BLOG TOUR - A Truth Most Treacherous

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Cassie Gwynne—cat lover, bookworm and daring detective—takes on her most challenging case yet…

Florida, 1884. It’s a new year and Cassie Gwynne is determined to be done with the unseemly business of murder. She’s made her resolution and she’s going to stick to it. Unfortunately, fate has other plans… The very next day, she happens upon the body of a newcomer to town—customs collector Chester Pence—floating beneath the boardwalk.

Never one to shy away from a puzzle, Cassie can’t resist getting involved in the investigation. It’s no secret that Chester made a number of enemies in his short time in Fernandina: confiscating a beleaguered bride’s wedding dress and a bossy businessman’s cigars among many other mean acts. It’s even rumored a well-to-do lady with a pampered dog has been leaving him nasty little parcels on his doorstep, but would she stoop as low as murder?

But Cassie’s only just gotten started on her suspect list when a witness comes forward and accuses one of Cassie’s close friends, Mr. Hu, of the crime. Much to her surprise, he confesses. She is convinced he is innocent. Is Mr. Hu protecting someone?

Cassie continues to investigate, but when she returns home one day to find her aunt’s beautiful house completely ransacked, she knows it’s a warning. Can Cassie uncover the truth, or will the killer ensure this is her final case?

A warm and witty Gilded Age cozy mystery with a heroine you’ll be obsessed with! Fans of Deanna Raybourn, Verity Bright and T.E. Kinsey won’t be able to put this down.

BUY LINK:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0B4DXB449social

MY THOUGHTS:

 

Title:   A Truth Most Treacherous 

Author:  Genevieve Essig

Series:  Cassie Gwynne #3
Publisher:  Bookouture 

Genre:  Cozy Mystery

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   344

Date of Publication:   August 15, 2022

My Rating:   5 Stars 

Cassie Gwynne might be adept at solving murders, but doing so is not by choice. She just always happens to be in the right place at the right time. Having a curious nature and excellent skills of deduction definitely helps. It comes to no surprise that Cassie gets this chance yet again. Discovering the body of Chester Pence affords Cassie this very opportunity. 

Doing what she does best, Cassie starts asking questions. The more questions she has the less clarity she gains. One of the issues is that Chester had acquired a number of enemies even though he was relatively new in town. His nefarious activities included stealing a wedding dress or a man’s cigars. Why Chester was acting in such a manner is very unclear, thus there are no shortage of suspects.

However, there is definitely a wrench in Cassie’s ongoing investigation. One of her closest friends, Mr. Hu, confesses to the crime. Cassie finds that impossible to believe. She is definitely in a quandary because she cannot understand why he would confess to something that he certainly would not have done. Finding the actual murderer takes on even greater importance to Cassie. 

This series by Genevieve Essig is thoroughly entertaining. One of the things that really drew me to this series are the lovely covers each book has. This book, as well as the first two books, A Deception Most Deadly and A Plot Most Perilous, all have striking covers and are quite enjoyable, making this a most delightful series. I also love the time frame and setting that surrounds the series, that of 1884 in Florida. For a lovely series with wonderful characters, always an intriguing plot, a slow burn romance between Cassie and a local policeman, as well as a developing back story, the Cassie Gwynne series is one that I would definitely recommend, and I am very excited for the next installment. 

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review - 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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 (pictured below), I might need to cut back on that last).

Yeah, I know. 

 

If you have suggestions for additional hobbies or want to talk about my books, please message me using the chat function below, email me, or connect with me on social media (@essigauthor). You can also sign up for my email newsletter HERE.

One other thing about me: If you try to tell me the Oxford comma is wrong, I will fight you—before hugging you because I’m just so thrilled you care.

 

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Website: https://www.genevieveessig.com