This is like if Jane Austen wrote a murder mystery. And what’s not to like about that?

In A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales, Beatrice Steele has often balked at the rules of her strict society in Swampshire, being less ladylike than most people would prefer her to be. She also, secretly, has been reading the papers from London, which relate the escapades of a successful detective. So when the eligible bachelor Edmund Croaksworth dies at a ball, Beatrice sees it as a chance to finally chase her dream of becoming a crime solver herself. But not only do most not take her seriously, she has to contend with the presence of an established investigator… and the fact that there is a murderer in their midst.

So the premise of this is fun, and the influence of Pride and Prejudice is quite clear. There’s an obvious Mr. Collins homage, and the Steele family is basically the Bennet family. Perhaps this is a bit of a shortcut the author took in terms of character creation, but saying that sounds like I’m bashing fanfiction and retellings, which I absolutely am not. The point is while the characters aren’t that original, they sure are entertaining.

However, I didn’t love Beatrice at first. She’s an independent woman who has little patience with the stifling rules of her township, and she has very different interests than most people she knows, but this kind of contributes to her internal monologue being a bit superior and judgemental sometimes. She chills out after a while, but it was irritating at first.

Luckily, her new partner-in-crime-solving, Vivek Drake, was fine. The scenes with him were pretty fun, and while Beatrice seems to be a Lizzie Bennet stand-in, Drake seems much more like his own man than a Darcy knock-off. He’s confident and competent without being arrogant, and also caring. I also enjoy that he brings some welcome diversity in the usually entirely white Austenian world.

As for the mystery, it was enjoyable to see all the characters get interviewed and to try to piece together the truth. Granted, I’m bad at solving mysteries (and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd kind of killed my motivation to solve these things anymore, because wow, I should have seen that one coming), but it was a fun ride to be on! There are some great revelations and plot twists as everything comes to a head, and it’s delightful to have a bit more action in a normally very proper setting.

In the end, A Most Agreeable Murder is a good Regency romp. It’s rather irreverent, but doesn’t get too ridiculous. The mystery is compelling, the characters are fun, and the plot is well-paced. Beatrice took a while to warm up to, and she won’t really make my list of favorite protagonists, but the development she has is decent. And the themes about pushing against restricting rules, especially when forging one’s own identity, are great. Basically, if you’re looking for a cozy mystery and are a fan of Jane Austen, this will be a fun read for you! Additionally, the audiobook read by Fiona Hampton is a wonderful way to experience this story.

A Most Agreeable Murder is available now!