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Shipwreck Point Mysteries #1
The Case of the Mysterious Madam: A Gilded Age Historical Cozy Mystery
In 1894, Whitby, Massachusetts, better known as Shipwreck Point to its residents, personifies the excesses of the Gilded Age. Home to luxury hotels, bawdy houses, gambling establishments, and a crooked local government, Whitby combines the glitter of Newport, Rhode Island with the shady dealings of Tammany Hall.
Titus Strong, lawyer to the rich and famous, left Boston for the seaside town to escape the publicity from his most recent case. As well as his guilty conscience.
Elisabeth Wade, an independent, intelligent young woman in need of a job, has lived in Whitby all her life. She knows the people, the places, and where the bodies are buried. Sometimes literally.
Katie Sullivan, owner of the Honey House, may not have a respectable position, but she is respected. And she’s very protective of her girls. When a drunken lighthouse keeper tries to rape one of them, Katie threatens him. In front of witnesses, including Titus Strong.
When the keeper is found murdered, the police look no further than the well-known madam. But Titus doesn’t believe she killed him.
Will he be able to gather enough evidence to prove her innocence?
With the help of his new secretary and a former Pinkerton detective, Titus is determined to try.
Previously published as Unsafe Harbor.
Titus Strong, lawyer to the rich and famous, left Boston for the seaside town to escape the publicity from his most recent case. As well as his guilty conscience.
Elisabeth Wade, an independent, intelligent young woman in need of a job, has lived in Whitby all her life. She knows the people, the places, and where the bodies are buried. Sometimes literally.
Katie Sullivan, owner of the Honey House, may not have a respectable position, but she is respected. And she’s very protective of her girls. When a drunken lighthouse keeper tries to rape one of them, Katie threatens him. In front of witnesses, including Titus Strong.
When the keeper is found murdered, the police look no further than the well-known madam. But Titus doesn’t believe she killed him.
Will he be able to gather enough evidence to prove her innocence?
With the help of his new secretary and a former Pinkerton detective, Titus is determined to try.
Previously published as Unsafe Harbor.
263 pages, Paperback
First published February 15, 2020
About the author
Elise M. Stone
30 books60 followersElise M. Stone was born and raised in New York, went to college in Michigan, lived in the Boston area for eight years, and most recently moved to sunny Tucson, Arizona, where she doesn't have to shovel snow. Her first degree was in psychology, her second in computers. She's worked as a pizza maker, library clerk, waitress, social worker, programmer, and data jockey.
Retired now, she spends her days doing her two favorite things: writing and reading. Agatha and Spenser, her two cats, keep her company while watching birds and lizards outside her office window. Like the sleuth in her African Violet Club mysteries, she also raises African violets, although not with as much success as Lilliana, who has been known to win the occasional prize ribbon.
She’s fond of reading mysteries, having, like most women her age, been raised on a steady diet of Nancy Drew and later discovering Miss Marple and Sherlock Holmes. She thinks Agatha Raisin is a hoot. Although she will read the occasional private detective novel or thriller, she prefers the gentler kinds of stories. Real life is thrilling enough on most days.
She also likes a bit of romance with her mysteries. And mystery with her romance. With a fondness for cowboys and westerns, Arizona is the perfect place for her to live.
Retired now, she spends her days doing her two favorite things: writing and reading. Agatha and Spenser, her two cats, keep her company while watching birds and lizards outside her office window. Like the sleuth in her African Violet Club mysteries, she also raises African violets, although not with as much success as Lilliana, who has been known to win the occasional prize ribbon.
She’s fond of reading mysteries, having, like most women her age, been raised on a steady diet of Nancy Drew and later discovering Miss Marple and Sherlock Holmes. She thinks Agatha Raisin is a hoot. Although she will read the occasional private detective novel or thriller, she prefers the gentler kinds of stories. Real life is thrilling enough on most days.
