Item: The Socialite's Guide to Murder
Rating: 3.00
Author: quirkycat

by S. K. Golden

The hotel was her refuge, but scandal is afoot—and a killer stalks the halls in this charming series debut perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Ashley Weaver.

It’s 1958 and Evelyn Elizabeth Grace Murphy has not left the Pinnacle Hotel in fourteen months. She suffers from agoraphobia, and what’s more, it’s her father’s hotel, and everything she needs is there. Evelyn’s always been good at finding things, she discovered her mother dead in a Manhattan alleyway fifteen years earlier. Now she’s finding trouble inside her sanctuary. At a party for artist Billie Bell, his newest work is stolen, and Evelyn’s fake boyfriend (and real best friend), movie star Henry Fox, is accused of the theft. But just as Evelyn sets out to prove Henry’s innocence, she finds Billie Bell dead.

The murder weapon links the crime to the hotel’s chief of security. But why would he use a knife with his initials on the handle? With her beloved home in disarray, Evelyn joins up with hotel employee (and her secret crush) Mac Cooper to get to the bottom of the case.

As Mac picks locks and Evelyn snoops around the hotel, they discover the walls around them contain more secrets than they previously knew. Now, Evelyn must force herself to leave the hotel to follow the clues—but when she and Mac set off to chase a lead, their car crashes and they barely escape with their lives. Someone snipped Evelyn’s brake lines, and now the stakes have become dangerously high.

Evelyn’s knack for sleuthing—and her playful imagination—are always hard at work, and she throws an elaborate party at the hotel where every guest is a suspect. But will the killer emerge from the glamorous lineup? If not, Evelyn just might find herself…next in line for murder.

Book Summary:

The year is 1958, and Evelyn Elizabeth Grace Murphy is living her best life. Her father owns the Pinnacle Hotel, and that means Evelyn gets to live in the best room in the place. This is grand, as it means the whole hotel fits inside her comfort bubble.

You see, Evelyn is afraid of leaving the hotel, being agoraphobic. Her past is more than enough reason for her to feel this way. Yet she can't resist a good mystery – so when a murder occurs on the premises, Evelyn is determined to get to the bottom of it. Clearing the hotel's name is a bonus in her mind.

My Review:

So I went into The Socialite's Guide to Murder with high expectations. Also, I needed a new cozy mystery series, so I had my fingers crossed that this would be it. While I did like the book, I can't pretend to have been head-over-heels for it.

Evelyn is good at getting to the center of things – attention, media frenzies, romantic triangles, and murder investigations. There are times when she comes off as alarmingly competent (such as knowing how to manipulate the media to her best interests), and times she is painfully naive. It's an odd combination for a detective.

The murder mystery was pretty solid; all things said and done. Little truthful details are sprinkled throughout the book, waiting for readers to spot them. It was the right balance, as it didn't make the truth obvious, but it could still be found. Better yet, it enabled the final revelation to feel sound and satisfying.

Highlights:
Historical Fiction
Cozy Mystery
1950s Mystery
Agatha Christie Hat-Tips
Cute Dog

Trigger Warnings:
Death
Agoraphobia

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The Socialite's Guide to Murder

by S. K. Golden

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on Jan 1, 2023

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