My thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “A Deception Most Deadly”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.

After having had the luck to have read the book I was curious about the audiobook, I am so glad I did. It added something extra to the story that I already read. The narrator also does an impeccable job of trying to convey all the different voices that sometimes happen in 1 chapter.

I loved the story, like the cover says it is an "utterly, addictive, historical, cozy, murder mystery. It was one of the things that attracted me to request this book and boy it didn't disappoint. The story has more twists than I'm used to with murder mysteries keeping it interesting till the very end. The scenes and settings are enough explained to give you this nice historical feeling. But the story was still very relatable.

I can't wait to see what Cassie does next

a lovely historical cozy mystery book., the narrator is wonderful and keeps you captivated till the very last moment, I look forward to listening to more my this author and narrator.
a big thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the early listen. What a fun historical cozy mystery loved the narrator! Author and narrator held my attention to the very end...
Will recommend

This took a million turns. I felt like everyone was a suspect and at times it was to much. Told with a fluent prose I loved the authors descriptions of most of the story. But when a person was questioned in my opinion gave way to much information. So maybe there was just to much to the story. If this was narrowed down I feel like it could be a 5 star. It just went on and on.
I did enjoy the narrator, she made it very enjoyable to listen to.
Thanks Bookouture via NetGalley.

I was so excited to read this historical fiction cozy mystery. I have read tons of cozies but not many historical fictions ones. I was not disappointed at all. Cassie was such a fun character. I loved getting her backstory. It helped to understand her and her relationship with her Aunt Flora. They mystery was interesting and kept me interested. I listened to the audiobook and loved the narration done by Lauryn Allman. Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for this audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

I love cozy mysteries and they are one of the easiest genres to listen to on audiobook. You can get mildly distracted while listening and typically not get lost in the story.

A Deception Most Deadly is the first book in Genevieve Essig debut series. The series title character Cassie Gwynne is looking for a fresh start when she relocates to Florida to live with an aunt.

The book is set in 1883. This isn't a time period I read a lot in, but I've enjoyed a few cozy mysteries lately sent in the late 1800s that I've really enjoyed. I don't know a lot about Florida's history. At this point in time, it has been a state for less than 40 years. It was a lot more southern than I thought it was. I don't care for southern fiction and this book did have a little bit of a southern fiction flavor. So I had a little trouble getting into the story, but once the mystery took over I found myself really enjoying it.

I liked Cassie and can see her having a great growth arc through the series as she tried to find herself. It's been a while since I read Frances McNamara's Death of at the Paris Exposition but A Deception Most Deadly brought that book to mind as somewhat similar.

I'm not sure if this series is going to be a must read for me - because of the time period and the southern fiction vibe. But I would definitely like to give a second book a try as I really liked the characters - Aunt Flora is a hoot and seems like a handful. So I would love to spend more time with them.

I enjoy Bookouture's cozy mysteries - I read several of the series they publish - but this is the first time I listened to one of their audiobooks. Lauryn Allman, the narrator, does an excellent job. Each character had their own unique voice so I never had to guess as to who was who. the whole production was well done and added another dimension to the characters.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Thursday, Jan 13 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2022/01/5-audiobooks-to-help-you-read-more-books.html

A Deception Most Deadly (A Cassie Gwynne Mystery) is a cozy historical murder mystery. Can that be a thing?!?
Having recently lost her father, Cassie Gwynne travels to Florida, for a fresh start and to meet the aunt she never knew. While out exploring with her aunt, she stumbles upon the body of Peanut Runkles, and she feels as if something is amiss. How did Peanut die? Was he murdered? Was it an accident? Cassie sets out to know the truth, but what danger has she put herself in to do so?

Narrated by Lauryn Allman and written by Genevieve Essig, A Deception Most Deadly is the perfect cozy murder mystery to cozy up to in these winter months.

Thanks go NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for an advanced copy in exchange or my honest review.

Being posted to my Instagram account, @the_literary_fox, B&N and Amazon on or just after publication day.

In introduction to the Cassie Gwynne Mystery series set in 1883. Cassie starts the story off leaving a life in NY after her father's death and she finds a stack of letters written by her aunt Flora. This story not only introduces Cassie, but a lot of other characters as well. At first it as a bit hard to keep the characters straight because there were a lot, but it became easier as I kept reading deeper into the story. I was entertained as it is comical, suspenseful, and full of action.

