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A Most Agreeable Murder
A Most Agreeable Murder: A Novel | Julia Seales
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 townshipshe is terrible at needlework, has 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 sistersbeautiful Louisa and forgettable Mary. But she harbors a dark secret: She is obsessed with the true crime cases she reads about in the newspaper, even going so far as to try to solve them herself. If anyone in her etiquette-obsessed community found out, shed be deemed a morbid creep and banished from respectable society forever. For her familys sake, shes 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 familys estate, and they will be ruined, or even worse, forced to move to mime-infested France. So Beatrice must be on her best behaviorwhich 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 desiresbefore anyone else is murdered.
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LittlebearReads
Pickpick

Highly entertaining for an easy, 8-hour airplane ride, read, but honestly without much substance.

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Kylivi
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Pickpick

“In the English countryside there was a small township called Swampshire, comprised of several lovely mansions and one disgusting swamp.” Jane Austen meets Agatha Christie meets Once Upon a Mattress. It‘s a silly, fun romp through not-quite-Regency England. A perfect cozy, palate cleanser, or Austen-inspired quick read. I‘ll definitely be picking up the sequel.

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Sharpeipup
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Happy Friday!

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Susanita
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1. The library‘s adult summer reading showcase. I “only” added six books to my TBR, and by chance I picked one rec from each staff member.
2. More porch reading with morning coffee.
3. My friend in Colorado called me because she heard my wedding song on the radio.
4. Strawberry shortcake!
5. Sometimes there‘s joy in not decluttering. Our bathroom nightlight went kaput, so I pulled my mom‘s old one from the donation box.
#5joysfriday

DebinHawaii What a lovely list of joys! 💛💛💛 🍓 shortcake is one of summer‘s best joys 😋 & it‘s cool you have a book from each librarian! Thanks for sharing & spreading the joy! 🤗 5mo
28 likes1 comment
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Laughterhp
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Pickpick

This one was also a bit silly. There is a guidebook that this little town follows that makes a lady proper. If she doesn‘t follow the guidelines, the girls get shunned. All Beatrice wants is to be a detective and solve murders. Her family gets invited to a ball where a murder happens. She has to be a proper lady but solve the crime as well. A fun, silly read.

LiteraryinPA Totally silly, but I liked it too. 😋 5mo
Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes That book was just fun to read! 5mo
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Jen2
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Pickpick

Ok

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Ravenpuff
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Panpan

Beatrice‘s obsessed w/ crime solving, but she has to keep it a secret b/c it‘s deemed inappropriate for a lady. When wealthy bachelor, Edmund, is murdered at a ball, she takes it upon herself to solve the mystery.

This 1 was really extremely for me up until the last 50 pgs. The comedy was a little cringy. I only liked one character & they weren‘t an MC. The murderer was obvious. The ending was ok, there was kind of a happy ending for everyone.

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kspenmoll
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Pickpick

As many authors have commented, this novel is indeed a cross between Jane Austen & Agatha Christie. I enjoyed all its wit,(at times snarky)twists,simmering romance, locked room mystery trope. The Lady‘s Guide to Swampshire,Vol.I,encapsulates the strangling code of the areas rules for women.
The author states:”This book combines a few of my favorite things:mayhem,manners,and murder…I love ornate, over-the-top, costumes-required them party.”#cozy

Librarybelle This one was so much fun! 9mo
Jess_Read_This This sounds lovely! Adding it to the TBR pile! 9mo
60 likes1 stack add2 comments
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kspenmoll
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Started this library book tonight. Laugh out loud funny.

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Librarybelle
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Pickpick

Hilarious! Murder mystery set in the Regency era, laced with humor and a tiny bit of magical realism…Beatrice Steele has a secret, one that is unladylike and would banish her from her community. Yet, when murder happens at the ball she attends, she can let her secret detective ambitions come to light to help solve the case.

I loved this - it‘s screwball comedy & over the top, but in a good way! Great choice, @LiteraryinLawrence ! #AuldLangSpine

Hooked_on_books Sounds fun! 10mo
Deblovestoread On my shelf. Your great review encourages me to move it up. 😀 10mo
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TheAromaofBooks And the cover is so fun!! 10mo
kspenmoll Great review. Stacked! 10mo
LiteraryinPA I‘m so glad you liked it! It just had me cackling with laughter. 😋 I‘m almost done with Opal and Nev and totally loving it! 10mo
Bluebird Great review! Sounds fun… regency and magical realism! Stacked! 10mo
CaramelLunacy This looks so fun! 10mo
93 likes5 stack adds11 comments
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quietjenn
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This has made for delightful lunch/break reading lately, although I'm constantly reminding myself that it was not published as a) YA or b) a take-off on Pride and Prejudice, as it kinda feels like both of those things.

