Murder at Beechwood

Gilded Newport Mysteries #3

by Alyssa Maxwell

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…

For Newport, Rhode Island’s high society, the summer of 1896 brings lawn parties, sailboat races…and murder. Having turned down the proposal of Derrick Andrews, Emma Cross has no imminent plans for matrimony—let alone motherhood. But when she discovers an infant left on her doorstep, she naturally takes the child into her care. Using her influence as a cousin to the Vanderbilts and a society page reporter for the Newport Observer , Emma launches a discreet search for the baby’s mother.

One of her first stops is a lawn party at Mrs. Caroline Astor’s Beechwood estate. But an idyllic summer’s day is soon clouded by tragedy. During a sailboat race, textile magnate Virgil Monroe falls overboard. There are prompt accusations of foul play—and even Derrick Andrews falls under suspicion. Deepening the intrigue, a telltale slip of lace may link the abandoned child to the drowned man. But as Emma navigates dark undercurrents of scandalous indiscretions and violent passions, she’ll need to watch her step to ensure that no one lowers the boom on her…

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Historical Mystery, Fiction, Historical, Cozy

298 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2015

About the author

Alyssa 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.

Reviews

[Marta · Rating 4 out of 5]

9/10: 4.5⭐️’s rounded down to 4⭐️’s

Holy cow I ended up rambling and oversharing!! Reader be warned!

I thought this was going to be a five star book with how into it I initially was. But alas, I found some things in the story to go not exactly as how I would have preferred 🤦🏼‍♀️. If I want everything to go the way I would like, I should write my own book. Since that isn’t going to happen (and I cannot find the one I did start many years ago, you will not be seeing any books authored by me anytime soon as in never. I found some poetry and a short story from a creative writing class I took. Poetry was awful. Short story was kind of cute. It was about a lemonade stand.) I will just deduct a star from the books that don’t go the way I want.

Was most of the above paragraph necessary? Nope not at all, it’s like it’s impossible for me to not ramble on and on when I type. My dad’s response to a text message I sent him in response to his ‘do you need water?’ message was ‘you almost wrote a book’. It could have been a one word response. Obviously I talked about more than just water jugs being refilled. But still. Shorten that shit down self. (See I swear!! So all of my whining about swearing seems hypocritical) anyways…move along Marta. People have things to do besides reading about your water needs. I did not yet need water btw.

The book. So, Emma Cross. She is quite simply a delightful, likeable, dependable person. Which often creates problems for her because everyone basically likes her and people are drawn to her and seek her out for advice and guidance and help. Basically people have some unfair expectations of her and she is put in the middle of other peoples situations/chaos because so many people respect what she thinks etc. it’s a tough spot to be in and in turn make people unfairly upset with her when she doesn’t want to stick her beak in others business or when she won’t take sides. Eventually people get over it, but you know how people can be.

Technology isn’t needed to spread gossip in this town. Nope not at all. Good gosh do these people gossip. I can’t quite figure out how it all works, but it sure spreads.

And the number of murders. It kind of makes me think of Cabot Cove. Small, safe town but dang there are a lot of murders for Jessica Fletcher to solve. They gossip like crazy in MSW too. And every body basically loves Jessica. Emma is like Jessica’s spirit sister. I am surprised it took 3 books to make that comparison.

For the book summary, read the book summary provided by GR’s. I don’t have the thinking ability at the moment to put it into words that make sense right now. If you haven’t noticed I am a bit all over the board with this. 🙄.

It was another great cozy, lighthearted mystery. So many fabulous secondary characters. And several quite shady ones too. The fabulous outweighs the shady in this one. And the baby that stole all of their hearts….. some babies are just like that. You fall instantly in love with them and there is no possible way for you to not love them.

