A Gilded Grave

Newport Gilded Age #1

by Shelley Freydont

In 1895, the height of the Gilded Age, the social elite spend their summers in Newport, Rhode Island. Within the walls of their fabulous “cottages,” competition for superiority is ruthless … and so are the players.

During her first Newport season, Deanna Randolph attends a ball given in honor of Lord David Manchester, a Barbadian sugar magnate, and his sister, Madeline. The Manchesters are an immediate success—along with their exotic manservant and his fortune-telling talents.
 
But on the nearby cliffs, a young maid lies dead—and suspicion falls on Joseph Ballard, a member of one of the town’s most prestigious families.
 
Joe humiliated Deanna when he rebuffed an engagement to her, but while he may be a cad, she knows he isn’t a killer. Now the reluctant allies must navigate a world of parties, tennis matches, and séances to find the real murderer. But a misstep among the glittering upper classes could leave them exposed to something far more dangerous than malicious gossip…

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

408 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 4, 2015

About the author

aka Gemma Bruce

Shelley Freyont is the author of the Lindy Haggerty Sudoku mysteries. She attended the University of Utah majoring in philosophy and dance. Shelley Freydont has also toured as a professonal dance with Twyla Tharp Dance and Americal Ballroom theater. She has appeared and choreographed in television, film, and Brodway.

Series:
* Lindy Haggerty Mystery
* Kate McDonald Mystery

Reviews

[Sapphyria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deanna Randolph has finally entered her first season in Newport. She, and her parents, are hoping for a better outcome at this event than her season in New York. Joe Ballard decided not to pursue an engagement with Deanna, humiliating her and her family. Now she has to worry about seeing him at all of the Newport gatherings and she's just not sure how she feels about that. Fortunately, there is a new gentleman in town, Lord David Manchester, and it seems he has his eye on Deanna - or maybe Deanna just wishes it so. Her very proper mother hopes to find Deanna a match soon so as to put the embarrassment behind them.

When a maid is found slain on the rocks behind the home of the first event, Joe becomes a suspect due to unfortunate timing and circumstances. It's up to him and a reluctant Deanna to weed through the money and high society patrons to find out the truth behind the death. Of course, the main persons of interest are of the working class and finding the real killer may just put more people, including Deanna and Joe, in danger.

Deanna is being raised as a proper woman of the times, although, she's not all that thrilled about it since she desires independence. She finds herself drawn to the death of the maid, wanting to help avenge her, all while trying to prove that, while Joe may be a scoundrel, he's not a murderer. Her character is well written and I found myself rooting for her. She knows what's proper and what's not but also knows right from wrong - even if doing what's right isn't what's proper. I enjoyed the kinship she shared with her maid, Elspeth, in a time when fraternizing with the help was not accepted.

I found A Gilded Grave to be a well-written historical novel. The story was engaging and the main characters were likable. There was a touch of romance but nothing that overshadowed or lessened the importance of finding out who the killer(s) is. The murder mystery was suspenseful, never really revealing information that may give anything away. I loved the twists and turns that the author threw at the reader - it's hard to accurately guess when there are so many players that fit the bill. All in all this was a nicely laid out mystery novel.

Paperback review copy courtesy of the publisher, at no cost, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, opinions, and statements about the book are my own.

[Lisa Ks Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful debut novel. Author Shelley Freydont has made a wonderful transition from the twenty-first century cozy mystery to the nineteenth century historical mystery. It is so clear she has done her research of the Gilded Age. Her character’s words, behavior, and mannerisms are all perfect for the era.

Deanna Randolph is an unlikely sleuth, yet in the talented hands of author Freydont, she is not only believable, she is very much up to the task. It’s going to be interesting to watch Deanna grow as the series continues.

This was an incredibly well plotted mystery with more suspects than a few. With twists and turns all the way to the exciting end, I second, third, and fourth guessed myself and yes, still guessed wrong!

A GILDED GRAVE is sure to be a hit with historical and cozy mystery fans alike.