LiteraryinPA I read this, and you‘re right! It totally felt like both of those things. 11mo
Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes The book was so much fun to read (if that makes sense 🤣). The author is a big Jane Austen fan and it shows in this book. 11mo
LeahBergen This sounds fun! 11mo
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batsy Fun! Adding to the list 🙂 11mo
janeycanuck Have you reached the part with the frogs yet? I still don‘t understand the point of the frogs. 11mo
quietjenn @janeycanuck hm, I'm not sure? The frogs have definitely been mentioned, and they just stopped her dad from playing a prank with them at the ball, but if there is a more dramatic frog scene, I'm not there yet 🙂 11mo
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LiteraryinPA
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Pickpick

I found this really amusing and fun to read. I listened to the first 2/3 as an audio book and the narration was excellent. I really chuckled at all the silliness and nods to Jane Austen. Beatrice was a great character!

Crinoline_Laphroaig That one's on my TBR. Glad to see it's a 👍🏻. 12mo
LiteraryinPA This was my 94th book of the year. I‘m definitely going to hit 100! 12mo
rubyslippersreads 😻😻😻 12mo
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Mimi28 Cute kitty and congratulations on 94 books!! ❤️❤️😻😻 12mo
mabell I forgot I started the audiobook of this a few weeks ago! I listened to a bit on a road trip. I‘ll have to pick it back up! The beginning was definitely quirky, which I can appreciate 😄 12mo
LiteraryinPA @mabell The quirkiness definitely continues. 😋 12mo
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Scochrane26
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Pickpick

I definitely picked this at the Ky Book Fair because of the cover & title. A little bit of Jane Austen, with some Agatha Christie & maybe some Sherlock thrown in. A humorous, closed-door mystery set during a ball. I enjoyed the mystery & characters (except one who may be worse than Mr. Collins). #pemberlittens would love this. Think there will be a sequel.

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wallacereads
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Mehso-so

Beatrice Steele is supposed to be focused on finding a husband, but is much more interested in nurturing her true crime obsession. When a wealthy eligible bachelor drops dead, Beatrice finds herself, much to her delight, thrust into the role of investigator. I wanted to love this but found the over-the-top sarcasm to be distracting. Thanks to NetGalley & Random House for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

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LadyCait84
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Pickpick

Imagine Pride & Prejudice if Lizzie was obsessed with true crime, Mary had lupine tendencies, & Jane/Lydia were morphed into one. (There‘s no Kitty, but what was the point of Kitty anyway?)

Oh & then a “locked room” murder situation unfolds at the ball…

Described as a bit Austen, a bit Christie, & a bit “The Princess Bride,” I‘d say the latter‘s more ridiculous elements overpowered other influences in the end.

‘Twas fun though.

LiteraryinPA Ha, so true about Kitty. 1y
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booksandsympathy
Pickpick

Murder, gothic elements, a parody of Regency-era's decorum, a feisty heroine, and a handsome inspector all came together to create a fun, humorous adventure. I'm definitely looking forward to whatever the author writes in the future.

Dragon Sounds good 👍 stacking 💚🐉 1y
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booksandsympathy
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Started this audiobook this morning on my way to work: 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. It already has me laughing, so that's a good sign.

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janeycanuck
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Mehso-so

I kept hearing about this book and every time I did, I thought “oh, that sounds fun” and would go to put it on hold at the library and discover I already had.

All that to say, this did live up to the hype. It was fine but it was a little much. Too many quirky characters, too many jokes, too many weird things that didn‘t seem to tie in to the story (I still don‘t understand the frogs.)

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Aims42
Pickpick

Themes: Regency Era, Tongue in cheek humor, Murder Mystery

Anything described as, “Jane Austen meets Agatha Christie meets The Princess Bride” and “Clue set in Regency era England” sets my expectations very high, and this delivered! This was a quirky read that had the perfect blend of silliness and mayhem. All of the characters were great, Miss Bolton is my favorite though 😊 I‘d definitely recommend reading with tea and perfectly moist scones.

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AvidReader25
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Pickpick

So silly & fun, this murder mystery is one parts Jane Austen, one part Agatha Christie, and one part Princess Bride. The snarky humor made it for me. It was predictable, but in a good way. A ball is thrown when a wealthy gentleman comes to town. Soon there‘s a murder & everyone‘s secrets come spilling out. I liked all the main characters, especially Inspector Drake, even if the plot was a bit ridiculous. Just enjoy the ride & laugh along the way.

