Alyssa Maxwell Books in Order: Gilded Newport, Lady & Lady’s Maid, and Gilded Age Mysteries
Alyssa Maxwell’s mysteries combine historical settings, murder investigations, wealthy families, social scandals, and real locations. Her best-known series takes readers into the glamorous world of Gilded Age Newport, Rhode Island, where Emma Cross uses her work as a newspaper reporter and her connections to Newport’s elite to investigate crimes.
Her second series moves across the Atlantic to England after World War I. There, Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her maid Eva Huntford investigate murders while dealing with the changing social rules and expectations of the postwar era. Both series can be read independently, but each is best enjoyed in its published order because the characters and relationships develop from book to book.
A Gilded Newport Mystery Books in Order
The Gilded Newport Mysteries are set in Newport, Rhode Island, during America’s Gilded Age and follow Emma Cross. Each mystery is connected to a famous Newport mansion or landmark, giving the series a particularly strong sense of place. The publisher currently lists Murder at Rosecliff as Book 14.
1. Murder at the Breakers
Murder at the Breakers introduces Emma Cross, a young Newport society reporter and distant cousin of the Vanderbilt family. When a murder takes place at The Breakers, one of Newport’s most spectacular mansions, Emma’s knowledge of the town’s elite puts her in a useful position to investigate.
The novel establishes the central appeal of the series: a real historical setting, wealthy families hiding secrets, and an amateur sleuth who understands the people and social world surrounding the crime. It was Maxwell’s debut novel and the first Gilded Newport mystery.
2. Murder at Marble House
Emma is drawn into another investigation when a dangerous situation develops at Marble House. The Vanderbilt family and Newport’s upper-class social circle again become central to a mystery involving secrets, family pressure, and murder.
The second book continues Emma’s development as a reporter and investigator while expanding her connections within Newport society. Readers also get another detailed look at one of the city’s famous mansions and the people who lived within its privileged world.
3. Murder at Beechwood
Emma’s investigation moves to Beechwood, where a seemingly idyllic Newport gathering is disrupted by a disturbing discovery. The case forces her to look beneath the polished surface of high society and examine relationships that are not nearly as respectable as they appear.
As Emma follows the evidence, her Vanderbilt connections become both an advantage and a complication. The mystery also continues to develop the recurring characters and personal relationships that make the series more than a collection of unrelated murders.
4. Murder at Rough Point
Murder at Rough Point takes Emma to another of Newport’s famous estates, where a death exposes tensions among the people surrounding the property. Emma’s instincts as a reporter lead her to ask questions that some members of Newport society would rather leave unanswered.
The story continues Maxwell’s combination of historical atmosphere and traditional mystery plotting. Wealth, reputation, family expectations, and hidden motives all become part of Emma’s investigation.
5. Murder at Chateau Sur Mer
At Chateau-sur-Mer, Emma encounters another murder among Newport’s wealthy residents. The grand setting provides a striking contrast to the secrets and rivalries developing behind closed doors.
Emma must separate gossip from useful information as she works toward the truth. The fifth installment also shows how comfortable she has become using both her journalistic instincts and her knowledge of Newport’s complicated social network.
6. Murder at Ochre Court
A spectacular coming-out ball at Ochre Court turns deadly when the lights suddenly go out and a young woman becomes the center of a shocking mystery. Emma is once again in the middle of Newport’s social season, but this time modern electricity and old-fashioned privilege collide in an especially dramatic setting.
The investigation gives Emma another opportunity to move beyond simply reporting what happens and actively pursue the truth. Maxwell uses the changing technology and social customs of the 1890s to add historical detail to the mystery.
7. Murder at Crossways
Emma investigates another death connected to Newport’s wealthy community in Murder at Crossways. The case brings together social ambition, personal relationships, and secrets that have been carefully protected.
As the series progresses, Emma’s role as an investigator becomes more established. Her familiarity with Newport’s families means that she can often see connections that an outsider would miss.
8. Murder at Kingscote
The murder at Kingscote gives Emma another case involving Newport’s elite. The elegant surroundings conceal conflicts and motives that become increasingly important as she works through the evidence.
The eighth book continues the series’ familiar formula while allowing its characters and relationships to mature. Readers who enjoy historical mansions as much as the actual mysteries will find plenty of Newport atmosphere here.
9. Murder at Wakehurst
Emma’s investigation at Wakehurst takes her into another complicated web of relationships among Newport’s wealthy residents. What initially appears straightforward becomes considerably more complicated as hidden motives begin to emerge.
The mystery also reflects the social restrictions of the period, particularly the way reputation and family connections could influence what people were willing to reveal. Emma’s position as both reporter and member of a prominent family remains central to the investigation.
10. Murder at Beacon Rock
At Beacon Rock, Emma once again finds herself investigating a death surrounded by Newport’s privileged social world. The case forces her to examine competing stories and determine which characters have genuine reasons to hide the truth.