[She-Wolf Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the strength of this book is in its great historical and period detail. It takes place in Newport during the Gilded Age and I was intrigued by the setting and premise - one that I rarely read about. The houses, the clothes, the parties - all lots of fun. I must admit to feeling lukewarm about everything else - the characters? Interesting enough though the fear of the large Black man from Barbados who must, of course, practice voodoo, was off-putting. The plot? Could have been a little more compelling. The mystery? Probably the weakest aspect of the book. This was not edge of your seat, trying to figure it all out. The culprit was fairly obvious and it took a while for the characters to get to the solution. I don't think I will read the next in the series.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an ARC of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. I have to say upfront that I am new to historical cozy mysteries. However, I am a huge fan of Shelley Freydont's Celebration Bay Mystery series so when I had the chance to review the first book in her new historical series I was happy to be chosen.

Deanna Randolph is a not your typical amateur sleuth. She is a young woman from a prominent family with a streak of independence during a time period where such a trait is not considered proper. However, I believe Ms. Freydont has done her character justice and created a story with a well crafted plot and interesting characters that keeps the reader engaged throughout the story. There are plenty of twists, turns and suspects to keep the reader guessing until the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading A Gilded Grave and will be looking forward to more installments in this series.

[Jennifer Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

When I first started reading adult books, I was in love with historical romance. I always wanted to live in that time, corsets and all. As I got older, it was mysteries and thrillers that kept my attention. I would read a romance novel every once in a while, but it just wasn't the same.

I think I found a perfect love with this series! I am not sure if I have ever been introduced to a historical mystery or what but I absolutely loved this! Deanna doesn't live the ideal life, but I still envied her. She had so much spunk and yet the manners (mostly) of a "lady". I loved her from page one! Her sleuthing was fun and the way she kept referring to her books made me realize that what you read definitely has an impact on how you grow up. I may not live back then, but I have no problem letting my husband make the more important decisions and be the "leader" of the household while I help behind the scenes.

The author did a wonderful job of making the characters you are supposed to like likeable while the "villains" unlikable. There were some twist and turns and then a wonderful ending that I can't wait for the next one! I'm hoping that Deanna's sister is in the next one more because she seemed like she could be a good developing character.

I will admit that there was some stuff that I looked up because I didn't realize they took place that far back (yes, I googled when the Ouija board was created!).

I would have given it 5 stars but there was a few errors that threw (through?) me off and irked me. (example: Daisy's name was used twice when it should have been Elspeth's name.)

While the ending wasn't as shocking to me as it could have been (I guessed who the murderer was just not the why), I did think someone else would've been an additional party to the killers and was glad that they weren't. Still a wonderful ending to a wonderful book!

I would definitely recommend this to ALL mystery lovers!! (In fact, I already have to someone and they had the book now :-D )

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Gilded Grave by Shelley Freydont is a historical cozy

Deanna is having her coming out season in Newport, RI in 1895. She and her maid, Elspeth, become involved in a murder investigation involving Elspeth's brother.

The descriptions of the social scene, clothing, and the "cottages" is very vivid. I felt I was there watching.

The author did a good job of describing the social situation that women were in during that time period as well as showing the class boundaries all wrapped in an entertaining mystery.

I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Anna Lee Huber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly captivating! Freydont skillfully combines the glittering excess of the Gilded Age and a believable upstairs-downstairs dynamic with a thrilling murder mystery. Readers will fall in love with this intrepid new sleuthing pair and the dashing young men they assist. A must read for fans of historical mystery.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Eighteen-year-old Deanna Randolph is making her debut in Newport society after her arranged marriage to Joseph Ballard, scion of one of Newport's old families, falls through. Deanna doesn't want to marry Joe or anyone right now. She isn't cut out for society life like her sister Adelaide who is insipid as a girl can be and engaged to the worthy Charles Woodruff. She's tired of her mother's strict rules, the stuffy clothes she's forced to wear and the endless rules that keep her from ruination. She longs for her childhood days when she was carefree and could splash in the waves on the beach and follow her now-deceased brother Bob, Joe Ballard and their friend Will Hennessey on their adventures. Deanna isn't done having adventures just yet though. When her older sister Adelaide's migranes don't improve, Mrs. Randolph takes Adelaide to a specialist in Boston and Mr. Randolph goes back to New York to deal with business, Deanna is left to stay with her best friend Cassie Woodruff and the Woodruffs guests, Lord David and Madeline Manchester. The sugar cane plantation owner from Barbados has some to do business with R and W Sugar, Deanna, Cassie and Joe's family business. He has also come to look at some new inventions of Joe's in his workshop in the seedy Fifth Ward. Lord David's business could keep the evil Havermeyers from stealing R&W and creating a monopoly. When the Woodruff's maid, Daisy, ends up dead on the cliffs and Joe's apprentice is accused, Deanna suspects the maid's death is not a simple matter of being in the family way but part of a larger chain of sinister events happening in the Woodruff home. Soon Deanna realizes the only people she can trust are her maid Elspeth, Joe Ballard and his eccentric Gran Gwen. Can she solve the mystery before the murderer realizes she has figured it out?

