Murder at KingscoteFor fans of HBO’sThe Gilded Age, explore the dark side of the alluring world of America’s 19th century elite in this gripping series of riveting mysteries… In late nineteenth-century Newport, Rhode Island, journalist Emma Cross discovers the newest form of transportation has become the newest type of murder weapon . . . On a clear July day in 1899, the salty ocean breeze along Bellevue Avenue carries new smells of gasoline and exhaust as Emma, now editor-in-chief of the Newport Messenger, covers Newport's first-ever automobile parade. But the festive atmosphere soon turns to shock as young Philip King drunkenly swerves his motorcar into a wooden figure of a nanny pushing a pram on the obstacle course. That evening, at a dinner party hosted by Ella King at her magnificent Gothic-inspired "cottage," Kingscote, Emma and her beau Derrick Andrews are enjoying the food and the company when Ella’s son staggers in, obviously still inebriated. But the disruption is nothing compared to the urgent shouts of the coachman. Rushing out, they find the family's butler pinned against a tree beneath the front wheels of Philip's motorcar, close to death. When Emma later receives a message informing her that the butler bullied his staff and took advantage of young maids, she steers the police toward a murder investigation. While Emma investigates the connections between a competing heir for the King fortune, a mysterious child, an inmate of an insane asylum, and the brutal boxing rings of Providence, a killer remains at large—with unfinished business to attend to . . . “Excellent . . . Maxwell combines convincing character development and vivid depictions of Newport’s heyday with a well-plotted mystery. This historical series just keeps getting better.” —Publisher Weekly (starred review) |
Contents
Chapter 2 | |
Chapter 3 | |
Chapter 4 | |
Chapter 5 | |
Chapter 6 | |
Chapter 7 | |
Chapter 8 | |
Chapter 9 | |
Chapter 10 | |
Chapter 11 | |
Chapter 12 | |
Chapter 13 | |
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Common terms and phrases
answer Aquidneck Island asked aunt automobile Beacon Rock believe beneath Brian Farrell brooch butler carriage Clarence daughter Derrick desk Detective Whyte Dooley door Emma Ethan Eugenia Ross European beech eyes face Fiona footman Francis Crane front Gayla gaze glance Gwendolen King hand happened Harry Ainsley Hartley heard held housekeeper Isaiah Baldwin Jacob Jesse Jesse's John Donavan Katie King's Kingscote knew look Louise Peake Messenger Miss Cross Miss King Miss Riley Miss Wetmore morning mother motorcar murder Nanny Nanny's Neily never Newport Newport Casino night nodded Olivia Riley once Peake perhaps Philip King question replied Riley's seat servants shook his head shoulder shrugged smile someone spoke stood telephone tell Thank there's thought ticket told took town trolley turned Vanderbilt voice wait walked William Henry King William King wish woman young