Emma Cross Andrews sits down for a Q&A with dru’s book musings responding to twenty or more questions so we can learn more about her. Are you ready? Let’s get to know Emma.

What is your full name?
Emmaline Cross Andrews, but please call me Emma. I’m a descendant of the first Cornelius Vanderbilt through my father, who, in turn, is a descendant of Cornelius’s daughter, Phoebe, who married into the Cross family. That’s what puts me in my unique position of straddling two very different worlds, that of ordinary Newporters and America’s wealthiest families, commonly referred to as the Four Hundred (the number of guests who fit comfortably in Mrs. Astor’s NY ballroom).

How old are you?
I sometimes lose track! I was twenty-one when I solved my first crime, the murder of my Uncle Cornelius’s financial secretary Alvin Goddard. That was in the summer of 1895, the year the newly rebuilt, palazzo-inspired Breakers first opened. Now, it’s 1903, so that makes me . . . twenty-nine! Where HAS the time gone?

What is your profession?
I’m a journalist and quite proud of it. When I started writing for the Newport Observer years ago, I covered society news: balls, garden parties, sporting events and the like. That was all my editor-in-chief at the time, Mr. Milford, thought women were capable of. He believed news of real substance was not only beyond female capabilities to understand, but also detrimental to our delicate sensibilities. Hmph! Had he never heard of Nellie Bly? It was always my dream to be more like Miss Bly and cover the important goings-on here in Newport, and now I do just that for the paper my husband and I jointly own and run, the Newport Messenger. And if I do say so myself, I’m darned good at it, if you’ll excuse my language.

Do you have a significant other?
I believe I already gave that one away. For years I doubted the wisdom of marrying at all. For most women, marriage means giving up any independence they might enjoy, not to mention any wealth or property they’ve acquired through either their own toils or inheritance. Then, too, there was the question of what kind of man would be right for me if I should decide to marry. On the one hand, there was Detective Jesse Whyte of the Newport Police Department, a man some ten years my senior but who had grown up in Newport and whom I had known all my life. There is a lot we have in common. On the other hand, Derrick Andrews, New England newspaper heir, hailed from another world entirely. He mother didn’t approve of me—still doesn’t. And there would have to be many compromises between us, or so I thought. But as they say, the heart wants what the heart wants. It became clear to me over time that while Jesse was a treasured friend, my passions lay with Derrick. We married in the spring of 1902.

What is their name and profession?
While I do the reporting, Derrick is much better at handling the business end of our newspaper operations. He’s taken the Messenger from an insignificant broadsheet with limited subscriptions to one of Newport’s most respected newspapers.

Do you have any children?
We have one child—so far—our brilliant, beautiful, perfect daughter, Annamarie. She has her papa’s dark, wavy hair, stunning green eyes (Derrick’s are brown, mine are hazel, so a mingling of the two), and an effervescent personality that keeps us entertained all day long.

Do you have any siblings?
Ah, yes, my half-brother, Brady Gale IV. He’s Mother’s son from her first marriage, her husband having been lost at sea in a yachting accident when Brady was still a baby. Although he’s a few years older than me, for many years it seemed the other way around, with Brady being impulsive and reckless while I remained the responsible sibling who helped him out of many a jam. But all that changed in the summer of ’95, when Brady’s rash actions led to his being accused of murder. I helped prove him innocent and Brady learned an invaluable lesson on the importance of honesty and—yes—sobriety. He’s been a different man ever since and I’m very proud of him.

Are your parents nearby?
My parents, Beatrice and Arthur Cross, left Newport some years ago to join the artistic community in Paris. My father is a painter, a fairly successful one, at least at times. When I was a little girl, Newport was a center for artists, poets, writers and the like, but once the wealthy industrialists began building their summer cottages here, the city lost its appeal for the intelligentsia. My parents left me in good hands, though. I had already moved in with my great aunt Sadie, from whom I later inherited my home, Gull Manor, where Derrick and I continue to live despite being able to afford something grander. It suits us, and we love it.

Who is your best friend?
My very dearest friend is Mrs. Mary O’Neal, or Nanny, as I’ve called her since I was a little girl. She was Brady’s and my nanny growing up and continues to live with me at Gull Manor as our housekeeper, nanny to Annamarie, and a grandmother figure who is always there to provide wisdom, warmth, and love.

My other best friend is Hannah Hanson, who grew up near me on the Point section of Newport, a harborside neighborhood built during colonial times. Hannah is a nurse at Newport Hospital and has not only helped me solve crimes, but has patched me up on numerous occasions. I’m thrilled to say Hannah and I are soon to become sisters, as she and Brady were recently engaged.

Do you have cats, dogs, or other pets?
I have a dog named Patch, who is a harum-scarum mix of spaniel and goodness knows what else. Brady found him wandering the docks as a puppy and brought him to me at a time when I was missing a dear little person terribly and needed a happy distraction. Patch provided that and more, becoming a devoted and beloved member of the family and a stalwart protector for Annamarie. I can’t even remember what life was like before he entered our lives in a whirlwind of happy barking, too-big paws, and a tail that knocked over everything in its path.

What town do you live in?
Newport, RI, established in 1639, and where you can view every stage of American history simply by walking from one end of town to the other.

What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
Gull Manor is a shingle-style house built in the 1870s at the southern edge of Aquidneck Island on the site of a much older house. The property forms a peninsula that juts out into the water, lined with boulders, which, at high tide, send up sprays with each incoming wave. It was a lonely, wild place before the Four Hundred began building cottages along Ocean Avenue, although even now we continue to feel secluded and removed from the ostentation of Bellevue Avenue.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
Outside on those boulders I mentioned, with the Atlantic stretching out endlessly in front of me.