She also likes a bit of romance with her mysteries. And mystery with her romance. With a fondness for cowboys and westerns, Arizona is the perfect place for her to live.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
January 21, 2026
An entertaining read, for sure. However, it was sort of on the light side as far as mysteries go. Looking for clues and sorting through what might be red herrings is most of the fun. Rather than disguising clues and evidence leading to the culprit, the author flung them out there blatantly and they hit like a slap to the face. IDing the guilty character, therefore, was not difficult. In fact it was too easy. Yes, I enjoyed this book and will probably continue the series, but my hope is that in subsequent releases the 'mystery' is somewhat more difficult to determine. Three stars - better than average on my rating scale.
February 18, 2020
I wasn’t quite sure if I could get into this type of story—it’s not my favorite historical era—but then, once I started, I ended up reading it straight through in one night! The lead character, dark and handsome, no-nonsense Titus Strong, is a clean-cut, straight-shooter lawyer—he prefers root beer to beer—from Boston with a recent past he would rather keep quiet about. Not that a hotshot lawyer to the rich and famous, and a notorious case dogging his conscience and the newspapers, can keep his identity quiet for very long. And, of course, we have Titus’ quiet and efficient secretary, Elizabeth Wade. She just might have more surprises for Titus than his social pariah client.
It seems an idyllic setting for a chance to get away for the summer, or just a long weekend. The tranquil sand and surf, a picturesque lighthouse, small fishing vessels, a boardwalk with its sights and sounds, and a long beach peppered with luxury houses and hotels. And enough color and local legends to keep even the most bored mind occupied. What better place to relax and unwind? But stay in a place long enough, however, and you begin to see through the thin veneer of tranquility, even in the simplest of places. Especially, when you are a lawyer trying to get away from it all.
The first half of the story unfolds as a murder occurs late one stormy night and the investigation earnestly begins in typical mystery novel fashion. No one wants to talk, but everyone wants to know what is going on—especially why an upstanding lawyer would choose to defend an obviously guilty woman. As the second half unfolds, it moves to a rapid-fire courtroom drama mixed with a swiftly unraveling murder plot as Titus, his secretary, and a former Pinkerton Detective in their employ, investigate the criminal underbelly of the small coastal town of Whitby, better known to its inhabitants as Shipwreck Point, a name we discover that is very appropriate to the lives touched by its existence.
One or two characters are introduced which I hope the author will flesh out as the series continues. As a slightly darker cozy mystery than most, I was most impressed by Ms. Stone’s ability to keep the story clean while at the same time revolving the plot around crooked officials, bar rooms and gambling halls, a bawdy house, and an accused murderer, the madam of the said house of ill-repute. All of this is tastefully done and the author evokes a sense of its historical era—the Gilded Age—without resorting to an overwhelming use of historical details and description, but enough to keep us subtlety anchored in our setting. We never loose sight that it is 1894.
This is a cozy mystery based on strong characters, not the historical setting, though the setting does play a large part in the overall story. But don’t take my word for it. Read this first installment in the Strong and Wade series for yourself. You might just find yourself reading through it in one evening yourself.
I received this book as an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) from the author and chose to leave a voluntary, unbiased review.
It seems an idyllic setting for a chance to get away for the summer, or just a long weekend. The tranquil sand and surf, a picturesque lighthouse, small fishing vessels, a boardwalk with its sights and sounds, and a long beach peppered with luxury houses and hotels. And enough color and local legends to keep even the most bored mind occupied. What better place to relax and unwind? But stay in a place long enough, however, and you begin to see through the thin veneer of tranquility, even in the simplest of places. Especially, when you are a lawyer trying to get away from it all.
The first half of the story unfolds as a murder occurs late one stormy night and the investigation earnestly begins in typical mystery novel fashion. No one wants to talk, but everyone wants to know what is going on—especially why an upstanding lawyer would choose to defend an obviously guilty woman. As the second half unfolds, it moves to a rapid-fire courtroom drama mixed with a swiftly unraveling murder plot as Titus, his secretary, and a former Pinkerton Detective in their employ, investigate the criminal underbelly of the small coastal town of Whitby, better known to its inhabitants as Shipwreck Point, a name we discover that is very appropriate to the lives touched by its existence.
