A Deception Most Deadly is the first in a new historical cozy mystery series with a quirky heroine. Now, quirky heroines are nothing new to the genre. In fact, it sometimes seems as if that’s a requisite of the genre.
But for me, Cassie Gwynne checks a lot of other boxes.
Cute animals, interesting characters, and a Florida setting.
Honestly, what’s not to like?
The mystery that Cassie finds herself involved in is accurate (if murders can be historically accurate). I thought it was an interesting choice to make the police so inept. That part did seem like a bit of a reach.
I mean, Cassie figuring everything out and giving the police the clues and almost telling them what to do next? That part did not ring true to me.
The author does a great job of capturing the language, manners, and overall feeling of the time period (1883!). However, I think this might actually be a problem for some readers because it is a “wordier” time. The author reflects that in how the characters speak to each other.
I thought it was terrific, but I could see where some readers might find it challenging. Too bad for them; it is accurate to the era. They liked their words back then. What can you do?
That being said, there are times it did bog down the narrative. Perhaps there is too much of a good thing? I don’t know. I will have to read the next installment to see if it gets to be too much.
For now, I thoroughly enjoyed A Deception Most Deadly and am adding Cassie Gwynne to my historical cozy list!
Check out Death at the Dance (Lady Eleanor Swift) for another cozy historical mystery series.
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