By this stage, Emma has developed into a confident investigator rather than simply an amateur who happens to stumble across murders. The recurring Newport setting and familiar cast give the tenth book a strong sense of continuity.
11. Murder at the Elms
Murder at the Elms brings Emma to another famous Newport mansion and another murder involving the city’s upper class. Her experience and growing reputation make her increasingly effective at recognizing when a seemingly innocent social gathering conceals something darker.
The book continues the series’ focus on the contrast between Newport’s glamorous public image and the private problems of the people living within it. Family secrets, social expectations, and personal ambition again play important roles.
12. Murder at Vinland
Emma’s investigation moves to Vinland, where another death exposes tensions beneath Newport’s elegant surface. As always, the setting is more than background: the history and social connections surrounding the estate become important pieces of the mystery.
The twelfth book continues Emma’s evolution as both journalist and sleuth. Maxwell balances the murder investigation with the ongoing personal story of Emma and the people closest to her.
13. Murder at Arleigh
In Murder at Arleigh, Emma faces another case involving Newport’s powerful families and their carefully guarded secrets. The investigation places her once again between her professional responsibilities and the complicated relationships created by her own family connections.
The thirteenth installment maintains the series’ established blend of historical detail, mansion settings, social intrigue, and traditional mystery. It also moves Emma’s story forward as her personal and professional lives become increasingly intertwined.
14. Murder at Rosecliff
Murder at Rosecliff is the fourteenth Gilded Newport mystery and the latest published book in the series. Set in August 1903 during Tessie Oelrichs’s spectacular Bal Blanc at Rosecliff, the story begins when a troublemaking party crasher is found dead in a fountain.
Emma and her husband Derrick are attending the elaborate event, while young society reporter Ethan Merriman is there to cover it for the Newport Messenger, the newspaper Emma and Derrick own. The murder quickly turns the glamorous celebration into another investigation for Emma, and her professional responsibilities make the case particularly personal.
A Lady & Lady’s Maid Mystery Books in Order
The A Lady & Lady’s Maid Mysteries move away from Gilded Age Newport and into post-World War I England. The series follows Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady’s maid, Eva Huntford, who work together to investigate murders while navigating the changing social and political landscape of the period. Maxwell’s official site lists nine books in the series.
1. Murder Most Malicious
Murder Most Malicious introduces nineteen-year-old Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her maid Eva Huntford. In December 1918, after the First World War has finally ended, Phoebe’s family gathers at Foxwood Hall, but the anticipated celebrations are shattered when a vicious killer strikes.
The murder gives Phoebe and Eva an opportunity to step outside the roles society has assigned them. Their different social positions become an advantage as they uncover information that neither a conventional lady nor a conventional servant might discover alone.
2. A Pinch of Poison
Phoebe and Eva find themselves involved in another dangerous investigation as their unconventional partnership continues. The case brings them into contact with secrets that challenge the boundaries between aristocratic families and the people who serve them.
The second novel develops both women’s relationship while continuing to explore the enormous social changes taking place in Britain after the war. Their investigations become increasingly confident as they learn how to use their different perspectives.
3. A Devious Death
Another suspicious death puts Phoebe and Eva on the trail of a killer. Their investigation takes them deeper into a world where appearances matter enormously and where family reputation can be worth protecting at almost any cost.
The third book continues the series’ mix of historical atmosphere and traditional whodunit plotting. Phoebe and Eva’s contrasting personalities remain one of its strongest features.
4. A Murderous Marriage
Marriage and murder come together in the fourth Lady & Lady’s Maid mystery. Phoebe and Eva must investigate a case in which romantic relationships, family expectations, and hidden motives create a particularly dangerous combination.
The story also develops the personal lives of the two protagonists. Their partnership has become an important part of how they move through a society that is rapidly changing around them.
5. A Silent Stabbing
A Silent Stabbing gives Phoebe and Eva another murder to solve as they continue to test the limits of what a young aristocratic woman and her maid can accomplish. The investigation draws them into another web of secrets where appearances cannot be trusted.
The historical setting remains an important part of the story, particularly as Britain adjusts to life after the First World War. The mystery gives Maxwell room to explore both the crime and the changing expectations surrounding women and class.
6. A Sinister Service
Phoebe and Eva once again investigate a murder while dealing with the complicated world of British aristocracy. Their experience working together allows them to approach suspects and gather information from very different social perspectives.
The sixth installment keeps the series’ focus on historical detail, class distinctions, and clever amateur investigation. It is particularly enjoyable for readers who like mysteries where servants can hear things that members of the upper class never suspect.
7. A Deadly Endowment
A Deadly Endowment brings another dangerous mystery into Phoebe and Eva’s increasingly complicated lives. A seemingly respectable environment again proves capable of hiding motives, resentments, and criminal secrets.
By this point, the pair have established themselves as an effective investigative team. Their relationship and personal development provide an ongoing story beneath the individual murder plot.
