Author – Genevieve Essig.
If you think about it, it makes perfect sense I’d eventually try to be a writer. One need only examine my childhood, as any therapist will tell you, and look for the signs: On family vacations my poor mother, already on her last nerve as my father, the Botany Professor, drove us around winding mountain roads with one eye on the ground vegetation, constantly screamed at me to “stop reading and look at the scenery.” I assigned my books call numbers and insisted my friends “check them out” from my “library” (the fines for late returns were steep but, as it turned out, largely unenforceable). I wrote plays about forest fairies and figures from classical mythology and petitioned for special dispensation so I could stage them on the playground during lunch. My favorite school task was diagramming sentences.
So, when, many years later, I scaled back my other work to spend more time writing, no one really should have been surprised. Concerned for my sanity and financial well-being, maybe, but not surprised. And am I ever glad I did. I am truly blessed, and I make an effort every day to remember that.
What else… I’m half-Chinese and Florida-raised, Yale- and UVA- educated, and Chicago…buffed and polished? In any case, 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 (though, since we’ve recently welcomed home a new kitten friend, Musette, I might need to cut back on that last).
Social Media Links –
Instagram: @essigauthor www.instagram.com/essigauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/essigauthor
Twitter: @essigauthor https://twitter.com/essigauthor
Website: https://www.genevieveessig.com
Publisher – Bookouture
Pages – 343
The Blurb – Meet Cassie Gwynne: bookworm, cat lover, reluctant heiress… and determined detective?
Florida, 1883. Cassie Gwynne is looking for a fresh start when she steps off the steamship at Fernandina harbor for the first time. She’s trying hard to be a proper lady, for once. She’s styled her unruly hair, shined her boots, and even purchased a whole new fashionable (or at least fashionably priced) 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 pilots’ lookout tower. To make matters worse, because Peanut and Flora have been quarreling for years over everything from Flora’s eccentric ideas to her pet pig’s fondness for 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 surly local sheriff disapproves. Cassie’s brilliant mind and nose for a clue lead her on an investigation that takes her all around the island, and even earns her a valiant furry friend in Esy the kitten.
But how does the mysterious ledger 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 killer before her time on the island comes to a deadly end?
This warm and witty cozy mystery will transport you to the island city of Fernandina and introduce you to a feisty heroine far before her time! Perfect for fans of Verity Bright, T E Kinsey and Deanna Raybourn.
Today is my stop on the A Deception Most Deadly blog tour. Many thanks to Bookouture for the chance to read and review.
My thoughts – This is the first book in the Cassie Gwynne series. It is set in Florida in 1883. From the first couple of pages you can tell the author has set the scene well, with the vivid description of the sights and sounds Cassie sees when she first arrives.
Cassie is an interesting character who is looking to start over after the death of her father. After his death she discovers letters from her Aunt Flora, so decides to travel to Florida to meet her. Flora is a great character that is really ahead of her time. She protests for animal welfare and is not scared to ruffle people’s feather’s which puts her at odds with many people.
When Cassie and Flora find a body, Flora becomes the main suspect and the police thinking they have their culprit and not eager to look for anyone else. This is when Cassie takes it upon herself to look into the affairs of the deceased.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing more of Cassie.
Purchase Links – A Deception Most Deadly
The Divine Write 