annieb123's Review of A Most Agreeable Murder

by 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 YEAR

Feisty, 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.

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

A Most Agreeable Murder is a cozy historical mystery by Julia Seales. Released 27th June 2023 by Penguin Random House, it's 352 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out in 4th quarter 2023 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a chaotic mish-mash of genres, styles, pacing, and periods, with anachronisms and paranormal aspects tossed in throughout. The book's been compared to a cross between Knives Out and Agatha Christie, and that's an apt analogy.

It's quite exuberantly written and is completely campy and tongue-in-cheek throughout. Readers looking for a serious and contemplative classic mystery should steer clear. There are some quite random paranormal details (one of the sisters is apparently a lycanthrope) which don't add a lot to the narrative and can safely be ignored or skimmed over.

Three and a half stars. Silly. Very silly. Sort of Monty Python silly. For all that, it's an engaging romp and impressively well written for a debut author. Given the auspices and resources of the publishing house, it's somewhat surprising that the author wasn't reigned in a bit, and subjected to a more scrutinous editorial process.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Reading updates

1 July, 2023: Started reading

1 July, 2023: Finished reading

1 July, 2023: Reviewed