A Most Agreeable Murder
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3.0 • 1 Rating
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
'If you grew up reading Jane Austen and Agatha Christie (or are a fan of the more recent Bridgerton and Knives Out), you will adore A Most Agreeable Murder" Kate Stayman-London, bestselling author of One to Watch
'A delightfully entertaining debut! Be prepared to laugh out loud at the comedy, gasp at the murder mystery, and altogether have a thoroughly great time!' India Holton, author of The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels
Beatrice Steele has none of the accomplishments of a true lady: she is terrible at needlework, has no musical ability, and her artwork is so bad it frightens people. Little does anyone know that Beatrice also harbours a dark secret: an obsession with the true crime cases she reads about in the newspaper.
For her family's sake, she's vowed to put this most unladylike obsession behind her. Eligible bachelor Edmund Croaksworth is set to attend the autumnal ball, and the Steele family hopes that her eldest sister Louisa will steal his heart. Their future depends on this match! Beatrice needs be on her best behaviour... though that's made more difficult when a disgraced yet strangely alluring detective inexplicably shows up to the ball.
Just as Beatrice thinks she's gotten away with it, Croaksworth drops dead in the middle of a minuet. As a storm rages outside, the evening descends into a frenzy as it becomes clear they are trapped with a killer. But maybe, just maybe, it's Beatrice's time to shine...
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.
