ARC Review: A Murderous Business by Cathy Pegau

A Murderous Business
Author: Cathy Pegau
Series: A Harriman & Mancini Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Minotaur Books (September 16, 2025)

Description: A sharp, captivating historical mystery about two queer women in turn-of-the-century New York, for fans of Lavender House and A Most Agreeable Murder

There can be a blurry line between what is ethical and what is legal.

Margot Baxter Harriman took the reins of B&H Foods after her father passed. It’s not easy being a business woman in 1912, but she is determined to continue what her grandparents started decades ago, no matter what it takes.

So when Margot finds Mrs. Gilroy, her father’s former assistant, dead in the office with a half-finished note confessing to nebulous misdeeds at B&H, she seeks out help from a very discreet, private investigator to figure out what's going on. Her company, and her good name, are at stake if scandal breaks...and she could lose everything, including her freedom.

Loretta “Rett” Mancini has run her father’s investigation operation since he started becoming increasingly forgetful. When Margot offers her the chance to look into the potential scandal with B&H, she jumps at it.

But the more the two dig in, the more it becomes clear that Margot's company may be too far lost...and someone is willing to kill them both to keep things quiet.

Charming and witty, Cathy Pegau's A Murderous Business is perfect for fans of Lev Ac Rosen, Enola Holmes by Nancy Springer, and the Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney mysteries by Claudia Gray.

My Thoughts: This historical mystery set in 1912 pairs Margot Baxter Harriman and Loretta "Rett" Mancini. Margot has inherited her father's food canning company and is trying to run it despite the opposition she faces from her male Board of Directors. When she comes upon the body of her father's retired assistant Mrs. Gilroy who died in the middle of writing a note confessing to unnamed offenses, Margot looks for a discrete investigator to find out what is going on.

Rett is her father's assistant in a detective agency. She's assumed more and more responsibility as her father's forgetfulness has increased. When Margot comes to her, she takes the case and decides not to tell her father about it. 

They quickly uncover secrets including a safe deposit box filled with cash when they begin their investigations. Only they don't know what crime the deceased Mrs. Gilroy was covering up. They discover some fraud where fake employees claim and are reimbursed for fictitious injuries. But the note said "death" and the fraud scheme has no deaths attached to it. 

Then the blackmailing food inspector comes to call. Mrs. Gilroy's death ended his financial windfall and he wants it resumed. Before Margot can decide what to do about the blackmail, the food inspector is found bound and shot in the river. Since Margot was the last to see him and was arguing with him too, the police are interested in her whereabouts at the time of the murder. 

Margot's alibi lies in the fact that she had been with Rett, Rett's girlfriend, and a new friend Shiloh with whom Margot spent the night. This is not something a woman in 1912 is eager to share. Scandal could bring down the company she's trying to save just as much as the unnamed crimes Mrs. Gilroy mentioned. 

This was an entertaining historical mystery. I like that it is the first book in a new series. Both Margot and Rett are interesting characters trying to make their way in a world that doesn't give single women much room or many choices. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.