Alyssa Maxwell

Alyssa Maxwell writes historical mysteries that make Newport's architecture, social hierarchy, and newspaper culture active parts of an investigation. Murder at Rough Point is the fifth Gilded Newport mystery, following reporter Emma Cross in 1896. Emma belongs to the extended Vanderbilt family but earns her living through journalism, which grants access to elite households without making her compliant with their expectations. At a gathering in Rough Point, the estate later associated with Doris Duke, professional curiosity becomes inseparable from family reputation. Kensington published this installment during 2016. Maxwell anchors the mystery in a recognizable period and introduces figures such as Frederick Vanderbilt and Edith Wharton while keeping Emma responsible for the inquiry. Each Newport property serves a different dramatic purpose rather than functioning as ornate scenery. In Murder at Rough Point, the isolated house and its guests' competing interests shape what can be observed, concealed, or reported; Emma's social position determines which answers she can pursue without permission.