A Most Agreeable Murder

Books | Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy / General

4.1

Julia Seales

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “A delightful cocktail that mixes elements of the Bridgerton series, Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice and Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple mysteries . . . The payoff is a wealth of wit, hilarity and suspense.”—People (Book of the Week)When a wealthy bachelor drops dead at a ball, a young lady takes on the decidedly improper role of detective in this action-packed debut comedy of manners and murder.A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOK OF THE YEARFeisty, passionate Beatrice Steele has never fit the definition of a true lady, according to the strict code of conduct that reigns in Swampshire, her small English township: She is terrible at needlework, has absolutely no musical ability, and her artwork is so bad it frightens people. Nevertheless, she lives a perfectly agreeable life. But she harbors a dark secret: She is obsessed with true crime. If anyone in her etiquette-obsessed community found out, she’d be deemed a morbid creep and banished from respectable society forever.For her family’s sake, she’s vowed to put her obsession behind her. Eligible bachelor Edmund Croaksworth is set to attend the approaching autumnal ball, and the Steele family hopes that younger daughter Louisa will steal his heart. So Beatrice must be on her best behavior—a difficult challenge when a disgraced yet alluring detective inexplicably shows up to the ball.Beatrice is just holding things together when Croaksworth drops dead in the middle of a minuet. As a storm rages outside, the evening descends into a frenzy of panic, fear, and betrayal as it becomes clear that the guests are trapped with a killer. Contending with competitive card games, tricky tonics, and Swampshire’s infamous squelch holes, Beatrice must rise above decorum and decency to pursue justice and her own desires—before anyone else is murdered.

Buy now:

More Details:

Author

Julia Seales

Pages

352

Publisher

Random House Publishing Group

Published Date

2023-06-27

ISBN

0593449983 9780593449981

Community ReviewsSee all

"A very quick easy read and rather enjoyable blend of genres. I just wish the sister Mary's plot had been flushed out a little better and there had been a bit more romance for my personal taste. "

kelsey

"My second book club book, I had to really push myself to get into it. There was lengthy set-up to the actual crime, about 100 pages of it. However, once there was a crime, the book moved at a much quicker pace. I had a hard time being surprised at different reveals because everyone needed a motive, but it did bring the game “Clue” alive. I thought certain characters were a bit out of place or over the top. I didn’t quite find the humor funny, but rather awkward and forced. It was an entertaining read and I’m sure we will have plenty of discussion at book club. I would not have chosen it for myself, but I’m glad it was out of my comfort zone. 3/5 "

Olivia Denning

"Actual rating: 4.75. This book is wonderful. Full of shocking twists and turns. I highly recommend this book for its pure smile it put on my face. It would have be a 5 star if the beginning didn’t go on for so long. Once the murder happened I could not put this book down! "

A P

Adelaide Ponte Usdin

"So good, could not put it down. It has humor and suspense with a good amount of twists and turns during the climax."

Simplethings

"A great light read! It funny, keeps the mystery topic through the book and wraps up nicely."

Lou03

"This is a great book for someone who needs a breath of fresh air! It is an easy read with an excellent plot! While it is a murder mystery, there are many other aspects touched upon: etiquette, love, social status, etc. It was impressive to see how a smaller book could detail so much with few words. I could not figure out who the murderer was, so that is a good murder mystery for me. There are so many twists and turns that it feels like you are running through a singular house just trying to find an exit. Amazing writing! Could not recommend it enough!"

H G

Hailey Grillo

"So good, quirky, cute, and clever"

T B

Taylor Bray

"It had its moments but I found it predictable and shallow. The author seemed to have gotten all of her knowledge of the era from the 2022 Netflix version of Persuasion. There were many times when it seemed more like modern times where everyone was at an 1800s costume party.<br/>I also went into this thinking it would be a fairly realistic period murder mystery in the same vein as an Agatha Christie novel. Instead, the characters were all pretty absurd and unrealistic and the stereotypes were rampant. Maybe that was my fault and this is meant to be a satire but if it is, it didn't quite go all the way. <br/>There were many allusions to 1800s authors such as Austen or Bronte and at first they were fun and nostalgic but they pretty soon got old and tired. <br/>I wouldn't recommend."