British & Irish
![Julia Seales - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B0BNPBN4MS.jpg)
A Most Agreeable Murder: A Novel
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.
"If you grew up reading Jane Austen and Agatha Christie (or are a fan of Bridgerton and Knives Out), you will adore A Most Agreeable Murder."-Kate Stayman-London, bestselling author of One to Watch
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 with her marriage-scheming mother, prankster father, and two younger sisters- beautiful Louisa and forgettable Mary. But she harbors a dark secret: She is obsessed with the true crime cases she reads about in the newspaper. 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. Because eligible bachelor Edmund Croaksworth is set to attend the approaching autumnal ball, and the Steele family hopes that Louisa will steal his heart. If not, Martin Grub, their disgusting cousin, will inherit the family's estate, and they will be ruined or, even worse, forced to move to France. So Beatrice must be on her best behavior . . . which is made difficult 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 they 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.
"If you grew up reading Jane Austen and Agatha Christie (or are a fan of Bridgerton and Knives Out), you will adore A Most Agreeable Murder."-Kate Stayman-London, bestselling author of One to Watch
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 with her marriage-scheming mother, prankster father, and two younger sisters- beautiful Louisa and forgettable Mary. But she harbors a dark secret: She is obsessed with the true crime cases she reads about in the newspaper. 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. Because eligible bachelor Edmund Croaksworth is set to attend the approaching autumnal ball, and the Steele family hopes that Louisa will steal his heart. If not, Martin Grub, their disgusting cousin, will inherit the family's estate, and they will be ruined or, even worse, forced to move to France. So Beatrice must be on her best behavior . . . which is made difficult 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 they 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.
Editorial Reviews
"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. Be prepared to laugh out loud at the comedy, gasp at the murder mystery, and have a thoroughly great time!"-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 . . . a fast-paced mix of marriage plot and manor-house murder mystery with something for everyone: a scintillating romance, an intricate puzzle to solve, and layers of snarky, pointed wit that would make Austen proud. 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
"In Seales' tongue-in-cheek Regency murder mystery, [the]character types are endearingly familiar to anyone who has ever read a Jane Austen novel, and the dialogue crackles with wit, outrage, subtext, and pluck. The result is a deliciously dark delve into a world that seems genteel on the surface and teems with sex and violence and greed just underneath-not so unlike Austen's but with a morbid, rather than domestic, bent. Irreverent, satirical, and oh so much fun!"-Kirkus Reviews
"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 . . . a fast-paced mix of marriage plot and manor-house murder mystery with something for everyone: a scintillating romance, an intricate puzzle to solve, and layers of snarky, pointed wit that would make Austen proud. 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
"In Seales' tongue-in-cheek Regency murder mystery, [the]character types are endearingly familiar to anyone who has ever read a Jane Austen novel, and the dialogue crackles with wit, outrage, subtext, and pluck. The result is a deliciously dark delve into a world that seems genteel on the surface and teems with sex and violence and greed just underneath-not so unlike Austen's but with a morbid, rather than domestic, bent. Irreverent, satirical, and oh so much fun!"-Kirkus Reviews
Short Excerpt Teaser
Introductions
In the English countryside there was a small township called Swampshire, comprised of several lovely mansions and one disgusting swamp. This was the home-one of the mansions, not the swamp-of Beatrice Steele. The swamp was inhabited by an overpopulation of luminescent frogs. The visual effect at night was arresting, though the incessant croaking deterred some who might have otherwise chosen to inhabit the charming village.
Beatrice Steele was plump, with a cheerful gap in her front teeth and a white streak in her black curls, gained during a particularly competitive round of whist. She had a passionate disposition and a lively wit, which endeared her to friends and family-most of the time. For Beatrice was curious by nature, and therefore noticed too much, felt too much, and wondered too much about life outside her village. Others considered this behavior an unnecessary to-do, as Beatrice would surely settle down with one of the young men of Swampshire in a mansion that hadn't been overtaken by frogs, start a family, and live happily from then on.
This was the expected path of a lady, for there were strict rules of decorum in Swampshire. Years ago, the town's founding father, Baron Fitzwilliam Ashbrook, had fled the raucous city of London for the countryside in search of a place he could shape on principles of perfect etiquette. In a matter of mere months, he penned a pamphlet professing these principles: The Guide to Swampshire. Believing that women were particularly prone to temptation, he wrote the accompanying books The Lady's Guide to Swampshire, Volumes I and II. He also wrote The Lady's Guide to Swampshire (Travel Edition), lest a woman find herself in an indecorous situation while on the go. These books became the foundation of the Swampshire social scene.
Failure to adhere to these rules could tarnish a woman's reputation beyond repair. According to The Lady's Guide, a disgraced woman was forbidden to call upon friends, entertain suitors, or even remain close to her family, lest she corrupt them by association. No self-respecting lady would speak to her, and no gentleman of honor would make her an offer of marriage. She could not even patronize local dress shops or ribbon stores.
Friendless, single, and dressed in last season's garb, a fallen woman would therefore be forced to leave the village. Only a morally corrupt city would accept her, and once she made it to Paris, she would surely be robbed by a mime and left for dead. But she might not even get that far. Bedtime stories in Swampshire told of women who, while attempting to flee, were swallowed up by one of the region's infamous "squelch holes," never to be seen again. Therefore, women were reassured that commitment to etiquette was for their own good. Rule-breakers could not be permitted to corrupt this safe, orderly, idyllic world.
