THE SOCIALITE'S GUIDE TO MURDER by S. K. Golden is set at the
Pinnacle Hotel near Central Park in New York in 1958. As such, it is both historical
fiction and a mystery, but it also includes elements of romance and a definite
sense of farce. Think of The Play that Goes Wrong or perhaps Noises Off. The
main character, Evelyn Elizabeth Grace Murphy, is a young woman who is the sheltered
and spoiled daughter of the hotel’s widowed, very rich, and absent owner. Miss
Murphy is seemingly adored by the hotel staff including the manager, Mr. Sharpe;
front desk attendant Mr. Burrows; her maid Florence; and bell boy Mac Cooper.
Mac is also her partner in investigating an art theft and subsequent murder.
They are aided by Amelia, the young child of hotel guests, and by Presley, Miss
Murphy’s precious dog. It’s all a bit sweet, full of laughs, and “over the top,”
including Miss Murphy’s well publicized affection for Henry Fox, a famous actor,
even though they consider their friendship to be purely platonic. There are plenty
of confusing twists and confounding theories about whom the real murderer is. Also with a hotel setting, Nita Prose’s The Maid is the better written story, but fans of light and humorous
mysteries will enjoy THE SOCIALITE'S GUIDE TO MURDER and
subsequent adventures at the Pinnacle Hotel.
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