“A Terribly Nasty Business” is a delight, abounding with mystery and humor. I love a cozy mystery with a regency era London setting, and all the matchmaking necessary for a lady at that time. Beatrice has settled into London life with her chaperone, and she must join the “season” to find a suitor at her mother’s request. Her true motives are to partner with Drake in his crime-solving business. Once murders begin to occur, they must rival famous detective Sir Huxley. I really enjoyed this story, just as I did the first, and I cannot wait to see what Julia Seales writes next!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I enjoyed the creativity of the first book in this series (A Most Agreeable Murder) immensely with the locked manor mystery, the plot being written basically within one night, the satirical humor, the on-the-nose names of characters, and especially the FMC's personality. However, this second installment in this series is lacking much of what I enjoyed. Anything on-the-nose felt glaringly obvious (such as which characters were villains) and predictable (such as the outcome). The social change aspects of the plot didn't feel high enough stakes for all the murders that were happening. I do still love Miss Bolton's quirky character but everyone else just felt awkward and muted.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for the e-ARC.

A Terribly Nasty Business by Julia Seales

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A Terribly Nasty Business is an absolutely delightful cozy Regency mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout every chapter with its clever plot. Also the wit and humor are great. Such a charming read overall! This book is entertaining right from the start. It is full of humor, cozy mystery, charm, and fun.

A Terribly Nasty Business is the second book in the Beatrice Steele series, a historical fiction/cozy mystery set in Regency England. It follows Beatrice and her partner who begin investigating a string of London murders. That ends up putting them in the center of a scandal involving the neighborhood's wealthy residents and the arts community. As they go on a bewildering, hilarious, entertaining, and chaotic adventure, Beatrice faces lots of drama and threats. She must solve the case before it’s too late!

With plenty of twists and turns, Seales has created a mystery that excellently navigates a multitude of suspects, a variety of clues, and tons of red herrings that leave the reader wondering who did it until the very end. A wonderful read with likable characters, humor, and a little bit of magic!

I couldn’t stop laughing (and swooning)! A Terribly Nasty Business is a hilarious and ridiculously charming Regency murder mystery romp that will tickle your funny bone and keep you on the edge of your seat through every clever plot twist and turn. I fell in love with the characters and with Julia Seales’s witty, irreverent writing style and can’t wait for the next book in the series!

Admittedly, a cozy murder mystery isn’t something I’ve read before, but after reading this one, I think I may have to start.

This book was so charming! Just the right amount of funny and sweet, with a really good mystery that keeps you on your toes.

Beatrice is such a fun character to follow, although Diana Vane was my personal favourite.

I kept trying to figure out who had committed the murders throughout the book and when the murderer was revealed in the end, it wasn’t one of my guesses - which I was really thankful for!

I had a really fun time reading this one, and would love to read another one!

Thank you as always to NetGalley for this ARC!

3.5 stars

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group, NetGalley, and Julia Seales for my digital copy of A Terribly Nasty Business!

This book was just so much fun, especially right from the beginning. It had the same sharp humor, cozy mystery charm, and delightful absurdity I loved in the first book—which is exactly what I was hoping for going into this one. I really, really enjoyed A Most Agreeable Murder when I read it last year and gave it four stars, so I was excited to return to this magical little world.

All the satire, humor, and wit are still here, along with such lovable characters and hysterical social commentary. It’s a fun, different, slightly magical setting you get to escape into, and that’s exactly what I needed this week. I’ve been going through a lot personally, and reading this honestly felt like being transported somewhere joyful.

That said, one criticism I have is that the story definitely dragged around the middle—much more than I remember in the first book. The pacing felt off, and things slowed down to the point where I had trouble staying excited or even fully following what was happening. With so many characters in play, it also became a little hard to track who was who and what role they were playing in the various parts of the mystery. That might be more about my attention span than the book itself, but it’s something I noticed.

I gave book one four stars, but it's hard to compare directly—I read that before I had as many titles under my belt, so I may have rated it higher back then than I would now. Still, I remember loving the experience of discovering that world for the first time. What I really appreciated here is that, since the world was already established, this sequel starts off with a fast, exciting, and charming bang. If it had kept that momentum all the way through, this could’ve easily been a five-star read.

Overall, I would absolutely still recommend this if you enjoy cozy mysteries—especially those with a touch of fantasy, razor-sharp social satire, and a bit of ridiculous fun. It’s unique, it’s witty, and it’s a great time.

Super enjoyable, maybe even moreso than the first one. Just enough romance, some intrigue. Not the greatest mystery, but that's not why I enjoy this series.

DNF at 31%. I enjoyed the first book, but this one frustrated me. The various footnoted asides (that format terribly in the ARC) and the snippets of articles and letters that break off from the main narrative made the book a chore to read.

