that there were a whole slew of "Gilded Age Mysteries" written by a variety of authors. I'm not sure I feel the need to read a whole bunch of them, especially after this one. But it was a quick entertaining read, ultimately rather predictable, but with some likable characters.
When Rosalind Sinclair, the wealthy daughter of an industrialist and Newport cottager, turns up as the latest victim of the Cliff Walk Killer everyone in the Newport police force knows the case has changed. Previously only maids had been found strangled on the Cliff Walk, the narrow walkway between the enormous summer cottages built by the wealthy and the breakers below. Matt Devlin has been put on the case and he believes there's no one better for the task, an adept policeman Matt is not so great at communicating with the wealthy summer residents. But that's before he runs into Brooke Cassidy, the daughter of Matt's father's partner, who went to live with her wealthy aunt and uncle when he parents died. Stuck between worlds Brooke finds herself in the unique position of being trusted by the cottagers, the servants, and the police. Working together Matt and Brooke might just solve this case, but at what cost?
First I've focus on the positive. Both Matt Devlin and Brooke Cassidy were well drawn characters. She was feisty and interesting, stuck between two worlds; the one she grew up in and the one where she's currently living. She clearly doesn't feel like she fits in with the high Newport society, but she no longer belongs to the town either. Matt, as well, was drawn pretty well. He was clearly intelligent and able to accept his own mistakes. He had an obvious chip on his shoulder regarding the cottagers, probably not uncommon. Hell, not even uncommon today. Many of the other characters were one dimensional, but this wasn't the sort of story that needed a whole lot of exposition on every character. The mystery was decent, though I guessed the killer almost as soon as they were introduced. But it did speed along, running through the case and nefarious deeds quickly and I did genuinely want to know if I was right about the killer.
I had problems with their names. The peripheral characters all seemed to have period appropriate names, but Matt and Brooke seemed pretty modern. Matt would be referred to as Matthew, surely? And while Brooke is clearly derived from the word "brook" a preliminary search stated it did not become popular until the 1950s, though probably influenced by socialite Brooke Astor, born in 1902. Perhaps I'm just being petty. It hardly seems to matter, but it did strike me as strange in a book that is clearly heavily researched and is very attentive in attention to geographical detail. There were likely problem with speech patterns, as well, but I'm not even going there.
This was a decent mystery. The sort you might want to read on the beach or on an airplane. The sort that goes quick and gives instant rewards. There's no work involved in this one, but that doesn't necessarily make it bad.
When Rosalind Sinclair, the wealthy daughter of an industrialist and Newport cottager, turns up as the latest victim of the Cliff Walk Killer everyone in the Newport police force knows the case has changed. Previously only maids had been found strangled on the Cliff Walk, the narrow walkway between the enormous summer cottages built by the wealthy and the breakers below. Matt Devlin has been put on the case and he believes there's no one better for the task, an adept policeman Matt is not so great at communicating with the wealthy summer residents. But that's before he runs into Brooke Cassidy, the daughter of Matt's father's partner, who went to live with her wealthy aunt and uncle when he parents died. Stuck between worlds Brooke finds herself in the unique position of being trusted by the cottagers, the servants, and the police. Working together Matt and Brooke might just solve this case, but at what cost?
First I've focus on the positive. Both Matt Devlin and Brooke Cassidy were well drawn characters. She was feisty and interesting, stuck between two worlds; the one she grew up in and the one where she's currently living. She clearly doesn't feel like she fits in with the high Newport society, but she no longer belongs to the town either. Matt, as well, was drawn pretty well. He was clearly intelligent and able to accept his own mistakes. He had an obvious chip on his shoulder regarding the cottagers, probably not uncommon. Hell, not even uncommon today. Many of the other characters were one dimensional, but this wasn't the sort of story that needed a whole lot of exposition on every character. The mystery was decent, though I guessed the killer almost as soon as they were introduced. But it did speed along, running through the case and nefarious deeds quickly and I did genuinely want to know if I was right about the killer.
