When I decided to write my Newport series, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t even know if I could pull off writing a mystery, and although I knew modern day Newport pretty well, I had tons to learn about the city in the Gilded Age.

If you know anything about my sleuth, Emma Cross, you'll know she's been frowning these past few years over the onslaught of automobiles in Newport.

Have you been watching The Gilded Age? I have. Of course I have! As I'm sure you know, Gladys Russell's story is meant to mirror that of Consuelo Vanderbilt, daughter of Alva and William Vanderbilt. How close has the production stayed to true life? Let's take a look!

Or was it? Maybe not as long ago as you might think! But it was well over a hundred years ago, right? Yes, but . . . when you look at in terms of how many generations there have been since The Four Hundred walked this earth (400 being the number of guests that fit comfortably in Mrs. Astor's New York ballroom, thus defining the very best members of Society), you can Gilded leap from The Gilded Age to the present day in a mere two moves.