The reason why Cassie's father (Tom) hid Aunt Flora's letters kind of came out of nowhere. The story is mostly scene-setting — of course as it's a murder mystery after all. There are actually <i>two murders</i> in this book that needs to be solved along with many other-packed adventures. I enjoyed this aspect of the book and I liked getting to know the characters — the kids were my favorite. However, the romance portions didn't seem too engaging for me. Maybe I wanted more for Cassie, but perhaps that's what we'll get in the next book.

Thanks NetGalley & Bookouture for the audiobook version of this book in return for an honest review. #ADeceptionMostDeadlyACassieGwynneMystery #NetGalley

3.25 stars

This was a fun cosy mystery set in historical period in America. The characters were interesting to follow and the mystery too. Though the mystery felt a bit dry at times, the ending was ultimately unpredictable and satisfying. I liked the details of law incorporated into the mystery plotline (appreciate the author doing proper research). There was secondary romance plot which didn't feel engaging to me.

This was a book I normally wouldn't pick on my own- but I am wanting to expand my reading. I actually enjoyed this book. There were several characters to get to know in the book- but in the end they all came together to make a beautiful story. I like that this is the first in a series that will be coming out. I like the fact that the author kept the story plot in the time era that it was written in. (I have read books where the author must forget the era and add in modern day slang- not the case with this) I liked the fact that the author made the main character a woman in a time era that women were not treated fairly. She made the main character a strong woman!

Thank you netgalley for the Arc 3>

i wanna start this off by saying that anything historical is not really my genre i usually like more modern settings so if you love some historical crimes then this is the book for you.
This audiobook was fantastic it gripped me and i think if i read the actual book i wouldn't have liked it so much.

This book is about Miss Cassie Gwynne she left NYC and went to meet her aunt in her home town . Cassie hasn't been back there since she was two. Cassie is struggling to deal with the grief of losing her father now she might lose her aunt who she has just gotten back, so she decided that she has to solve the murder of peanut her aunts grumpy neighbour that she is convicted to killing . There are so many interesting plot twists and how thinks are not as obvious as they seem

This book was fun considering i am really into crime at the moment but it has so many boring parts between that i felt were unnecessary. like i wanted the action to be more back to back but the book would take long pauses between each trilling bit. tho this isn't for me it could be your sort of thing.

My thanks to Bookouture Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘A Deception Most Deadly’ by Genevieve Essig in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first in the Cassie Gwynne series of historical mysteries set in late nineteenth century Florida. The audiobook was narrated by Lauryn Allman.

It’s 1883 and following the death of her father, Cassie Gwynne is looking for a fresh start. She has travelled by steamboat from New York to Amelia Island, Florida where her Aunt Flora lives and runs a perfumery business. Cassie has hardly started settling in when she and Flora come across a body!Then Flora is arrested and the local police appear to consider it an open and shut case. So, in order to clear Flora’s name Cassie decides to undertake her own investigation.

It’s always fun to start a new series of historical cosy mysteries. I found Cassie an engaging lead and appreciated the theme of animal welfare. Plus, as the cover indicates, Cassie soon acquires her own feline companion.

There are quite a few characters introduced and a number of subplots. This led to my feeling that there was a bit too much going on; though I can appreciate that the author may have been overly enthusiastic about launching her plucky heroine into the world.

I felt that the historical setting was well realised. The author provided historical details of Fernandina, which had been a haven for outsiders of all kinds. It seems likely to provide a rich environment for future books in the series.

With respect to the audiobook, this was my first experience of Lauryn Allman as a narrator. I found her voice very pleasant. In addition, she moved with ease from character to character and even provided the occasional meow for the kitten.

Overall, I felt that this was a promising start and will be looking forward to news of further Cassie Gwynne mysteries.

