I really enjoyed this book! Yes it was a true murder mystery but it also dealt with Beatrice's self-reflection and independence while she tries to navigate the London social scene and becoming an investigator. I feel that Beatrice figuring out her romatic life added another positive depth to the story, as well. The twists throughout had me on my toes! Looking forward to see what Beatrice Steele gets involved with next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Publishing for the advanced copy!

Beatrice is living the dream as co-inspector with her friend Vivek Drake at DS Investigations. Now all they need are some cases to actually solve! Lucky for them, a (miserable) fellow has just perished at a local club and an actor is claiming to be framed. All that’s left to do is get into the club and hopefully clear his name.

Julia Seales is a delightful author! There’s humor, a love interest and best of all, a (non-gruesome) murder. The references to Mary crack me up and her chaperone is just perfect.

I love the relationship between Beatrice and Drake - he’s formal and a bit moody, she’s quirky and passionate.

The mystery had the perfect amount of information and twists. I started to get a hunch by the end but was still surprised.

Thank you Julia Seales for another wonderful mystery! And thank you NetGalley and Random House an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was not as amusing as the first in this series, but it was humorous. It is a story of intrigue, lies, censorship, romance, and murders. This is a book with more characters than good sense; it was difficult at times to keep track of who was who, especially since the author interchanges first names with last names, so you must remember who is who by other means!

I really want to see a book about Mary-I, or shall I say, we have an inkling of what she may be, but are not 100% positive. She would make a good addition to the Inspectors team! She seems like she would be great at sniffing out clues!

A worthy read, and one that I'm sure book clubs would enjoy discussing.


*ARC supplied by the publisher Random House, the author, and NetGalley.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

julia seales strikes again!!!! effortlessly hilarious and true to the form of the characters. julia's writing is unique and full of wit. i literally spend half of my time laughing while reading her work. i'm so stoked for people to read this

Thank You NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an e-ARC of this book. In this sequel, Beatrice has now moved to London and has partnered with Inspector Drake. When a well known opera singer hires them to prove his innocence in a murder, Beatrice and Drake accept. The key is getting invited to the Rose an important club in the city where debutantes are poised to match with the rich and wealthy. Beatrice uses her wit, creativity, and intelligence to get herself an invitation to the Rose and opens the door to the murder investigation. Not only do Drake and Beatrice have the murder to solve and innocence to prove, they also have the feelings they have for each other. A well written mystery that gets the reader thinking about what it means to break the social norms set for them. Following your dreams and desires and doing what you love despite what others say you "should" be doing or "how" you should be acting. Set in a historical context but very relatable to current day.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I really enjoyed reading this book! Not quite as much as A Most Agreeable Murder which I think was a bit funnier, and there was an element of something new and surprising with the hilarious Swampshire rules and all that.

This was still pretty good and had a good mystery element, it was great to see Beatrice continue to explore who she is and what she likes, and grow her confidence. It felt a bit slow at the beginning and took a while to get into the mystery but we got there eventually. I hope the series continues!

Béatrice Steele is back; this time in London during Season.

When a murder in high society happens at the beginning of Season, Beatrice and Viveck are eager to solve they mystery —-Viveck because he hates the fanfare of the Rose, and Beatrice because this is her chance to be taken seriously as an Inspector.

While trying to find out who is behind the murders, we meet a host of new characters (and cameos from characters in Book 1), who try to help or deter the pair from solving the case. Flying squirrels and Ms. Boltons’ avant garde fashion almost steal the show.

It is a humorous, face paced, and cozy mystery that is perfect to read while you wait for the next installment of Bridgerton. I highly recommend!

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an Advanced Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun take on the Jane Austen period! I did not realize it was a sequel once I began, but definitely look forward to more from this author!

Ah! Here we go again with lovely intuitive Beatrice Steele and her new partner (in solving crime) Vivek Drake. I definitely enjoyed the first book in this series so was pleased to receive an advanced copy to review.

Beatrice has escaped Swampshire (phew!) and made it to London where she opens up a business solving mysteries. Of course, she still carries her obligations from her loving and mercenary mama to find a rich husband to support the family. Hopefully her new career will bring in enough money to remain unmarried instead? The only problem is their clientele is sparse.

