At the dawn of the twentieth century, the fortunes of the Vanderbilts still shine brightly in glittering Newport, Rhode Island. But when a potential scandal strikes, the Vanderbilts turn to cousin and society page reporter Emma Cross to solve a murder and a disappearance . . .
Responding to a frantic call on her newfangled telephone from her cousin, Consuelo Vanderbilt, Emma Cross arrives at the Marble House mansion and learns the cause of her distress-Consuelo's mother, Alva, is forcing her into marriage with the Duke of Marlborough. Her mother has even called in a fortune teller to assure Consuelo of a happy future.
But the future is short-lived for the fortune teller, who is found strangled with a silk scarf near her crystal ball. Standing above her is one of the Vanderbilts' maids, who is promptly taken into police custody. After the frenzy has died down, Consuelo is nowhere to be found. At Alva's request, Emma must employ her sleuthing skills to determine if the vanishing Vanderbilt has eloped with the beau of her choice-or if her disappearance may be directly connected to the murder . . .
"Maxwell again deftly weaves fictional and real-life characters into her story."
-Publishers Weekly
