'A Scandal in Mayfair' by Katharine Schellman follows Lily Adler, by now infamous in London, as she untangles the web of an uncle disinheriting his niece, a return of an 'unsavory gambler' from her past and a young botany enthusiast suspecting her neighbour of sinister plans... and uncovers multiple murders in the process. Not to mention picking up a romance hinted in the last book. All while navigating a London season with her friends and mentees of course.

I had high expectations for this book as the fifth in its series with Lily as an intelligent, independent and motivated detective - and I found too many coincidences in the plot, starting with why she starts investigating in the first place and ending with the information leading to uncovering the murders and motives. Unrelated, I am also glad for the regulation of police search warrants nowadays.

The series has diverse characters with a lot of potential, however, they still seem to be modern characters wrapped in Regency clothes. It might be just me thinking of Georgette Heyer and Agatha Christie books - but there must be a way to show intelligent women of the nineteenth/ even early twentieth centuries, especially like Lily with her social and financial independence, without them coming across as twenty-first century women (whom I enjoy reading about, to be clear, but just not in a Regency setting).

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books publishers for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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The rating for this book is 2-2.5 stars, rounded down to two stars as I personally couldn't relate to the characters and the mystery.

[Half a star for the premise and the whole book; 1/4 - 1/2 star for the characters; 1/4 -1/2 star for the story arc; Half a star for the writing; Half a star for the world-building and description - 2-2.5 stars in total.]

Lily is no longer a new widow. In fact, over the past few years she has a growing list of women she has helped out of difficult situations. When a young girl approaches her she is inclined to help until blackmail follows.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for the opportunity to read this book. Schellman does it again with my new favorite Lily Adler mystery. Lily is back at it in a Scandal in Mayfair with an engaging and challenging mystery. Plots, wills, and plants abound to keep the reader guessing until the end. I would definitely recommend!

I cannot say enough good things about this book. No, literally. Instagram told me my first attempt at a review was too long. It is, undoubtedly, a five star read. But only because there aren’t more than five stars to be given. I always have high expectations for @Katharinewrites books, and she never disappoints. She just keeps getting better and better. I thoroughly enjoyed every word of this book. But since you’re probably looking for more than just enthusiasm in this review, let me endeavor to be more helpful.

For those unfamiliar with this series, Lily Adler is a young widow turned sleuth, living in regency-era London. In Mayfair, to be exact - thus A Scandal in Mayfair. She is known to those who seek her services as A Lady of Quality, specializing in discreet inquiries, confidential investigations, and mysteries solved. Her wit, intelligence, and constitution make her very well suited to this new endeavor. Through the previous four books, we have been introduced to her closest friends and acquaintances as she seeks to figure out what life looks like after the death of her beloved husband, Freddy.

We meet Lily - and many of these friends - again in this fifth installment. This Season, Lily is joined in Mayfair by Amelia, who is the sister of Freddy's best friend Jack, who has become a dear friend to Lily also. It was such fun to get to know her better in this book. She was a marvelous addition to the supporting cast.

This latest installment begins with a letter from an anonymous woman who is either in dire straits or very dramatic. Lily soon finds herself faced with more than she’d bargained for in this wonderful cozy mystery. Things are never as simple or straightforward as they seem - at least not when there’s a good novel to be enjoyed. The pacing is perfect as we uncover all that is afoot. From a potentially fraudulent will to rumblings of blackmail, what begins as a question of inheritance cannot possibly be as simple as it seems. I speculated a little bit about various outcomes as I went along, but mostly I was just along for the ride. I was deeply satisfied to see everything come together when all was revealed. Everything was woven together perfectly, keeping me engaged and delighted the whole way through. I don't wish to say any more, lest I spoil your joy of discovering it all for yourself.

Katharine Schellman just keeps getting better and better at her craft. She did an incredible job of bringing this world to life again. This is, without a doubt, my favorite novel of the year so far. I should have paced myself better, so I’d still have some of it left to savor, but I can’t bring myself to regret it at all. It was a delight from beginning to end.

This book releases August 20, and I’m eagerly awaiting my chance to pre-order the audiobook, which I expect will be narrated once again by Henrietta Meire. She always adds to my enjoyment of this series. @nicolelechtdesigns’s cover is beautiful. I’m grateful to @Crookedlanebooks for their kindness in supplying me with an eARC through NetGalley. If you haven’t read this series yet, I recommend starting with the first book, The Body in the Garden. If you have, I’m sure you’re already thinking about pre-ordering A Scandal in Mayfair - or asking your library to buy it for you.