Fortunately for me, those 3 babies it happened with, with me, are much older now and I still am in their life.
The first time I held the middle boy, (not going to get into the soap opera like story. the circumstances of Robbie brought him to mind the most) but I honest to goodness did not want to give him back. It took an instant in my arms and I knew he was my ex’s baby because I don’t think I would have fallen instantly in love with him if he hadn’t been. I just knew. And as crazy as it sounds, I was immediately grateful he cheated on me because if he hadn’t, that tiny baby wouldn’t have been in my arms. Wouldn’t have become my little shadow. Wouldn’t have called me Harta instead of Marta when he was 3. Wouldn’t have gone on shopping trips out of town with me. Would y have been on the freshman football team last year and look in the crowd and waved at me and my dad when he spotted us in the stands 😊. Wouldn’t have his tin of cookies I gave him for Christmas in the pic we took because ‘they were his most prized possession’ (I made them with gluten crackers this time and when I explained how I wore a mask while making them (I have celiac disease) and changed my clothes right away and washed my hands about ten times afterwards, he joked I should have just worn a hazmat suit. Wouldn’t be a 15 year old who bakes me gluten free muffins and makes me tator tot hotdish, or put his hand on my shoulder as I tell him I am fine when I nearly pass out and lean against the fridge. Wouldn’t be here to let me hug him longer than he probably would prefer sometimes, but he will hang on until I am done.
That’s what little Robbie in this book made me think of. All of those things and so so much more.

Okay so none of the boys ever better read this review. I don’t think any of them know the middle boy is the result of their dad cheating. Not something they need to know. And shut up self. Just throwing all your business out there like this!! 🙄🤦🏼‍♀️.

Rating and whatever the heck the rest of that was: 11/2/25
Grammar correction (then I got sick of reading what I wrote😂 so the rest will remain for now!: later on 11/2/25
Small corrections/additions/deletions: 11/3/25

Ps. No hater comments on him cheating on me please. He happens to be a really great guy. He buys me tampons and chocolate for goodness sake!😂 I don’t condone cheating at all, but in my specific situation, it worked out to my benefit in the end I guess you could say! Just giving context on how some babies grab your heart and don’t let go. Doesn’t matter how they came into your life. You are just meant to love certain people I guess. And I was meant to love these boys.
Maybe I did just write a book😂. Dang this was long!!

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emmaline Cross is a reporter with ties to the wealthy Vanderbilt family. One day she opens her door to find a baby on her doorstep. A carriage driver is found dead a few streets away. Could the two be connected? Emma decides to find the mother of the child. The first step in her investigation is to attend a party at Beechwoods, the home of the Astors. Emma is covering the party for her newspaper, but finds time to question many of the affluent guests. While attending the party, a yacht race is held. One of the guests falls overboard and drowns. Was it an accident or murder?

The third book in the Gilded Newport series is the best yet. Who is the baby's mother? Who shot the carriage driver? Everyone had a grudge against Virgil Monroe. Did he fall overboard during the storm or was he helped over the side? This one has a solid mystery with lots of suspects. The author also makes good use of the setting and the real historical characters that pop up in the story. My rating: 4.5 Stars.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder at Beechwood by Allysa Maxwell is a 2015 Kensington Publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read in the series, but I do believe I need to catch up with the two previous installments because I really enjoyed this cozy style historical mystery. (This book can be read as a stand alone)


Real life locations and real historical figures in blue blood society are featured in the Gilded Newport series featuring Emma Cross, a young newspaper journalist, who always manages to find herself embroiled in a crime drama.

In this case, Emma is shocked to discover an infant has been left on her doorstep and begins to discreetly look for the child's mother, while covering the social events of high society with the Astors and Vanderbilts.

While attending a summer party at Beechwood a tragic sailing accident leads to a suspicious death and Emma's former beau, Derrick is a prime suspect. Can she prove his innocence? Will she discover who the child's mother is and why she left him on her doorstep? Could the two incidences be connected?

I am a sucker for historical mysteries and I love crime solving by amateur sleuths. So, this book was right up my alley. Emma is a great character with a big heart and a strong sense of right and wrong. She struggles to maintain peace within her family, help others without passing judgment, and is fiercely independent.

Society's rules are a running theme throughout as Emma, who is marginally related to these people, is often treated as a step above servitude. The divorce rates and unwed mothers were rare in those days, but when they did happen it was a great scandal, so when faced with ruin, people resorted to desperate measures, which in this case resulted in murder and tragedy.

