A Murder in Ashwood: Scandals and Secrets in the Gilded Age

by Robert Brighton

Overview

Named BookLife Reviews "Editor's Pick" - “Setting this series apart from other historical mysteries is Brighton’s deft hand at capturing the dishy lives of long ago … has the feel of a great cocktail party… the tangled mysteries compel … a polished, rewarding page-turner …”

“it’s hard to resist the detailed and authentic world [he] creates … time and place are fully realized in this murder story … a fascinating period piece … - Kirkus Reviews

A lush and immersive historical award-winning mystery inspired by a 'true crime of the century' that shocked the world.

New Year’s Day 1902 . . . Ashwood awakens to a foul murder . . .

Buffalo, New York . . . as the remains of the great Pan-American Exposition are swept away, and the bitter memories of William McKinley’s assassination begin to fade . . . the city reels again, at the sensational murder of successful businessman Edward Miller, bludgeoned to death in his cozy den, in one of the city’s most fashionable enclaves: Ashwood.

But for all its glitz and glamor, Ashwood guards the dark secrets of its fashionable residents . . . including those of Edward’s estranged wife Alicia, her lover Arthur Pendle, and would-be detective Sarah Payne. Soon, they will all face a hurricane of courtroom drama, public outrage, and the behind-the-scenes scheming of cold and corrupt District Attorney Terence Penrose.

Meanwhile, those caught up in the most scandalous crime of a new century have reputations to protect . . . skeletons best kept hidden away in the tidy closets of trendy Ashwood . . . and plenty of reasons to keep the motive behind Edward Miller’s murder from ever seeing the light of day - a motive that only the victim and his killer knew …

Can justice be done . . . and the truth uncovered by Sarah’s fledgling Avenging Angel Detective Agency . . . before a killer strikes again?

Find out in award-winning A Murder in Ashwood . . . the second novel in the Avenging Angel Detective Agency™ Mysteries from Robert Brighton, acclaimed author of The Unsealing.

It’s as much a 'whydunit' as a 'whodunit' in a page-turning story that leaves readers wanting more.

Contains three original interior scratchboard illustrations.

Discover the Avenging Angel Detective Agency™ Mysteries today! Read the novels in any order!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798987696415
Publisher:	Ashwood Press
Publication date:	12/05/2023
Series:	The Avenging Angel Detective AgencyT Mysteries , #2
Pages:	448
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.85(d)

About the Author

Award-winning author Robert Brighton is an authority on the Gilded Age, and a great believer that the Victorian era was anything but stuffy. In his Avenging Angel Detective Agency™ Mysteries, Brighton exposes the turbulence of the era – its passions, dreams, and disasters — against a backdrop of careful research on the places, sights, sounds, and smells of the time.

When he is not walking the streets in the footsteps of the Avenging Angels, sniffing out unsolved mysteries, Brighton is an adventurer. He has traveled in more than 50 countries around the world, personally throwing himself into every situation his characters will face — from underground ruins to opium dens — and (so far) living to tell about it.

A graduate of the Sorbonne, Paris, Brighton is an avid student of early 20th Century history and literature, an ardent and relentless investigator, and an admirer of Emily Dickinson and Jim Morrison. He lives in Virginia with his wife and their two cats.

Editorial Reviews

…Setting this series apart from other historical mysteries is Brighton’s deft hand at capturing dishy lives of long ago, as his Ashwood residents gossip, scheme, preen, and love…has the feel of a great cocktail party…a polished, rewarding page-turner…” - BookLife Reviews Editor's Pick

“…The author is a talented storyteller, and it is hard to resist the very detailed and authentic world he creates … Time and place are fully realized in this murder story … a fascinating period piece.” - Kirkus Reviews

“A Murder in Ashwood is … a captivating novel of betrayal, deception, power, conscience, crime, and love … dynamic and thought-provoking … a beautiful and engaging story written by a talented writer … Five Stars …”

- Readers’ Favorite

“A Murder in Ashwood by Robert Brighton is the ultimate turn-of-the-century murder mystery … from the beginning, the reader plunges into the heart of the action in this enthralling historical mystery novel, with strong, well-developed characters and raw, emotional dialogue. The author is descriptive, unveiling each scene and event so that readers can see it clearly in their minds, noting any possible clues that may be revealed …

The author brings a unique writing style and characters to the traditional murder-mystery genre with page-turning excitement and the determination of Sarah of the Avenging Angel Detective Agency to solve the case … an excellent read for fans of murder mysteries and suspense.”

5/5 STARS

- Literary Titan

"Brighton weaves a scandalous story full of murder, infidelity, and a web of lies. Spectacularly naughty, A Murder in Ashwood paints a picture of revenge with characters that are seductive, smarmy, and sly. Readers who enjoy mysteries set in the Gilded Age era will delight in this novel."

- Seattle Book Review

From the Publisher