There are times when you read a book to enjoy meticulous plotting, others when you read for a romance, and others when you read for the engrossing vibes. Rarely, do you get all thread in one book. This is the book. A Scandal in Mayfair by Katharine Schellman is perfectly plotted, has a fantastic romantic subplot, and immaculate vibes that transport you to Regency-era London.

This fifth book in the Lily Adler series opens with Lily being asked to steal a will to prove that a young woman is being cheated out of her inheritance by her uncle. The young woman's fiancé was made an appearance in a previous book and Lily is conflicted about helping. She agrees to look for evidence of wrongdoing, but doesn't commit to stealing anything. She attends a ball at the home of the uncle and while searching private rooms with her friend, Captain Jack Hartley, finds evidence that something is wrong, but doesn't completely discover the plot. Lily and Jack are almost caught snooping in a scene that will have long-time readers so delighted that they'll have to read the scene twice. The uncle is found dead the next day and Lily returns to the home to assist her Bow Street friend, Simon Page, in his investigation.

In a seemingly unrelated scene, Simon Page's niece, Fanny, tells Lily about a local woman growing poison in her window box. She things the woman is going to kill someone or already has. Long time readers remember Fanny as the budding botanist who also shows signs of neurodivergence. Lily has a soft spot for the girl and promises to investigate.

The perfect plotting becomes evident as the two separate mysteries, the murder of the uncle and the poison plants, start to grow closer together. It's fascinating to see the threads come together!

At the same time, there are significant developments in Lily's personal life. To say this aspect of the book was enjoyable is a huge understatement. It was magnificent!

While I was given advanced access to this by the publisher, I'll be preordering my copy, as usual. This series is one I find myself rereading regularly!

I haven’t read the other books in this series, but I still enjoyed A Scandal in Mayfair immensely. Lily is a wonderful character, well-written and easy to invest in. The mystery itself was great - just the right amount of twists to keep you guessing without feeling contrived or unnecessary. It was an excellent book to hunker down with a cup of tea and be taken back to the Regency era.

I would encourage those who haven’t yet read the other Lily Adler series to still give A Scandal in Mayfair a chance - you won’t be disappointed! I’m excited to get my hands on the other Lily Adler books!

I really adore this series, and I will always be glad for another installment! This one had some fun character/relationship developments, building upon the earlier books. The mystery itself was fun -- I picked up on the right threads early on, but there was enough in the way of red herrings and complications that it didn't feel entirely predictable, and the way it all came together at the end still had surprises. Very satisfying!

This is one of the best regency murder series out there right now and I was so thrilled to read book 5! True to the rest of the series, this is a delightfully twisty mystery along with catching up with characters we have grown to love. I especially liked that this mystery came to Lily as part of her new detective service. Recommended!

I’ve enjoyed reading the Lily Adler series so far. The main character, Lily, is always an enjoyable read. She is consistently portrayed as intelligent and resourceful while realistically navigating the limitations placed on women of her time. The series has followed Lily as she re-integrates herself back into London society while solving murders. The supporting characters are also well-written, particularly Jack, Amelia, and Ofelia, all of whom make an appearance in this volume. I don’t want to give any complete spoilers, but there is a romantic development. I’m not a particular fan of romance, but I can respect it when it is done properly. Had the romance that happened here in book five happened in book one, I may not have continued with the series, but it happened following four books of character development and felt like an earned and natural development that was well integrated into the story. The murder mystery itself was okay, with the only downside being that I had figured things out way before the characters did. Balancing the proper amounts of surprise and mystery to wonder who the culprit is with the right amount of foreshadowing to be able to look back and realize you could have figured it out early is certainly a difficult business. But I enjoyed reading the book, even if I did figure out the culprit a bit too early. This review is based on an ARC received from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books.

I love the Lily Adler series & look forward to each new installment. I was so excited to get an ARC from NetGalley! Without giving away spoilers, I was very pleased with the romantic developments in this book. As usual I enjoyed the characters and the writing, though I did think Lily was a bit slow to catch onto some big keys to the mystery. I'm not usually too far ahead of whoever is solving the crime in a cozy, but in this case I figured out a big "twist" way before our leads did. However, this is not enough of an issue for me to lower my rating. I am eagerly looking forward to the next installment!!

As a reader of the previous four books in this (amazing!!) series, this one has not failed to disappoint and was, perhaps in my opinion, the best so far.

All the beloved characters made an appearance in this book, along with my personal fave Jem. The plot had me guessing wrong a few times with all the red herrings, but it tied together in the end and as more was revealed, the more interesting the scheme got.

And finally, the romance between the couple I was rooting for finally blossomed, but since the main themes of this series is murder solving, it left a slightly bittersweet taste since we didn't get as much as I'd hoped for. To the future books!

