#.｡.:*✨☆ VERSE ❙ STEEL BALL RUN

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🦇 A Most Agreeable Murder Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

❝ "Let go of what everyone is supposed to be, and you shall see who they truly are. Let people be who they truly are, and they shall reach their greatest potential." ❞

❓ #QOTD What's your favorite murder mystery book, TV series, or movie? ❓ ❗ Shout out to all my fellow BBC Sherlock, Elementary, Sherlock Holmes (RDJ films), OG Sherlock Holmes (ACD books), Truly Devious books, or Jackaby books fans. OR

❓ What's your favorite period piece?

🦇 Beatrice Steele isn't like the other ladies of Swampshire (a small English township outside of London), but like much of the town, she harbors a secret: Beatrice is obsessed with murder. Not committing it, of course, but solving it to exact justice. Of course, it wouldn't be lady-like, especially in their etiquette-obsessed community, to act on her obsession. When an eligible bachelor is murdered at Swampshire's autumnal ball—a bachelor who was courting Beatrice's sister—she's partnered with a well-versed detective to unravel the thread. Is this her chance to put her sleuthing skills to the test?

💜 Though certain qualities of Beatrice's world—the decorum, the obsession with reputation and wealth, a marriage-scheming mother—all seem familiar, the prose is full of wit and charm unlike most period piece-inspired stories. Julia Seales brings a flare of comedy to her debut that allows it to stand on its own two feet, when many Austenian novels run the risk of dragging in pace or sounding dry. This cozy mystery is entertaining and action-packed, with a cast of characters that present as red herrings—each with their own means and motives. The little clippings (whether from letters or news stories) and asides slipped between chapters were a fun way to add layers to the story as well.

🦇 Maybe it's because I'm obsessed with mysteries in all forms, but I guessed the murderer the moment the character's name was mentioned, long before the murder was even committed. Though the large cast gives readers and Beatrice plenty of red herrings to chase, it's a little dizzying to remember so many names. It also takes a moment for the pacing to find its momentum; the start of the book drags to establish how strange Swamshire really is, and though the setting plays a part in the narrative, I would have preferred a "show, rather than tell" approach. Beatrice comes off as a little frustrating; more than once, she gets in her own way, which can make certain moments cringey more than funny. She's not the best judge of character, either; the truth about the investigator she swooned over and Drake, his disgraced partner, is right in front of her. If this series continues, I hope we get a glimpse into Mary's story within another mystery (which might be a great play on ACD's Hounds of Baskerville mystery).

🦇 Recommended to fans of Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, any Sherlockian variation, or Bridgerton. If you want to add a little decorum and intrigue to your life, this is the book for it!

✨ Vibes 🗝️ Locked-Room Mystery 🗝️ Regency-Era Cozy Mystery 🗝️ Satire and Sass 🗝️ A Hint of Romance 🗝️ A Quirky Cast

🦇 Major thanks to the author Julia Seales and publisher Random House for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.