This book does have cozy mystery qualities, since Emma is not a professional detective, but all mystery lovers could enjoy this book. The characters are well drawn, the mystery is compelling and interesting and kept me guessing, with a few surprising twist along the way. Over all this one gets 4 stars

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed this series of the Gilded Age that takes place in Newport, Rhode Island by Alyssa Maxwell.

Emma Cross is an independent woman who stands with one foot in the society crowd since she is a relative of the Vanderbilt family and the other foot on the other side as she is a writer for the society page of the Newport Observer. She is able to go to most society events because of her connection with her family and report what all the ladies and gentlemen are wearing and who is in attendance to include in her writings. Her life takes an unusual spin when she finds a baby on her doorstep. Nearby, a coachman is found murdered and it appears that the appearance of the baby and the coachman might be tied together.

Being the sleuth that she is, she sets out to find out whose baby it is. She thinks it might be a baby of someone is the society crowd who can't keep the baby especially with the death of the coachman. One clue is a bit of lace that is in the baby's blanket. Her first stop on her investigation is a lawn party at the Beechwood estate owned by the Astor family. Everyone is gathered on the lawn watching a sailboat race. Unfortunately, a storm blew up that turned tragic when one member of a sailing crew, textile magnet Virgil Monroe, was lost overboard. Emma's old beau, Andrew Derrick, is one of the crew on the boat and the lost man's son accuses Derrick of pushing his father overboard.

Emma's investigation takes her on some wild adventures in this mystery and her old friend, police detective Jesse Whyte keeps an eye on her for her safey as they exchange their clues. Emma sets out to find out clues about the parentage of the baby and what happened to Virgil. This is a great series. I am looking forward to the fourth in this series.

[Sybil Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This third book in the Gilded Newport Mystery series is may favorite so far. Interesting characters, lots of twists and turns. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.

[Darcia Helle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having grown up in Massachusetts, the Newport mansions were a kind of fantasy place, existing in our space but separate just the same. I toured through them all several times, imagining what life was like for those wealthy elite of the gilded age. This book uses that backdrop as a launching point. The famous Newport families of the late 1800s come to life on these pages, fictionalized, though still very much true to who they were.

The setting is certainly the author's strength. She clearly knows the history of this area, with its summer residents and extravagant parties. Even if you've never set foot in one of these mansions as a tourist, you'll likely have a good sense of their opulence.

Emma is not the typical woman of her time, being more concerned with her independence than with marrying the right man. Her character is well developed and easy to like. This book is written in first person, so we spend all our time with Emma, and we see others through her eyes.

The plot unfolds slowly. We follow the clues along with Emma, as her quest to find one answer only leaves her with more and more questions. At times the unraveling plot and its cast of characters feels a little too much like a soap opera, though I suppose that's also true of the real-life families within those Newport mansions.

I did not read the prior books in this series, and had no trouble following along with this story. It works well as a stand-alone. That being said, there are a whole lot of characters here. If you're unfamiliar with the names of those early Newport families, you might have difficulty keeping up and should probably read the earlier books first.

*I received a free advanced copy from Kensington Books, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.*

[Jeannine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is getting strong with each book. In this installment of the Gilded Newport series, a baby is left on Emma's doorstep and she is confident she can hunt down the mother at the opening events of the Newport season. The opening party at the Astor's mansion includes a yacht race during which one participant drowns and Emma's sometimes-love-interest Derrick is injured. Derrick hasn't been so nice to Emma during these opening events and his family doesn't approve of Emma's tendency to take in women in need of safe harbor.

Emma enlists her cast of friends, including cousin Neily and his girlfriend Grace, her brother, and a few young women in service to help her race around Newport to find the killer and determine who left the baby. Emma's other love interest, detective Jesse has a bigger role in this book and has a scene with the baby, which was charming. At the hospital, Emma realizes that a childhood friend, Hannah, is back in town and working as a nurse.

It sounds like a giant cast, but this book makes it all work. Her relationships with Derrick and Jesse are still unresolved, which makes things interesting. It'll be interesting to see if Hannah becomes a regular and if the hint of an attraction between Hannah and Brady develops. I was between a 4 and 5 star review because of how tight the plotting is here. I'm rounding up. On to the next.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars Rounded Up
This is delightful, light and fun.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars for Murder at Beechwood.

