
A Terribly Nasty Business
A Beatrice Steele Novel
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Narrated by:
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Fiona Hampton
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By:
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Julia Seales
About this listen
After achieving her lifelong dream of solving a murder, bringing a killer to justice, and proving she is not, in fact, a morbid creep, Beatrice Steele feels like everything is finally falling into place. She’s traded her etiquette-obsessed community of Swampshire for the big city of London, accompanied by her ever-trusty chaperone, Miss Bolton. They’ve settled in a lovely neighborhood, Sweetbriar, known for its proximity to the Sweet Majestic theater, picturesque pleasure gardens, and an unfortunate infestation of flying squirrels. But Beatrice’s favorite part is that Sweetbriar is also home to DS Investigations, the new office she opened with the prickly, annoyingly logical Inspector Drake to solve the city’s brutally thrilling crimes.
However, nothing is turning out how Beatrice imagined it would. Sir Huxley, famed gentleman inspector and Beatrice’s former crush, is still considered the real investigator in London, so the only cases left for Beatrice and Drake are lost pets and spectacles. Not that Beatrice has much time for crime-solving anyway, as her mother still expects her to find an eligible (rich) husband to protect their family from destitution. Beatrice is struggling to balance all the demands on her and begins to wonder if she can become a true detective in a city that feels full of false promises.
That is until a string of murders thrusts Beatrice and Drake into the center of a scandal that pits the neighborhood’s wealthiest against the arts community, spreading fear and chaos throughout the city. As they follow the trail through bewildering ballrooms, secretive shops, and odd operas, Beatrice must survive threats to her partnership, her business, and her place in society to break the case—before it’s too late.©2025 Julia Seales (P)2025 Random House Audio
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Critic reviews
“Seales follows A Most Agreeable Murder with a jaunty sequel that finds Regency era sleuth Beatrice Steele swapping the provincial environs of Swampshire for London’s hustle and bustle. . . . Seales doesn’t stray too far from what worked in the first book, probing the strict class and gender divides of Regency England while keeping the plot moving at a steady clip. This series deserves a long run.”—Publishers Weekly
“The word ‘romp’ was invented for Julia Seales’s books. A Terribly Nasty Business is zany, absurdly charming, and frequently laugh-out-loud funny—having this much fun while reading about murder ought to be criminal.”—Martha Waters, author of the Regency Vows series
“A hilarious, cozy, fast-paced mystery with seriously murderous Bridgerton vibes, it kept me giggling and kicking my feet with glee right to the end.”—Kate Weston, author of You May Now Kill the Bride
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By: Julia Golding
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The Murder of Mr. Wickham
- By: Claudia Gray
- Narrated by: Billie Fulford-Brown
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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The happily married Mr. Knightley and Emma are throwing a party at their country estate, bringing together distant relatives and new acquaintances—characters beloved by Jane Austen fans. Definitely not invited is Mr. Wickham, whose latest financial scheme has netted him an even broader array of enemies. As tempers flare and secrets are revealed, it’s clear that everyone would be happier if Mr. Wickham got his comeuppance. Yet they’re all shocked when Wickham turns up murdered—except, of course, for the killer hidden in their midst.
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Awesome!
- By Amazon Customer on 05-24-22
By: Claudia Gray
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An Amateur Sleuth's Guide to Murder
- A Bainbridge Island Mystery, Book 1
- By: Lynn Cahoon
- Narrated by: Vanessa Daniels
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Meg Gates could use a guidebook for life. Indeed, she's faced some challenges. She dropped out of college to work for a tech startup that failed—and her fiancé just took her bridesmaid to Italy on what was supposed to be Meg's honeymoon. Now, at twenty-six, Meg has taken the ferry ride of shame from Seattle back to Bainbridge Island to live with her family. At least she has her rescue cocker spaniel, Watson, by her side. But it's Meg who could use a rescue—and she's hoping it will come in the form of a part-time gig doing research for a bestselling mystery writer.
