A Deception Most Deadly

A Cassie Gwynne Mystery, Book 1

By: Genevieve Essig

Narrated by: Lauryn Allman

Meet Cassie Gwynne: bookworm, cat lover, reluctant heiress...determined detective?

Florida, 1883. Cassie Gwynne is looking for a fresh start when she steps off the steamship in Fernandina harbor for the very first time. She’s trying very hard to become the proper society lady her father wished she was. She’s styled her unruly hair, shined her boots, and even purchased a whole new wardrobe. However, she’s certain finding a body is not very ladylike behavior....

While out exploring the beautiful island with her aunt Flora, Cassie stumbles across the body of Peanut Runkles, town grump and her aunt’s neighbor, lying at the foot of the harbor lookout tower. To make matters worse, because Peanut and Flora have been quarreling for years over everything - from Flora’s wayward puppy to the location of Peanut’s vegetable patch - Flora is immediately arrested for murder.

Desperate to save the only family she has left, Cassie vows to prove Flora’s innocence and untangle the mystery herself, no matter how much the locals disapprove. Adopting Esy the kitten along the way, Cassie’s brilliant mind and nose for a clue lead her on an investigation that takes her all around the island.

But how does the tattered notebook Cassie finds, hidden in a secret drawer in Peanut’s desk, connect to the crime? Cassie is determined to dig up the truth, but can she catch the culprit before her time on the island comes to a deadly end?

This warm and witty cozy mystery will transport you to Fernandina beach and introduce you to a feisty heroine far before her time! Perfect for fans of Verity Bright, T. E. Kinsey, and Deanna Raybourn.

©2021 Genevieve Essig (P)2021 Bookouture

An absolutely addictive historical cozy murder mystery!

Wow! This warm and witty cozy mystery is the novel I was looking for many years. Exciting and interesting! I highly recommended!

A delightful read!

Now this is the kind of book to curl up with. Genevieve Essig has brought us a fresh -'voiced, intelligent and likable heroine in Cassie Gwynne. Can't wait to listen to the next book in the series!

Really lovely story

I can’t wait to continue Cassie’s adventures in sleuthing. It was nice to listen to a story, from this era, taking place in Florida. The reader, Ms. Allman, did a terrific job with accents. Sometimes it was hard to tell the difference between some characters but for the most part, didn’t detract from the story. Looking forward to the next book.

Highly entertaining!

I thoroughly recommend this book! I don't normally read (In this case, listen) to a lot of fiction work, as a fan of history I really enjoyed this book. The story, characters and audio presentation were all excellent. As a frequent consumer of audible books, ( I drive for a living) I find the quality of the actor ( or actors) presenting the book often lacking. That was not the case here. Every aspect of thus production was enjoyable and I enthusiastically encourage anyone to check this out. Looking forward to the rest of the series!

Borderline

Very uneven. Good enough that I may—perhaps—try the next one. If she gets a good (better?) editor, and eschews the worst of her cultural anachronisms, and evens out some of her attempts at humor (I assume that’s what they were) to be less over the top, she could get better and be more worth reading. But if she decides what she needs is to inject even more drama, and more modern sensibilities—well, some will like that perhaps, but I won’t.

And I have to wonder if she’s ever tried to get around in long skirts, let alone long skirts with corsets and petticoats. It’s virtually impossible to crawl with a long skirt on, unless you hike it up well above your knees and find some way of fastening it. I know this from personal experience. My “you have to be kidding” reaction engendered by that no-doubt-intended-to-be-humorous scene toward the beginning colored my opinion of the rest of the book, as I noticed how it went from slapstick to sentimentality to drama, interspersed with some quite good and sometimes original and creative writing. I hope the author evens things out in her next book, because the foundations are there.