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Sign up todayA Most Agreeable Murder
A Novel
Narrator
Fiona Hampton
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Length
9 hours 6 minutes
Language
English
Bookseller recommendation
“A light romp of a murder mystery that both honors and pokes fun at Jane Austen's worlds of manners above all. Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries. ”
— Samantha • A Great Good Place for Books
Bookseller recommendation
“I love Jane Austen and I thought this book was genius! The characters were intelligent, funny, and witty. The book follows the perspective of Beatrice Steele, who is fascinated with true crime cases reported in the newspaper. Specifically the ones that get solved by a well known detective whom she is a huge admirer of. She attends a ball where a wealthy bachelor drops dead, and she is thrown in the middle of a murder investigation. At this point the book turns into a classic whodunit murder mystery. It kept me guessing. I was so far off on who done it. It was an awesome twist!! I truly had so much fun trying to figure this out. ”
— Sandra • Underground Books
Bookseller recommendation
“Sometimes a book comes along that makes me wish that there was a huge spotlight with Jane Austen’s profile in it so I could shine it, Batman-style, onto the clouds to signal her fans that there is Something Worth Reading out there. This book is delightful, starting out as a slightly satirical comedy of manners (and murder) and descending into straight up farce.”
— Alex • Harvard Book Store
Bookseller recommendation
“What happens when you mix Jane Austen, Agatha Christie and maybe some supernatural creatures lurking about? You get this novel. The village of Swampshire is obsessed with decorum, but young lady Beatrice Steele loves murder...reading about and solving it, not committing it. But, Beatrice's commitment to her family must come first. So, she vows to give up her obsession to find an eligible bachelor in order to save her family's estate. When wealthy bachelor Edmund Croaksworth falls dead at a ball, Beatrice must solve the case with a disgraced detective and an off-the-rails cast of characters. This will be one of the funniest cozy mysteries you read all year! ”
— Roxy • Dog-Eared Books
Bookseller recommendation
“This is a fun 'regency' fantasy mystery. Beatrice Steele, a lady of little fortune, would rather become a detective than get married. It’s her great secret as her family, and the village of Swampshire, would be scandalized. But her opportunity comes when a guest winds up dead at a neighbor’s ball. Very silly, loosely regency (but in a fun way), and a well-planned mystery. ”
— Karrie • Vroman's Bookstore
Summary
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.
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Reviews
“Despite its title, [A Most Agreeable Murder] is as much a parody of Regency conventions as it is a jaunty sendup of the locked-room mystery. It’s with a loving hand and a gimlet eye that she guides us through one fateful evening among the ever-so-proper elite of the aptly named township of Swampshire.”—The New York Times Book Review“Without exaggerating, it’s one of the funniest cozy mysteries I’ve ever read.”—Book Riot
“Wish Bridgerton had a bit more Agatha Christie flair? That’s what Julia Seales offers up with her debut.”—Entertainment Weekly
“A Most Agreeable Murder begins as social satire and ascends into deadly knockabout farce. . . . There are dotty eccentrics, secret passageways, false identities, a rumored ghost, three acts’ worth of delicious banter—and an irrepressible heroine born from the ashes of her own trial by fire.”—The Wall Street Journal
“An utterly delightful murder mystery . . . A Most Agreeable Murder reads as if a giggly Jane Austen dipped her pen in blood. (Not too much blood, mind you; it’s all quite decorous) . . . I loved every page of this very silly romp.”—The Seattle Times
“A delightfully entertaining debut that kept me engrossed from the beginning right through to the satisfying end . . . Witty and clever, it’s like something Agatha Christie and Jane Austen might have created were they able to collaborate, only with its own wonderfully unique spark.”—India Holton, author of The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels
“I adored this: a comedy of manners meets murder mystery, just as thrilling as it is gorgeous.”—Sophie Irwin, author of A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting
“The book is an entertaining and witty tale that combines elements of Jane Austen’s world with the intrigue of an Agatha Christie mystery. . . . Readers can expect a delightful blend of comedy, suspense, and the pursuit of justice. . . . [Seales] leads readers on a thrilling adventure filled with twists and turns that will keep them guessing until the very end.”—Blogarama
“Absurdly entertaining, with twist upon twist upon twist, A Most Agreeable Murder is a most agreeable read! Jane Austen fans will appreciate the insightful observations as well as the wry humor that pokes fun at certain well-known characters and tropes.”—Mia P. Manansala, author of Arsenic and Adobo
“An utter delight . . . I snorted and swooned my way through this book in record speed—it’s some of the most fun I’ve had reading all year. Cozy mystery fans, this is a must.”—Ashley Winstead, author of The Last Housewife
“Irreverent, satirical, and oh so much fun!”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“[An] exceptional debut . . . Jane Austen fans will be enthralled.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) Expand reviews
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