I love Newport anyway, and it’s fun to read about it in its heyday, when the Vanderbilts and Astors lived in the colossal mansions. The series as a whole is well research and vivid. I know Newport really well, so I liked reading about references to all the landmarks in the area.

Emma is a great heroine. She’s just independent enough to be believable for the time period and still be realistic. She gets thrown into these crimes but manages to solve them.

My two complaints with this book and the series as a whole is that there are a lot of characters to keep track of, and sometimes women would be referred to by name (Judith) and sometimes they would be referred to by their married title (Mrs. Kingsley). I understand that was how people talked back then, but it made the characters a little difficult to keep track of.

The other complaint is the romance. I feel like I’ve said that about all the books in this series. The romance is unnecessary, and I don’t like him all that much. The series would be much better without it.

This particular murder mystery was the best of the 3 I’ve read so far. It was interesting to see it come together.

[Alisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm still looking forward to continuing this series, but the body count in this one was absurdly high, and the culprit and reveal just strayed too far into melodrama/soap opera territory for me. Hope the next one is a return to form.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

I absolutely love this series! Emma Cross is a smart protagonist and I love following her through 1896 Rhode Island. She is a brave woman who sticks up for those in need. This time it is a baby left on her doorstep and she will not rest until she finds his mother, even when it puts her own life in danger.

Gull Manor has become a refuge over the years for prostitutes and abused women wanting a fresh start and Emma has vowed to keep up the tradition even though many do not approve. She never expected a newborn would find its way to her door, a newborn that steals the heart of everyone at Gull Manor. Nor did she realize the sweet child would be connected to such tragedy.

Alyssa Maxwell bases her story on actual families, like the Vanderbilts and the Astors and crafts a tale that will will enthrall you from the first page until the last. She takes us into the world of the elite 400. Their lives, their parties, their indiscretions and their drama. The characters are so well written, the plot is enticing and the setting is described wonderfully. The story is perfectly paced with generous detail.

Each new story in this series becomes my favorite as the author keeps topping herself.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am continuing my read of the gilded Newport mystery series and this was a solid addition to it. We are back in Newport following Emma as she witnesses a death during a boating race. Naturally there are suspicious circumstances surrounding this and when Derek becomes one of the prime suspects she vows to find out who is behind at all. I really enjoyed this one and learning more about the history of Beechwood. I am going to be reading the next book in the series very soon. I highly recommend the series it is such a cozy experience and makes me want to go back to Newport very very soon.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is a lot of fun. I really like Emma, she's a good person and just wants the best for everyone. The mystery was good and I liked seeing how it twisted and turned.

[BRNTerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start by saying this book has way too many characters, around twenty, most introduced within the first fifty pages. Most weren't even in the picture much. By the end of the book I still wasn't 100% sure who was who and had to keep looking at my notes to help me figure things out.

There were multiple mysteries going on at the same time, too many- who, if anyone, caused the explosion on the boat, who dropped the baby off at Emma's doorstep, who shot a carriage driver, who shot a maid, and so on. I was interested in all of it. The person(s) who did the crimes, or some of them, just wasn't believable. At least not to me. The motive(s) presented were ridiculous too.

Emma's character is too perfect, flawless actually, and she's clearly a genius at solving crimes, all on her own, and without help from another soul. Sure. I didn't get any backstory on her and that's very necessary for a main character. I realized that was probably given in book one of the series but the author should have recapped in the next two. I don't even know how old she is or what she looks like.

The book is flawed, I never really got to know any of the characters, but I was kept interested and was disappointed in the climax for being far-fetched. Emma's not a character I'd want to keep reading about because she's been written as someone I can't relate to.

I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely a cost mystery set in the late 1800's or early 1900's when people traveled by horse, carriage, ships or trains. I thoroughly enjoyed it. While I chuckled a few times (seems like the whole town was in the hospital at one time or another) I really did like it. I definitely did not see the ending coming either. There are too many suspects and then when you think you have it figured out, that person gets killed. Of course, Emma, the nosy, but helpful, newspaper reporter is usually around the trouble.

