This book is SO much fun and exactly my sense of humor. It's charming, kind of offbeat and weird, and full of adventure and delightful characters. I laughed out loud multiple times in the first couple of chapters and kept on guffawing throughout the book. The book does contain some spoilers for the first book in the series, so I would definitely recommend reading in order. But please don't miss your opportunity to read this one!

Dare I say that I enjoyed this even more than the first?
When I first read A Murder Most Agreeable, I wasn't prepared for the heavy satire and humor. That made it a bit jarring and harder for me to get into initially. Going into A Terribly Nasty Business I was more than ready to get back to this extremely fun tone and the world full of shenanigans.
I think this sequel benefits from the cast of characters being less attached to Beatrice than in the previous installment. There were still plenty of characters, but it didn't feel like we needed to learn quite so much about them.
This book brought all the fun of the first, with a new setting and new challenges facing our heroine. I still love the way the genres are mixed and changed. It's a regency romance, but there's a flying squirrel infestation. It's a murder mystery, but Figaro is a franchise with sequels like "Here We Figaro Again". Yet under all the silliness it has a fantastic message about the importance of art and artists, and the dangers of censorship.
The end left off at a point that has me begging for book three. I'm not usually a fan of murder mysteries, but the Beatrice Steele series has my heart.

This book was just not for me. I think the plot sounds good, but for some reason it did not land. The humor did not really work for me, but I am interested in reading the previous book.

Delightfully looney second in a historical series. The wacky characters continue to keep reality at bay while delivering a complete mystery investigation complete with red herrings and totally unexpected plot twists. Ignore the news and join in the laughter!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital proof from Random House Publishing Group/Random House via NetGalley.
#ATerriblyNastyBusiness by @juliamaeseales #BeatriceSteeleBk2 @penguinrandomhouse #NetGalley #snarky #historicalnovel #cozymystery #suspense #flyingsquirrels #romance #satire *****Review Pub date Jun 24, 2025

A Terribly Nasty Business by Julia Seales is a delightful blend of wit, charm, and murder. This second installment in the series continues the quirky adventures of its heroine with a light, humorous tone that fans of Jane Austen will appreciate. The setting is wonderfully whimsical, and the characters are endearingly over-the-top. If you enjoy a good Regency-era satire sprinkled with a cozy mystery twist, this book is for you. Cute, funny, and cleverly written—it's a charming read that doesn't take itself too seriously, and that's part of the fun!

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.

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.