This was another winner in the Lily Adler mystery series, it had that feel that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall concept of this book. I enjoyed the Regency era to this book and how the mystery element flowed well in this story. I was invested in what was going on and glad it was so well done. I can't wait to read more from Katharine Schellman and hopefully the Lily Adler series.

I really enjoyed the character development and the author’s writing style . The plot may have been a little bit predictable, but I feel like that’s to be expected with any cozy mystery.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Lily Adler books are a great cozy mystery series and this installment is no different, though I do think it's the best of the series so far. I discovered this series through NetGalley, when I requested book 3 of the series without realizing it was book 3. Luckily, it was no problem reading it out of order, as the author filled the reader in on enough that jumping in midway through was no problem; however, I liked it enough that I then went on to read the rest of the series, culminating with this one. If you are new to this series, I do think this book in particular is a little harder to start with than the others because many of the events and twists rely on established characters, so it would be better to start elsewhere.

I found the mystery in this book to be better laid out and organized than the prior novels. While I enjoyed the other books, I found some of them to have just too many possibilities and red herrings, and drag things out too long, while this mystery felt like a good balance among elements. Some of it was guessable before the end, but at least for me, not enough to get the full picture of what is going on until the reveal. There is some further development of Lily's friendships, particularly her relationship with Jack, here as well, which helped make the book about more than just the murder.

I find this series relaxing to read. The Regency Era means the mystery has to be solved "the old fashioned way" with clues and problem solving, not DNA results or surveillance cameras. Nothing ever gets too gruesome, and you know your favorite characters are all ultimately going to be ok, even when they go through some traumatic events. A lovely book to read on a rainy day for some good cozy crime solving vibes.

i had such a great time reading this book!! it was so fun. the characters were amazing and sweet and wonderful. it was just such a pure joy and i'm so very thankful to netgalley for letting me read this one early!!!

The London season is just beginning in the fifth in the Lily Adler mystery series, set in Regency England.

Lily Adler is a well-to-do young widow who currently has Amelia Hartley under her wing. That doesn’t make it easy to hide her correspondence from her charge. When Lily receives a note addressed to “A Lady of Quality”, a young woman expresses concern that her uncle and guardian might be stealing her inheritance from her. There’s something off about the letter, so Lily challenges the writer, asking her to meet in a public park. Lily is right to worry. Although the young woman is upset about her circumstances, and wants help, the man who accompanies her knows Lily and her history, and threatens to blackmail Lily and her friends if Lily doesn’t assist them. They want Lily to search the uncle’s house for a possible missing will.

Now that Amelia is staying with her, retired Navy Captain Jack Hartley has a reason to visit frequently, checking on his sister. But, he and Lily are both aware of their growing attraction. When Lily tells Jack about her plans to attend a ball, and search for the will, he’s willing to accompany her. During a ball, it’s a little easier for the couple to disappear than for one woman, although Lily and Jack soon find themselves under suspicion.

The next day, Lily is called back to the same house to meet with Bow Street investigator Simon Page. It seems her client’s uncle was murdered during the night, and a suspect found in the closet. That suspect begs Page to send for Lily Adler.

Katharine Schellman throws a number of red herrings in her readers’ path, but she also manages to throw us a few bones as well. It’s time Jack and Lily admitted their feelings for each other, and she handles it well. Lily is as straightforward as readers would expect with her character. And, the mysteries always benefit from the appearance of Lily’s diverse collection of friends. This time, though, she’s forced to acknowledge that her actions could disgrace her friends, not just her.

Schellman is also the author of the Nightingale mysteries. I hope she continues to find time and energy for the yearly Lily Adler ones.

I found this very gripping and super easy to get through. Although some may say the storyline is a little predictable, I still thoroughly enjoyed it and was glad for the realistic conclusion.

A great addition to this series!

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC. I really enjoy this historical mystery series, the character development is great and the plot will keep you guessing. Well written too.

I loved the story line but it was difficult to read with Katharine Schellman popping up between the sentences and the page number along in the sentence. Tried to skip over but was often reading those words before sentence was complete. Don’t know if this was a mock up before sending for publication. Your writin talent is great just need better editing.

This may be my favorite installment in this series since Body in the Garden! Schellman gave us all our favorite characters in another twisty, turny mystery that checks all the boxes: Lily finds herself in another mess? Yup. Jack and Ofelia are eager to help? Yup. There are a dozen suspects with strong motives? Yessir. I read these mysteries for the coziness and the characters, but this story actually had ben guessing the entire time, and for that I'm grateful. I still got my cozy story but it came with a happy dose of shock and awe that the others in this series didn't hold for me. If you are looking forward to another Lily Adler story, rest easy, this one is just as wonderful as the others if not better.

**Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the eARC**