Deblovestoread Sounds fun! Stacked 📚 1y
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Julsmarshall
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Pickpick

I liked this, didn‘t love it. It was a bit hard to get into because is is so silly but when I started thinking of it as a Victorian Clue, that helped me relax into it and just enjoy the ride. A fun debut with a unique voice, I will definitely read more from this author. #arc #netgalleygroup #NGGsummersmashup @AllDebooks #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Aims42 Great review!! I‘m number 19 on my library‘s waitlist for this one 😄 1y
AllDebooks Great review x 1y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1y
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Julsmarshall
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Reading while walking, it is still over 90 degrees at 9pm tonight, just too hot for a walk outside. This is a quirky one, still finding my way.

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Preciouz29
Pickpick

This was quite a fun parody of the regency era and Jane Austin and I highly recommend it. It has all your classic tropes and characters and was very tongue in cheek.

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SilversReviews
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“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.”

FULL SPOTLIGHT: https://tinyurl.com/ysc4th9h

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sebrittainclark
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Pickpick

4.5/5

Beatrice Steele is a young woman living in the very proper town of Swampshire, but good manners begin to fall aside as a local ball is the setting of a terrible murder. Beatrice must work together with Inspector Drake to figure out who among her friends and family is a murderer.

It's a very tongue in cheek take on classic regency characters and tropes. It's a fun read for anyone who enjoys regency novels.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Love this cover 💚 1y
55 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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KristiAhlers
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Pickpick

What do you get when you cross Agatha Christie with Jane Austen and add laughs? This book! Y'all it comes out this month (June) and I can't recommend it enough. Fast, fun light mystery summer read. #ARC

OriginalCyn620 Stacked! 😊 1y
Chrissyreadit of course it‘s stacked… 1y
MonicaLoves2Read I stacked it 🙂 1y
Cuilin JA and AG! Oh for crying out loud. Yes I stacked it. 🤦‍♀️ 1y
55 likes5 stack adds4 comments
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robinb
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Pickpick

This debut novel is a riot…literally. With hints of Jane Austen and Agatha Christie, it is a parody of satire at its best…and most over-the-top. Beatrice Steele is a young woman who yearns to break free of the strict code of conduct for ladies (and yes, there is a large guidebook for this) in her Swampshire village (where luminescent frogs, squelch holes and violent hail storms abound). She finds herself obsessed with the true crime stories she 🔻

robinb secretly/scandalously reads in the London newspapers. When she, her younger (often literally forgotten) sister Mary, her beautiful (and key to financially saving the family) sister Louisa, her marriage-obsessed mother and prankster father are invited to their neighbor‘s ball, mayhem ensues as the murder of a wealthy gentleman pulls her and a young disgraced London inspector into an investigation. While secrets and improper behavior (oh dear!) 🔻 (edited) 1y
robinb come to light, Beatrice begins to gain confidence and respect in her abilities as she unravels (often convoluted) treacherous plots. With her own life at risk and quite a few suspects in the wings, will the culprit ever be brought to justice? While yes, some may grow a bit tired of the eye-rolling antics/dialogue, I found it quite hilarious and different from anything I‘ve read before. Beatrice is a wonderful, forward-thinking heroine, 🔻 (edited) 1y
robinb the supporting cast are well-fleshed out and entertaining, and the hint of future installments is something I‘m keeping my fingers crossed for.

Thoroughly enjoyed. 5/5⭐️
1y
Librarybelle This sounds so entertaining! Stacking! 1y
robinb @Librarybelle Jess, I think you would enjoy it! 😉 1y
55 likes3 stack adds5 comments
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sebrittainclark
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1. Read 7 out of the 13 ARCs I currently have coming out in June or July. (Tagged is the first on the list)
2. Read 5 ARCs that have already been published
3. Bring feedback ratio up 1% from May.

The feedback ratio might be a little ambitious. I have only managed to bring the ratio up instead of down 1 month this year and that was only by 0.33%.

#NGGSummerSmashUp #netgalleygroup @AllDebooks

AllDebooks Good luck.👍 Aaarrrggh, the feedback ratio system is insane 1y
32 likes1 comment
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rachelsbrittain
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My college roommate wrote a book! Add this comedy of manners and murder on goodreads or pre-order it now to get ahead on your 2023 reading list!

50 likes2 stack adds