It took me a while to get into this book. There are a. Lot of characters as Miss Beeton draws on her contacts to solve. A mystery. The. writer is building a whole world that I think will grow in future books.
This is a modern twist on coat mysteries that manages to feel quite vintage. There some great characters - Agatha the dog was a favourite, and recipes included.
I had to suspend my disbelief and enjoy the fun sometimes, but this was a very enjoyable read and I would definitely read more in the series in the future

3.5 ✨

I've been reading this author for more years than I care yo remember, and I'm fairly sure I've always been entertained.
That continues on, with this cosy crime book.
Alice and Jinx were like a pair of school girls, madcap ideas and enthusiasm galore.
It's a nice little story, and I enjoyed their adventure.
I also enjoyed the bonus recipes.
I'd like to think I might try at least one, but I think I'll be reading the (hopefully) next book before that happens.

What’s not to like about this book, absolutely nothing. It is a brilliant start to what will, hopefully, become a cosy crime series. The link to the redoubtable Mrs Beeton piqued my interest and I loved it.
Alice Beeton, a huge lover of Agatha Christie books, runs the Good Housekeeping Management Agency, supplying help to the large houses and estates around England. Everything is fine until one of her employees is found dead and Alice along with her faithful dog, Agatha, sets out to solve the crime.
This book had me hooked, it is well written with an interesting cast of characters and I really hope there are more stories to follow.

Alice Beeton has a famous relative, you know Mrs Beeton - the one who wrote that book!! Alice runs The Good Household Management Agency where she is helped by Jinx and Helly. One morning, Enya Fischer arrives for an interview, when Alice is called by Camille Messent asking for a replacement housekeeper. Alice arranges for Enya to take the post. Alice receives a call from Detective Rigby telling her that Enya has been found killed. This prompts Alice into doing something she wouldn't do - she goes to investigate the circumstances and discovers more than meets the eye! It's a quick read, entertaining, moments of humour, a few red herrings thrown in, with twists and turns that led to an unexpected but surprising ending.

A perfect cosy crime story for a cold evening. Alice Beeton runs an agency placing highly qualified staff into rich homes as housekeepers, chauffeurs and chefs and she prides herself on her own knowledge and gut instincts, in her spare time, she walks her dog Agatha and reads or watches crime shows. Deciding she would make an excellent detective via her knowledge, she is unprepared for this role to find her on New Years Eve.

Placing Enya in the Messents home, Alice feels pleased in trusting this new person for such a big role. When a call comes in saying Enya has been involved in an incident, Alice knows she must figure this out, What she doesn’t account for is the handsome detective, an undercover mission, stolen artwork or Interpol!

Alice, who lives a rather small and calm life, is suddenly thrust into being two people and deceiving those around her all in the name of catching a murderer!

Really well written and with bold and brilliant characters throughout- it may keep you guessing through to the conclusion!

I thoroughly enjoyed this and devoured it in one sitting. Would love for more from this as a series.

Miss Beeton's Murder Agency is a charming cosy murder mystery. The story follows Alice Beeton, a descendant of the famous Mrs. Beeton, who runs a high-end household management agency. When one of her new recruits, Enya, is murdered at a wealthy client’s home, Alice with her trusted sidekick Agatha (great name for a dog!!) go “under-cover” as a housekeeper to uncover the truth.

This book is best suited for readers who enjoy light-hearted, character-driven cosy murder mysteries.

**The formatting of the recipe pages is awful.**

A Christmas story with a twist! Alice Beeton runs a household employment agency and after successfully placing Enya as housekeeper to the Messants is shocked to learn that she's been murdered! Alice and her dog Agatha together with her friend Jinx decide to find out who did it

A delightful crime mystery that I hope becomes a series. Alice Beeton, owner of a household management agency becomes involved in finding the killer of a member of her staff. I loved the twists and turns, the interesting cast of characters especially Agatha the dog. As a bonus lots of tasty recipes for the reader to try, straight from the famous cookbook.

