Murder at Beechwood

Murder at Beechwood by Alyssa Maxwell is the third book in the Gilded Newport Mystery series.  Emmaline “Emma” Cross is awakened one morning to what she thinks is a storm.  Upon further investigation Emma finds a baby crying on her front porch.  There is no note left with the little boy.  Soon Officer Jesse Whyte (with the Newport Police) arrives because a coachman was murdered nearby and needs Emma’s help on the case (Jesse is finally asking Emma for help on difficult cases).  Jesse and Emma believe the baby and the coachman cases are related (the coachman was most likely the one to leave the baby on Emma’s doorstep and then killed so he would not talk).

Emma promises to see if she can find out who the mother of the child is while she is at the ball.  There is to be a ball that evening at Beechwood for the beginning of the season.  Emma is given a beautiful gown by Grace Wilson to wear to the ball.  Neily (Corneilius Vanderbilt III) and Grace are still dating despite opposition from Neily’s family.  Emma does not get a lead on the baby’s mother at ball, but she will try again the next day.

The next day is the yacht race.  However, there is a tragedy at the race.  A storm comes up which makes for rough seas.  Virgil Monroe goes overboard.  Derrick Andrews tries to save him, but he is unsuccessful.  Wyatt Monroe thinks Derrick actually held his father, Virgil under water instead of trying to save him.  Jesse has no choice but to place Derrick under arrest (he gets house arrest).  Emma sets out to find out if Virgil was murdered or if it was an accident (she may have turned down Derrick’s proposal, but Emma still cares for him).  Emma believes that what happened to the coachman, Virgil, and the abandoned baby are all connected.  Emma, along with help from her friends and relations, sets out to solve these mysteries (you just know that she will somehow manage to put herself in harm’s way).

I give Murder at Beechwood 4 out of 5 stars.  I enjoyed Murder at Beechwood more than the first book in the series.  The mystery is complex and more difficult to solve.  There are so many characters in the book that it is difficult to keep track of all of them (and they all seem related).  I enjoyed the descriptions of the lovely homes.  I am hoping, though, that Emma and Jesse are put together as a couple.  I think they would be perfect for each other.  A better match than Emma and Derrick.  This is the third book in the series and, unlike other series, this book really cannot be read as a stand-alone.

I received a complimentary copy of Murder at Beechwood from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  The review and opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you for visiting and reading my latest review.  I am currently reading A Different Reflection by Jane L. Gibson (and loving it).  Please become a follower of my blog if you like my book reviews (at the right on the side bar).  I really appreciate it!  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader