There is a lot of world-building in this story, much of it to create a golden-age mystery ethos even though it is set in current times. Still, although this slows the pace, it lets the reader get to know the memorable characters, which are pivotal to a good, cosy mystery. I like the characters, especially Alice, who is complex and relatable. The story has an engaging mystery, which is fun to solve. The connection with Mrs Beeton is mentioned frequently and reinforced with recipes. It's an easy-to-read, cosy mystery with likeable protagonists and a good mystery.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Alice Beeton runs the Good Household Management Agency, and provides excellent and discreet domestic staff to wealthy people in townhouses and country manors. Alice is a distant relative of the renowned Mrs. Beeton of the bakery, cookbooks and how to manage a household fame. Alice holds the famous Mrs Beeton in high regard, aspiring to be like her, and have her own immaculate household some day. In reality, Alice is the other side of fifty, lives in an immaculate but dingy basement flat owned by a terrible landlord, with her wonderful little corgi cross Agatha. Named for that Agatha. Alice’s other passion is murder mystery, hence little Agatha’s name.

When one of Alice’s most influential clients calls in urgent need of a replacement housekeeper, Alice sends in a new hire who has not been fully vetted yet, Enya. This is a bit out of order for the normally very proper procedure following Alice, but Enya is charming, speaks fluent French (a client requirement) and is available immediately. All is going well, until early into New Years Day when Alice is woken to the news that Enya has been found dead in the clients house, during the New Year's Eve party. Alice is shocked, but when the detective on the case, Detective Rigby, seems to struggle with the investigation, Alice takes matters into her own hands. She feels like it was her fault Enya was there in the first place. When she starts digging into the case, she soon finds it hard to stop, even if she did want to.

This book was a charming read. It was full of wonderful characters, along with Alice. All her team, her friends, the bumbling Detective Rigby, were all wonderfully written. It was a real old fashioned murder mystery, wrapped in a modern, warm and fun shell. Alice is not your typical heroine, and we love her for that. Her sense of duty and honour and other traits, while at times coming across as old fashioned, is plausible, and makes her a warm and lovable character.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more escapades from Alice and her team!

*I received this book from NetGalley for review, but all opinions are my own.

Alice Beeton, distant relative of the famous Mrs Beeton, runs her own Good Household Management Agency, supplying staff to the well-off of London and the environs. Her own life hasn’t turned out quite as planned. Living alone in a basement flat with her dog Agatha wasn’t exactly how she saw her life panning out. Nevertheless, she throws herself into being the best at her job, and the best baker she knows.

When wealthy socialite Camille Messent appeals for her help in finding a new housekeeper, Alice goes against her best judgement, and sends a new employee whose credentials seem too good to be true. When said employee meets a nasty end, Alice steps in to try and solve the case. The police seem reluctant to look too closely. Why is that? The rather dishy Detective Rigby is pulled off the case by those upstairs and Alice smells a rat.

I loved the idea of Mrs Beeton’s relative being involved in household management. Alice was absolutely perfect for the job and took her role very seriously. She had a great team around her too - and her pooch Agatha was delightful.

Alice, until this point, had led a rather safe life - but this case brought out her daring side. She took risks and proved to be more resilient than she could ever have imagined. She felt it was her duty to find out what happened to Enya. I found the mystery compelling and hard to put down.

The story was well written, with an appealing main character. I want more of Alice - and her coterie of friends and family.

I really loved this, such an easy read but so enjoyable. I would call it a typical cosy crime caper. Alice is distantly related to the wonderful Mrs Beeton hence her business Miss Beeton's Good Managenet Agency. She provides top notch customers witb staff such as chefs, chauffeurs, housekeepers etc. She unwittingly supplies a housekeeper to a rich couple in the art world who ends up dead so Alice sets out to solve the murder and along the way develops a particular liking to the handsome detective Rigby who is on the case. There's also an old family plle of an estate, a lazy brother Jasper and his family in the mix. An added bonus is the recipe in each chapter which Alice has made her own from Mrs Beeton's original. A really enjoyable read and I really hope there will be another book to follow. Thanks to Netgalley for this copy.

This is a great read. The quirky Miss Beeton and her adorable dog Agatha, solve a wicked crime. It's a fun story, yet at times a wee bit mad. Brilliant well rounded characters, a dynamic plot. It didn't end like I thought it would, it was a rather surprising ending. Loved it.