Miss Alice Beeton runs The Good Household Management Agency, bringing domestic staff to those with money who need reliable staff. She is related to Isabelle Beeton, famous for The Victorian Book of Household Management.

Alice is in her fifties and has never married or had children. She works with her best friend, Jinx, who is trying to bring Alice out of the Victorian era.

When Enya turns up at Alice’s office looking for employment, Alice doesn’t do her usual checks as she receives a panicked call from Camille Messent who desperately needs a new housekeeper.

I did like Alice’s dog, Agatha, for me, she was the highlight of the book.

This is a cosy mystery, but unfortunately, it didn’t hit the spot for me. I found it to be rather wordy and much more detail than necessary.

My thanks to HQ and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Alice Beeton is a fifty-something who is a bit of a square peg and feels out of touch with present-day London. She is supposed to be related to the Mrs Beeton of the Victorian Book of Household Management fame. She manages The Good Household Management Agency which provides housekeeping staff to the wealthy.
One day, Enya Fischer seeking a position, with a clutch of excellent references. Alice places her with the wealthy Messent family. Then Alice receives the news that Enya has been found dead and foul play may be suspected. She decides to use her position to investigate aided by a couple of eccentric friends and a dog named Agatha.

The good parts are that it isn’t too badly written and the characterisation is ok. The bad parts are that the book's first two-thirds are so slow that you want to scream and the plot only gets going in the last third. Then when it does get going, everything is so obvious there is no mystery left. The constant inclusion of the anthropomorphic dog, I found irritating, despite being an animal lover.

If you like the sort of cosy mysteries that are twee and are long on cosy and short on mystery, this book will suit you perfectly. Personally, I like a cosy with a little humour, but more mystery and plot based.

I found the included recipes throughout the book a bizarre touch and totally unnecessary. They were also impossible to read on an E-reader, due to the formatting. I appreciate this sort itself out when the book is finally published.

So, a definite no from me, but I think it will be popular for those who love the genre.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley, Josie Lloyd and HQ for the much-appreciated ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

A new cosy mystery enters the scene with the indomitable but at at times vunerable Alice Beeton at its core. Alice,a descendant of the famous Mrs Beeton runs a select domestic agency placing staff with wealthy families in London. Whe one of her placements is murdered at her workplace Alice finds herself ,somewhat reluctantly, investigating the cause of the crime. Helped by a disparate group of people who work with or are on her books she keeps on picking up clues along the way and builds a relationship with a Met police inspector.
This is a well written book with good plotting. There is a lot of background and description of the main characters which should form a sound base for further books in the series..
I can see this book delighting lovers of this genre and also being adapted for television.

A cute fun cozy mystery. An interesting cast of characters in unique settings and situations. The main character bakes a lot even though that is not her profession. It appears there are a lot of recipes in the book but the advanced reader copy of the recipes were not readable nor were pictures of the items visible. They sounded great overall but would have been nice to see them. Hopefully the printed book will have them available. Very quick and entertaining read! Enjoy!
I was provided an advanced reader copy and was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions expressed are my own. Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Alice Beeton is like a modern day Miss Marple. She notices details and understands people so when a murder occurs at one of her clients homes she feels she has no option but to become involved. This leads to an entertaining cosy mystery that I enjoyed reading.
It is very much a book of its genre and no worse for that as the reader knows exactly what to expect, a fairly lighthearted (murder aside) engaging storyline with a variety of memorable characters including a dog.
Delightful

For those who love cosy mysteries, this novel fits neatly into the genre, offering a modern-day story with the nostalgic feel of a Golden Age mystery. The narrative requires some suspension of disbelief, much like the stories of Poirot or Miss Marple, but that’s part of the fun. While the plot is fairly busy with various twists and turns, it remains entertaining and never takes itself too seriously.

