Book Review: A Most Agreeable Murder

Written by Nell Strength

A Most Agreeable Murder is, as the title says, most agreeable. A riveting page-turner, this book is hilarious and captivating, if slightly muddled. 

Beatrice Steele doesn’t fit in in her small English town, Swampshire. She is terrible at the things that “make a lady,” like needlework, music, or drawing, and instead is deeply invested in the true crime column in the newspaper - a secret she guards with her life. When she attends a local ball with her family, and the most eligible bachelor, Edmund Croaksworth, drops dead, she must decide: should she sit back as a lady should, or should she uncover the mystery no matter what it takes?

This book blends aspects of many different genres, such as romance, mystery, paranormal, and historical fiction. If you enjoy Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, or books with beautiful covers, this is for you. Especially now that the weather is getting cooler (hopefully), this book is perfect for curling up with a cup of hot chocolate next to a cozy fire. You'll fall in love with Beatrice's eccentric family, including her sorta psychopathic sister, prankster father, respectable mother, and Beatrice herself, a “not like other regency-era girls” girl. If you are interested in a roller-coaster of a book written with the humor of someone who has spent an obscene amount of time on the internet, you are in for a treat. If you want an unpredictable, intellectual murder mystery, then maybe not. My favorite parts of this book were the unquestioned glow-in-the-dark frogs, squelch-holes that swallow people whole, and of course, the sister who was possibly a werewolf.