A cosy murder mystery interspersed with recipes, this book follows Alice Beeton, distant relation of the famous Mrs Beeton, as she finds herself embroiled in a murder case. Alice runs an agency for all things household: housekeepers, chefs, you name it, all exacting the highest standards her famous ancestor would have been proud of. A young woman looking for employment, a sudden departure of a housekeeper over the festive season, and a dead body. As the police struggle to solve the case, Alice decides to turn detective. An enjoyable cosy read for fans of this genre.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, HQ, for a copy in exchange for a review.

A well written, cleverly plotted, and funny book. Ms Lloyd has created a world of charm and humour where the owner of a small agency providing domestic staff finds herself in the middle of a murder. A distant relative of Mrs Beeton of cookbook fame, Alice Beeton places a housekeeper in a home and then the housekeeper is murdered.

The plot is complex with betrayal and fraud and red herrings and all along Alice and her delightful little gang are trying to run a business, bake cakes, and find what the Mesants are hiding. Alice’s funny wee dog Agatha - after Agatha Christie - adds to the fun.

I hope this is the start of a series as the characters are excellent and the premise allows for lots of adventures.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley

This started a little slow for me and I was slightly disappointed as it sounded so good, but then it suddenly took off and before I knew it, the end! I wasn’t a fan of Alice to begin with either, but she definitely grew on me as the book went on.

She has some great characters around her too, Jinx and Helly, and of course, Barney but such good back-up to them as well. I knew there was something about the Messents that I wasn’t sure about as soon as we met them, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

Such a good intriguing story that certainly grabbed my attention when it got going, just a shame it was a little slow at the start. I’m hoping there is more from the detective/household agency to come as there is certainly more to explore with these guys.

Thank you Netgalley, HQ and Josie Lloyd for the e Arc of Miss Benton's Murder Agency.

This is the first of Josie Lloyd's books and I loved it! You can beat a nice cosy mystery/thriller on a winters afternoon and what makes this book unique is that there are recipes entwined into the storyline. It's lovely to hear some great traditional recipes and I'll definitely be getting the physical book to try them out!

I really enjoyed the pacing of the book which to me left medium. There was always something going on, recipes to make and a murder clues to suss out. The characters were well rounded and felt real. I would love an Alice Beeton in my life.

5 stars

With an eye-catching cover, modern-day Agatha Christie vibes and a bingeable story, everything about Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency screams ‘cosy Christmas read’. And, I’m happy to say, it doesn’t disappoint.

Alice Beeton runs the Good Household Management Agency, providing domestic staff for London townhouses and sprawling country mansions. One morning, she receives an urgent request for a new housekeeper and it seems the stars have aligned, because at that moment she is interviewing Enya, a possible new hire. But just a few days into her new post Enya is murdered. So, determined to solve the crime and get justice for her employee, Alice goes undercover to infiltrate her own clients.

Heartwarming, funny, festive and entertaining, reading this book was like snuggling up in a fuzzy blanket by a warm fire. Evocative imagery conjured cosy, wintery vibes while Josie Lloyd’s masterful storytelling and clever plotting made me lose myself in the story. But one of the highlights for me were the recipes for treats such as lemon biscuits from Alice’s fictional Victorian ancestor, Mrs. Beeton that are sprinkled throughout.

A cast of quirky and colourful characters populate the pages and the eponymous Miss Beeton is my new queen on the amateur sleuth block. Curious, brave and tenacious, Alice is likeable from the first page. She likes things well-ordered and tidy, something that she discovers is not only perfect for running her agency, but for solving crimes too. There’s a great camaraderie that radiates from her whole team and I loved the friendship and witty banter she had with her best friend, Jinx. Then there’s my new favourite crime-solving side-kick of all time, Alice’s cute and intuitive dog, Agatha (named after who else but Miss Christie). Add in a swoon-worthy detective and you’ve got yourself a recipe for the perfect cast of characters for a fun festive crime story.

A marvellous cosy crime with a retro vibe, this is a lighthearted, warm and witty story that is guaranteed to get you in the festive spirit. I’m hoping this isn’t the only time we will see Miss. Beeton’s crime-solving skills and that Alice and her team will return for more adventures.

I was interested in the premise for this book - a cozy crime novel, set around Christmas, and with the added extra of the legacy of Mrs Beeton. I settled into the story pretty quickly, and the investigation kicked in fairly soon. Unfortunately I found the cast a bit confusing at times - there seemed to be too many supporting characters, some of whom I couldn't place when they reappeared. I also found that the chapters dragged a little bit from the 50-75% section, and then the ending seemed quite rushed (the reveal of how everything happened ended up being a little bit of a "X did this because Y, and then they put Z over here because A had heard B saying this to C"). I was also slightly disappointed to find the story doesn't *really* take place over Christmas - by the time the action kicks in it's already over.

