10/30/2023
Fredericks (The Lindbergh Nanny) presents a vivid portrait 20th–century book publishing and New York City high society in this fascinating if leisurely paced historical standalone featuring House of Mirth author Edith Wharton as a sleuth. It’s January 1911, and novelist David Graham Phillips has been shot on his way out of the Princeton Club in New York. Wharton met the man once, at the Belmont Hotel, and found him “arrogant, entitled, belittling,” and undeniably handsome. After Phillips’s death, his sister urges Wharton to read his soon-to-be-published novel and perhaps champion it upon release. Wharton agrees, and the more she talks to Phillips’s sister, the more she becomes convinced he was targeted deliberately. Fredericks is in no hurry to identify a culprit, preferring to pepper her narrative with appearances from Wharton’s old friend Henry James, scenes depicting Wharton’s disintegrating relationship with her paramour Morton Fullerton, dazzling glimpses of the social lives of the Vanderbilts, and a phone call to Mary Roberts Rhinehart to ask the mystery writer’s opinions on how to investigate a murder. Each of those elements adds depth and touches of humor to this entertaining mystery. Readers looking for a bit of history with their suspense will be gripped. (Jan.)
One of BookBub’s “Best Historical Mysteries of 2024”
One of BookRiot’s “Best New Book Releases Out January 23, 2024”
One of CrimeReads’ “10 New Books Coming Out This Week”
One of The Christian Science Monitor’s “Get Carried Away with January’s Best Books”
“Superb . . . Thanks to a literary plot laced with arch wit and precise put-downs, appearances by Wharton’s famous friends (including Henry James and the Vanderbilts), and an eclectic assortment of the upper crust in the waning days of a varnished era, Fredericks hits this one out of the park.”—Library Journal (Starred Review)
“[The Wharton Plot is] a vivid, fascinating, entertaining mystery. Readers looking for a bit of history with their suspense will be gripped.”—Publishers Weekly
"Fredericks’ elegantly written narrative gives a lively look at an author way ahead of her time."—Kirkus Reviews
"Written with grace and wit, The Wharton Plot is a pleasure to read."—Wall Street Journal
"Based on the real murder of Phillips, Fredericks' latest will especially appeal to bibliophiles, who will enjoy reading tidbits about the real-life authors who appear."—Booklist
"If you can’t get enough of the cosseted and corseted high-society women showcased in Max’s The Gilded Age, this mystery, set in 1911, when this era of opulent wealth and waste was in its death throes, will have you yearning for a time machine . . . Come to this novel for the engrossing mystery, stay for the cinematic portrait of an aging woman who fears her popularity is waning and whose marriage is dissolving, even as she’s struggling with feeling obsolete in a modernizing world.” —Oprah Daily
"The Wharton Plot is an atmospheric murder mystery... [It] expertly blends historical facts with clever fictional details to create an absorbing drama in the vein of Wharton's own splendid novels, complete with that famed author's dry wit, social observations, and stylistic flourishes."—Shelf Awareness
“Fredericks’ mystery reads like a story from an earlier time, as it should . . . simply unputdownable.”—BookPage
“Fascinating . . . Solid plotting, vivid characters and a touch of humor make The Wharton Plot a winner, and may inspire readers to rediscover this author’s timeless novels.”—Sun Sentinel
"Fredericks peels away the grande dame façade to create a plausible, sympathetic character . . . A quick Google search will reveal the killer’s identity, but where’s the fun in that? His story is stranger than fiction, and Fredericks sets it up neatly, if not 100 percent accurately, to fit her narrative. Fans of HBO’s The Gilded Age who want more depth about this era, as well as admirers of the woman herself, will be enthralled."—Air Mail
“[A] dazzling, magical foray into the life of Edith Wharton... Sure to be one of the best books of the year, and a perfect choice for book groups that appreciate a rich context.”—First Clue (Book of the Week)
“The Wharton Plot is also a pure confection of a novel. A lavish and delightful journey to the past with an intriguing mystery, plenty of authentic details, and a main character readers can’t help but love. The narrative voice shines throughout and brings to life this formidable woman who once again refuses to be overlooked.”—BOLO Books
