A TERRIBLY NASTY BUSINESS A Beatrice Steele Novel

Fiona Hampton creates a panoply of amusing and sinister voices for the residents of Sweetbriar, budding detective Beatrice Steele's new London neighborhood. This second installment of screenwriter Searles's engaging Regency mysteries finds our intrepid heroine ostensibly searching for a wealthy husband, while actually working with Inspector Drake at their newly opened investigation agency. When multiple gruesome murders are committed in the neighborhood, London's famous detective, Sir Huxley, arrests the wrong man, who then hires Beatrice and Drake to find the real killer. Hampton's well-characterized, energetic performance works well with Seales's witty observations of seemingly polite society. Several characters carry over from the first book in the series (A MOST AGREEABLE MURDER), so it's best to read these in order. S.G. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2025]