I liked this book a lot but I didn't find it as interesting as Alyssa Maxwell's Gilded Age mysteries. This is partly because Deanna is so young but mostly because the characters and their homes are fictional. I can't use this novel as a guide book to Gilded Age New York the way I can with Alyssa Maxwell's books. Nevertheless, I did really enjoy the Newport setting. Downton Abbey fans will like this look at American society in 1895. The story also contains an upstairs/downstairs element that fans of the British period dramas will enjoy. The plot was engaging enough to stay up very late reading and sophisticated enough that I only figured out one secret, but not the identity of the murderer or murderers. I also liked the growing friendship between Deanna and Joe and the light romance. I had a suspicion about Adelaide's headaches and subsequent trips to Boston and Switzerland but my suspicion didn't come to pass and I suppose it didn't make sense for the story. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger. The big reveal comes from a character other than the villain so we don't really know the whole story and the way the events unfold did not satisfy me. It IS more realistic but I like my books to have tidy endings so I'm not left with questions and longing for the next book to see what happens.

What I wasn't crazy about was the young heroine. Deanna is likable but she's very young and naive. This leads her into dangerous situations which could have gotten her killed eventually. She feels goaded into doing the opposite of whatever Joe and Will tell her, despite the fact they are concerned about her safety. I think modern teens and adults can relate to her sense of longing for her childhood and her rebellion against doing what is expected of her. She's modern enough to appeal to contemporary readers. My own personal preference is for older heroines. Deanna isn't too modern for the 1890s though. Times were changing and evidenced by the references to Mrs. Ballard's interests and the changing fashions. Cassie thinks Deanna's mother is too old-fashioned and strict. I also liked that Deanna missed her older brother Bob, who died in an influenza outbreak at Yale and how she cared about not just her maid but also the other two maids who feature into the story. She looks at Elspeth as a friend and not an employee.

Elspeth is an interesting character. She's from an Irish working class family and yet she's nearly as stuffy as Deanna's mother. Elspeth knows the rules and knows her place but she cares about Deanna and can't help but act as a surrogate sister to the girl. Their love of dime novels is a little silly but it also makes their minds sharp and shows them how to pick up on clues the police may have overlooked.

Cassie, Deanna's best friend, is rather silly and naive. She doesn't know or want to know, anything about her father's problems. She has no interest in solving a murder and only want to have fun and flirt with handsome, rich young men. However, she is fun-loving and a rule breaker when she wants to be. She and Deanna make a good team because Deanna's level head can keep Cassie from getting into too much trouble and Cassie can make Deanna lighten up a bit. Cassie has a good relationship with her family. Her parents represent the less fun aspects of Gilded Age Society and the pitfalls of being used to having too much money. The other main female character is Madeline Manchester. Growing up in Barbados without a mother makes her more worldly than the sequestered New York/Newport girls. She's more sophisticated but also harder and colder. She doesn't care much about anything but her brother. She cares a little TOO much about him which to me, tipped me off about something that is revealed at the end. Her brother David is very charming but I didn't care for him much. He was too charming and too eager to flirt with Deanna.

I really liked the Ballard family. Joe is a complicated character. Like Deanna, he chafes against the rules of society, but at the same time wants her to obey them. He has a brilliant mind and is an honorable gentleman. He's just too stubborn for his own good sometimes. He would make Deanna an excellent husband if he let himself care for her in that way. My favorite character is Joe's Gran Gwen. She's a real eccentric. I love her sharp wit and her devil may care attitude. She reminded me of Lady Violet in Downton Abbey yet Lady Violet would be horrified at Gwen's egalitarian attitude, her past history with men and her sympathy for women's rights.