If your into cozies, this is a pretty good one.

Thank you Kensington Books and Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this very entertaining book.

[FangirlNation · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma Cross, a minor relative of the Vanderbilt family in 1894, wakes up one morning at her home in Newport, Rhode Island where she takes in all women in need, in Murder at Beechwood by Alyssa Maxwell, but this time Emma finds a baby abandoned in front of her door. A fancy lace handkerchief suggests to them that this baby may be the child of someone from high society. This leads her police friend, Jesse, to tell her about the murder of an obviously working class man, wondering if there could be a connection between the cases. Knowing that as the reporter of the society news column of the newspaper, she will be attending the Astor ball for all of high society the next night, Jesse asks Emma to keep her eyes and ears open. She is to see if she can get an idea if a woman there might have given birth to an illegitimate child recently but stay clear of the question of murder. At the ball, Emma notices particular discord among the Monroe family, along with Daphne Gordon, the ward of Virgil Monroe, the family patriarch who tends to rule harshly. And then Emma hears a voice she recognizes. It is Derrick Andrews, the man whose proposal Emma turned down many months earlier but for whom she has discovered a growing love amid confusion over his disappearance from the island for a long time. But when Emma goes to greet Derrick, he gives her a cold shoulder, and his mother positively glares at Emma, creating all sorts of confusion for Emma.

Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation

[Patrizia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Avevo scartato questa serie perché ambientata in un periodo storico che normalmente non mi interessa, ma mi sono davvero sbagliata! Mi sta catturando e sto leggendo velocemente i libri già usciti. Le storie sono avvincenti (stavolta non ero proprio riuscita a venire a capo del mistero), il cast di personaggi e l'ambientazione ben fatti e interessanti, in particolare trovo che l'autrice sia riuscita benissimo a inserire come personaggi non così collaterali persone realmente esistite e di un certo spessore sociale.

[Genevieve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love this series and stepping back in time to the Newport mansions and a look at the homes and lives of the rich. Though the story itself is made up a lot of the characters and story lines that are in the story come from the history of Newport. I love the characters and the descriptions of the houses and the clothes the people are wearing. This series just makes me keep turning the pages and this book was no exception. A wonderful book.

[Lin S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this was no Agatha Christie tale but a decent story none the less.

[Eileen Lynx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ended with a puppy. Happy ending

[Brenna Donahue · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite so far of the Newport Mysteries! How very exciting from start to finish! I appreciated the originality of the story - the added mystery of where the baby came from and plenty of new characters to investigate. This series is so enjoyable, all quick reads. Can’t wait to start the next!

[Rhoda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still thoroughly enjoying this series. Going to plow through them in record time, I think!

[Paulette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really enjoying the Gilded Newport mystery series. Plucky heroine struggling to make a career in journalism, two budding love interests, interesting and sympathetic supporting characters, a murder mystery and a glimpse into a gilded world makes this series a guilty pleasure indeed.

[Kati · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is too flowery, and carries on too much for a murder mystery. The story is relatively unbelievable, but I guess that’s what fiction is all about.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

A year after the events at Marble House, Emma wakes up suddenly to a strange wailing sound outside. She, and her household (which now includes Stella, the former prostitute) assume was a passing storm. When Emma opens the front door to retrieve the paper, she receives a huge surprise; the noise was a baby crying! Someone left a baby on Emma's doorstep because of the reputation Gull Cottage has for being a haven for those in need. Emma, Katie, Nanny and even Stella quickly fall in love with the infant, but Emma is determined to find the baby's family. Not only do the courts not allow spinsters to adopt children, there may be issues of inheritance at stake or someone is longing for their child or lost family member's child. She has only one clue to go on- a hanky trimmed in fancy Brussels lace threaded with gold. This child must belong to someone wealthy! In her duty as a society reporter, Emma tries to ferret out who was missing from Society this past Season. While watching a yacht race at Beechwood, a terrible squall actually blows in and some boats go down. Emma is terrified when some men go overboard, including her erstwhile beau Derrick Andrews. As the men return from the sea, one is missing. As Emma uncovers the clues, she feels certain this man's death is connected to the baby. She's determined to solve both mysteries which are easy compared to the mystery of Derrick's feelings for her and what she plans to do about them. She also tries to play mediator between her Aunt Alice, Uncle Cornelius and her cousin Neily who wants to marry the lovely, but "new monied" Grace Wilson.