Cassie travels from her home in New York to meet her Aunt Flora in the town of Fernandina, Florida.
Aunt Flora is truly modern woman of 1883 - never married, no children, owns her own business - a perfumery recently ruined a fire. Though she has many friends, and pets - Aunt Flora also has a few enemies , such as Peanut Runkles, her next door neighbor.
On an evening walk, Cassie finds his body; Aunt Flora is charged with his murder and Flora is determined to prove her innocence.
In the course of the investigation, Cassie learns about her father, recently deceased, as well as many family secrets.
This is a slow build cozy mystery - twists were good as well as family secrets. But the story lagged - could be cut down to allow for a quicker and more interesting read. If I had not done the audio version, I may not have finished.

A classic mystery, but a lot of characters. It seemed to take a while for this book to get going after a lot of character introductions. Since this is the first book in the Cassie mystery series, hopefully future books get to the actual mystery a bit quicker.

I liked that this book covered the murder mystery, a fire, and learning about family all in one book. Once the pace picked up after halfway in I became more hooked into the mystery.

I listened to the audiobook version which had a pretty engaging narrator and helped in keeping characters straight. I wonder what the next book will be like since a lot was covered in this one.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this audiobook for my honest review.

3.+ Stars
When I read the description of the Historical Cozy Mystery
~ Meet Cassie Gwynne: bookworm, cat lover ~
I didn’t read any future as it sounded like a story I would like.

Story begins with Cassie looking for a fresh start and steps off the steamship on a Florida harbor in 1883, hoping to meet Aunt Flora whom she recently became aware. She finds Aunt Flora in jail for causing a disturbance. That is no sooner sorted out when Peanut Runkles is found dead.
(No Peanut is not a cat but Aunt Flora’s grumpy ‘grapefruit throwing’ neighbor.) Yep Aunt Flora is the prime suspect..
Fun light read 😃

I like Cassie and yes I like the kitty ‘Esy’ as well.🥰
Story is narrated by Lauryn Allman who does a great job in performing all the characters!

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio ~ for this audio eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 14, 2022

A girl named Cassie, has lost the the only alive parent in her life - her father. Driven by grief and sadness Cassie decides to have a fresh start in her life and decides to visit her Aunt at Fernandina.

However, once she reaches the harbor, things don't necessarily go as planned. To start with there is a robbery, followed by a murder mystery, and a list of suspects that may include aunt Flora.

As if things couldn't get any worse, Cassie stumbles upon her childhood crush in the very town and this seems a terrible timing for a not so terrible fireworks 😉.

Now Cassie is left to find the right murder and save her Aunt for being prosecuted for wrong charges and in the process discover the fishy businesses going on this island 🏝

My perspective:
The book takes you as close to the reality as you can bare (or atleast so for a fantasy lover)! For me the sideline story of fire in the perfume shop that was owned by Aunt Flora and her missing diary was somehow more convincing than the actual plot of Peanut’s murder mystery. The main plot seemed often too staged and just dragged across the story.
Final issue: I could guess the culprit 36% into the book.

Overal: 🕸🕸🕸/5 mystery webs for this book

Format: audiobook
Author: Genevieve Essig ~ Title: A Deception Most Deadly ~ Narrator: Lauryn Allman
Content: 3.5 stars ~ Narration: 5 stars

This is not my usual choice of a book because I rarely read cozy mysteries. I chose this title because I was curious and because it’s available in audiobook form. This is a cozy mystery put in the 19th century, but I would categorize it also as women’s fiction.

I loved aunt Flora, her love for animals and perfumes. She is a strong and independent woman, which was not usual for that time.

Pacing is slower than expected, especially in the beginning. In exchange, there are picturesque descriptions of the surroundings and characters, and we can easily be transported in time and place of the novel.

There were a few details I wasn’t sure about, but otherwise, this was quite an enjoyable read. But I think this could work for me only in audiobook form. I would say that those who like medium-paced historical cozy mysteries could like this.

The narrator is excellent. Her voice is pleasant, and she impersonates all the characters very well.

Thanks to Bookouture Audio for the ALC! All opinions are my own.

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…
The narration has good pace and flow,and the narrators voices seemed right for the characters they were portraying.

This was a pretty standard historical cosy mystery. I struggled to get into the story line, but I think that may just be me and that my taste in genres may have evolved.

I appreciated the characters and liked Cassie and her quirky ways and Flora was a sweet animal loving character too. There wasn't much mystery for me as I had the suspect pinned pretty early on and there were some historical inaccuracies which I find to be irritating.