“The Wharton Plot is a glorious escape into gilded-age New York. Mariah Fredericks has deeply researched the secret history of Edith Wharton and her friends and mixed in a generous dose of book publishing history to add to this suspenseful mystery. Her best book yet.”—Sujata Massey, internationally bestselling author of The Widows of Malabar Hill
"In The Wharton Plot, Mariah Fredericks pens a tale of author Edith Wharton, who unexpectedly finds herself taking on the role of detective to solve the mystery of who murdered a rival novelist. Set against the vivid background of New York’s Gilded Age, The Wharton Plot is an original, engaging and highly entertaining page-turner."—Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of Code Name Sapphire
"Mariah Fredericks brilliantly captures Edith Wharton in all her barbed wit and complexity as she navigates New York society and the male-dominated world of publishing. A moving and deftly crafted mystery with surprisingly modern relevance."—Carol Goodman, author of The Bones of the Story
★ 10/13/2023
Fredericks's (The Lindbergh Nanny) superb mystery delves into the enigmatic mind of Gilded Age literary doyenne Edith Wharton, as the author of The House of Mirth looks into the murder of a muckraker. In New York City, 1911, Edith is listless. Her writing feels lifeless, her marriage, loveless. She is introduced to a fellow writer, David Graham Phillips, whose soon-to-be-published novel will expose the "truth" of the powerful and powerfully corrupt in society. Taking an instant dislike to his proletarian harangues, she puts him out of her mind—until Phillips is murdered. Phillips's sister asks Edith for help to ensure that the controversial manuscript is published (sharing with her the mysterious death threats her brother received days prior to his demise); soon Edith begins to receive the foreboding warnings herself. Caught up in the mystery of Phillips's murder while navigating her own midlife crisis of love and lost opportunities, Edith's determination to find the killer becomes a near obsession. VERDICT Thanks to a literary plot laced with arch wit and precise put-downs, appearances by Wharton's famous friends (including Henry James and the Vanderbilts), and an eclectic assortment of the upper crust in the waning days of a varnished era, Fredericks hits this one out of the park.—Peggy Kurkowski
2023-12-06
A Pulitzer Prize–winning author probes the murder of a colleague.
Edith Wharton was no admirer of David Graham Phillips. She found the journalist’s dress affected and his opinions overzealous. But the day after their one and only meeting, the muckraker is shot to death near Gramercy Park, and the novelist’s curiosity is decidedly piqued. She leaves her invalid husband, Teddy, back at the Belmont in care of his valet, and persuades her lover, Morton Fullerton, to accompany her to Phillips’ funeral. After the service, Phillips’ sister, Carolyn Frevert, seeks out Wharton and invites her back to the apartment she shared with her brother. Wharton continues to be intrigued by her glimpse into a social occasion without an Astor or Vanderbilt in sight. Frevert, on the other hand, has a more sharply focused mission. She wants Wharton to advocate for her brother’s novel, Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise, convincing his publisher to release it in its current form. Wharton finds Lenox as overheated as its author, but the more she reads, the more sympathetic she grows toward Phillips and his circle. She also becomes more sensitive to the dangers an author faces in standing up to the rich and powerful. As her relationship with Teddy becomes more trying, Wharton starts to think about new ways to look at a world where the intrigues of New York’s Four Hundred don’t always get top billing.
Fredericks’ elegantly written narrative gives a lively look at an author way ahead of her time.
Inspired by a true event--the 1911 murder of muckraking writer David Graham Phillips--this well-researched mystery casts author Edith Wharton as a reluctant detective probing the death and life of a man she abhorred. Kitty Hendrix performs in a low-register breathy voice that emphasizes Wharton's mix of high-society manners and fierce determination. Her moderate pace allows listeners time to soak up the book's many period details. It also underscores the formality of the writing, which sometimes seems to reflect Wharton's own style. As Wharton investigates, she enlists the help of her friend Henry James and lover Morton Fullerton, adding to the historical fun. While Hendrix's heavy breathing occasionally distracts, this is a satisfying period mystery set in a colorful milieu. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
