Review: Ali Skovbye and Danny Griffin star in a new ‘Gilded’ mystery on Hallmark

Danny Griffin and Ali Skovbye. Photo Credit: Allister Foster, Hallmark Media.

On February 2, “Gilded Newport Mysteries: Murder at the Breakers” premiered on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.

Terry Ingram directed from a screenplay by Keri Ferencz, which is based off a book series written by Alyssa Maxwell.

It stars Ali Skovbye and Danny Griffin in the roles of Emma Vanderbilt-Cross and Jesse Whyte respectively.

In this new film, a Murder becomes personal for Rhode Island society page writer Emma Vanderbilt-Cross in 1895 who witnesses a murder while attending a ball and her half-brother Brady Cross (James Drew Dean) is arrested.

The movie is set in July of 1895 and the New York elite have decamped to Newport, Rhode Island for a summer of balls, garden parties, and yacht races. Covering these events for the women’s pages of the “Newport Observer” is Emma, a fearless 21-year-old writer, who has family ties to the rich Vanderbilt family.

Writing articles about food and fashion is the last thing on Emma’s mind when her half-brother Brady Cross (James Drew Dean) is arrested for the murder of Goddard (Cesare Scarpone), the long-time Vanderbilt business advisor.

She decides to take matters into her own hands and sets out to prove his innocence, discovering Goddard had more than his fair share of enemies.

As Emma investigates with the help of police detective and crush Jesse Whyte, housekeeper Nanny O’Neal (Gillian Barber) and coroner’s assistant Harriet Rice (Amira Anderson), she is plunged into a word of intrigue and danger, all while attracting the attention of the town’s mysterious new stranger.

As Emma grows closer to uncovering the truth, Goddard’s true murderer goes on the offensive, willing to stop at nothing to keep their identity a secret.

Ali Skovbye is bold and effervescent in the lead role as Emma, while Danny Griffin is charming and the voice of reason as Detective Jesse Whyte.

Actors Nathan Witte and James Drew Dean are memorable as the mysterious Derrick and her half-brother Brady respectively.

The Verdict

Overall, “Gilded Newport Mysteries: Murder at the Breakers” is an entertaining and thought-provoking new Hallmark mystery.

Ali Skovbye and Danny Griffin stand out in their acting performances, and everybody in the ensemble brings something unique to the table.

The cast is able to take their audience on a journey through time and teleport them back to the gilded age of 1895.

It is filled with multiple twists and turns (and red herrings), which are certain to keep the audience engaged as they try to figure out who the true murderer is. It garners an A rating.

Hopefully, there will be more future episodes of this mystery, and it will become its own Hallmark mystery series.