I really enjoyed Deception Most Deadly (the first Cassie Gwynn historical mystery from Genevieve Essig). So, I was eagerly looking forward to A Plot Most Perilous.
It didn’t hurt that this time, the crime occurs in conjunction with the arrival of a traveling theater company.
I mean, historical mystery, feisty heroine, theater, Florida…seriously, what’s not to like?
It also doesn’t hurt that Pirates of Penzance is my favorite Gilbert & Sullivan. (Isn’t it everybody’s?)
I like the attention the author gives to what some might consider minutiae. I, for one, found the ins and outs of 1880s theater to be fascinating. Others might feel that the level of detail gets in the way of the plot. I can see both sides of that.
I will say that this is a “thinking person’s” type of historical mystery. If you are looking for lighthearted and mindless, this might not be for you.
There are a lot of characters to keep track of, and the author likes to go into extensive detail. Again, I appreciate it, because it feels like the author is mimicking the writing style of the time as well as the social mores, language, etc.
In fact, in some ways, the secondary and “extra” characters are more entertaining than Cassie herself.
Regardless, it is all a ball of fun, and reading Genevieve Essig’s books make me feel like I am watching a penny newsreel in an old Nickelodeon.
(No, I’m not that old, but I remember them at amusement parks as “novelties.”)
You don’t need to read the first one to enjoy A Plot Most Perilous, but you will enjoy this one more if you do – if only to be able to understand who at least some of the standard characters are.
Another enjoyable read!
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About the Author
I now proudly call New Orleans home, and when I’m not writing or getting lost down research rabbit holes, I spend my time practicing law, shooting pool, performing operas and musicals, ogling old buildings, acting for film and television, futzing with inventions that address highly specific and possibly only-annoying-to-me problems, traveling, ranting at bartenders about the evils of straws, riding horses, and petting strange cats.