One or two characters are introduced which I hope the author will flesh out as the series continues. As a slightly darker cozy mystery than most, I was most impressed by Ms. Stone’s ability to keep the story clean while at the same time revolving the plot around crooked officials, bar rooms and gambling halls, a bawdy house, and an accused murderer, the madam of the said house of ill-repute. All of this is tastefully done and the author evokes a sense of its historical era—the Gilded Age—without resorting to an overwhelming use of historical details and description, but enough to keep us subtlety anchored in our setting. We never loose sight that it is 1894.
This is a cozy mystery based on strong characters, not the historical setting, though the setting does play a large part in the overall story. But don’t take my word for it. Read this first installment in the Strong and Wade series for yourself. You might just find yourself reading through it in one evening yourself.
I received this book as an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) from the author and chose to leave a voluntary, unbiased review.
February 27, 2020
I enjoyed the author’s African Violet mystery series, so when I had the chance to read this first in series, I knew I was in for a good read. It is clear that a great deal of research has gone into the setting and the historical period, but the result is not laboured. The development of the characters is well crafted, and the plot is clever and unfolds seamlessly. Titus Strong, a successful lawyer, has taken a break from defending the guilty and is visiting Whitby, a coastal town where shipwrecks are not uncommon. During one such event, a man is killed, and Titus finds himself defending a brothel madam accused of the murder. In need of a secretary, he hires Elisabeth Wade and the team of Strong and Wade is born. I look forward to seeing how that relationship, fraught with issues, develops. This series will appeal to all readers who enjoy well written historical and cozy mysteries. I was privileged to read an advance copy of this first in a new series and am happy to post this well-deserved review. Highly recommended.
February 27, 2020
Excellent 1890s Perry Mason Type Courtroom Drama
This is a riveting tale that I couldn't put down. It takes place on one of the small islands in Boston Harbor during a great time in history. The world was beginning to change with gas lights and electric lights, electric trolleys, and bicycles. Women's dresses were still long but more women were working. This story is much like a Perry Mason drama; lots of courtroom examination, a PI digging up details and a secretary with brains and contacts. This should be an excellent series to follow and I can't wait. I received this ARC book for free from the author, but it is well worth her purchase price.
This is a riveting tale that I couldn't put down. It takes place on one of the small islands in Boston Harbor during a great time in history. The world was beginning to change with gas lights and electric lights, electric trolleys, and bicycles. Women's dresses were still long but more women were working. This story is much like a Perry Mason drama; lots of courtroom examination, a PI digging up details and a secretary with brains and contacts. This should be an excellent series to follow and I can't wait. I received this ARC book for free from the author, but it is well worth her purchase price.
April 3, 2020
I hadn't read this author before, but saw the title somewhere and gave it a try. Loved it! The descriptions are wonderful, as are the characters, and we are lead through the story of murder in a coastal fishing town and the investigation by a Boston lawyer on vacation with steady steps and suspense. See the other positive reviews as well, they say it better than I can. Recommended!
March 30, 2022
This is a story of some very unusual characters in Shipwreck Point, Mass..you find a Boston lawyer on vacation who gets his self involved with a Madam who has 4-5 girls working for her and next you know she's actually accessed of murder!! Who murders in a small fishing port,who has a Madam and working girls in a small fishing port,who has a gang of crime bosses and crooks in a small fishing port?? This place sure does and this is at a time when you still had long dresses for the women..hats and wearing gloves were the lifestyle, women don't have the vote and electricity is just the new thing!! Let these characters enter into your life and take you back in time and see how after reading just this first book in this series they become your friends and they come to be real people!! That's Elise Stone for you...she has her own style of writing where you become part of the citizens of this quiet fishing port..Not so quiet as you may think..even small places have big problems and big crime!! Can the lawyer,the Titus with the help of his secretary and a formal Pinkenton private detective help prove that this Madam with her own house of working girls ,try and prove she didn't commit this murder..or did she?? It's a fast read but very well written and mysterious and when your done you will so want more of what these characters are all about and what this quiet fishing village isn't as quiet as you are lead to think!! I have read Miss Stones books before so I knew these series of stories had to be fantastic!!
