A Plot Most Perilous

This was a thoroughly delightful read! Cassie is staying in Florida with her aunt Flora, at least for now. She is persuaded to join the chorus of a traveling theater troupe that promotes itself as donating all their profits to needy children. But when the star of the production meets an untimely end upon the stage, Cassie can't help but do some digging. Is the troupe as altruistic as Mr. Gage made them out to be? Who, really, is Prince Richard Montgomery, and why doesn't Flora seem to like him? So many questions!

A Plot Most Perilous is a quick read, set in the 1880s in Florida. (I love that it's set in Fernandina, as I have a friend that lives there.) It's clean, with hints of possible extramarital shenanigans but no overt adult content, and no strong language. It was just fun to read.

Cassie is smart and generous and kind. She and Hughes are adorable, as they both seem to be trying to figure out what the other feels about them. I hope to see their relationship develop in future books. And I absolutely love Flora and Jake! Once they move to a more official “relationship” status, they both struggle with communication and expectations of how they “should” act instead of how they're accustomed to interacting with each other. Flora has to sort out how to maintain both her relationship and the independence she's developed and nurtured for so long. Very believably written, as all of the characters seem to be.

And the end of this book, y'all. It made me smile, and made me want to read the next one RIGHT NOW.

If you're looking for a clean, well plotted cozy mystery to take along on vacation or to curl up with on a Saturday afternoon, I highly recommend A Plot Most Perilous.

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book from Bookouture and NetGalley. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.