August 1901: A fundraiser for a new Rhode Island Audubon Society brings Emma to Vinland, the Viking-themed seaside home of her relative, Florence Vanderbilt Twombly, where the guest of honor is Edith Roosevelt, wife of Vice President Theodore Roosevelt. Listening to the speakers and observing the ladies in attendance, Emma is struck by the contrast of the Viking warrior–inspired elements in the house and the admirable but admittedly genteel cause of bird protection. Vinland bears the name of the Vikings’ first landfall in North America, but in this room today there is most assuredly no one to fear.
Emma’s observation of harmless philanthropy is proven wrong the following morning when one of Mrs. Twombly’s houseguests from the luncheon becomes mysteriously and dangerously ill. Accompanying police detective Jesse Whyte, Emma discovers a box of petit fours supposedly sent by Mrs. Roosevelt. They promptly rule out the Second Lady as a suspect, but someone has poisoned the cakes.
Soon another box of desserts as well as letters tainted with ink containing caustic toxins show up at other grand Newport cottages. Are the ladies from the luncheon being targeted? Emma and Jesse must sort through possible motives and means because now more than the birds need protection . . . (Summary via Goodreads)
After reading Murder at Vinland, the twelfth book in the Gilded Newport Mystery series by Alyssa Maxwell, I had to sleep on it. I have been a fan of this series since the very first book, main character Emma Cross has become a friend, her family has become family, her love of things, have become that with me as well. I have an imaginary guest room in her Gull Manor home and I love sitting around the kitchen table with Nanny and Katie while they are preparing the meals and walking along the property with Patch and Emma and her newlywed husband Derrick. If that was all these books were about I would be content with that but they are so much more .... Emma has a knack for assisting Detective Jesse Whyte when there is a murder in Newport, Rhode Island. Emma has a way in with the members of the Four Hundred group, that is the rich and rich. Emma is a distant cousin to the Vanderbilt family and they have accepted her and allowed her access to things others are not.
In Murder at Vinland Emma and Detective Whyte have their hands full when a woman who attended a fundraiser is poisoned after eating petit fours that were delivered to her. The nature in which she was poisoned is horrible as it burned her mouth, lips and internally. Emma does not know if attending the fundraiser had anything to do with the poisoning until another woman who was at the fundraiser is also targeted but her injuries are not as severe. Emma begins to look at all of the attendees of the fundraiser, mainly the out of towners who are there to try to start the Rhode Island Audubon Society.
Unfortunately Emma also has the newpaper to run with her new husband Derrick. And they have invited Amity Carter and her niece Zinnia Lewis to stay with them at Gull Manor once they learn that Amity owns the property next to Gull Manor. Emma and Derrick very much want to purchase the property so that they can build a house there and use Gull Manor as a school for girls.
So even without the poisoning case to work on Emma and Derrick are always busy so readers are drawn into their lives instantly. Then add helping Detective Whyte and you are immediately hooked !!!
Murder at Vinland, in my opinion, has a tad more excitement and will have readers on the edge, if not falling out of their seats with excitement, not to mention the hazard of receiving paper cuts from turning the pages so quickly. Maybe the nature of the crimes, the poisoning and how it ended up in the hands of the injured, heightens the story ..... And do not get me started on the last few chapters of the story ..... I am still waiting for my blood pressure to stabilize .... however, Maxwell ends the story beautifully and I, for one, cannot wait for the next installment in the Gilded Newport Mystery series and I know you will agree !!!!!
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