A Terribly Nasty Business - Julia Seales - ★★★

AUTHOR: Julia Seales

SERIES: Beatrice Steele, #2

GENRE: Historical Cozy Mystery.

PUBLICATION DATE: June 24, 2025

RATING: 3 stars.

In a Nutshell: A historical mystery set in Regency-era England. The second book in the Beatrice Steele series. I found this more like a typical cozy mystery with a dash of humour rather than an Austen satire, unlike the first book. That’s probably why I didn’t enjoy it as much; cosy mysteries aren’t my thing. Still, a good pastime option if you read it in the right spirit. Better to go in series order.

Plot Preview:

After the successful resolution of her first murder case, Beatrice has moved to London, with the indefatigable Miss Bolton acting as her chaperone. Inspector Drake and Beatrice have started their own detective agency, but their business is yet to flourish as Sir Huxley still gets all the prominent cases.

When a famous opera singer approaches them to clear his name of a murder allegation, Beatrice and Drake know it is the golden opportunity to prove their capabilities. However, the case isn't as straightforward as it initially seemed, and soon, the detective duo find themselves in a hot mess.

The story comes to us in Beatrice’s third-person perspective, with some interludes from other media such as letters, newspaper articles, and the like.

I first read Book One of this series , “A Most Agreeable Murder” in July 2023 and had a lot of fun with its amusing parody combining Austen’s novels with Christie’s mysteries. I had such nice memories of it that I even reread it willingly before beginning this sequel. I was prepared for Book Two to deliver on the same lines of smart fun, if not better.

This didn’t go exactly to plan!

The main reason Book One worked so well for me was that I am a huge fan of Jane Austen. To see her satirical dramas converted into satirical murder mysteries was hilarious. It felt like an entertaining homage to the spirit of Austen’s novels. This book didn’t remind me of any of Austen’s works. Rather, it functioned more like a regular cozy mystery (with a few comical elements.) I am not much of a cozy mystery fan, so there went half my motivation!

Technically, this book can work as a standalone as it fills in the character and plot gaps wherever needed. However, the story is in direct continuation of the events of Book One, plus this novel contains many spoilers from that mystery, including the crucial reveal about the identity of the murderer. So if you plan to read both the books, better to go in series order.

This story is a little darker compared to the previous novel. The prologue itself contains a murder. While there are some funny moments and remarks, the overall tone is quite serious. The murder mystery is mostly decent, though I could identity the guilty party fairly early into the plot – always a disappointment when this happens.

Just as in Book One, this book also covers several interesting themes, some of which are a repeat from the earlier story such as the poor life choices (if any) available to girls of marriageable age, racial discrimination and wealth bias. This book further covers the topic of the relevance of art and artists in a civilized society. Quite an interesting choice of theme!

Many of the characters from the first book make a return in this sequel, and the author ensures that their characters traits are in continuity. Beatrice is still obsessed with crime, Drake is still efficient but standoffish, Miss Bolton still has her Mary-Poppins-ish hat, Mr. Steele is still a prankster, Mrs. Steele is still intent on ensuring a good match for Beatrice, and France is still the bête noire of all Swampshire residents. The only key change in the cast is that the ubiquitous frogs have been replaced by ubiquitous flying squirrels. It was fun to meet all the old characters again, though I am greatly disappointed that Mary doesn’t get a role, which means that her secret (to be clear, a secret only to the characters, not to the readers) has still not been addressed. Perhaps in Book Three?

Of course, as the location of the story has moved from Swampshire to London, there are many additions to the cast of characters. They range from interesting to infuriating. It was a relief to see no one on the likes of grubby Mr. Grub this time around; I didn’t miss the grossness at all.

While I did know that this book would capitalise on the rapport between Beatrice and Drake and convert it to attraction, I didn’t expect to see a triangle pop up. (I should have taken a better look at the book cover!) I can't say I was a fan of it, especially as it wasn’t even that convincing without a build-up. Still, it was not the core focus of the plot; that’s a plus.

The ending went a little OTT, both in terms of the infodump (which is omnipresent in this subgenre) and in the reveal and modus operandi (which wasn’t too convincing.)

A shoutout to the gorgeous cover art – it represents the book excellently.

Overall, mostly mixed feelings. I didn’t hate the book, but I didn’t love it either. It is more suited to cozy mystery lovers who would enjoy a dash of comedy and a love triangle mixed in with murderous mayhem.

There is a clear clue about where the book will move on next, so I hope that Book Three will be strong on the mystery but stronger on the parody.

Recommended to historical cozy mystery fans.

My thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Random House for providing the DRC of “A Terribly Nasty Business” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.