This is an interesting and entertaining book for readers in their older teens and up. I would classify it maybe as "new adult" because Deanna is only 18. Since the story is told through Deanna's eyes, she's very innocent and some of the darker aspects of Gilded Age society pass right over her head. There are mentions of mistresses, affairs, hints at what happens when couples go off alone to the rocks in the dark and one incestuous kissing scene.

[Geordie · Rating 2 out of 5]

"A Gilded Grave" is a murder mystery taking place in the late 19th century among American socialites (the golden age). Deanna Randolph is the daughter of a wealthy family, living in luxury, but with little control over her own life.
Most of the book was a pleasure to read. Deanna is a progressive and independent thinker, compassionate toward the lower classes, but constantly worried about her place in society. The social interactions were a lot of fun in this book, and well-handled. I've read so many books of this style where the progressive protagonist breaks social bonds without reason beyond the writer's desire, and she acts like a 21st century woman with no worry of the tremendous repercussions a woman would face back in this time. Deanna was written with reasons to think outside the box, and understanding that she couldn't do whatever she liked without consequence.
The characters and setting were well described and handled throughout the book, it was really a pleasure to read.
Unfortunately the story pretty much fell apart at the end. There weren't enough clues for anyone to find the murderer, so, the main characters staged a sinister seance to try to scare the killer into blurting out the truth. I can't help it, this resolution has already been used too much, and it's a lazy sign that the writer couldn't think of another way to solve the problem. And it works, just like all the other times it's been used in books, even though in this case the killer is a veteran con-man and murderer - but she can't keep from spilling her guts when confronted by a shock. To top the absurdity off, the protagonists make the killer think she's seeing the ghost of one of her victim by dressing in black face. Seriously? Maybe that wasn't offensive at the time, but it is now. Leaving offense aside, she thinks a person with a charcoal blacked face is a black man she's known for years? Because they're both dark?
Overall well written, but the end of the book was a disaster and a disappointment.

[Morgan Chavez · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first I was pretty optimistic about this book because it reminded me of if bridgerton met crimson peaks and it had nice descriptions of a gilded age summer and clothing, but it ended up falling short for me. I felt like the ending was really predictable, it was probably 100 pages longer than it needed to be, the editing was poorly done, and parts of it kind of had a racist air???? I know it's supposed to be a series but the ending felt so unfinished to me. It like kind of satiates the period piece craving but not enough to really recommend it for that purpose. Someone please recommend me a good one!!!!!!

[Chelsey Wolford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here lately I have been on a huge historical fiction/mystery kick and that seems like all I have been reading! However, I am not complaining; it is just what I have been craving lately. This new series by Shelley Freydont is sure to be one of my favorites; set during the gilded age, the characters and setting have a certain Downton Abbey feel, and you can never go wrong here. Our sleuth and main character, Deanna Randolph, was brave and intuitive; she goes against the grain a bit because she does not quite act like a young lady should in the late 1800’s. She is brainy and too smart and curious for her own good, but alas, this is just the reason why I was so drawn to her to begin with. Deanna is the first person to avidly try and solve the murders that take place in this book and is one of the only people that seem to genuinely care about the lives lost.

There are hints of romance in this book but mostly we are dealing with historical fiction and mystery. I felt that Freydont added just enough romance for our main characters to keep it interesting; this is of course going to be a series, so she has to keep us wondering a bit. After finishing this book, I cannot say that I am sure the two main characters will even end up together, which puts a nice twist on things. The murders were suspenseful and mysterious, just enough to keep you guessing. I had an idea of who might have committed the murders early on, but Freydont reveals plenty of characters that could have committed the crimes. It became harder and harder to decipher the more I learned about each person, which is the key to any truly good mystery!

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Berkley in exchange for my honest review***

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love historical mysteries and am fascinated by the Gilded Age, so of course I enjoyed A Gilded Grave.