I loved A Terribly Nasty Business, the second in the Beatrice Steele series by Julia Seales. It has just the right amount of humor and mystery with a wee bit of magic that sparkles throughout the book. Beatrice is now in London working with Inspector Drake in the neighborhood of Sweetbriar. The world that Seales creates while also making a well plotted mystery is stupendous and I can't get enough. If you love humor and mystery, I highly recommend adding this series to your want to read list!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Reading this book gave me the same feelings that watching the scooby doo or inspector gadget cartoons did as a kid. A fun little murder mystery with a historical twist. I will be describing this series as female inspector gadget meets Bridgerton. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and I am not on the hunt for other lighthearted historical mystery series to fill the void until the next installment. Read this if you are a fan of a good time and a witty pun.

I am incredibly thankful the the author, the publisher, and to NetGalley for the chance to read an e-arc of this book because I fear I might have never picked it up otherwise.

👍 I absolutely loved this cozy mystery and binged it in about 24 hours. I loved that our FMC has gained some friends in this sequel and come into her own. The author even introduced a love triangle which normally I hate, but it works here. This book kept up the hilarious banter and hijinks a la Wisteria Society so bravo 👏 I simply CANNOT wait for book three after that ending sentence 🙃

It was such a pleasure to revisit Beatrice Steele, Inspector Drake, and the rest of the quirky characters from Swampshire and London. I loved “ A Most Agreeable Murder” and Julia Seales did not disappoint with the sequel. A Terribly Nasty Business brings us to London where Beatrice is now partners with Inspector Drake while simultaneously trying to find her match in this season of parties and balls. But of course, it wouldn’t be Beatrice unless there’s also a murderer lurking wherever she seems to be.

While I thought A Most Agreeable Murder had more humor and lightheartedness than this sequel, it was still full of humorous elements and surprises. Seales does a brilliant job of marrying murder mystery with Regency era London. I look forward to a third installment of this series!

I loved <i>A Most Agreeable Murder</i> and couldn’t wait for a sequel, so was DELIGHTED when Netgalley gave me an electronic copy prior to publication (for an honest review).

Now in London instead of Swampshire, Beatrice has a beau to find, friends to make, and a family to help. But in spite of these pressures, Seales made me laugh out loud, especially at a meta joke about how sequels are <i>never</i> as good as the original. I have my fingers crossed that joke stays in for final publication! Meta jokes are my LOVE. LANGUAGE.

Instead of luminescent frogs and squelch holes, we now have flying squirrels and a group trying to take down the arts. Plus my boy Drake. So basically, I was IN.

Thanks for the ARC, Netgalley!

5/5 stars: This is the second entry in Seales' Beatrice Steele series which is a Historical Mystery that's set in Regency England and follows a young lady and her prickly, annoyingly logical partner who find themselves investigating a string of London murders that thrusts them into the center of a scandal pitting the a neighborhood's wealthiest residents against the arts community. As they follow the trail through bewildering ballrooms, secretive shops and odd operas, she must face-off against a famed gentleman inspector and survive threats to her partnership, her business and her place in society to break the case – before it's too late. With plenty of twists and turns, Seales has masterfully crafted a mystery that deftly balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Smart and snarky, Seales' writing and character work are stellar; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. It's great to catch up with Beatrice, who's quirky, determined and just plain delightful, seeing her and Inspector Vivek Drake solve crimes in the London and follow her family's varying calamities and hi-jinks. Oh and I very much love the slow burn between Beatrice and Drake! While the historical aspects are more “vibes” then anything else, that's okay because this is a hilarious parody of all things Jane Austen. Additionally, I like the “multi-media” elements which includes articles, letters and annotations (very limited) and oh yeah... one mustn't forget the flying squirrels. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, A Most Agreeable Murder. This is a tongue-in-cheek marriage between Jane Austen and a murder mystery; highly recommend!

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Random House in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

3.5 Stars
One Liner: Mindless fun but with important themes

After solving a murder (in the previous book), Beatrice Steele feels like things are finally falling into place. She relocated from Swampshire to London with her trusted chaperone, Miss Bolton. Beatrice and Inspector Drake start their detective agency, D.S. Investigations. However, the elusive Sir Huxley is still considered the only real detective in the city.
When a string of murders put her and her investigating partner in the middle of a mess, Beatrice must survive the threats on their lives, the disturbances in their partnership, the pressure from her mother to marry well, and a lot more!
The story comes in Beatrice’s third-person POV with snippets like news articles, letters, notes, etc.