I liked the narrator and I think she did a great job with all the different characters and I was able to differentiate between them all throughout.

I don't think I will pick up the rest of the series, but this is down to me and not the author or story itself.

In a Nutshell: Didn’t work much for me, though it has its moments.

Story:
1883, Florida. Cassie Gwynne has just got off the steamship at Fernandina harbour, hoping to meet an aunt she had never known about and whose identity she discovered only after her father’s death. She has also undergone a makeover that befits her status as a wealthy lady. Cassie gets off to a rocky start in this new place when she discovers that her Aunt Flora is in jail for causing social disturbance. When this problem is sorted out, another one comes up. Flora’s grouchy neighbour Peanut Runkles is found dead near the foot of the harbour pilot’s tower. And as Flora and he have had plenty of tussles over the years, Flora becomes the main suspect in this crime. Will Cassie lose her aunt even before she has come to know her well?

Where the book worked for me:
✔ It’s quite funny in places. (The very fact that my first positive feedback about a cosy mystery is that it’s funny, should tell you a lot about the mystery in the book.)
✔ Cassie is an entertaining historical pseudo-detective. It was a different experience to see her trying to solve the mystery while struggling with her fashionable new gowns.
✔ The location of the story, Fernandina Beach in Nassau County, Florida, is put to excellent use in the story.

Where the book could have worked better for me:
❌ There are multiple officials and investigators checking out Peanut Runkles’ death. But guess who correctly interprets each and every clue? Finds objects at various locations that no one else detects? Uncovers the big mystery without help from any single person? Goes into strange and/or dangerous places all alone and comes out unscathed? You guessed it. The amateur Cassie who isn’t even interested in being a detective but just wants to help her aunt escape the death noose. It felt so unrealistic that only one person could detect every single thing and all the others were just bumbling and stumbling around.
❌ A couple of things felt anachronistic, though I'm not too sure about these. For instance, Cassie pays $5 to a young boy to run an errand for her. That’s ridiculously high for 1883. Another thing is that she’s constantly chewing gum, at least in the first half. The book mentions that she has overhauled her entire wardrobe and manners to appear more ladylike, so I didn’t get how chewing gum matched this personality change. Also, was chewing gum so popular in 1883 that a lady would keep popping it in her mouth again and again and no one would comment on that habit?
❌ There are allusions to outfits again and again and yet again. This might have been a deliberate choice to enhance the comic factor of the book but I just got bored by the repeated references to gowns and shirt coats and hats and what-not.
❌ Unfortunately for me, I had a clear suspect in mind very early in the book, somewhere within the first quarter itself. So the rest of the book was just a wait-and-watch situation to see if the big reveal matched my guess. It did. Sigh!
❌ Everyone knows that in a thriller, the person to whom most fingers are pointed at is never the culprit. In this book, there is ONLY one person in whose direction the clues seem to sway. So it is but obvious that that person would not be the actual guilty party. Once this big reveal comes about, the book starts introducing twists, some of which were just for the sake of it and were too farfetched to be believable. This further chipped away from my experience.



The audiobook experience
The audiobook clocks at 11 hours and is narrated by the excellent Lauryn Allman. She deserves full credit for helping me complete this book. Her voice suits Cassie’s character perfectly, but she does justice to the other characters too. And when I say other characters, I mean, every single character (and even some objects!) Ever heard a narrator who can chime like an actual bell and mew like a cat? (I actually thought there was a cat in my room when I heard her mewing!) I’m in love with her voice and capabilities. One full star from my rating is for her performance. (I would have given her 5 stars if there were a separate rating field for narrators.) I would love to pick up more books read by her.
There are too many characters at the start, so I had to hear the initial couple of chapters twice to get a rough hang of who was who. But soon things started falling into place. If you get confused with too many names, better skip the audio version and try reading this.

Overall, this was not really ‘A Deception Most Deadly’, more like ‘A Quandary Quite Quirky’. Recommended only if you want a humorous historical cosy mystery and if you read without using the logical side of your brains too much.

3 stars from me. (Remember, 1 star is for narrator Lauryn Allman.)

My thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “A Deception Most Deadly”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.