Deanna is a strong, intelligent protagonist who determines to solve the mystery of a servant's death in a time where such independent behavior was not expected (or desired) for women. I like her camaraderie with her maid, Elspeth. I also like Joe, her former romantic interest. Although he is from a very moneyed background, he wants more and starts a shop to work on mechanical inventions (like a machine to bag sugar). I especially enjoyed all scenes including both Deanna and Joe.

This mystery is rich in historical details and nuances. We glimpse the life "downstairs" of Elspeth and the late Daisy. The scene where Elspeth and Deanna go to Daisy's small room to pack her meager belongings is moving. We see the police automatically pursue a working class man as the suspect in Daisy's tragic death because they cannot consider a man with an upper class background as a suspect. We see Deanna and Elspeth reading "penny novels" about lady detectives that pique their interest in mystery. We see Deanna longing to play tennis at a party, but having to watch instead because she is a woman.

A Gilded Grave is such an intelligent, well written mystery. There are wonderful characterizations in this book, with lively dialogue. I felt I really got to know these characters through the novel.

I hope this is the first book in a series, because I want to read more! I enthusiastically recommend this book for fans of historical fiction, historical mysteries, and anyone interested in the Gilded Age.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gilded Age must have been exhausting! Just trying to keep up with Deanna Randolph, a young cottager(a new term for me) of Newport, RI during the summer season of 1895, "the height of Gilded Age", and her lady's maid, Elspeth, is not an easy task, but I enjoyed attempting to keep up with them while my imagination had me wondering what it all must have been like to have 4-6 social engagements in one day, changing outfits 6-8 times a day during the summer season in Newport which only lasted 6 weeks from mid-July to the end of August. Then throw in a few murders which Deanna and Elspeth wish to solve. Wow! How did they do it all? It must have been so exciting. I hope they slept well because they would get up and do it again the next dat. Not the murders- they would only happen once. The 'social elite', the people who lived in the cottages which millions were spent to build and lived in for only 6 weeks during the Newport Season. The cottagers were putting on such expensive entertainment while following all the etiquette rules of that era. Fabulous fashion and fun, but as I mentioned exhausting! This author has it all with Deanna's and Elspeth's sleuthing - cannot wait for #2!!

[Julia David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this story. I hope I hear more from Deanna and Joe. It is an interesting look into life during 1895 in Newport. Even though Deanna is suppressed by her mother most of the time, she is able to become quite the sleuth along with her maid, Elspeth. Joe wants to invent and his inventions will help his family's business, but he must live in an area that is frowned upon by the elite and so he is kind of on the edge of society. Deanna and Joe's parents wanted them to marry, but Joe wanted to work on his inventions and so everyone acts like he jilted Deanna. Even though they were never officially engaged. She has to put all that aside and trust Joe when some people are accusing him of murder. A grand adventure.

[Shelley Giusti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shelley Freydont's Debut Novel takes us back to the summer 1895 in her brand new series.Where we meet Deanna Randolph and the Lords and Ladies of that era. Deanna is about to attend a ball when she finds out that one of the maids has been murdered. So when the main suspect is some one from the upper class society, Deanna must find out what is going on be fore it is to late.

Shelley had taken the this nineteenth century story and brought it to life. The dress attire and the way she describes the town and the poeple have become real with this book. The cast of characters are so well written that you will be swept away.This is a great first and I am eagerly waiting the next one.

[Pamela Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Gilded Grave is so beautifully written, I felt I had traveled back to Newport during the opulent Gilded Age. The compelling plot gripped me immediately and I couldn't put the book down until I read the last word. I loved the interesting well-developed characters especially strong, feisty debutante Dianna Randolph and her maid Elspeth, Joe Ballard and Gran Gwen. I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes mysteries that keep you entertained and engaged from beginning to end. I look forward to reading more about the Newport Gilded Age in book 2. I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Subashini · Rating 1 out of 5]

Racism, tediously annoying characters, and an overcooked, overwrought plot. And all of that for 400+ pages!

[Jeannine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love historical mysteries. I love the Gilded Age. I love Newport, Rhode Island. All these things are present in this book and it works for me.

Our main character is a debut who is smart but uneducated, and she fumble quite a bit when it comes to understanding what is happening in the world around her. She grows up a lot during this book, but she has some ways to go and I think that makes for some interesting character development.

I have the sequel in hand and I really hope that Deanna gets a soft landing.