Alice Beeton never meant to wind up single and childless on the wrong side of fifty. Like her distant relative Mrs Beeton – yes, that Mrs Beeton – she had hoped to have her own spic-and-span household by now. In reality, she lives in an immaculate but dingy basement flat in a rather shabby block in Kensington with Agatha, her fiercely intelligent, if rather over-territorial, corgi-Jack Russell cross. Now Alice runs the Good Household Management Agency, providing discreet domestic staff to extravagant townhouses and sprawling country piles. So when Camille Messant calls in urgent need of a new housekeeper, Miss Beeton sends out new hire Enya. But in the early hours of New Year’s Day, Alice is rudely awakened with the news that Enya has been found dead.
A new author to me & a new series. I thoroughly enjoyed it & look forward to more in the series. I really liked Alice & the adorable Agatha. A well written cosy mystery, which I read in two sittings, the pace is good, the characters have depth & I was kept guessing as to who the villain was. There was the added bonus of recipes. There were of course twists, turns & red herrings as would be expected in a cosy mystery.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

This was an easy enough read but a little too contrived for my liking and I did feel it took a wee bit too long to get to the juicy bits. Also there were two instances I think where someone who was undercover was addressed by their actual name,not the fake ID the person addressing them knew them as.

Alice Beeton, distant relation to The Mrs Beeton, runs her own business, The Good Household Management Agency, she and her staff find, vet and place suitable employees for upmarket clients in expensive houses, Discretion is the key.
When one of Alice’s placements is found murdered at a pre-Christmas party, Alice makes the decision to go undercover and find out what happened.
She is aided and abetted by Jacques, the chef, and Agatha her dog, who has a very discerning nose for those she distrusts and others that she thinks will be good for Alice.
Agatha runs into Detective Rigby of the Metropolitan Police and has to be rescued. Alice is unaccountably flustered by him, she is all of a dither, and I do so hope this is the start of a fine romance! Together they manage to solve various clues and the mystery itself.
This is a cosy, comforting novel that is a real page turner. Full of wonderful characters, they are talented, fantastically loyal, discreet, comedic, very supportive and utterly believable. An absolute sweet treat, to read and savour( baking puns intended)
My only gripe was the poor formatting of the recipes in this novel, so disappointing,I do love a good cheese scone. I’m sure these errors will be picked up for the final copy. A five star read, so much fun!
My thanks to Netgalley and HQ Books the publishers for my ARC freely given in exchange for my honest review. I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

I’m not a regular reader of so-called cosy crime but I loved this new novel by Josie Lloyd.
Alice Beeton is a distant relative of the famous Mrs Beeton. 50 something, single, she loves to bake, read crime and spend time with her little dog, Agatha. She runs an agency providing domestic staff to the rich and famous and when one of her new hires is murdered during a New Years Eve party she is dragged into a very dangerous situation.
Josie Lloyd has assembled a great cast of characters and a fascinating world around the agency and their wealthy clientele. The story zooms along with the occasional excellent recipe to break up proceedings. There is a great twist at the end and it’s all set up for the next in the series. Alice Beeton is a very welcome addition to this genre.

This is a long book and you have to be in it for the entire read to understand how the lead character moves from a household management agency and onwards into a murder detection agency. This part of the story takes up a lot of pages and hopefully this writer will continue with the series of murder agency stories, but we won't need the initial 100 or more pages the next time. These pages are necessary to explain how Alice Beeston sends one of her employees, to a last minute housekeeper job, who is then found dead at the location. Calling the dog ‘Agatha’ is maybe a mild link to a well known author, but there's no comparison and don't expect to a Miss Marple story as this writer carves out her own characters and novel status. You have to put aside how a housekeeping company can solve murders better than the police and once you do you'll enjoy this story, which is a nice easy read. I didn't really understand the recipes in the kindle version of this book; hopefully these will be better in the final printed version.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This book is a brilliant start to a new series.

Alice is in charge of the Good Household Management Agency where she employs people where needed in service.

When Enya’s body is discovered, Alice decides to investigate the death and she discovers that Enya wasn’t someone who she knew at all.

I loved Alice, and the other characters, each one different to the other and some were relatable.

I recommend this book.

3.5 stars
Where do I start with this book. On the one hand, it's rather quirky and a tad far fetched, on the other it's dashingly good fun, with a side order of bonkers. It is also peppered throughout with recipes which, as I am a rubbish cook and never bake, I just ignored...
Anyway... we start with Alice Beeton (yes relation) and her Good Household Management Agency on a day when a new client shows up for an interview. Enya is in need of a job and she comes with the most excellent references. As luck would have it (luck eh ?) at the same time another client calls desperate to fill a position that coincidentally (hmmm) would be perfect for Enya. Happy Days! Well, until she is found dead that is...
And so begins the aforementioned bonkers, far fetched, delightful, if a little wordy, tale which did hold my attention nicely and which did keep me intrigued. Even though I did manage to guess a fair few things early and continued to roll my eye along the way. It's also a bit busy in places so I did have to do a bit of juggling to keep things straight. Characters were on the whole good, especially Agatha :) and all played their parts as per...
Basically, what I am trying to say is that it has its good points and its bad ones too. The bad never being nearly bad enough for me to decide to pull the plug. Now, the way this book ended, it's pretty clear that it is more than likely to be a series opener. Whether the bad is bad enough to prevent me from continuing, the jury is still out...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

4.5* and an early Merry Christmas to me!