A good old fashioned who done it. Alice Breton runs an agency supplying high quality domestic staff to wealthy patrons but when a housekeeper is murdered she takes a more hands on approach. An entertaining read.

Alice Beeton is the successful owner of an agency that supplies domestic staff the rich and famous. She is a descendant of the great Mrs Beeton and loves baking and Agatha Christie. When a recently placed housekeeper is murdered Alice finds herself at the centre of an international crime hunt. However she finds that investigating crime is far harder than reading about it.
This is a delightful cosy crime novel which manages to be funny, unrealistic and enjoyable whilst discussing murder. The book is interspersed with recipes which sounded great but my e-book proof did not display these at all. It's not high literature but fdor a quick fun read, it's great.

Where to begin? There are some fantastic descriptions in this book. I absolutely loved it from the start, I loved how Alice found her ‘tash, the Christmas dinner description made me want to have some and I’m reading in July! There were a couple of moments when I didn't even realise I had moved into a new chapter - I was in chapter 13 all the way until I saw chapter 16. It was very nice to see GirlGuiding mentioned around half way through too. Towards the end of the book the tension was high, I felt as if I was in the story myself, not paying attention to the world around me.

I have to say I had some wild theories running through my mind as I read this book - a few of which came to fruition which is always exciting when reading a crime novel! I won’t spoil it here but yes, it is who you think it is, every time you change your theory.

The recipes were very exciting, half tempted to try some of them out, although with mixed measurements between them and with missing oven temperatures I may struggle - of course this isn’t a recipe book so who's to say they are complete recipes.

I enjoyed this cosy crime mystery with its fun and interesting cast of characters including Alice Beeton a distant relative of Mrs Beeton. And who doesn't love the addition of an adorable dog named after the great Agatha C! The dog already has crime solving DNA.

The addition of recipes along the way was a cute addition and there were several that looked tempting to try. Admittedly if they could have jumped off the page ready baked to accompany my reading, this would have been even better. LOL.

I did feel some of the plot lines were a little convoluted and it took a little while to get going. However, once you reach the end, it suggests there are more books to come and this is the start of a new series. If that's the case, it does take time to get the set up established along with your characters and how things are going to play out.

If Josie Lloyd did decide to write more, I'd happily read another.

Oh and let's not forget it has a gorgeous cover. A nice gift to send to someone to read in the run up to Christmas.

A good solid 3 star rating.

I’ve read a few of Josie Lloyd’s romcom books so was interested to give this cosy mystery a try, and pleased to find that it is a very reasonable foray into the genre, if far-fetched in terms of international crime rings and espionage alongside the recipes (which I couldn’t read due to my copy being an ARC) and housekeeping tips.

I liked main character Alice Beeton but struggled to fix her age in my mind, as it seemed to waver between late 20s and late 50s depending on who she was with and the situation. I also enjoyed the circle of side characters she surrounded herself with, from Helly and Jinx, to Detective Rigby and Agatha the dog.

The plot was a little slow to get going but was pleasantly readable once underway. Again, though, I just struggled to ‘place’ the main character and so felt like I couldn’t really get to know her properly. Is she a prim, rather stuffy older woman who prizes efficiency and reliability, or an adventurous, curious, spontaneous, young-at-heart older woman who scrambles around on rooftops precariously? Of course, it is possible to be both, but in this case the two didn’t quite meet in the middle and left me feeling confused and less likely to read more about her future adventures.

There's no way I could have NOT read a book with this title. I've been a fan of Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management for 50 years. I own not one, but three copies: a very old one that belonged to my [great?] grandmother - it's kept wrapped in plastic and the pages crumble to dust if you so much as touch it; an abridged version from the 1970s; and a digital version from Gutenberg. I've read the sections on household management (as distinct from the recipes) so often I could quote parts of it. So you get it; I love it. I am also a huge Agatha Christie fan, so anything that blends elements from both these authors could not fail to entice me.

So maybe, having set the bar so high, it's not surprising that Miss Beeton's Murder Agency came as a bit of a let down. Yes, there are references to Mrs Beeton, and recipes, and the dog is called Agatha and Alice is a fan, but otherwise it's a fairly standard modern cosy crime mystery. All the Mrs Beeton/Agatha Christie elements just really serve as attractive packaging.