May 17, 2021
Enjoyable Read!
One of the things I enjoy about reading stories set in the Victorian or Gilded ages is the role of women. So many things were improper for them, like thinking, for example. I love to see how the author is going to get the female characters around all of those improprieties. Ms. Stone did it and did it well. Liked her characters and enjoyed the story. I wonder how the budding romance between Titus and Elizabeth is going to work out? Talk about improper! I'll have to read on to find out, I guess.
One of the things I enjoy about reading stories set in the Victorian or Gilded ages is the role of women. So many things were improper for them, like thinking, for example. I love to see how the author is going to get the female characters around all of those improprieties. Ms. Stone did it and did it well. Liked her characters and enjoyed the story. I wonder how the budding romance between Titus and Elizabeth is going to work out? Talk about improper! I'll have to read on to find out, I guess.
November 22, 2024
GREAT SERIES
I was first introduced to this series via a FREE novelette (see disclaimer below) entitled The Case of the Stolen Strongbox. Upon finishing the prequel, I promptly purchased The Case of the Mysterious Madam.
Stone has a fabulous grasp of historical fiction intertwined with a good mystery.
I thoroughly enjoyed Mysterious Madam and look forward to reading more books in the series.
I received this book free from the author, publisher, or other source. My only obligation is to provide a fair and honest review.
I was first introduced to this series via a FREE novelette (see disclaimer below) entitled The Case of the Stolen Strongbox. Upon finishing the prequel, I promptly purchased The Case of the Mysterious Madam.
Stone has a fabulous grasp of historical fiction intertwined with a good mystery.
I thoroughly enjoyed Mysterious Madam and look forward to reading more books in the series.
I received this book free from the author, publisher, or other source. My only obligation is to provide a fair and honest review.
April 21, 2021
Titus Strong is on vacation in a small town called Shipwreck Point after a challenging case he just handled in Boston. He befriends Katie Sullivan, a madam at the Honey House. She has been accused of murder so he decides to help her.
Good cozy with likeable characters. I look forward to reading more in the series.
Good cozy with likeable characters. I look forward to reading more in the series.
April 24, 2021
A modern Perry Mason
Titus and Elizabeth are a modern Perry Mason. Titus believes Mrs Sullivan to be innocent and sets out to prove that in the small town where everyone seems to know everything about each other. Seems like the start of an interesting series. But if this is to be a series, where does that leave Titus’s wife?
Titus and Elizabeth are a modern Perry Mason. Titus believes Mrs Sullivan to be innocent and sets out to prove that in the small town where everyone seems to know everything about each other. Seems like the start of an interesting series. But if this is to be a series, where does that leave Titus’s wife?
May 24, 2023
Loved this book. I love the characters -- Titus, Elizabeth, Owen and all the people in Whitby, MA. I love the way Elise M. Stone describes the town and characters. I like to feel I am a part of the story and Elise M. Stone does that! I will be purchasing more of this author's books! Looking forward to possible romances between these characters!
July 10, 2024
Great mystery
A Boston attorney (Mr. strong) comes to a small ocean town for a vacation. He has just defended a guilty man in a high profile case and gotten him off. This didn't set well with his conscious. Little did he know that he would be defending a woman of ill repute for murder.
A Boston attorney (Mr. strong) comes to a small ocean town for a vacation. He has just defended a guilty man in a high profile case and gotten him off. This didn't set well with his conscious. Little did he know that he would be defending a woman of ill repute for murder.
April 17, 2021
The Mysterious Madam Quite a Gilded Tale
The characters in mystery are engaging and rich. The story into which they are woven is interesting and entertaining. My recommendation lies in that I’m eagerly anticipating read the second book in the series.
The characters in mystery are engaging and rich. The story into which they are woven is interesting and entertaining. My recommendation lies in that I’m eagerly anticipating read the second book in the series.