Now I am a cosy mystery reader through and through but to date haven't found a contemporary one that has worked for me. With Miss Beeton's Murder Agency I'm so happy to say that's changed.

This series opener (I mean, how can it now be a series!) has all the hallmarks of my favourite cosy historical mysteries - it's a fun read with a trusted canine companion, a found family with a motley crew of trusted sidekicks and of course, an initially reluctant yet attractive male character who quickly comes round to become a potential love interest and sleuthing partner. Along with a solid mystery this has all made for a winning combination and I can safely say already that I want more.

If you love cosy mysteries that have a small element of peril and plenty of shenanigans and subterfuge all whilst being led by an amiable amateur sleuth then this will be right up your alley too!

Thank you to HQ and Netgalley for inviting me to read an eArc of "Miss Beeton's Murder Agency" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

"Miss Beeton's Murder Agency" falls into one of my favorite mystery categories -- the cozy but not too cozy genre, where I can get a welcome break from more intense thrillers, but still enjoy a satisfying mystery.

This book feels like it could be a worthy successor to Agatha Raisin (RIP M.C. Beaton), with a dash of Nita Prose’s “The Maid” and a recipe-based structure a la Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen series.

While I really got a kick out of Miss Beeton and the cast of quirky characters in this book, the recipes included between each chapter felt a little forced -- almost to the point that they felt unnecessary. For instance, it felt like cooking and baking were almost an afterthought to make the recipe structure fit, and not really an integral part of the story or the character.

Despite this, I'm hoping that this is the first in a series so that I can read more about these characters, and to see what else this well-fleshed out sleuth gets into. And yes, more Jinx and Agatha too please!

lice Beeton has an employment agency, placing prime candidates into plush jobs.  But when a demanding client loses a housekeeper she has to send in a new recruit.  Things seem to be going great..until the housekeeper ends up dead!

With her friends and colleagues Jinx and Helly, Alice makes a bold plan to help save the agency's reputation and discover who murdered the housekeeper.

The Messents are wealthy art connoisseurs and used to getting what they want, when they want.  It's a pity they don't spend the same effort and attention on their daughter, Laura.  With Alice working undercover she keeps an eye on Laura whilst ferreting out the truth.

There is a strong found family vibe between Alice, Jinx, Helly and their long term temps.  Alice's own family are pretty horrific if I'm honest - I certainly couldn't put up with them.  Detective Rigby is a good foil to Alice.  He's hard done by cop, who isn't completely annoyed by Alice's interference.

There is a lot of gentle and very British humour throughout.  The plot may be a tad predictable but it does hark back to vintage murder mysteries so that may add to the Deja vu.  I love a great animal sidekick and Agatha was an adorable addition.  The gentle, timid, hint of a romance was teased throughout the book and I'm hooked to see what will happen. The addition of the recipes links Alice to her ancestor and there are some that I'll definitely give a go, even though I am the world's worst baker!

Alice had a great debut and I'd happily read more.

Thank you Netgalley and HQ for my ARC copy.

When I requested this arc I just knew I was going to love it and it didn't disappoint. This is such a good festive cozy murder mystery and was such a quick read. I Read it in 24 hours and will 100% be recommending this to people this festive season

JOYOUS. JOYOUS. JOYOUS. Cozy, Festive, Magical. I loved this so much and to also be sent an amazing hamper from the publisher was the cherry on top! Thank you thank you thank you so much for sending me this as an early read, I just wanna cuddle up with it again with a warm hot chocolate and a fire in the background, perfect for the darker evenings and blanket snuggles.
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A VERY strong recommendation!!

What a great story! Cosy Crime at its best.
There’s a lovely community feel to this book as everyone rallies around to help Alice as she attempts to find the murderer.
Such an easy and enjoyable read with a well thought through plot.

Alice Beeton runs the Good Household Management Agency in Mayfair, supplying staff to the rich and famous. One day a young woman called Enya arrives with an impressive CV wanting a housekeeper role. Alice receives a phone call from a client needing a housekeeper urgently and after doing some preliminary checks, she gives Enya the role.
On New Years Eve, she is horrified to be called to the house and be told that Enya is dead.
Shortly afterwards a woman called Gerda arrives at the agency begging Alice for help. Enya was her friend and the police seem to have swept the investigation under the carpet. At the same time the houseowner calls wanting a housekeeper right away. Alice doesn't have one, but the houseowner threatens her agency if she doesn't get what she wants, so Alice goes in undercover to look for clues for Gerda. Suddenly the stakes are upped and Alice finds herself in the middle of a major investigation.......
A very entertaining read.

This is such a cosy fun read. The characters are all brilliant! I hope there is more because I really rated this book,. Unfortunately some of the recipes etc didn’t translate/ render at all I hope to the see the things I missed out on in the real book.
All in all - a fantastic read and Alice is so likeable