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Oh this book was thoroughly entertaining. Alice Beeton is such a wonderful character, one I loved spending time with, and this is the finest of cosy mysteries, one which took a turn I was not expecting at all. There is such warmth and humour in this book, cosy crime fans will find it irresistible, and, as it is set sort of around Christmas, it would make the perfect festive gift too - what more could you ask for?

In Miss Beeton's Murder Agency, Josie Lloyd introduces us to Alice Beeton and her team at the Good Household Management Agency, undoubtedly the ideal career for a woman whose ancestry includes the inimitable Mrs Beeton - yes, that one. Facing a last minute request to find a housekeeper for an affluent French family, Alice Beeton finds herself in need of a new member of staff. Now, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the fact a French speaking, exceedingly well referenced, new prospect just happened to walk through the door that very morning is a touch convenient. Well ... it is for Alice, but less so for Enya, whose very first engagement on behalf of Alice's team will also be her last. Murder is the name of the game at the Messent's New Years Eve party, but did Enya disturb a would be burglar, or is something else afoot?

I love how Josie Lloyd has framed this mystery. She takes her time over introducing the characters and establishing their back story before the fateful night, which meant that I was able to take Alice, her beloved dog, Agatha (named after Agatha Christie, of course), and her team and friends, Helly, Jinx, Jacques, Massoud, and Barney, to my heart very easily. They are a wonderful bunch, and the banter and good humour that bounces back and forth between them makes this such an enjoyable read. It's clear that Alice is a woman who likes things to be just so, who had clear standards, but who elicits real warmth, honesty and loyalty from those around her, and I can see why, She may be a 'spinster', but there is something about her that draws you in, and there is also a clear spark between her and the investigating officer in Enya's murder, Detective Rigby. It's not so obvious at first, but that is the beauty of how the book has been written. it's something that grows over the course of the book, a kind of natural evolution than any kind of big bang - all the more sweet and enduring for it.

The mystery in this book is perfectly pitched, and the clues slowly unravelled until we reach what is, in the end, quite a clever and oacy conclusion. Alice is, as her dog's namesake might suggest, quite a fan of the classic mysteries, especially Agatha Christie, and she puts this to very good use, with the aid of her friends, infiltrating the Messent home in the guise of a replacement Housekeeper, taking the opportunity of absolute trust to uncover that which people would rather remain hidden. It's quite the mix of characters, secrets and lies in that household, and nothing is quite what it may seem. I did guess one element of the story, to a degree, but that didn't mean I had the whole case sewn up - there is plenty to discover, and many unexpected moments yet to come. Illegality on a grand scale, with a twisted and cunning plot, and brilliant reveal that Mrs C herself would be proud of.

The setting of the novel is perfect, and Josie Lloyd really brings that grand life of London's social elite to life. Even Alice's own history has a little glamour to it, even if it is somewhat dulled by the way in which her brother, Jasper, has ruined the family home. It allows for good, clean (no pun intended) mystery, with a heroine who reminds me a little of a younger Miss Marple, although Alice's romantic prospects do seem to be far more encouraging. Definitely, and heartily, recommended.

3.5/4

I admit to struggling a bit with the rating because whilst this book is very readable and no doubt, destined for the Christmas market, there are some parts of it that are beyond the fantastical and it is a very cosy murder.

I added the extra half star because of the recipes included, which I know people will love. Sadly, because I was reading the ARC they lost a lot in translation so I couldn't even tell you whether they sounded exciting. Plus I'm the world's worst baker. I think Mrs Beeton would have despaired of me.

The story follows Alice Beeton, a distant relative of the original Mrs Beeton. She runs a household management agency but is rushed, one morning, into placing an unknown quantity (Enya) into a household of a French family (the Messents). Enya seems perfect but after a very short time it seems there's more going on than Alice originally thought. Then, at a New Year's Eve party, tragedy strikes.

Alice and her dog Agatha are drawn into the investigation as she takes over Enya's role. She also gets help from longtime friend, Jinx and Detective Rigby of the Met. But can she divert disaster in both her home life and the criminal world.

