A Lady and Lady's Maid Mysteries,
set in post WWI England, feature Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady's maid, Eva Huntford. In a village where no significant crime has been committed in over a hundred years, and where the local inspector particularly likes his whiskey, Phoebe and Eva will find it necessary to team up to solve crimes above and below stairs at Foxwood Hall and the nearby village of Little Barlow.
~~~
The Gilded Newport Mysteries,
features sleuth Emmaline Cross. As both a Vanderbilt cousin and a Newporter born and raised, Emma's as strong as the steel rails that built her relatives' fortune, fiercely independent, and as determined as the ocean tides when it comes to standing her ground and seeing that justice is done.
~~~
Sign up for my newsletter using the form below and receive sample chapters from
Murder at The Breakers and Murder Most Malicious!
Available in hardcover and ebook. Audio and large print to follow.
A Fashionable Fatality
A Lady & Lady's Maid Mystery Book 8
J
A house party attended by fashion royalty becomes the backdrop for a murder that only Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady’s maid, Eva Huntford, can untangle ...
Amid the aftermath of the Great War and its hardships, it’s no wonder that many wish to rediscover life’s pleasures—parties, fashion, dancing. Still, Lady Phoebe and Eva are disconcerted when a small gathering at the home of Phoebe’s sister, Julia, becomes a far larger and more glamorous affair . . .
Julia has invited her favorite French fashion designer, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, and Coco’s current beau, the Earl of Chesterhaven. Coco has brought an entourage of her own, including two models, and intends to use the gardens as a photographic setting for her latest creations.
Madame Chanel is as outspoken as she is talented, offering a scathing critique of Phoebe’s fashion sense. There is tense competition between the models as well. When one of the guests is found dead of smoke inhalation, it appears to be a tragic accident. But was a footman really to blame for mistakenly closing the fireplace flue, or is there a more sinister explanation?
Phoebe is determined to find out, despite the protestations of her sweetheart, Owen Seabright. Both above and below stairs, Phoebe and Eva uncover myriad motives—career ambition, romantic rivalries, and even deeper betrayals. For despite the surface beauty, there are ugly secrets in the world of Maison Chanel, ones that a killer will risk anything to protect.
"An evocative setting, realistic relationships, and a nicely crafted plot." Publishers Weekly
"The addition of the notorious (Coco) Chanel adds interest to a solid golden age–style mystery." Kirkus Reviews
"Plenty of suspects, hidden clues, historical details, and glimpses into the lives of the well-to-do and those who work for them add interest to this mystery. VERDICT Readers with an eye for fashion will enjoy the detailed descriptions of 1920s clothing and accessories while fans of the series will be excited to return to Phoebe and Eva’s world as they navigate a new mystery and ongoing relationships." Library Journal
"Suberbly framed by the life and times of the period, this delightful historical cozy seamlessly weaves the details of couture fashion into the story." Booklist
"Maxwell provides a crafty group of individuals and any one of them could be capable of murder and the reasons why will be astonishing. Best advice I can give you is to open the book, sit back and get comfortable because you will be there for a while. You will not want to stop reading." Cozy Mystery Book Reviews
"Phoebe has an inquisitive mind and so does Eva. Between them, a killer doesn’t have a chance. I enjoy seeing strong women follow protocol where they must, chase clues and facts where they can, and not just survive but adapt and thrive." Kings River Life Magazine
Available now in hardcover, ebook and audio!
Trade paperback release: Nov. 28, 2023
Murder at Beacon Rock
A Gilded Newport Mystery book 10
In June 1900, reporter Emma Cross discovers the body of a woman in the waters below the Morgans’ mansion, which threatens to send members of Newport’s high society floundering . . .
As a reporter, Emma is used to covering Newport’s social events. But this time she is appearing on the arm of her fiancé, Derrick Andrews, at a small but exclusive gathering of the New York Yacht Club at Beacon Rock, the Grecian-inspired summer “cottage” of Edwin and Elizabeth Morgan. The members—which include cousin and Yacht Club Commodore John Pierpoint Morgan and widow Lucy Carnegie, the first woman to be admitted to the Club—are there to discuss their strategy for the next America’s Cup Challenge, to be held in New York Harbor the following summer.
But it’s Emma who must come up with a strategy when she discovers a woman’s body bobbing against one of the hulls of the boats moored at the base of Beacon Rock. Is it possible she fell from the Newport ferry and was carried by the tide? Or could she have drowned herself or fallen victim to foul play?
After the woman is identified as the missing daughter of a yacht designer, the police—with the exception of Emma’s friend Detective Jesse Whyte—hastily conclude she is a suicide, perhaps to quiet any scandal for the Morgans, since her body was found floating near their property. But Emma suspects the woman was murdered and begins to sort through a who’s who of sportsmen, boat crews, and the Newport elite in search of a stone-cold killer . . .
"Readers will look forward to the further adventures of Emma, who astutely illuminates the habits and mores of her day." Publishers Weekly
"Keeps the reader guessing to the very end." Criminal Element
"Readers will be on the edge of their seats. Maxwell's talent for drawing a remarkable picture for you to escape in is better than Bert drew on the sidewalk in Mary Poppins...." Cozy Mystery Book Reviews
"Maxwell excels at folding this novel into her Gilded Newport Mystery series, incorporating only what readers need from the nine previous books. The novel works as a stand-alone while tempting readers to engage with the entire series." The Historical Novel Society
Reviewers and Book Bloggers, Murder at The Elms is available on Netgalley. Click the image!
Coming 8/22/23: Murder at The Elms
A Gilded Newport Mystery #11
As the nineteenth century comes to a close, the illustrious Vanderbilt family dominates Newport, Rhode Island, high society. But when murder arrives, reporter Emma Cross learns that sometimes the actions of the cream of society can curdle one’s blood in the latest installment of this bestselling cozy historical mystery series . . .
1901: Back from their honeymoon in Italy, Emma and Derrick are adapting to married life as they return to their duties at their jointly owned newspaper, the Newport Messenger. The Elms, coal baron Edward Berwind’s newly completed Bellevue Avenue estate, is newsworthy for two reasons: A modern mansion for the new century, it is one of the first homes in America to be wired for electricity with no backup power system, generated by coal from Berwind’s own mines. And their servants—with a single exception—have all gone on strike to protest their working conditions. Summarily dismissing and replacing his staff with cool and callous efficiency, Berwind throws a grand party to showcase the marvels of his new “cottage.”
Emma and Derrick are invited to the fete, which culminates not only in a fabulous musicale but an unforeseen tragedy—a chambermaid is found dead in the coal tunnel. In short order, it is also discovered that a guest’s diamond necklace is missing and a laborer has disappeared.
Detective Jesse Whyte entreats Emma and Derrick to help with the investigation and determine whether the murdered maid and stolen necklace are connected. As the dark deeds cast a shadow over the blazing mansion, it’s up to Emma to shine a light on the culprit . . .
"This was a great entry in the Gilded Newport Mysteries series, it had what I was looking for from this series and the author." Katherine's Book Review and Other Thoughts
Let's Connect!
Alyssa Maxwell
Author of the Gilded Newport Mysteries
and
A Lady and Lady's Maid Mysteries
