Melina's Book Blog: A Gilded Grave by Shelley Freydont

Sunday, August 9, 2015

A Gilded Grave (NEWPORT GILDED AGE)
First in Series
Cozy Mystery
Series: NEWPORT GILDED AGE
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Berkley (August 4, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-0425275849

Synopsis:

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…

What I Thought:

Shelley did a great job transition from writing contemporary cozy mysteries to writing an historical cozy mystery. This was an engaging book that got my attention from the start and kept it till I finished. It was well written and was true to the era. The characters were well developed and thoroughly engaging. If you are looking for a good historical mystery, then this is the book for you.

I received a complementary copy of this book for my honest review.

About The Author –

Shelley Freydont is the author of the Liv Montgomery Celebration Bay Mysteries, Foul Play at the Fair

, Silent Knife

, Independence Slay

as well as the Kate MacDonald Sudoku Mysteries and the Lindy Haggerty dance company mysteries, and the upcoming Newport Gilded Age Mysteries, beginning with A Gilded Grave

(6/15)

As Shelley Noble, she is the NYTimes Best selling author of women’s fiction (Beach Colors

, Stargazey Point

, Breakwater Bay, and Whisper Beach

as well as several novellas. A former professional dancer and choreographer, Shelley lives at the Jersey shore and loves puzzles, light houses and antique carousels. She also loves to hear from readers.