8. A Fashionable Fatality
The eighth mystery takes Phoebe and Eva into another stylish setting where fashion, status, and murder intersect. What looks glamorous on the surface quickly becomes a dangerous investigation once a death exposes the conflicts beneath the social occasion.
The book continues the series’ exploration of postwar Britain while giving the two women another opportunity to work outside the traditional expectations attached to their positions.
9. Two Weddings and a Murder
Two Weddings and a Murder is the ninth and final book in the Lady & Lady’s Maid series. As its title suggests, weddings provide the backdrop, but celebration gives way to investigation when murder enters the picture.
The book brings Phoebe and Eva’s series to a close while continuing the historical and personal threads developed throughout the previous eight mysteries. Maxwell’s official site describes this as the final novel of the nine-book series.
Which Alyssa Maxwell Series Should You Read First?
If you enjoy Gilded Age America, Newport mansions, Vanderbilt history, newspaper reporters, and wealthy-family scandals, start with Murder at the Breakers. It introduces Emma Cross and establishes the setting that defines Maxwell’s longest-running series.
If you prefer post-World War I England, aristocratic families, servants, and a detective partnership between a lady and her maid, start with Murder Most Malicious. The two women have very different access to information, which gives the mysteries an interesting investigative angle.
Do You Need to Read Alyssa Maxwell’s Books in Order?
Yes, within each series.
The individual murder cases are largely self-contained, so it is possible to pick up a later title and understand the central mystery. However, both series contain recurring characters and developing personal relationships, making publication order the better choice for readers who want the complete character arc.
The two series themselves do not need to be read together. They have different protagonists, settings, historical periods, and story worlds.
Gilded Newport Mysteries vs. Lady & Lady’s Maid Mysteries
| Series | Main Characters | Setting | Books |
| Gilded Newport Mysteries | Emma Cross | Newport, Rhode Island, Gilded Age | 14 |
| A Lady & Lady’s Maid Mysteries | Lady Phoebe Renshaw & Eva Huntford | England after World War I | 9 |
That gives Alyssa Maxwell 23 books across her two main mystery series as of 2026. The current publisher listing confirms Murder at Rosecliff as Book 14 of the Gilded Newport series, while Maxwell’s official website identifies Two Weddings and a Murder as the ninth and final Lady & Lady’s Maid novel.
About Alyssa Maxwell
Alyssa Maxwell is a historical mystery author particularly associated with Newport, Rhode Island. Her fascination with Newport’s historic homes, families, and Gilded Age atmosphere became the foundation for the Gilded Newport Mysteries, beginning with Murder at the Breakers in 2014.
Her fiction works especially well for readers who enjoy historical mysteries where the setting is almost another character. Famous mansions, social customs, class divisions, family connections, and real historical figures provide the backdrop for fictional murders and investigations.
FAQ About Alyssa Maxwell Books
How many Alyssa Maxwell books are there?
Alyssa Maxwell has 23 books across her two main series: 14 Gilded Newport mysteries and 9 Lady & Lady’s Maid mysteries.
What is the first Alyssa Maxwell book?
Her first published novel was Murder at the Breakers, the first book in the Gilded Newport Mysteries, published in 2014.
What is the latest Alyssa Maxwell book?
The latest published Alyssa Maxwell book is Murder at Rosecliff, Book 14 in the Gilded Newport Mysteries, published in 2026. Penguin Random House currently lists it as the latest title in the series.
Is the Gilded Newport Mysteries series finished?
There is currently no new Gilded Newport title listed after Murder at Rosecliff. The fourteenth book is the latest published installment, but readers should distinguish “no new book currently scheduled” from an official announcement that the series has permanently ended.
Is A Lady & Lady’s Maid Mysteries finished?
Yes. Alyssa Maxwell’s official website describes Two Weddings and a Murder as the final novel of the nine-book series.
Who is Emma Cross in Alyssa Maxwell’s books?
Emma Cross is the protagonist of the Gilded Newport Mysteries. She is a Newport-born society reporter and a distant cousin of the Vanderbilts who uses her knowledge of the city’s families and social circles to investigate murders.
What should I read after the Gilded Newport Mysteries?
If you want another Alyssa Maxwell series, try Murder Most Malicious, the first Lady & Lady’s Maid mystery. It provides a very different historical setting while retaining Maxwell’s interest in social class, family secrets, and murder investigations.
Final Verdict
For readers who love historic mansions, Gilded Age society, and cozy-style historical mysteries, the Gilded Newport Mysteries are the best place to start with Alyssa Maxwell. Read Emma Cross’s story from Murder at the Breakers through Murder at Rosecliff in order.
For a different historical atmosphere, move to A Lady & Lady’s Maid Mysteries, beginning with Murder Most Malicious. With 23 books across the two series, Maxwell offers a substantial reading list, but the two series are easy to keep separate because their characters and historical settings are so distinct.
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