Book Review: Plausible Deception by Dwain Lee

Plausible Deception by Dwain Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Intriguing disappearance of a famous Stradivarius violin during a violin-makers competition.

Plausible Deception by Dwain Lee is a new cozy mystery about the disappearance of a famous Stradivarius violin during a conference and competition for violinmakers. Its engaging main characters, paired with its intriguing plot, made this book a winner that was hard to put down.

Presbyterian minister the Reverend Dan Randolph and his husband Greg Zhu are in Anaheim, California, for the Violin Society of America’s annual makers competition. Greg is a skilled designer and talented craftsman with a growing reputation for creating beautiful violins, many of which are in the hands of renowned musicians around the world. When Greg is identified as the last known person to have been in the room alone with the missing violin, the police detective begins to focus his attention solely in his direction. It is up to Dan and Greg to figure out the truth and clear his name.

The story unfolds from the viewpoint of both Dan and Greg, who not only make a delightful couple but also a great team, as they try to find the real thief. Prior to the crime, the author takes the time to build their life together so the reader can see the dynamics of their relationship and the care they’ve taken to ensure two individuals with disparate interests are successfully pursuing intense, hands-on, and, surprisingly, solitary careers. I had never realized the unique isolation that comes with being the pastor of a church and the loneliness that can result. While the story includes interesting tidbits of violin history and details of their design and construction, it also reveals that the artistry and precision required to craft a quality instrument make this a solitary profession, too. I could feel Greg’s panic when he realized his latest creation and competition entry had gotten away from him. Both occupations are not without their drama and readers get a taste of what that looks like in both professions.

The story comes with a full-on teaser regarding how different mystery authors handle potential suspects in their books, and, consequently, this psychologically doubled the number of those possible in this one. I was immediately on the alert, trying to decide which direction Lee went. Were the unpleasant secondary characters just unpleasant red herrings, or were they telegraphing his intent that they were the bad guy? It was interesting that this earlier suggestion had me trying to second guess the motive of the author in addition to what I do with every mystery, which is to try to discern the motives for the available characters and potential suspects. In the end, the resolution was satisfying, and I was entertained by it all.

I recommend PLAUSIBLE DECEPTION to cozy mystery readers, especially those interested in violins and violin-making and strong, realistic LGBTQ representation.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

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