[Nikki Morton · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.
This was a fun historical murder mystery with an interesting female protagonist. The reason it didn’t score higher for me was due to a few places where the dialogue and actions of the characters struck me as too modern, as well as the multitude of errors and typos in the text. The mystery itself was interesting and complex, but I was slightly disappointed in the lack of interaction between the main character and her sorta-love interest. However, it seems this is the first in a series, so perhaps there will be more of these two in the next book.

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m surprised this isn’t more popular! It seemed well-researched and had a compelling pace and lots of twists that made the conclusion not so obvious.To me it was very reminiscent of the Lady Darby mysteries by Anna Lee Huber, which I have really enjoyed! Certainly a bit cliché at times, but what gilded age novel wouldn’t be? Would recommend to historical fiction/mystery lovers!

[Gerrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5 stars

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Completely average. But I liked it more than I thought.

[Dora Okeyo · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's the gilded age, the year 1895 and the social elite spend their summers in New Port, Rhode Island.

When a young maid I found dead on a cliff, and many unanswered deals on sugar are abound, there is cause for alarm and worse off the season has just begun. I love Deanna's spunk, and she draws insights from the sherlock holmes books she's read to solve the murder mystery.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall this was a solid first book in a series set in Rhode Island during the late 1800's. Deanna is having her first season in Newport which she is cautiously looking forward to. She'd rather be doing almost anything than being a society girl, but there aren't that many options for her. When a maid is murdered at one of the balls Deanna attends she ends up investigating and connecting with a childhood friend. Deanna was a great character. The one huge drawback of the book was the depiction of the one black character in the book - a scary large man who everyone assumes practices voodoo? Really? The ending was a bit rough too with a sort of silly and offensive contrivance to unmask the murderer.

[OpenBookSociety.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://openbooksociety.com/article/a-...

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

A Gilded Grave, the first book in Shelley Freydont’s new Newport Gilded Age Mystery series, is a delight. This well-crafted historical mystery transported me to the opulent world of the Gilded Age, and I cannot wait to return.

The year is 1895, and it is custom for the most eminent of the upper class to summer in Newport, Rhode Island. This is Deanna Randolph’s big year as she is being presented to society with hopes of making an acceptable, and profitable, marriage match. For most of her life it was expected that she would marry her father’s business partner’s son Joseph and combine the R & W Sugar Refineries families. However, Joseph caused a bit of scandal when he called things off with Deanna and announced that he would not return to New York but stay in Newport to work on his inventions for sugar refining. Though humiliated, if truth be told, Deanna really wishes she could capture a bit more time as a child, with the freedoms that childhood allows.

She is looking forward to the first ball of the season and meeting Lord David Manchester, a sugar plantation owner with whom R & W hopes to do business, but is horrified to find Joe in attendance. Things take a dire turn when one of the host’s maids is found crumpled and lifeless at the base of the cliffs during the ball. Did Daisy jump or fall? When it becomes apparent that she was pushed, Joe, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, becomes the prime suspect. As a member of the upper class, albeit a bit of a black sheep at present, the police surely will not place blame on Joe. The police soon set their sights on Daisy’s boyfriend, who also happens to be Joe’s assistant and Deanna’s ladies maid’s brother, Orrin. Deanna and Joe call a reluctant truce and set out to prove Orrin’s, and ultimately Joe’s, innocence.

Ms. Freydont does a great job of taking the reader on a journey through time to the late nineteenth century. Newport provides a lush backdrop with all the glitz and glamour that defined the excess of the Gilded Age. I was captivated by the descriptions of ball gowns, vast ballrooms and mansions, and the mores of the elite. There are also glimpses of the bleaker life of servants “below the stairs” that are equally interesting. Deanna’s unconventionally familiar relationship with her ladies’ maid Elspeth provides some of the most touching moments in the book, and I really like Deanna. Though suppressed by the trappings of what is proper and expected, she does not hesitate to do what she thinks is right and just, conventions be damned. She is wise beyond her year, vivacious, curious, and intelligent. Joe, though offered a bit more freedom as a man, is also confined by what is expected of him, and I love his devil-may-care attitude about it all. He is equally likable, and the interplay between the pair is charming.