September 24, 2021
Blood will tell
A thoroughly enjoyable book! Didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Also didn’t figure on the suspect being innocent. Would have liked a little more fleshing out of characters
A thoroughly enjoyable book! Didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Also didn’t figure on the suspect being innocent. Would have liked a little more fleshing out of characters
September 30, 2021
Good story
Cozy mysteries are always a good read. No gory stuff, just an interesting storyline with believable characters and an interesting ending. This book is no exception. Titus Strong and Elizabeth and Elizabeth Wade are a great team.
Cozy mysteries are always a good read. No gory stuff, just an interesting storyline with believable characters and an interesting ending. This book is no exception. Titus Strong and Elizabeth and Elizabeth Wade are a great team.
January 5, 2022
1894 Whitby, Mass. aka Shipwreck Point
When the body of lighthouse man is discovered, killed the same night as a shipwreck. Evidence leads to an arrest Visiting lawyer Titus Strong takes on the case to prove the innocence of his client.
An entertaining historical mystery
When the body of lighthouse man is discovered, killed the same night as a shipwreck. Evidence leads to an arrest Visiting lawyer Titus Strong takes on the case to prove the innocence of his client.
An entertaining historical mystery
January 16, 2022
Fascinating! I could not put the book down. The ending was perfect. Kept me guessing all the way thru. I would highly recommend this to any and everyone. I hope there is more from this author. Well done!
August 15, 2022
Interesting and suspenseful
This story is about a madame being held for murder. But a lawyer on holiday to the town has reason to believe that the madame did not commit the murder. He takes on the case and with help of friends and his secretary he sets out to solve the case.
This story is about a madame being held for murder. But a lawyer on holiday to the town has reason to believe that the madame did not commit the murder. He takes on the case and with help of friends and his secretary he sets out to solve the case.
September 14, 2022
A very enjoyable book where a prominent criminal lawyer defend the owner of the brothel because he is convinced that she didn't commited the crime even so the evidence speaks against her.
With the help of his secretary and and a former Pinkerton detective the true culprit is found and I'm looking forward to the next book.
With the help of his secretary and and a former Pinkerton detective the true culprit is found and I'm looking forward to the next book.
April 11, 2023
Am excellent peak at the Gilfed Age at play
The plot and characters are well crafted and lively. An interesting biew of the Gilded Age at a resort, when the rich were not being quite so upright.
The plot and characters are well crafted and lively. An interesting biew of the Gilded Age at a resort, when the rich were not being quite so upright.
April 12, 2021
A good "who done it"
You think you know who "done the deed", but do you really? There are enough suspects to keep you guessing.
You think you know who "done the deed", but do you really? There are enough suspects to keep you guessing.
July 2, 2021
A nice detective that all of a sudden comes to an end. But promises more enjoyment in later novels as well.
September 10, 2021
Strong story. Mystery could have been a bit more suspenseful.
September 20, 2021
Us the madame quilty
Local madame is accused of murder and arrested. Everything points to her guilt but she claims to be innocent. Is she?
Local madame is accused of murder and arrested. Everything points to her guilt but she claims to be innocent. Is she?
September 23, 2021
Very good story, with characters that all have room to grow, but are developed enough to complete the story satisfactorily.
January 15, 2023
Editing
It was a very good story but I thought it could have been edited better
But I liked it enough I'm going to read the next one!
It was a very good story but I thought it could have been edited better
But I liked it enough I'm going to read the next one!
February 13, 2024
Really captured the era
I enjoyed the characters. Especially the relationship Titus had with the various ladies in his live. It was fun and I enjoyed reading it.
I enjoyed the characters. Especially the relationship Titus had with the various ladies in his live. It was fun and I enjoyed reading it.
February 19, 2024
Shades of Perry Mason how did I miss this series? On to the next case
February 21, 2024
A good mystery taking place on the East Coast. Should be a good series.
March 28, 2024
Easy enjoyable read
In the manner of cozy mystery set back in what appears to be the beginning of the 1900s. Would re commend for anyone not wanting a stressful story.
In the manner of cozy mystery set back in what appears to be the beginning of the 1900s. Would re commend for anyone not wanting a stressful story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews