The Socialite’s Guide to Death and Dying
My Rating:
New York, 1958. Even though Evelyn Murphy has made progress conquering her agoraphobia by leaving the Pinnacle, she still feels most comfortable in her father’s hotel. With Malcolm Cooper, her new boyfriend and fellow employee at the hotel, Evelyn feels prepared for whatever happens next. In this case, it’s throwing a big fundraiser with the who’s who of New York City.
The night is a success, and Evelyn finally takes up Malcolm’s offer to finally visit his apartment in Yonkers. As the party ends, they sneak away to the garage to get Evelyn’s car. But Evelyn’s always been good at finding things, and she discovers the dead body of a guest, Judge Baker, in a car—with a needle in his arm.
Detective Hodgson and his new partner, Detective McJimsey, arrive on the scene, but before they can begin to question Evelyn, they are startled by another mysterious discovery: there’s a woman in the trunk of the car, and she screams as soon as she sees Evelyn’s face. Tangled up in the police investigation, Evelyn’s got another problem, too—her father insists she break off her relationship with Mac. The next day, her father is found attacked just like the judge, only this time the detectives find a dead woman nearby.
With Mac accused of the attacks and in police custody, Evelyn will have to find the killer on her own before she’s checked out of the hotel—this time, for good.
Trigger Warnings:
Trigger Warnings Here
Characters
- Mr. Sharp – Hotel Manager
- Mr. Murphy – Evelyn’s dad; very rich
- Detective Hodgson – was involved in the previous murder that Evelyn was a part of
- Detective McJimsey – young detective, seems to think that Evelyn is involved with murders
- Mac – Evelyn’s boyfriend; works at the hotel
- Poppy – Mac’s sister
- Judge Baker – first murder victim
- Florence – Evelyn’s day maid
- Dr. – Evelyn’s new doctor
My Review
It’s been a while since I read the first book, so I didn’t completely remember what had happened. I don’t think that detracted from the story at all.
The main character is slightly bratty and stuck up but I find myself rooting for her anyways. She suffers from agoraphobia ever since she found her mother dead when she was younger.
I liked this book more than the first! I liked that the main character, Evelyn, seems to be growing up a little bit and becoming a better person. I also love that she is partnering up with Detective Hodgson, his crusty demeanor balances out their relationship.
This is a fun book with a some humor sprinkled throughout. I would recommend it for those who like a cozy mystery and immersing themselves in the rich society and fashion of the 1950s.
I was given a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC.
Spoilers/Summary
Evelyn is going to leave the hotel and go to her boyfriend, Mac’s, apartment. When they get to the parking ramp, Evelyn notices a dead body in the car near hers. It is Judge Baker, who had a pregnant wife at home. He has a needle in his arm – they find out later it was 100% pure heroine.
Evelyn is taken in for questioning, the younger detective is convinced she had something to do with it. The police chief and the mayor come and get her released. Her father is there with Mac to pick her up.
Evelyn and her father get into an argument back at the hotel. He thinks that Mac is way beneath her and tells her she must end their relationship or he will cut her off.
The next morning, Evelyn goes to talk to him and find him gurgling on the floor. Dr. comes up and ends up saving her father. He also had a heroine needle in his arm
They find another body in the closet of Mr. Murphy’s apartment – it turns out to be the day maid.
Mac gets put in jail under the suspicion of attempted murder. Detective Hodgson gets fired from the police force because the woman that was found in Judge Baker’s car is murdered in the hotel room and he was on duty. Evelyn hires him as a private investigator.
Evelyns’s father is released from the hospital. Evelyn is gossiping with Mr. Sharpe, it turns out he has a son… As they are gossiping, and she is also questioning other hotel staff — she finds out that when she was young, a hotel maid died by falling out a window that had been reported as broken multiple times but hadn’t been fixed. She had a son and a husband – the husband was into heroine… It clicks and she realizes that it’s Detective McJimsey. Detective Hodgson and Evelyn run up to her dad’s hotel room and Hodgson goes around through the fire escape. McJimsey has her dad tied up, confesses the whole story to Evelyn that he is the maid’s son and his life was ruined because of the hotel and Judge Baker – who had been embezzling the money that he was winning in settlements. Judge Bakers son is the biological father of his pregant wife’s kid – they used IVF?. Detective Hodgson sneaks up behind him, smashes a vase on his head and saves the day.
Mac ends up leaving the country and leaving Evelyn.
Evelyn hires Hodgson to find her mother’s killer.