I had problems with their names. The peripheral characters all seemed to have period appropriate names, but Matt and Brooke seemed pretty modern. Matt would be referred to as Matthew, surely? And while Brooke is clearly derived from the word "brook" a preliminary search stated it did not become popular until the 1950s, though probably influenced by socialite Brooke Astor, born in 1902. Perhaps I'm just being petty. It hardly seems to matter, but it did strike me as strange in a book that is clearly heavily researched and is very attentive in attention to geographical detail. There were likely problem with speech patterns, as well, but I'm not even going there.
This was a decent mystery. The sort you might want to read on the beach or on an airplane. The sort that goes quick and gives instant rewards. There's no work involved in this one, but that doesn't necessarily make it bad.
October 12, 2017
This is an excellent mystery set in the late 1890's in Rhode Island. It has all of the elements that make a good historical cozy: good characters, a good setting, a good plot, and lots of suspects. When several maids are murdered on the cliff walk, the snobby 'cottagers' think that only the lower classes are involved in 'low-class' things like murder - until one of their own is murdered. The case gets murkier when it is discovered that the murdered woman was dressed like a maid, and that her behavior was very suspicious right before her death. It takes the local police and as well as a woman who is sort of 'in-between' the wealthy mansion owners and the locals to help solve the crime. It is definitely a good read.
May 26, 2021
#1 in the Gilded Age, end of the 19th Century, mystery series with debutante Brooke Cassidy and policeman Matt Devlin who have a history as childhood friends, but now she has a much loftier status.
It is 1895 in Newport, Rhode Island along the Cliff Walk where the super wealthy have their summer homes, there have been 3 maids murdered along the Clift walk in the past three weeks and now a fourth, but she is not a maid. Brooke and Matt Devlin team up to solve the murders that reaches to the heart of Newport's glittering high society and threatens her social position as the wealthy deem Delvin and people like him beneath them, don't want to interact with them thus offering no cooperation at all in the investigation.
It is 1895 in Newport, Rhode Island along the Cliff Walk where the super wealthy have their summer homes, there have been 3 maids murdered along the Clift walk in the past three weeks and now a fourth, but she is not a maid. Brooke and Matt Devlin team up to solve the murders that reaches to the heart of Newport's glittering high society and threatens her social position as the wealthy deem Delvin and people like him beneath them, don't want to interact with them thus offering no cooperation at all in the investigation.
December 27, 2020
I read this book because it was set in Newport during the ‘Gilded Age’, which I find fascinating. As a mystery , it was OK, but I felt the characters were not as well drawn as to have any real empathy with them.
July 18, 2021
First book by a new author is always exciting...will it be good? Bad? Well, this was great! Wonderful characters, good scenes, page turning plot....good thing I requested the first 2 books at the same time! Can't wait to start the next one tomorrow
February 12, 2018
Just what I was looking for. This book delivered. Good mystery. Great sense to time and place.
March 19, 2019
Really like the suspense of the book. Kept me intrigued.
October 6, 2020
Like a Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie mystery. It is a page Turner and it keeps you in constant curiosity. When you think you know who did it, your wrong. This is a must read book.
November 11, 2022
I decided to read this book since I recently visited Newport, Rhode Island, where it takes place. It was a good mystery and an enjoyable read.
August 3, 2025
A fun, fast-moving whodunnit. Historical fiction during the Gilded Age. The snooty characters are just how you’d expect. lol!
January 5, 2011
This is a clever murder mystery set in Newport Rhode Island at the end of the 19th century where the wealthy and snobby invade Newport every summer. A “Cliff Walk Killer” has killed maids who have taken a stroll at night on the cliff walk. Since only maids (working class people) have been killed, the “cottagers” (wealthy elite) don’t feel threatened and don’t want to cooperate with the police.