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4 stars
- By Beatrice on 06-30-25
By: Lynn Cahoon
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The Wordsworth Key
- Regency Secrets, Book 3
- By: Julia Golding
- Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Investigative duo, Dora Fitz-Pennington and Dr Jacob Sandys, have escaped London and headed north to the Lakes, both needing time away from danger after their two most recent cases. Death, unfortunately, hasn’t got the message that it isn’t welcome to join them. Now, as William Wordsworth’s opus goes missing, and disappearances and a murder follow in quick succession, Dora and Jacob are forced to abandon their holiday and use their unique skills to track down a reckless killer intent on destroying the Romantic poets and all they stand for…
By: Julia Golding
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A Patient Woman
- A Historical Romance Mystery (Tabitha & Wolf Historical Mystery Series, Book 9)
- By: Sarah F. Noel
- Narrated by: Vicki-Jo Eva
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Tabitha and Wolf have just arrived back in London after their relaxing stay in Corfu. They haven’t thought about murder investigations for almost two months. However, any hopes they have that this respite might last a little longer are shattered when the groom’s father, Clarence Williams, the Earl of Warwick, is accused of murder just before Tobias’ wedding day to Lady Lily. Can Tabitha and Wolf clear the earl’s name in time for the wedding to proceed as planned? And what on earth is the dowager doing teaming up with Uncle Duncan, of all people?
By: Sarah F. Noel
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Shadow at the Morgue
- Spencer & Reid Mysteries, Book 1
- By: Cara Devlin
- Narrated by: Allie Rose
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Leonora Spencer has an acquaintance with death. Sixteen years ago, only she survived the brutal murder of her family. Now, as an assistant in her uncle's London morgue, she uses her photographic memory to catalogue details for his coroner reports. She also isn't opposed to helping him during postmortems if his skilled hands begin to shake. After a thief breaks into the morgue and steals a locket from a young woman's corpse, Leo is determined to understand why, even if it means going against Detective Inspector Jasper Reid's express orders to keep her nose out of it.
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Love this first in the series!
- By L. L. Chester on 06-25-25
By: Cara Devlin
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All Roads Lead to Rome
- By: Yamile Saied Méndez
- Narrated by: Victoria Villarreal
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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All Stevie Choi ever wanted was a cozy life in suburbia—a loving husband, adorable kids, a dog. That simple dream shattered into a million pieces when she was only seventeen. She’s spent the years since trying to outrun the pain and make something of herself, if only to prove to her estranged family that she’s happy and successful—even though she’s secretly yearning for another chance at love. If only she believed she deserved it....
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A Daughter of Fair Verona
- By: Christina Dodd
- Narrated by: Suzy Jackson
- Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Once upon a time a young couple met and fell in love. You probably know that story, and how it ended (hint: badly). Only here’s the thing: That’s not how it ended at all. Romeo and Juliet are alive and well and the parents of seven kids. I’m the oldest, with the emphasis on ‘old’—a certified spinster at twenty, and happy to stay that way. It’s not easy to keep your taste for romance with parents like mine. Picture it—constant monologues, passionate declarations, fighting, making up, making out … it’s exhausting.
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Highly enjoyable listen!
- By M. Holt on 07-10-25
By: Christina Dodd
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A Case of Mice and Murder
- The Trials of Gabriel Ward, Book 1
- By: Sally Smith
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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When barrister Gabriel Ward steps out of his rooms at exactly two minutes to seven on a sunny May morning in 1901, his mind is so full of his latest case—the disputed authorship of bestselling children’s book Millie the Temple Church Mouse—that he scarcely registers the body of the Lord Chief Justice of England on his doorstep. But even he cannot fail to notice the judge’s dusty bare feet, in shocking contrast to his flawless evening dress, nor the silver carving knife sticking out of his chest.