My Thoughts:
Well, in a way, it’s not different from the previous book. But it becomes a bit darker. I would recommend starting at the beginning. This series is an OTT farcical blend of Austen and Christie’s works. So, you have a P&P-type set-up with a murder mystery.
The writing style is quirky, satirical, and fun. Maybe not as fun as book one, but it is still good. I laughed out loud many times at the deliberate absurdity of the situation.
Since the FMC moved from Swampshire to Sweetbriar in London, frogs have been replaced by… flying squirrels. Not as fun, sadly, but deadlier!
I like the themes, though. Suppression of arts and artists, the noblemen trying to control society with restrictions, banning arts, gender bias, vehemently opposing women’s freedom, etc., are central to the plot. However, the book doesn’t feel preachy or heavy, thanks to the lighthearted writing style.
The mystery starts on an interesting note. Since it is a cozy book, you can easily figure out the twists and reveals before the main characters. But the pacing is good, so you don’t have to wait long for them to catch up.
Beatrice seems uncertain and tentative in the new setting. While it aligns with the plot changes, I did miss her spunk from book one. Luckily, she gets back on track towards the end.
There’s the dreaded love triangle, which wasn’t too bad due to the lingering comic presence. It seems to have been sorted to an extent. I can only hope there won’t be a curveball in the next book.
That ending is a perfect bait for book #3! I’m so curious about what will happen. As long as there won’t be unwanted complications in the love track, I’ll be eager for the next installment.
Oh, the comedy quotient is a bit less in the second half as the seriousness increases. I never thought I’d say this, but I miss Mary (we get updates about her, don’t worry)! We still don’t have any explanation, though there are many clues.
To summarize, A Terribly Nasty Business indeed deals with a terribly nasty business of murders, control, and infuriating men with a generous dose of silliness and fun. Rounding up since it was entertaining.
Thank you, NetGalley and Random House, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to review.

This was a fun romance novel, and I enjoyed it a lot. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

Beatrice Steele heads to London in hopes of solidifying her reputation as an investigator, after helping to solve a mystery in her hometown. She goes into business with Inspector Drake, but the reception to their partnership is lukewarm and they are not getting many cases. Of course, her family is unaware that she is continuing her 'terrible hobby' of investigation, as they sent her to London with her chaperone Ms. Bolton, to be presented during the season and find a husband.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, "A Most Agreeable Murder," so was anxious to read this book. Unfortunately, it did not grab me in the same way. I enjoyed the letters from Beatrice's mother and the progressively ridiculous occurrences throughout the book, but it wasn't up to that first book's standard. I did fid it to be entertaining and liked the humor injected throughout. If you liked the first book I would recommend reading this one, and I will certainly read another installment in the series, if there is one, with high hopes.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I am totally loving this Beatrice Steele cozy mystery series. Bridgerton meets Sherlock Holmes and it equates to a super fun read.

This quick read is engaging, entertaining, full of mystery and suspense, a little romance, and some fun characters. I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for sending me an advanced copy of this book.

I devoured this second adventure in the madcap mystery and slow burn romance Beatrice Steele series in a day! Seales has created an addictive soup of quirky characters, comedic quips, twisty mystery and delicious romantic tension. If you love the books of India Holton, Alison Goodman or Gail Carriger - this series is for you!

Beatrice Steele and Inspector Vivek Drake have now teamed up together in London to open their agency DS Investigations when a local actor is accused of murder and hires them to clear his name. Beatrice is also half-heartedly attempting her first season on the marriage mart in order to marry wealthy and save her crumbling family home along with her playwright spinster chaperone, Miss Bolton. Luckily for Beatrice, a case comes along to distract her! That and the infamous Detective Huxley - can you say love triangle? She and Drake are drawn into a world of society balls, secret societies, persecuted artists and multiple murders. It's a page-turning adventure you won't soon forget!

With a romance heating up, a super villain awoken and all the hints that her little sister Mary is a... werewolf?? I can't WAIT for the next book! What will Seales possibly think of next?! And why am I the only one concerned about Mary?

There's nothing terrible or nasty about the fabulous second book in the Beatrice Steele series! A Terribly Nasty Business by Julia Seales is a great follow up to the first book as Seales transplants her characters to the city of London. With a serious country-mouse in the big city vibe, we are along for the ride as Beatrice and her professional partner Drake are hired by an opera performer who is the main suspect in the killings of members society's upper crust.
The plot is twisty and fast paced, the characters fun and relatable, and the historical setting of London, England is as eye-opening as it is fascinating. Underneath it all is subtle commentary on the status of women in society, the tension between classes, and attitudes towards artists and their standing in the world.
You can't go wrong with this book! #ATerriblyNastyBusiness is highly entertaining, and I thank #NetGalley and #RandomHouse for the advanced readers' copy.