What is your favorite meal and dessert?
I love Nanny’s simple New England cooking—roasts, root vegetables, thick gravies and savory breads. One never comes away from one of Nanny’s meals hungry. For dessert, her apple ginger cake, iced with sweet cream frosting or dripping with brandy butter, surpasses anything I’ve had at any of Newport’s grand occasions.

Do you have any hobbies?
Home, husband, baby, newspaper work—no, I don’t have time for hobbies. Truth be told, I’m not the most domestic of women. I never took to sewing or knitting or even cooking the way other girls did, and as a child I much preferred rough and tumble games with my male Vanderbilt cousins than playing dolls or house with the girls. This caused their mother, my aunt Alice, to heave many an exasperated sigh over me, but eventually even she learned to accept me as I am.

What music do you listen to?
Vivaldi is a special favorite, but I love Baroque music in general. Aunt Alice is fond of having musicales in the summer months at The Breakers, and I attend whenever possible. Her beautiful music room is the perfect backdrop for small chamber orchestras.

What is your favorite color?
Green – the color of the sea and of Annamarie’s eyes.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
I enjoy the occasional trip to New York, and I adored our wedding trip to Italy—the food, the wine, reuniting with Derrick’s sister and her little son—but truthfully, I’m happiest right here at home in Newport, amid the island’s craggy shores and rolling inland hills and the bracing sea air. I feel I get my strength from the bedrock of Aquidneck Island, along with my sense of stability and belonging. I’m never completely myself anywhere else.

Are you a morning or night person?
By nature I’m more of a morning person, but if there’s a story to be covered or a murderer to track down, I’ve learned to be ready at any time of day or night. The same applies now that I’m a mother, since children don’t wait till morning to tell you they need you.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
I love a good backyard get-together with close friends, and by that I mean my fellow Newporters. Since my marriage, many of the Four Hundred have come to accept me as one of their own, or close enough, and I do hold many of them in my esteem as well, but truth be told, I’m not one of them and never will be. I much prefer chowder and steamed quahogs to consommé and escargot, picnics to supper parties, and sturdy skirts and shirtwaists to the latest from House of Worth. That’s just who I am.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
The Life and Times of a Lady Reporter

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
I’m a professional journalist, but an amateur sleuth. But I never work completely alone. I always enlist the help of those I trust—Derrick, Nanny, Brady, even our maid-of-all-work, Katie. I also work closely, albeit unofficially, with my good friend, Detective Jesse Whyte. Initially, Jesse didn’t care for my interference, but he soon learned to appreciate my insight into both the wealthy summer set and our fellow Newporters. In terms of the latter, they know and trust me. As for the former, I have access to people and places often barred to the police. Especially when it comes to the women, who are far more likely to talk to me than a police officer.

What is a typical day in your life like?
Because Gull Manor is situated at the south end of Aquidneck Island, we see both the sunrise to the east and the sunset to the west—so I tend to wake with the sun each morning. Family comes first, so after getting Annamarie ready for her day, we all have breakfast together before Derrick and I leave for work. We drive our buggy into town and begin our workday at the offices of the Newport Messenger, but I never know where I’ll go from there. News happens all over the city and across our island, so I’m always ready to run. On any given day, after sifting through the news wires sent via the Associated Press and deciding which articles would be of interest to our readers, I might be out covering political meetings, local disturbances, business developments, or even, sometimes, violent crimes, including murder. That’s when my reporter’s skills are most put to the test, but I love a challenge and I’ve never backed down yet, even in the face of threats.

But if you really want to know what life is like for a woman living in Newport at the turn of the twentieth century, I invite you to be my companion for a day. Together we’ll drive buggies along Newport’s gaslit streets, dress like Gibson Girls, occasionally wear Worth gowns, visit the glorious mansions up and down Bellevue Avenue, and learn the true meaning of Gilded Age: often, what glitters isn’t always gold.

Murder at Arleigh – A Gilded Newport Mystery, Book 13
Genre: Historical Mystery
Release: August 2025
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link

Reporter, sleuth, and new mother Emma Cross Andrews comes to the aid of a distraught wife who’s convinced her husband is trying to kill her . . .

April 1903: Emma and Derrick Andrews have been invited to the wedding of her cousin Reggie Vanderbilt and heiress Cathleen Neilson at the Bellevue Mansion, Arleigh. Their hosts are a popular young couple who are leasing the home for the summer—Harry and Elizabeth “Bessie” Lehr. Known for his practical jokes, Harry is the toast of parties, earning a reputation as the court jester of the Gilded Age. However, as Emma soon learns, behind closed doors he is dead serious.

Following the wedding, Bessie comes to Emma for help, insisting that her husband is cruel to her in private, telling her outright he married her only for her money and finds her repulsive. Divorce is unthinkable. Now she believes he is plotting to murder her and make it look like an accident: a broken balcony railing she might have leaned on, a loose stair runner that could have sent her tumbling down a staircase, faulty brakes in the car she uses . . .

Some would say being trapped in a loveless marriage is a fate worse than death. Not Bessie—she wants to live! Unsure if these situations are mere coincidences or add up to premeditated sabotage, Emma agrees to investigate and determine if Newport’s merry prankster is engaged in a cold-blooded game of life or death . . .

About the author
Alyssa Maxwell is the author of The Gilded Newport Mysteries and A Lady and Lady’s Maid Mysteries, with over twenty books in print. Murder at The Breakers, the first book in her Gilded Newport Mystery series and a USA Today Bestseller, has been adapted for television by the Hallmark Mystery Channel. Alyssa and her husband recently moved across the country from South Florida to California’s Central Valley, and as soon as they’re settled plan to continue their favorite pastimes: antiquing, bike riding, and exploring nature preserves. To find out more about Alyssa and her books, please visit alyssamaxwell.com.