I speed read half this book the night before going to Newport. I speed read the other half in Newport while my family ate lunch. I may not have absorbed everything but I started the day at Ochre Court, which in the novel is the home of the Goelets. I walked along the cliff walk and saw Beechwood in the distance (still sadly under construction). It really helped enhance my enjoyment of the novel walking in Emma's footsteps, literally. I felt the plot was not as good as the other two books. The mystery happens right away and there's two mysteries in one. There's too much going on in this story. I also thought Emma pondered too much on her feelings about matrimony and what to do about Derrick. Her feelings show she cares for him but her thoughts seem otherwise. She overthinks the situation too often. I missed the swoony romantic relationship she had while sleuthing with Derrick. The ending was far from satisfactory. The Vanderbilt family drama frequently overshadowed the mystery and dragged down the tone of the story, which was already sad.

I never guessed who the baby's mother was. It came as a surprise to me and the plot twist was very shocking. I guessed the same woman that Emma suspected. There seemed to be more grisly murder in this mystery than the previous two. I had the same suspicion about the murder that Emma did so when all was revealed I was as surprised as she was. The way everything tied together seemed a bit too coincidental and very surprising. This still didn't stop me from wanting to skip ahead to the end. I had to pause and wait an hour before I could finish the novel and the wait was tough.

An Afterward by the author tells the reader what happened to the real people featured in the novel. I knew half the story already. I hope this isn't the last Newport-set mystery. I enjoy them and I love visiting the places featured in the stories. Murder at the Elms sounds good. Or Murder at Belcourt Castle. Murder at Rosecliff... Alyssa Maxwell's new mystery sounds intriguing in an Upstairs/Downstairs/Downton Abbey way.

[Ruhani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is so similar to the Gilded Gotham series that I read recently. But I prefer these Gilded Newport series because the MC is much more interesting with a not too smooth life including an uncertain love life. I also love the fact that each mystery is allied with a mansion and features many real people and incidents. This story revolved around an infant left at Emma's doorstep and a death during a sailboat race. These come together eventually to form an interesting mystery that I really enjoyed.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder at Beechwood by Alyssa Maxwell is the third book in the Gilded Newport Mystery series. Emmaline “Emma” Cross is awakened one morning to what she thinks is a storm. Upon further investigation Emma finds a baby crying on her front porch. There is no note left with the little boy. Soon Officer Jesse Whyte (with the Newport Police) arrives because a coachman was murdered nearby and needs Emma’s help on the case (Jesse is finally asking Emma for help on difficult cases). Jesse and Emma believe the baby and the coachman cases are related (the coachman was most likely the one to leave the baby on Emma’s doorstep and then killed so he would not talk).

Emma promises to see if she can find out who the mother of the child is while she is at the ball. There is to be a ball that evening at Beechwood for the beginning of the season. Emma is given a beautiful gown by Grace Wilson to wear to the ball. Neily (Corneilius Vanderbilt III) and Grace are still dating despite opposition from Neily’s family. Emma does not get a lead on the baby’s mother at ball, but she will try again the next day.

The next day is the yacht race. However, there is a tragedy at the race. A storm comes up which makes for rough seas. Virgil Monroe goes overboard. Derrick Andrews tries to save him, but he is unsuccessful. Wyatt Monroe thinks Derrick actually held his father, Virgil under water instead of trying to save him. Jesse has no choice but to place Derrick under arrest (he gets house arrest). Emma sets out to find out if Virgil was murdered or if it was an accident (she may have turned down Derrick’s proposal, but Emma still cares for him). Emma believes that what happened to the coachman, Virgil, and the abandoned baby are all connected. Emma, along with help from her friends and relations, sets out to solve these mysteries (you just know that she will somehow manage to put herself in harm’s way).

