Alyssa Maxwell Inspires With Historical Mysteries That Blend Riveting Plots And Richly Detailed Worlds
Photo: Alyssa Maxwell, the acclaimed author of Gilded Newport Mysteries, pictured creating timeless tales of intrigue and resilience from her California home.
From Page To Screen
Alyssa Maxwell shares insights into her journey as a bestselling mystery author, her characters’ evolution, creative process, and community building, while exploring themes of independence, resilience, and societal change.
Alyssa Maxwell, a masterful storyteller and celebrated mystery author, has carved out a remarkable niche in the world of historical mysteries. With more than twenty books in print, Maxwell continues to captivate readers with her Gilded Newport Mysteries and A Lady & Lady’s Maid Mysteries, blending rich period details, compelling characters, and intricately woven plots. Her debut novel, Murder at The Breakers—a USA Bestseller and now adapted into a Hallmark Mystery Channel movie—represents the start of a series that immerses readers in high-society intrigue alongside the gritty and determined sleuthing of Emma Cross. With themes that explore independence, community, and the resilience of women past and present, Maxwell’s storytelling transports readers to gilded mansions and post-WWI English estates, threading her tales with wit, warmth, and clever twists.
As editor of Mosaic Digest magazine, it is our honor to feature Alyssa Maxwell in this special interview, where she reflects on her journey, her creative process, and the evolving lives of her beloved characters. Maxwell offers a fascinating glimpse into her Newport-inspired roots, shares the surreal experience of seeing her story come to life on screen, and delves into the challenges and joys of crafting dual narratives through aristocratic and working-class perspectives.
Alyssa Maxwell’s passion for storytelling and meticulous craftsmanship elevates historical mysteries, making them evocative journeys through time and character.
Whether you’re a devoted fan of the genre or a newcomer intrigued by historical mysteries, Alyssa Maxwell’s literary world is an invitation to travel through time, uncover secrets, and savor the artistry of her craft. Mosaic Digest celebrates her incredible impact on the literary world and welcomes readers to join us in discovering the layers of storytelling and connection that make her work truly extraordinary.
Your Gilded Newport Mysteries are inspired by your husband’s multi‑generation family history in Newport. How did that personal connection shape the character of Emma Cross and the stories you chose to tell?
My personal experiences of being part of a Newport family, along with my husband’s experiences of having grown up there, have allowed me to see the city on a deeper level and better understand the character and attitudes of the local populace. There is something unique about people who hail from islands. They tend to be fiercely independent, self-reliant, determined, stoic, and, at the same time, tightly bonded to their communities. I saw it in my in-laws; I see it in my husband, and I have tried to instill these qualities into Emma to make her a strong, resolute young woman uniquely positioned to solve what often seems unsolvable. Like my own mother-in-law, if Emma can help someone, she will, and if this takes her into dangerous situations, she draws on the strength which she believes originates from the very bedrock of Aquidneck Island.
As you celebrate your eleventh year as a published mystery author with over twenty titles so far, how have your creative process and approach to historical mystery evolved over that time?
I’ve learned to do a lot more preplanning. I’m always amazed when authors, especially mystery authors, say they don’t sketch out a synopsis beforehand. Somehow, it works for them, but not for me. Writing a synopsis is hard work, but I’ve come to appreciate having that guide map when I sit down each day to write. But first, I flesh out my characters: who they are, what experiences have shaped the kind of people they are, and—most important for a mystery—what they might be hiding, whether it has to do with the murder or not. By now, I know my primary characters as well as I know my real-life family, but each story comes with new secondary characters, both fictional and based in history, and I’ve learned I cannot plot a book until I understand them well enough to know how they’ll react or be proactive in any given situation.
“Murder at The Breakers” was adapted into a Hallmark Mystery Channel movie four years after being discovered in Newport. What surprised you most when seeing your characters and setting transition from page to screen?
It was surreal seeing the characters I’ve lived with for over ten years move across the TV screen, speak words I wrote, and enact the scenarios I conceived. It’s important to remember that a production studio will always put their own twist on the literary material they work with, and they made a couple of additions that I really applauded. One was the inclusion of the Tabbs Carriage Company, which existed in Newport at the time. Soon after the first airing I heard from a long-time Newporter who was a descendent of the man who founded that company, an example of a successful African American-owned business that thrived in Newport’s relatively progressive atmosphere. Hearing from that individual was a joy to me, and to the screenwriter.
Your upcoming “Murder at Arleigh” (Gilded Newport Mysteries #13) is set for late August 2025. Without spoiling too much—what themes or new facets of Emma’s life can readers expect to explore in this latest entry?
The biggest evolution in Emma’s life is becoming a mother. We see her in this role for the first time in Murder at Arleigh, and we learn how she balances motherhood with her newspaper work, which she is not willing to give up. Then there is her sleuthing and the danger such activities might bring to her family and her precious daughter. She struggles at times with the prospect of having to step away and whether she’s being selfish by accepting the challenge of finding a killer. But we also see how she has found a new source of strength in her family; how holding her daughter, spending time with her watching the ocean waves behind the house, or doing simple things like reading bedtime stories, act as a balm on her soul and renew her resolve.
In your Lady & Lady’s Maid Mysteries, you pair Lady Phoebe with her maid Eva in post‑WWI England. How did you develop that dynamic duo, and what do you see as the strengths of telling a mystery through both perspectives?
The idea for this series actually came from my editor, who wanted to see “Downton Abbey with a mystery twist.” This was in 2014 or so, when the show was at the height of its popularity. Being a huge fan, I jumped at the chance to create something similar—but different. Other than my editor wanting the dynamic of three sisters and a country estate setting, as in the TV series, I was given free rein in terms of characters, time period, etc. In my Newport series, Emma has a dual heritage, that of Vanderbilt and Newporter, allowing her to mix freely with different segments of society. In A Lady & Lady’s Maid, having two sleuths, each with her own point of view, allows for a similar scenario, that of moving comfortably in different social situations. Phoebe, of course, investigates “above stairs,” among the aristocrats, while Eva handles the servants and villagers. Having them work together and become friends also illustrated the social and economic changes taking place in England in the years following WWI.
You’re active in writing communities like Mystery Writers of America and South Florida Fiction Writers, and live in South Florida after decades. How does your personal and local environment influence your work and your connection to readers and peers?
Having a sense of community with other writers is vitally important. It’s a generous community, with writers helping each other in all phases of their careers, from beginner to bestseller. Even seasoned authors attend workshops (as well as give them) to stay fresh and keep the creative juices flowing. Spouses and friends can be supportive, and that’s important, but no one understands the effort and heart that go into a book the way other authors do. Through the organizations I belonged to in South Florida, I learned to be a writer, to craft fiction, and to weather the ups and downs of what can be a fickle business. My greatest challenge right now is having moved from Florida after forty years. My husband and I now live in California, near our daughter, and I’m faced with having to rebuild that community. Yes, thanks to the internet I’ll remain in touch with good friends, butI look forward to making new connections, face to face.
