Emma Cross, a
reporter and distant relative of the Vanderbilts, is thrilled to
receive an assignment to write about an artist's retreat. Rough
Point, a Newport cottage owned by Frederick Vanderbilt, is leased to
the artist's group for the retreat. Rough Point is one of the first
mansions built in Newport, but Frederick his wife grew tired of it and began leasing it.
When she arrives,
Emma is surprised to be greeted by Edith Wharton, who befriends her
and insists that she stay at Rough Point for the retreat. Even more
surprising, the guest list includes Emma's mother and father who have
been living in Paris for years. Something mysterious is happening
with her parents, and Emma almost wishes she hadn't accepted the
invitation to stay at Rough Point.
The retreat takes on
a grim turn when one of the guests is found dead at the bottom of the
cliffs near the house. Storms arrive and the party becomes more
isolated as the guests die one by one.
The plot in this
cozy mystery is interesting, but the best part of the book is the
description of the setting at Rough Point. The author is captivated
by the Newport mansions and does a good job bringing the setting to
life. The afterward about the history of Rough Point is a must read.
Emma is a
sympathetic character. She's poor, but she has enough money to live
on and her own home in Newport. She cherishes her independence and
wants to be taken seriously as a reporter. The cast of unusual
characters at the house party adds life to the novel with a baronet,
an opera singer, and others adding their peculiarities to the
mix.
I enjoyed the book.
This is the fourth book in the author's series of murders in Newport
mansions and one of the best.
I received this book
from Net Galley for this review.
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