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Title details for A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales - Available

A Most Agreeable Murder

A Novel

by Julia Seales
Fiona Hampton
Audiobook
6 of 8 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
6 of 8 copies available
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.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    June 27, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593742891
      • File size: 262856 KB
      • Duration: 09:07:36

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from March 13, 2023
      Screenwriter Seales’s exceptional debut focuses on the Steele family of Swampshire, England, where women strictly adhere to a multiple-volume guide that offers rules including “Ladies must not be annoying or persistent.” It’s the early 19th century, and the Steeles have three daughters, the eldest of whom, 25-year-old Beatrice, harbors a frightful secret: she loves to solve crimes. None of the daughters can inherit the family’s estate—it can only go to a man—and Mr. Steele’s penchant for practical jokes has led his vile cousin, Martin Grub, to declare him insane, paving the way for Grub to take over the property. The family’s only hope rests on one of the daughters receiving a marriage proposal from a wealthy bachelor they meet at the annual Stabmort Park ball. After one of those bachelors dies during the festivities, Beatrice teams up with private detective Vivek Drake to solve the crime. The intricate plot races along at a sprightly pace, and Seales delights with her sharp humor and accomplished sense of narrative control. Jane Austen fans will be enthralled. Agent: Rachel Kim, 3 Arts Entertainment.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator Fiona Hampton shines in this witty Regency mystery. A much-sought-after bachelor suddenly keels over dead at an elegant ball. Beatrice Steele becomes intrigued. Beatrice, who has secretly followed the tabloid exploits of a famous detective, even sending him clues to solve his cases, begins a sub-rosa investigation of her own. Hampton uses her extensive range of voices to create the period and characters. Her portrayals of determined mothers hoping to arrange wealthy matches for their unmarried daughters are particularly amusing. She gives detective Drake a dispassionate manner, but when he teams up with Beatrice, sparks fly. Echoes of Jane Austen and Agatha Christie resound in Julia Seales's tightly woven plot, while Hampton's delightful performance makes this A MOST AGREEABLE MURDER, indeed. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      November 1, 2023

      Seales's sparkling debut follows Beatrice Steele, who lives in the little-known township of Swampshire, England. According to Regency-era dictates, the family estate can only be passed on to a man. With Beatrice's repulsive cousin poised to take possession, Beatrice's mother insists that one of the daughters must marry well to secure the family's future. The prospects look dim, however, as beautiful Louisa is secretly engaged, and whip-smart Beatrice is more interested in crime-solving than marriage. When the area's most eligible bachelor is poisoned during a local ball, his traveling companion, a detective, immediately pairs up with Beatrice to investigate the crime. Narrator Fiona Hampton deftly captures the chemistry between the two as they butt heads about theories, suspects, and motives. After accusing nearly everyone at the ball (including each other), they finally agree on the culprit, but it may be too late. Hampton presents Seales's hilarious parody of a country-house murder mystery with energy and wit. Her character portrayals, which feature varied voices, accents, and personalities, are a delight. VERDICT Recommend to listeners who enjoy humor that skewers social norms. Fans of Anastasia Hastings's Of Manners and Murder will be enchanted.--Joanna M. Burkhardt

      Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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