As I say, it is a cosy murder perfect for fans of Agatha Christie or Richard Osman. There's no blood and guts, little (if any) bad language and the cast of characters are all pleasant - except the baddies of course.

Cosy murders aren't really a favourite of mine but this book will find a good audience base, especially with the recipes included. It seems set for a series so I suspect this is not the last we have seen of Alice Beeton and Agatha.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the advance review copy.

This is a fantastic twisty turns yet Genteel murder mystery. I absolutely loved it. There’s enough twists and dilemmas to keep the interest going and get so much excellent friendship and family background to flesh out a strong character of Alice Beeton.
I thought it was excellent, and I really enjoyed it.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to have read this. I had a publication and exchange for an honest review.

This murder mystery is great fun, and a quick read. The characters, although not all likeable, are engaging, and the dynamic between them well-constructed. However, the tasty-looking recipes throughout the text rather annoyed me; I would prefer to have these included in an appendix instead of having to skip over them in order to get on with the fast-moving plot.

The author has constructed a strong and diverse team (including some romantic interest) that I hope to meet again in future books.

Alice Beeton is a distant relative to the famous Isabelle Beeton who wrote the Victorian Book of household management. She is single and lives on her own with her dog called Agatha named after her favourite author. Who she has quite a collection of her books and she loves baking.
She runs the Good Household Management agency with the help of her friends Helly and Jinx. They provide domesticated staff to the rich and famous. She thoroughly vets her staff before hiring them. Until one day whilst interviewing a new member of staff Enya Fischer she gets a phone call from one of her clients saying that they need someone immediately. Enya’s CV and references looks impressive. So, she straightway sends her there. But whilst spending time with her family she gets a phone call to say that Enya Fischer is dead. She uses her sleuthing skills from reading Agatha Christie and goes undercover to find out who killed her.
If you love cosy crime this book is for you. This has an intriguing storyline and likeable characters and a really liked the Christmasy scene on the cover. I did enjoy this in parts. But sometimes the storyline slowed down too much and got over descriptive for me. The other thing was disappointing was the recipes interwoven though the book. I don’t know him much relevance to them in terms of the storyline and what was worse, because of the formatting you couldn’t read them anyway. 3.5 stars from me.

I have read two of Josie's books so far - The Cancer Ladies Running Club and Lifesaving For Beginners - and they were both exquisite. So if you add that talent, plus Mrs Beeton, plus what looks like a Christmassy setting, judging by the cover, then you've got the recipe for a brilliant read.

There are recipes in it!!!!!! I do enjoy a good recipe, especially when you least expect it, and I have saved a few of them.

I began reading this thinking it was set in the 1950s and it fits that era in my head, but then after a few pages it mentions Instagram and so I had to re-evaluate what I thought I knew. And yet knowing this, I still pictured Alice as a young woman in the 50s and I couldn't rid myself of that image.

It's got a lot going for it. There's history (I know I've learnt it's not an historical novel now, but all the talk of Mrs Beeton just gave me that nostalgia), there's adventure, thrill, comedy, crime, cosy crime, Christmassyness, uplift. I would have liked a bit more festivities considering the cover sort of advertises it as a Christmas story but that's not a big thing.

It was a little slow to begin with, it took a while to get going. And I've seen from other reviews that some see that as a problem. But I don't see it like that. It gives us time to get into this world, get to know our characters and become invested. I think in a story like this, if I'd had gone straight in, it wouldn't have had quite the same effect.

There is a very large cast of characters, but I loved Alice the best. She's so warm and friendly and trusting. She really shone. The other characters - there are too many to mention here - are just as good and work well with and against her. There's no wasted characters, which is impressive given a cast this size.

I read it in less than a day, it was so addictive and easy to read, and even though there's murder and whatnot, it's a real uplifting read. I reeeeeeeeeeeeeally hope this is the start of a series as I can really see it flying. It's completely different to the books of hers I've read before and it's just great. Good storytelling, fab characters, adventure, emotion, and at the centre, it's a real uplift.