Fortunately, a desperate and popular thespian hires them to prove his innocence in a recent aristocrat murder. Beatrice must think quickly on her feet to secure an invitation to the most coveted of social gatherings to investigate further.

Dusted with a fine layer of humor and fun, Beatrice and Vivek traipse their way through a myriad of suspicious characters and intriguing secrets. I felt this story was better than the first! And if you’re waiting to see if romance is in the air for our dear Beatrice, you’ll definitely want to read on. Thanks so much Netgalley and Random House publishing for the advanced copy! All opinions are of course, my own.

I didn't get to enjoy this book because it was actually a sequel/follow up to another book/series. It was pretty decent overall, but definitely more enjoyable if you've read the first ones.
My only complaint is that it isn't very easy to realize that it's a sequel, so it could be confusing to readers (like me).

A Terribly Nasty Business takes readers to London to follow Beatrice Steele as she navigates a season among London’s elites while simultaneously trying to make a name for herself as a distinguished investigator, with her business partner Inspector Drake.

Julia Seales’s writing is funny, clever, and absolutely captivating. I enjoyed following Beatrice as she made new friends and asserted her independence away from Swampshire. We reunite with quirky Miss Bolton and brooding Vivek Drake and meet the eccentric residents of Sweetbriar. This novel had me riveted from the beginning and kept me intrigued (and laughing) throughout!

I definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy cozy mysteries, witty banter, and fantastic satire.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House for my e-ARC!

In this irresistibly witty and wonderfully twisted follow-up to A Most Agreeable Murder, Beatrice Steele returns with all her lovable eccentricity and unshakable determination—this time in the bustling heart of London. Having left behind the tea-sipping tedium of Swampshire, Beatrice is ready to make her mark as a real detective, co-running DS Investigations with the infuriatingly logical Inspector Drake. But despite her grand ambitions and impeccable instincts, she quickly finds that London society isn’t as welcoming to a lady sleuth as she’d hoped—especially when her cases involve more missing cats than murderers.

Julia Seales once again delivers a brilliant blend of humor, heart, and high-society sleuthing. From the theater district’s artistic underbelly to ballroom scandals and squirrel-infested gardens, A Most Inconvenient Murder thrives on deliciously absurd settings and sharply drawn characters. Beatrice’s spirited voice and flair for the dramatic are perfectly counterbalanced by Drake’s dry pragmatism, making their reluctant partnership as delightful as it is effective. As tensions rise with a string of high-profile murders and the city’s elite begin to tremble, the stakes turn real—and personal.

Equal parts parody and page-turner, this novel is a sparkling tribute to the golden age of mystery, complete with clever twists, laugh-out-loud dialogue, and a heroine who’s as endearing as she is unconventional. Whether navigating society’s expectations or the slipperier truths of a criminal case, Beatrice proves once again that decorum and deduction are not mutually exclusive. Fans of historical mysteries with a comedic bite will find this installment every bit as delightful—and deadly—as its predecessor.

I enjoyed this follow-up to A Most Agreeable Murder so much! I find Beatrice to be such a compelling protagonist, and the move from the small village of Swampshire to London was an excellent choice because it kind of inherently toned down some of the quirkiness that was getting close to being over the top in the first book in the series. For fans of the quirkiness of A Most Agreeable Murder (like myself), there's still plenty of it in this follow-up, but it feels a little more subdued than what I recall from the first book. Beatrice and her chaperone Miss Bolton have relocated from Beatrice's family home in Swampshire to the Sweetbriar neighborhood of London, which has a reputation for welcoming artists (and for flying squirrels). Beatrice has joined Vivek Drake to form an investigative agency, and they've been hired by a local opera singer who claims to have been framed for the murder of a prominent Sweetbriarian and member of a local society which aims to rid the neighborhood of anything it deems improper. Beatrice and Vivek manage to get on the list for the most selective club in Sweetbriar so that they can investigate the crime, but at their debut they run into trouble - first in the form of Sir Huxley, Drake's former partner, and then in discovering another murder. I found this charming and funny (despite all the murders) and I really hope there's more of Beatrice and Drake to come.

I really enjoy the idea behind this series. I liked the first book but found it borderline a bit too weird but I thought I would give the second book a try and I've just decided the silliness just doesn't work for me.

