Cozy Mystery

This month's book: A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales

Beatrice Steele has none of the accomplishments of a true lady: she is terrible at needlework, has no musical ability, and her artwork is so bad it frightens people. Little does anyone know that Beatrice also harbors a dark secret: an obsession with the true crime cases she reads about in the newspaper.

For her family's sake, she's vowed to put this most unladylike obsession behind her. Eligible bachelor Edmund Croaksworth is set to attend the autumnal ball, and the Steele family hopes that her eldest sister Louisa will steal his heart. Their future depends on this match! Beatrice needs be on her best behavior... though that's made more difficult when a disgraced, yet strangely alluring detective inexplicably shows up to the ball.

Just as Beatrice thinks she's gotten away with it, Croaksworth drops dead in the middle of a minuet. As a storm rages outside, the evening descends into a frenzy as it becomes clear they are trapped with a killer. But maybe, just maybe, it's Beatrice's time to shine..