Murder at Rough Point (REVIEW)

New Release! 

Murder at Rough Point

(A Gilded Newport Mystery)

 

Author:  Alyssa Maxwell
Category: Historical Fiction Murder Mystery

Suitable for: Teens+

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Format Read for Review: Kindle

Pages: 304

Description: Emma is an independent woman and journalist from Newport, RI in 1896. She tends to find herself surrounded by murders she must solve with the help of a police officer and friend, Jesse. Will she be able to solve these puzzling mysteries and will she fall in love along the way?

In Short: This is a great mystery novel full of clues and suspicious suspects who each have intriguing motives of their own. The cast is an eccentric crew of artists and nobles who all seem to have a love-hate relationship with one another.

Pros: This is a very good book. I am very impressed with both the writing and the story. I was worried about starting with this book when it isn't the first in the series but I had no reason to fear. It is a great stand-alone that requires you to know no back-story. I imagine you could read the series out of order and not miss out on anything. I liked the inventive style of the killings. It really made me wonder what kind of person would do that. The murders almost seemed to show resentment for the victim's individual style of art. The characters are such an odd bunch that every one of them could be a suspect. Even the opera singer has means, motive and opportunity and the ballet dancer is crazy! It doesn't help that this group of "friends" is at odds with each other. The protagonist is likable and overall the journey of this story is a fun one. It is very fast paced and never leaves you bored.

Cons: The ending fell flat for me. It unfortunately took that cliché mystery route where the crime isn't so much solved as revealed and the murderer/motive is a bit random. The killer's personality, motive, and clues against them are not revealed until the very end, unlike every other character. The bratty, deluded murderer and the artistic complexity of the murders don't match each other. So that disappointed me.

Parent's Guide: This book is a murder mystery so there is some violence and minor gore. There is no sex or swearing. 

I was given a free copy of this book in return for my honest review.
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