There is a touch of romance included and the smart writing has a cozy feel to it, but A Gilded Grave is a true historical mystery. There are plenty of well-drawn characters from which to cull suspects, and Ms. Freydont kept me guessing throughout. The final plot twist, which I will not disclose here, came as a surprise yet resolved things nicely. This novel affords a fascinating look at the dark side of the upper class, and I look forward to future adventures with Deanna and Joe. Highly recommended.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freydont A Gilded Grave is a great novel. Deanna Randolph is a likeable, relateable character, whether it's her controlling mother who thinks that the servants shouldn't be friends with the upper class, or her sense of curiosity that sometimes gets her into trouble. Freydont successfully brings a story from the gilded age to the present. The story starts out with Deanna,18, who is going to her first ball of the Newport season. Lord David Manchester, a sugar magnate, and his sister Lady Madeline have come to talk to Deanna's father and a former friend's father who owns Rand W Sugar about a contract they had previously made. While the talks are going on, Deanna and some friends go for a work on the Seacrest grounds, where Cassie lives, Deanna's friend. One of the friend's spots a dead body on the rocks. A maid had been murdered. A few days later, something similar occurs, this time at the beach. Both times, at me point or another Joe, a friend of Deanna's, was accused of murder. While Freydont doesn't delve into their history, she did, in the end, produce a book that produced a good book that had plenty of plot twists and a shocking ending. Can't wait for the next book.

[Christy Carlyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 out of 5 stars

Shelley Freydont’s A GILDED GRAVE is one of my favorite historical mysteries of 2015. In Deanna Randolph, Freydont gives readers a youthful, intriguing heroine and amateur sleuth, but, for me, her setting of Gilded Age Newport, playground for the late 19th century’s wealthiest American families, is the real star of the book. Freydont portrays Newport as lush, pretentious, and full of intrigue. She gives readers insights into the kind of wealth most of us can only imagine, but she also manages to create a heroine who I could relate to. At first Deanna struck me as slightly immature, but Freydont uses that part of her character. Deanna’s only eighteen, and she’s playful and naïve at times, but she matures and develops confidence over the course of the story.

Read the rest of my review on Night Owl Reviews: https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Re...

[Doward Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fast paced, well researched series debut. Newport, Rhode Island in the summer of 1895 showcased the cottages of the rich and famous during the height of the Gilded Age. The cottages were usually forty or more rooms and well staffed by servants. The social classes were well defined, business monopolies in full swing but things are starting to change. When a maid is found murdered on the cliffs, socialite Deanna Randolph is pulled into investigating along with her maid who has a family connection to the murdered maid. The man who jilted Deanna's family's wedding proposal is a suspect in the murder but Deanna knows he could not have done it. Fascinating background, well drawn characters and an unusual murder plot make for fascinating reading. With the plot revolving around the sugar monopoly, voodoo, gambling and the lines drawn between the social classes, this was a great read. I am looking forward to the next book and recommend it highly.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in what I hope is a new series! Deanna and her maid Elspeth assist in finding clues in two murders while trying to keep Deanna's childhood friend, Joe and Elspeth's brother, Orrin out of jail. Deanna has always been strong willed, but reigned in by a stronger mother. Her brave and curious mind take her through plot twists and turns during lavish balls, tea time gossip and other gatherings where it's all about being seen during the gilded age in 1895 Newport, RI. Characters were well developed and believable. The detailed descriptions of each home's furnishings and the ball gowns were fabulous and kept me turning pages for more! I very much enjoyed this story and hope there are more to come. I was given an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Michelle Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book was not my usual genre (This was a historical mystery) I have read several in the genre (primarily Rhys Bowen) and this was a true gem. I thoroughly enjoyed this peek into 1895 Newport, Rhode Island Society. The characters are fascinating and multidimensional. The mystery kept me guessing almost to the end. Little hints were dropped here and there, which kept me interested. Truly wonderful book with a bit of romance to add to the intrigue. Deanna and her maid Elspeth, begin digging into the murder of a maid in the house of Deanna's best friend Cassie. Deanna is not exactly your typical Society debutante, she is feisty and adventurous. I was given a copy of the book by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. This book is a wonderful choice for anyone who likes mysteries or historical romances.