Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for this ARC.

Alice Beeton, in her 50s, a distant relative of THE Mrs Beeton, runs The Good Household Management Agency which supplies staff for rich people. Her useless brother Jasper has inherited the family pile, Hawthorn Hall, which is a moneypit that even Alice's loans can't help much. She loves baking and murder mysteries and has a dog called Agatha after Agatha Christie. 

One day, a new woman on Alice's books, Enya, that Alice rather hastily supplied due to an emergency, is found murdered at the clients' house, the Messents, during a posh New Year's Eve party. Alice decides it is her duty to find the murderer as the police don't seem to be terribly interested, so she inveigles herself into the household in question and begins sleuthing. She finds out soon that nothing in this case is as it seems.

The pace of the book is slightly uneven, with the first quarter being used to introduce the characters. I'm sure this won't take up so much time in further books. The more the story progresses the more things happen at once and the tension ramps up.

Alice is an interesting, well-liked character and has friends everywhere so when she needs their help they all rally around and help devise a daring plan to catch a murderer.

The setting is London at Christmas time, and the feel is distinctly Victorian though people have air fryers and everything. It might have to do with Alice herself who is a rather old-fashioned single and childless woman and a stickler for politeness and good manners.

The chapters are interspersed with old-fashioned recipes directly from Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management. As the measurements were in imperial, I mostly skipped them, but they are a nice touch. They might have been better collated at the end of the book though as they interrupt the reading flow.

This is a new cosy murder mystery series and the sequel is already expertly set up when dishy Detective and potential love interest Darren Rigby who she impressed in this case, asks for her help. I will happily read new instalments to see how this evolves!

This book is incredibly entertaining. I couldn't finish it fast enough! The characters are mostly lovable and warm, there's a cute dog and the mystery isn't too taxing, plus the cover is lovely. Recommended if you like cosy murder mysteries with a slightly Victorian feel and a likeable sleuth.