But despite growing up with these values, despite these rules having been ingrained in her mind since childhood, Beatrice Steele harbored a dark secret: She was obsessed with murder. Not the act of committing it, but the act of solving it. She loved nothing more than to consider the intricacies of a suspect's motivations, determine the killer, and then watch this killer be brought to justice.
Her particular fascination with crime began with a plan to peruse her father's imported London paper. She intended to read the social column, "Who Is More Respectable Than Who," but could not get past the grammatically incorrect title and instead turned her attention to a different article: "Gentleman Detective Sir Huxley (and Assistant) Takes the Case." It did not befit a young lady to look at such things, but before she could stop herself, she had devoured it.
The article detailed the circumstances of the grisly murder of a man named Viscount Dudley DeBurbie. It told of his young beloved Verity Swan; his immense collection of jewels, which had gone missing; his suspicious butler; and the dashing detective who accepted the case-Sir Huxley. Huxley's motto was Super omnia decorum: "Decorum above all." He believed that solving cases would reinstate the social order, which was the most respectable thing one could do. Nothing was more important than propriety.
Beatrice was transfixed. She had never considered that a genteel person might solve crimes as a hobby. She herself found no satisfaction in the approved hobbies for young women outlined in The Lady's Guide to Swampshire. She was terrible at needlework, had no musical ability, and was banned from drawing because...
In the English countryside there was a small township called Swampshire, comprised of several lovely mansions and one disgusting swamp. This was the home-one of the mansions, not the swamp-of Beatrice Steele. The swamp was inhabited by an overpopulation of luminescent frogs. The visual effect at night was arresting, though the incessant croaking deterred some who might have otherwise chosen to inhabit the charming village.
Beatrice Steele was plump, with a cheerful gap in her front teeth and a white streak in her black curls, gained during a particularly competitive round of whist. She had a passionate disposition and a lively wit, which endeared her to friends and family-most of the time. For Beatrice was curious by nature, and therefore noticed too much, felt too much, and wondered too much about life outside her village. Others considered this behavior an unnecessary to-do, as Beatrice would surely settle down with one of the young men of Swampshire in a mansion that hadn't been overtaken by frogs, start a family, and live happily from then on.
This was the expected path of a lady, for there were strict rules of decorum in Swampshire. Years ago, the town's founding father, Baron Fitzwilliam Ashbrook, had fled the raucous city of London for the countryside in search of a place he could shape on principles of perfect etiquette. In a matter of mere months, he penned a pamphlet professing these principles: The Guide to Swampshire. Believing that women were particularly prone to temptation, he wrote the accompanying books The Lady's Guide to Swampshire, Volumes I and II. He also wrote The Lady's Guide to Swampshire (Travel Edition), lest a woman find herself in an indecorous situation while on the go. These books became the foundation of the Swampshire social scene.
Failure to adhere to these rules could tarnish a woman's reputation beyond repair. According to The Lady's Guide, a disgraced woman was forbidden to call upon friends, entertain suitors, or even remain close to her family, lest she corrupt them by association. No self-respecting lady would speak to her, and no gentleman of honor would make her an offer of marriage. She could not even patronize local dress shops or ribbon stores.
Friendless, single, and dressed in last season's garb, a fallen woman would therefore be forced to leave the village. Only a morally corrupt city would accept her, and once she made it to Paris, she would surely be robbed by a mime and left for dead. But she might not even get that far. Bedtime stories in Swampshire told of women who, while attempting to flee, were swallowed up by one of the region's infamous "squelch holes," never to be seen again. Therefore, women were reassured that commitment to etiquette was for their own good. Rule-breakers could not be permitted to corrupt this safe, orderly, idyllic world.
But despite growing up with these values, despite these rules having been ingrained in her mind since childhood, Beatrice Steele harbored a dark secret: She was obsessed with murder. Not the act of committing it, but the act of solving it. She loved nothing more than to consider the intricacies of a suspect's motivations, determine the killer, and then watch this killer be brought to justice.
Her particular fascination with crime began with a plan to peruse her father's imported London paper. She intended to read the social column, "Who Is More Respectable Than Who," but could not get past the grammatically incorrect title and instead turned her attention to a different article: "Gentleman Detective Sir Huxley (and Assistant) Takes the Case." It did not befit a young lady to look at such things, but before she could stop herself, she had devoured it.
The article detailed the circumstances of the grisly murder of a man named Viscount Dudley DeBurbie. It told of his young beloved Verity Swan; his immense collection of jewels, which had gone missing; his suspicious butler; and the dashing detective who accepted the case-Sir Huxley. Huxley's motto was Super omnia decorum: "Decorum above all." He believed that solving cases would reinstate the social order, which was the most respectable thing one could do. Nothing was more important than propriety.
Beatrice was transfixed. She had never considered that a genteel person might solve crimes as a hobby. She herself found no satisfaction in the approved hobbies for young women outlined in The Lady's Guide to Swampshire. She was terrible at needlework, had no musical ability, and was banned from drawing because...
