Successful young writer Marjorie McClelland leads a solitary, comfortable life in the quiet, post-prohibition town of Ridgebury, CT. Her tranquil life is disrupted when Creighton Ashcroft, a British heir with time and money to burn, purchases a deserted mansion with a mysterious history on the outskirts of town. Instantly smitten with the talented and beautiful Marjorie, Creighton craftily arranges an intimate meeting, but the mood is spoiled when they stumble across a body while touring the ample grounds of Creighton’s new estate.

With the intention of reaping the story’s literary benefits, the two forge an unlikely partnership and research the mansion’s sordid past, but they soon find themselves in the middle of an unfolding series of hidden murders and family deceit. On top of this, the handsome detective assigned to the case has caught Marjorie’s attention–and Creighton’s suspicious eye. The trio must work together to break through a web of deceptively demure townspeople and the discreet upper class to solve the mystery of the mansion’s past before becoming victims themselves. Filled with rumor and humor, this historical thriller delights to its captivating close.

If only Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and Jimmy Stewart were still alive. They would be fabulous in the movie version of Meade’s debut Marjorie McClelland mystery, a romantic caper redolent with the campy atmosphere of the madcap 1940s films that made these stars icons. Meade’s kickoff mystery is a winner.
— Booklist

If you yearn for an old-fashioned 1930s mystery, look no further than this debut title in a new series. First-time novelist Meade has written a traditional mystery in a style reminiscent of Rae Foley and Mignon Eberhart.
— Library Journal

A vintage-style mystery that will have readers looking for the resolution of Marjorie’s romantic entanglements in the sequel.
— Kirkus

Amy Patricia Meade is articulate, spinning a well-researched story
with suspense, insight into the human condition, and a tad of humor.
An emerging mystery novelist to watch, her Million Dollar Baby may be
only the beginning of a lengthy, successful series. We’ll hope so.
— Alan Paul Curtis (who-dunnit.com)

Meade’s debut will strike a chord with fanciers of Dorothy Sayers’s Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane… a good first effort that bodes well for future installments— Myshelf.com Million Dollar Baby ends as well as it begins, with a nice job of misdirection and some real jaw-dropping twists. It’s smoothly written and easy to read, light and delicious enough to bite off big pieces in a short time. Like a Katharine Hepburn–Spencer Tracy movie on the page, it’s a little corny, as those times were, but sweetly so.
— Foreward Magazine

Million Dollar Baby offers much in the way of plot and setting, but its distinguishing characteristic is the wonderful repartee between Marjorie and Creighton. The incessant barbed remarks alone make the book a winning read. Meade’s timing is impeccable, as she delivers the lines at just the right moment and in just the right proportion. Clearly, she is in control of her characters and of her book. I’m eagerly anticipating an entertaining reunion with Marjorie McClelland in Meade’s next series entry.
— Mystery Scene Magazine

“Million Dollar Baby” is reminiscent of the old black and white movies we love so well; of a quiet glamour and regal elegance even after the ravages of the Great Depression. The author has deftly painted enough scenery to transport us to another time very convincingly, without too much added stage setting. The story flows as smoothly as a Fred and Ginger waltz and delivers as many twists and turns. The characters are delightful and comfortable and the reader will be left wanting to read the further adventures of Marjorie and friends. Although there is a romantic undercurrent, don’t expect this to be a boy-meets-girl-and-they-live-happily-ever-after story. Marjorie may be brilliant at solving mysteries, but can be endearingly obtuse when it comes to affairs of the heart. The overall effect is intriguing and light-hearted but the mystery is compelling and well delivered.
Meade is one of the new authors from Midnight Ink and her thirties mysteries promise to be a wonderful jewel in their crown.
— Mystericale.com