MURDER AT KINGSCOTE

A murder at a Newport, Rhode Island, "cottage"—as the locals call their mansions—highlights the chasm between rich and poor in 1899.

The coastal resort is a playground for the fabulously wealthy, and Emma Cross, editor-in-chief of the Newport Messenger, is familiar with all sides of society, since she’s a poor relation of the Vanderbilt family. Philip King, the son of Mrs. Ella King, owner of Kingscote, has borrowed an automobile for the town's first motorcar parade and, being a bit intoxicated, gotten into a minor accident that results in a dinner invitation to Kingscote for Emma and Messenger owner Derrick Andrews, who helped rescue the family. Emma’s romantic feelings have been divided between Derrick and Detective Jesse Whyte, her old friend and partner in crime-solving, but Derrick, whose mother thinks her not good enough, has finally won her heart. The dinner party is interrupted when Kingscote's butler is crushed against a tree by the car Philip was driving; it’s assumed that a drunken Philip ran him down, and he’s placed under house arrest. Soon after a note to Emma hints that all is not well with the Kingscote servants, the murder of a footman opens up a new line of investigation. Is the killer a wealthy socialite or one of the poor servants who constantly fear for their jobs? Perhaps it’s Mrs. Eugenia Ross, who’s pursuing a lawsuit claiming that she, not the Kings, is the rightful heir of William Henry King. Hidden secrets must be revealed to catch a killer.

A charming addition to the Gilded Age series that’s laced with social and historical commentary and is based on a true story.