Review - The Wharton Plot

Ms. Fredericks is the author of the popular Jane Prescott Mystery series.  I have only read one of the series so far.  

2nd in Jane Prescott Mysteries: Death of a New American (click here) 

Guest Post:  (click here)

Inspired by a true story, The Wharton Plot follows Edith Wharton (real life author who was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in fiction) as she looks into the murder of a fellow author.

I really enjoyed the Jane Prescott Mysteries by Ms. Fredericks (I should go back and read more of them now that I'm thinking of it). When I saw she had written this book incorporating a well known real life author I was intrigued.  Read on to find out what I thought.

Author: Mariah Fredericks

Copyright: Jan 2024 (Minotaur) 285 pgs

Series:  Edith Wharton Mystery (standalone)

Sensuality: mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical mystery, Historical amateur sleuth

Main Characters: Author Edith Wharton

Setting: Gilded Age, New York City

Obtained Through: Publisher for an honest review, Netgalley

 

Book Blurb:  "New York City, 1911. Edith Wharton, almost equally famed for her novels and her sharp tongue, is bone-tired of Manhattan. Finding herself at a crossroads with both her marriage and her writing, she makes the decision to leave America, her publisher, and her loveless marriage.

And then, dashing novelist David Graham Phillips—a writer with often notorious ideas about society and women’s place in it—is shot to death outside the Princeton Club. Edith herself met the man only once, when the two formed a mutual distaste over tea in the Palm Court of the Belmont hotel. When Phillips is killed, Edith's life takes another turn. His sister is convinced Graham was killed by someone determined to stop the publication of his next book, which promised to uncover secrets that powerful people would rather stayed hidden. Though unconvinced, Edith is curious. What kind of book could push someone to kill?"

MY Thoughts:

Edith Wharton was a real gilded age author. She is trying to write her next book – which is over due – deciding whether to divorce her husband, and is disenchanted with New York. She decides to immerse herself in investigating the arrogant author's murder either as a diversion from her needy and troubled husband or to liven up her predictable rut.  I have to say I didn't particularly like her but neither did I dislike her.

Husband Freddy is going through some mental health issues, depression and some mania and is more like dealing with an adult child.  Edith is emotionally drained from the relationship and grabs at the excuse to investigate.  Good friends Walter Berry and fellow author Henry James and her old flame Morton Fullerton all play sidekick at different times. 

The premise is that she looks into the murder of an author because the deceased man's sister fears his about-to-be-published book will be blocked or worse changed and that he was murdered to prevent the "explosive" book from being published.  Anonymous warning notes had been sent for a few weeks before he is shot.  

I suspect the writing style was intended to be either like the time period or mimic the real Wharton's own style. Unfortunately I didn't care for the style myself with a lot of extraneous inner chatter by Ms. Wharton that some might find more literary. This also slowed down the pacing too much for me until about the last fourth of the book.  I believe Ms Fredericks is a talented author and this book will definitely be superlative to many, but it just wasn't my cup of tea with the writing style and slower pace.

It did have a tense killer reveal which I appreciated. I hadn't considered that person for the killer, so that was well done.  

Rating: Good - A fun read. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad. I would recommend based on certain tastes. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

Thank you for reading this blog and please recommend to friends and family who will enjoy it.