A Most Agreeable Murder, Julia Seales
A Most Agreeable Murder, Julia Seales
List: $20.00 | Sale: $14.00
Club: $10.00

A Most Agreeable Murder

Author: Julia Seales

Narrator: Fiona Hampton

Unabridged: 9 hr 7 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/27/2023


Synopsis

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.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Rosh ~catching up slowly~ on May 11, 2025

In a Nutshell: A mostly agreeable parody of Regency-era dramatic mysteries, combining elements from historical fiction, Regency romance, cozy mystery, satire, and humour. A good debut work, but it tries too hard and hence stumbles a bit. Nevertheless, a fun experience. To be read with all logic kept......more

Goodreads review by carolintallahassee on January 28, 2023

#Random House You asked for my honest opinion, and I am sorry, I found this to be insulting to Jane Austen, who is witty, and can make you laugh out loud at her very astute observations of human nature, but she is never cruel and this author is cruel. I find poor Mr. Steele a buffoon, crass, and not......more

Goodreads review by EveStar91 on February 18, 2025

A Most Agreeable Murder is a light-hearted and fun read following Beatrice Steele as she struggles to hide her fascination with solving murders in a Regency Era society with many rules about propriety. Julia Seales is clearly inspired by Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer and Agatha Christie in the creati......more

Goodreads review by Dianne on April 27, 2025

I cannot believe that I am only at the 10% mark in this book and have already laughed several times, hard enough to nearly wet myself. This book reminds me very much of one of my beloved historical romances but with a little more whimsy! This was a read that was well worth my time. There are a lo......more

Goodreads review by Jess on June 03, 2023

Provided by netgalley for a free and honest review. Um...I have mixed feelings about this one. Before starting it I thought I would fall in love with it. After starting it I thought I was going to hate it. Upon finishing it, I liked it well enough? I'll get to the good things first: Beatrice was a gre......more


Quotes

“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)