Newport

The first book I read on my 8 day camping trip was Newport by Jill Morrow.  I love books written between the 20s-40s with period specific story lines.  Newport did not disappoint! 

About Newport

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (July 7, 2015)
In a glamorous Newport mansion filled with secrets, a debonair lawyer must separate truth from deception. . . .Spring 1921. The Great War is over, Prohibition is in full swing, the Great Depression is still years away. Wealthy families flock to the glittering "summer cottages" they built in Newport, Rhode Island. Having sheltered in Newport during his misspent youth, attorney Adrian de la Noye is no stranger to the city. Though he'd prefer to forget the place, he returns to revise the will of a well-heeled client. Bennett Chapman's offspring have the usual concerns about their father's much-younger fiancée. But when they learn of the old widower's firm belief that his late first wife, who "communicates" via séance, has chosen the stunning Catharine Walsh for him, they're shocked. And for Adrian, encountering Catharine in the last place he saw her decades ago proves to be a far greater surprise.Adrian is here to handle a will, and he intends to do so—just as soon as he unearths every last secret about the Chapmans, Catharine Walsh . . . and his own very fraught history.
Vividly bringing to life the glitzy era of the 1920s, Newport is a skillful alchemy of social satire, dark humor, and finely drawn characters.
Adrian has a past that is slowly given to the reader as you progress in the novel.  I will admit at first the seance and the thought that the first Mrs. Chapman was orchestrating this new marriage had me thinking of a great scam, as the story went on it was quite entertaining to learn what secret the late Mrs. Chapman may let out at the next chance. 

I'm not even someone who is sure I believe that people can speak for the departed but this was not overdone in fantasy land.  If that is giving you pause, I'd say still give the book a chance. 

I found myself engulfed in the what happened between whom and what else will be revealed and how will it end.  If you do like something a little more complicated to figure out, this isn't for you.  It's pretty easy to figure out some parts of the story but others are still hidden in a bit of mystery. 

Great book to throw in your beach bag this summer!

What books set in Prohibition have you read? Ever read Ragtime? Which historical fiction are you currently recommending?

I received this book through TLC Book Tours, all thoughts and opinions are my own!