Packaging aside, looking only at the 'standard modern cosy crime mystery', it's quite a good read. I like the main character, Alice. Overall it's a fun novel. The reading equivalent of a Victoria Sponge (which Mrs Beeton calls Victorian Sandwiches): sweet and light.

Disappointingly (and somewhat pointlessly?), at least one of the recipes (for example, tiffin or chocolate biscuit cake) are not actually in Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management; the recipe is one given to Alice by someone else, and she stores it in the Book.

This is a fun cosy mystery to read anytime but especially during the build up to Christmas. Miss Alice Beeton is a great character and so too is her adorable little dog Agatha. With twists and red herrings it kept you guessing and the recipes throughout the book were an extra added delight. I’m really hoping this is going to be the start of a series as I know Alice and her merry band have a lot more solving to do. Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for letting me read and review this book.

What a delightful cosy crime book! I thoroughly enjoyed, what I hope to be a new series. Alice Beeton is a distant relative to the famous Isabelle Beeton who wrote the Victorian Book of household management. This book is the perfect recipe for this new cosy crime genre that I love. It isn’t the most fast paced book but I still couldn’t help wanting one more chapter and quickly got to the end. There was no big twist but there was still a good level of intrigue to see who did it and why! There’s even recipes!!

Alice beaten, runs the Good Household Management Agency, providing discreet domestic staff to extravagant townhouses. However, in the early hours of New Year's Day Alice. Is awakened with the news that one of her placements has been found dead. She now takes it upon yourself to solve the crime.
This was a wonderful easy read in the style of Agatha Christie that had a good murder mystery vibe. I hope this is the start of a new series because this book was truly enjoyable.

I loved this funny and refreshing read. The character of Miss Beeton was brilliant and I enjoyed following all the clues to find out who committed the murder. I do hope there is more books in this series. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This is the beginning of a new series of cosy crime, featuring Miss Alice Beeton, relation of the famous one but not a cook, but someone who runs the Good Household Management Agency. The agency provides the best staff for the best houses in the country. Exclusive and discreet is what Miss Beeton aims for.

When the perfect potential employee walks into the agency, Enya impresses Alice and she seems the perfect fit when a housekeep job comes up. But then Enya ends up dead and Alice finds herself trying to solve the replacement for Enya but who exactly did kill her and did it have anything to do with the place she was working?

Alice seems to be a character you could dislike, but her quirkiness and her adorable dog Agatha set the scene for future books in this series. I look forward to seeing what happens next.

A delightful, cosy crime read, I really hope we will see more of Miss Beeton in the future.

Miss Beeton is a distant relative of Mrs Beeton, yes the cooking, housekeeping genius of long ago, and Miss Alice Beeton has followed in her footsteps with her Good Household Agency.
Unexpectedly, her latest member of staff is murdered, and Alice finds herself embroiled in a dangerous position, not knowing who to trust.

Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency by Josie Lloyd is a simply marvellous contemporary cosy crime novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Miss Beeton is rather like a modern-day Miss Marple as when a crime occurs, she uses all her powers of amateur sleuthing to investigate. She believes that she will solve the crime quicker than the police.
Although there is a contemporary setting, the novel has a retro feel to it. It feels like a time when life was simpler. The reader feels as if they are in a bygone age of servants, masters and large houses.
Miss Beeton is a very likable heroine. She runs her agency with precision. She is also a (fictional) relative of Mrs Isabella Beeton, of the cook book fame. As an off-shoot, there are recipes included from the famous Mrs Beeton. They certainly tempt the reader’s tastebuds.
All the characters were wonderfully drawn, they were an eclectic mix. I loved the inclusion of Agatha, Miss Beeton’s little dog. She is named after Agatha Christie and really is a character in her own right.
We see the influence of kind hearts on young lives. Miss Beeton is indebted to her childhood housekeeper who offered her love, care and compassion. Her influence remained into adulthood. “The person who felt like home,” is what Miss Beeton declares about her childhood influence. We all need that person in our lives.
I thoroughly enjoyed Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency. It was a delightful tale that would translate perfectly into an early evening television viewing. I can highly recommend it.
I received a free copy via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

I have loved this authors books since I started reading them in my 20s. This one was a totally different genre to what they normally write but loved its quirky vibe. Was a cross between mrs marple and Agatha Christie with a lot of other twists and turns thrown into the mix.

I also loved the references to mrs beeton that were cleverly interwoven throughout and food and baking lovers will love the recipes that have also been included am sure.

Look forward to reading more in this series and seeing how it develops.