Published By: HQ
Pages: 320
Released On: 08/10/2026
Alice Beeton runs a tight ship. Like her distant relative – the somewhat more famous Mrs Beeton – she believes there should be a place for everything, but she’s not so sure she’s in her place.
Since a whirlwind romance with a billionaire swept her best friend, Jinx, off her feet and out of the city, Alice has been running the Good Household Management Agency by herself, supplying discreet domestic staff to the hyper-wealthy. Business has been booming lately, but more work brings even more problems.
So when Jinx invites her to her new beau’s country house, Alice jumps at the chance. But when a guest is attacked and priceless heirlooms stolen, Alice’s plans for a quiet weekend reading one of her beloved mystery novels take a much darker turn.
Along with her astute canine companion, Agatha, Miss Beeton is going to find out that some crimes are best solved by the book.
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
This series is only one book old – Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency – but I loved it; it had everything I could have wanted.
I couldn’t remember what happened in book one so was worried I’d struggle but I did feel like no time had passed. You’re back to the instantly likeable characters (except for one but that’s the way he’s been written), this world they live in, and it is a joyful world.
From the cover, I was expecting it to be a Christmas book with a side dish of murder. But for me, there was hardly any festivities so I felt it was slightly misleading.
There are a lot of characters, some from the first book and some new. This gives us familiarity but also keeps it fresh. I am not good with names, remembering who they are and how they link and their roles in the story. But even with all of them, I found myself being able to keep on top. And I think it’s because they’re all so different, so distinct that they are clearly their own person.
I still like that she’ made Alice a relative of the great Mrs Beeton, instead of making Mrs Beeton herself the star. This grounds it in reality but gives Josie free reign as to write this character instead of having to rely on historical accuracy.
I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as the first but I can’t really say why because I did enjoy it. It just felt slower, and wasn’t quite as gripping and so I found my attention waned slightly.
I don’t know how long she plans to write this series, but I am enjoying it. Even though I didn’t like this one as much, I did enjoy it and I look forward to the next.