A cozy mystery with sass, secrets, and just the right amount of scandal! Think: witty banter, quirky characters, and plot twists that’ll keep you flipping pages with a smirk.

If you love your mysteries clever, charming, and a little chaotic—this one’s calling your name.

Rating: 4.5/5
Vibe: Murder, but make it fun.

Would I recommend? Absolutely—preferably with tea and a scone.

After cracking her first case in A Most Agreeable Murder, Beatrice Steele is now taking on London—both as a debutante and as a “lady detective”—in A Terribly Nasty Business.

While she’s supposed to be husband-hunting and maintaining propriety, she’s a little preoccupied with murders, attacking squirrels, art censorship, and the small matter of a killer on the loose in the posh Sweetbriar neighborhood.

This book is delightfully unhinged. Squirrel attacks, eccentric artists, over-the-top socialites, and sharp satire all swirl together in this story. The cast of characters—new and returning—has been expanded, both in breadth of additional characters and depth of existing ones. richer this time around. Detective Vivek Drake and Miss Bolton (and her hats!) have a larger role to play. I am so here for the slow-burn romantic subplot between Beatrice and Vivek—they are friends, partners, and most importantly, equals in Regency society—a reality that is even further emphasized when contrasted against the actions of the Neighborhood Association of Gentlemen Sweetbriarians (NAGS), one of the story’s primary antagonists.

The mystery itself kept me guessing the whole time. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, Seales tossed in another twist that had me second-guessing everyone.

A Terribly Nasty Business will be published June 24, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Random House, and Julie Seales for this free, advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

As hilarious and interesting as the first!

It was such fun to return to this silly, alternative regency London with it's flying squirrel epidemic (can't wait for a British narrator to say squirrel over and over in the audiobook) and over-the-top hats. The social commentary is nestled into hilarious dialogue, so you sometimes pause to reread what you just laughed at. There's a larger comment about the vilification of the arts that is very interesting in this second book of the Beatrice Steele series.

The overall plot has Beatrice infiltrating an exclusive club during the London season along with her sleuthing partner, Vivek Drake. There are some characters from the first book who reappear in person and by letter, plus the addition of Sir Huxley, the detective who Beatrice helped from afar by solving his mysteries in her fan letters. The bodies keep dropping throughout the investigation and it turns out there are multiple villains in this story.

The romantic subplot between Beatrice and Vivek is a delightful, slow burn one. They are on the cusp of confessing their feelings for each other, but retreat to their safe corners every time.

The writing is witty and funny, but the pace is fast. This is definitely one I'll reread, as I did with the first book in the series.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for blessing me with this eARC. This series is so comforting to me. The way Seales writes is such a lovely balance of sarcasm, emotion, suspense, and wit. I loved the plot in this second installment even more than the first and was so happy to see that the sequel continued to be just as riveting. I will continue to read anything Seales puts out, as it is a genuinely great time. I only wish my sweet miscommunicating lovebirds had more time together. Hopefully that means more books in store!

This series continues to be so much fun to read! Although the story moves from Swampshire to London (the alternate-universe London of this series), it still features the same tongue-in-cheek humor and absurd but entertaning predicaments. After their success in solving a murder in book 1, Beatrice and Drake have launched their own investigation business, which Beatrice hides from her family and chaperone while pretending to be hunting for a husband. Beatrice has to go undercover at an exclusive social club to get to the bottom of a conspiracy surrounding a group of aristocratic (men mostly) trying to censor all art in the surrounding neighborhood. As the founders of the group are murdered one at a time, Beatrice and Drake are forced to stay one step ahead of their sort-of nemesis Sir Huxley to avoid an innocent man being executed for the crimes.

Similar to book 1, this will appeal to fans of Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series and lighthearted, semi-fantasy historical mysteries. Although there is a hint of romance, it looks like Beatrice and Drake may have a ways to go before fully opening up to each other (promising ending though!). Miss Bolton is an entertainingly quirky, if absentminded, chaperone to Beatrice here. The inter-chapter excerpts from local newspapers, Beatrice's mother's melodramatic letters to her, and general commentary add a fun extra layer to the story, as well.

Thank you to Random House for providing an ARC for review!