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Unique, Clever, and truly interesting
- By wisconsinclark on 06-30-25
By: Sally Smith
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The Anatomist's Wife
- Lady Darby Mystery, Book 1
- By: Anna Lee Huber
- Narrated by: Heather Wilds
- Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Following the death of her husband, Lady Darby has taken refuge at her sister's estate, finding solace in her passion for painting. But when one of the house guests is murdered, her brother-in-law asks her to aid the insufferable Sebastian Gage - a fellow guest with some experience as an inquiry agent. While Gage is clearly more competent than she first assumed, Kiera isn't about to let her guard down, as accusations and rumors swirl.
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A good read.
- By sslarigo on 01-22-15
By: Anna Lee Huber
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How to Commit the Perfect Murder in Ten Easy Steps
- By: Jessica Huntley
- Narrated by: Charlie Albers
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Ashleigh Carmichael has it all: money, fame, expensive cars, a multi-million-pound London house and the adoration of millions of social media followers. Curtis Redding does not have it all: homeless, penniless, down on his luck and he doesn’t even own a phone. Plus, he’s wanted to kill Bryan Matthews since he was a child. Ashleigh (through no fault of her own) winds up getting dragged into the power-play between Curtis and Bryan, who clearly have ongoing issues with each other.
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Engaging visceral thriller
- By Chris S. on 07-08-25
By: Jessica Huntley
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The Colony of Lost Souls
- By: Kelsey James
- Narrated by: Sarah Welborn
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Born a year apart, May and June Anderson were once as close as twins. Time and a loveless marriage changed the once vibrant May into June's timid counterpart. Now, two years after June abruptly disappeared, May receives a letter from her sister, inviting her to visit a mysterious colony in southern California. Eager to match June's boldness for once, May doesn't hesitate.
By: Kelsey James
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All's Fair in Love and War
- A Novel (Miss Prentice's Protegees, Book 1)
- By: Virginia Heath
- Narrated by: Eva Feiler, Shane East
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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When Harry Kincaid’s flighty older sister decides to join her husband on an Egyptian expedition, Harry, a former naval captain, is left in the lurch, minding her three unruly children and giant, mad dog. But Harry has a busy career at the Admiralty that requires all his attention, and he has no clue how to manage the little rascals or when his sister is coming back. In desperation, he goes to Miss Prentice’s School for Young Ladies prepared to pay whatever it takes to hire an emergency governess quick sharp to ensure everything in his formerly ordered house is run shipshape again.
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Throughly enjoyable
- By Amazon Customer on 04-23-25
By: Virginia Heath
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A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure
- By: Angela Bell
- Narrated by: Beverley A. Crick
- Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Miss Clara Marie Stanton's family may be eccentric, but they certainly aren't insane. London, England, 1860: When Clara's ex-fiancé begins to spread rumors that her family suffers from hereditary insanity, it's all she can do to protect them from his desperate schemes, society's prejudice, and a lifetime in an asylum. Then Clara's grandfather Drosselmeyer brings on an apprentice with a mechanical leg, and all pretense of normalcy takes wing.
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Fun, but overly preachy
- By A.G. Lindsay on 06-17-24
By: Angela Bell
Loooooved it!
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I cannot wait for the next book!
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Part of me wishes I had discovered this series after the 5th book so I could binge them all, but alas I will patiently wait until the next one.
The reader is AMAZING!!! Gives every character their own unique voice - which was no small feat considering she had to do many different accents!! Brava!! I hope she continues to voice every book!
Never Wanted it to End
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Even better than the first
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Love this series!
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Of course, I could always take more of the titular tension with Vivek Drake, but life (and death) seem to be orbiting around these stars at a ridiculous rate and its understandable why we have the scenes we have (trying not to spoil here!)
Anyone who enjoyed the first book will be riveted and enthralled with this second installment. I look forward to as many of these books as we are to get!!!
She Does It Again!
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Stupid
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