I give Murder at Beechwood 4 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed Murder at Beechwood more than the first book in the series. The mystery is complex and more difficult to solve. There are so many characters in the book that it is difficult to keep track of all of them (and they all seem related). I enjoyed the descriptions of the lovely homes. I am hoping, though, that Emma and Jesse are put together as a couple. I think they would be perfect for each other. A better match than Emma and Derrick.

I received a complimentary copy of Murder at Beechwood from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogs...

[Crittermom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder at Beechwood is a novel that deftly weaves fact and fiction to create a superb historical mystery set at the turn of the century.

As a poor relation of the Vanderbilt family, Emma Cross lives on the edge of Rhode Island's high society. She savors her independence and her job as a society columnist. Marriage and motherhood are far from her thoughts, until someone leaves a baby on her doorstep with a single clue - an elegant lace handkerchief. Using her job and her society connections, Emma searches for the mother, but what she finds is murder.

A summer sailboat race turns tragic as two men, Virgil Monroe and Derrick Andrews, are swept overboard, and only one is recovered. Many had motives to kill Virgil Monroe, as he was a cruel and unpleasant man. When Virgil's brother, Wyatt accuses Derrick of murder, Emma insists on his innocence. What was Virgil Monroe's connection to the baby? Who is the mother? Emma puts her life on the line to discover the truth.

Emma is a warm, likable heroine, whose intelligence and compassionate nature makes her a joy to read about. Being on the fringe of High Society means that she doesn't have to follow is strict rules and can associate with a variety of people. Along with her job as a reporter, that places her in a perfect position to investigate.

Murder at Beechwood is a historical mystery certain to satisfy armchair detectives craving a satisfying and original mystery.

I received a copy of Murder at Beechwood from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review

Murder at Beechwood is the third book in the Gilded Newport Mystery series. It is available for pre-order and will be released May 26, 2015

--Crittermom

[Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Murder at Beechwood, as in the two previous books in this series – Murder at the Breakers and Murder at Marble House -- Alyssa Maxwell winningly combines real settings and historical characters with real and fictional events. I was delighted to receive an advance reading copy in return for an honest review, and I can honestly say that Alyssa Maxwell writes historical mysteries that are fun to read, hard to put down, and enjoyable and satisfying in every way.

One thread of mystery is introduced immediately as Murder at Beechwood, set during the Gilded Age in Newport, Rhode Island, begins. Heroine Emma Cross, a lesser relation of the wealthy Vanderbilt family, opens her front door to find a baby abandoned on her doorstep.
After a visit to Beechwood, home of the Astor family, where guests watch a boat race, a storm breaks over the bay, and a family member dies a suspicious death, Emma immediately begins sleuthing to solve that mystery as well. The boating murder and the baby mystery converge in surprising ways.

The extended families and their guests provide plenty of intrigue and lots of suspects. While the time period may be known as the Gilded Age, the characters are not all of sterling quality, harboring jealousies, keeping secrets, and flying into rages that add complexity to the story. The book brims with rich descriptions of the coast and the sea, of the homes and neighborhoods of Newport, and of life during Newport’s summer social season. The author’s detailed research is evident. Rather than being distracting, these details lend terrific texture to the story and add to the enjoyment of reading this book.

[Jo Dervan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is a historical mystery that takes place in the summer of 1896 in Newport, Rhode Island among the social set known as the 400. Emmaline Cross, a poor relation of the Vanderbilts, lives quietly in her home and earns a living by writing a society column in a local newspaper. So when a baby is left on her doorstep, she and her household help take in the child. Emma decides to find the mother of the child who may be an aristocrat. If she does not find the mother, Emma will be forced to send the child to an orphanage.
The day after the season begins, Mrs. Asstor is hosting a lawn party at her home, Beechwood, when there is a tragedy in a sailboat race. Two men end up overboard and only one is recovered. In short order, others are killed and Emma tries to figure out why.
The author uses much of the research on that era to make readers feel that they are a part of the high society that summered in grand "cottages" each year in Newport