Brooke is a niece of wealthy cottager and tries to get involved with the murder investigation because she is scared and feels she can contribute to the investigation since the cottagers will talk to her. She is in the unique position of being trusted by the servants and society since she was raised by working class parents. When her parents died, her wealthy aunt took Brooke in and wants her to become a respected member of her society.
There are plenty of twists and turns and the murderer is not easy to guess. I enjoyed the great historical background on Newport in its heyday.
Brooke is a niece of wealthy cottager and tries to get involved with the murder investigation because she is scared and feels she can contribute to the investigation since the cottagers will talk to her. She is in the unique position of being trusted by the servants and society since she was raised by working class parents. When her parents died, her wealthy aunt took Brooke in and wants her to become a respected member of her society.
There are plenty of twists and turns and the murderer is not easy to guess. I enjoyed the great historical background on Newport in its heyday.
October 21, 2012
1994, #1 Matt/Brooke Devlin, Newport RI 1895; genteel historical cosy.
Someone is murdering maids as they walk between the glorious mansions of a summering Newport Society, and The Powers That Be don’t want “nice people” to be affected by the scandal. But then “one of their own” is murdered and all the evidence points to Brooke’s sweet uncle, who has secrets.
Decent but light-weight historical, with a solid mystery plot behind it, this tale of murder amongst the rich’n’famous of the late Victorian era plays to a select audience. I suspect the many similarities to Anne Perry’s Pitt series are deliberate, however, and while this is not as dark or interesting as her earliest stories were, it’s still entertaining for those of us who enjoy “that sort of thing”.
Someone is murdering maids as they walk between the glorious mansions of a summering Newport Society, and The Powers That Be don’t want “nice people” to be affected by the scandal. But then “one of their own” is murdered and all the evidence points to Brooke’s sweet uncle, who has secrets.
Decent but light-weight historical, with a solid mystery plot behind it, this tale of murder amongst the rich’n’famous of the late Victorian era plays to a select audience. I suspect the many similarities to Anne Perry’s Pitt series are deliberate, however, and while this is not as dark or interesting as her earliest stories were, it’s still entertaining for those of us who enjoy “that sort of thing”.
February 5, 2015
I accidentally found this book in the library the day before leaving for Newport, so of course, I had to pick it up! Reading this while actually in Newport amused me--and I had a much better sense of what was going on in the book because of it. I'll give Kruger credit for getting the geography of Newport relatively correct.
I've certainly read worse books, but I did not enjoy this book. The wildly inappropriate naming anachronisms drove me crazy: very few people in 1895 were named "Brooke" or "Linda". (According to the SSA, "Brooke" doesn't even show up on top 1,000 name lists until 1953!) While I know that someone *could* have been named "Brooke," I find it highly unlikely.
Plot-wise, this was rather predictable. The writing was often clunky and the characterization poor.
I've certainly read worse books, but I did not enjoy this book. The wildly inappropriate naming anachronisms drove me crazy: very few people in 1895 were named "Brooke" or "Linda". (According to the SSA, "Brooke" doesn't even show up on top 1,000 name lists until 1953!) While I know that someone *could* have been named "Brooke," I find it highly unlikely.
Plot-wise, this was rather predictable. The writing was often clunky and the characterization poor.
August 28, 2010
It is never a good sign when you figure out who the murderer is on page 60 of a 240 page supposed mystery! I also predicted (spoiler alert!) that the lead female character would end up with the lead detective.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2013
Although I figured out the killer a little over halfway through, I really enjoyed this book. It transported me to Newport in 1895 and really let me experience the time period. The characters were engaging and I'm disappointed that there are only three books in the series.
August 31, 2010
This was really trite and predictable and the writing wasn't amazing thus the two stars. But that being said I loved reading it because the setting was Newport and I needed a novel like this.
November 12, 2011
A quick predictable read.
March 25, 2012
Thoroughly enjoyable mystery. I am anxiously awaiting the sequel.
April 12, 2016
Good mystery, historic fiction, writing style average
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews