A fun new entry in the Regency mystery genre. I very much enjoyed reading The Body in the Garden - the mystery developed at a good pace, the characters were interesting, and the villains got their comeuppance in the end. I look forward to reading the next Lily Adler mystery.

The first in a new series by Katharine Schellman features Lily Adler. In The Body in the Garden, young widow Lily returns to London to reestablish her household after the death two years before of her husband Freddie. Life in London society is different for a widow and Lily wants to try to do something useful without having to rely on a man. At a ball thrown by her friend Lady Walter, Lily finds herself in the garden overhearing an argument. In what sounds like someone demanding blackmail she tries to make her way back to the house when she hears a shot.

An excellent new series with a smart, intrepid lead character. Looking forward to more of this series.

Description
London 1815. Though newly-widowed Lily Adler is returning to a society that frowns on independent women, she is determined to create a meaningful life for herself even without a husband. She's no stranger to the glittering world of London's upper crust. At a ball thrown by her oldest friend, Lady Walter, she expects the scandal, gossip, and secrets. What she doesn't expect is the dead body in Lady Walter's garden.

Aided by a roguish navy captain and a mysterious heiress from the West Indies, Lily sets out to discover whether her friend's husband is mixed up in blackmail and murder. The unlikely team tries to conceal their investigation behind the whirl of London's social season, but the dead man knew secrets about people with power. Secrets that they would kill to keep hidden. Now, Lily will have to uncover the truth, before she becomes the murderer's next target.

My Review
The Body in the Garden by Katherine Schellman is a fun historical mystery read. It starts off in 1815 with widow Mrs Adler arriving back in London. All settled in her new home Lady Adler attend a ball thrown by her oldest friend Serena only to be thrust into a murder.

She better try to figure out soon who is the killer before she becomes his next victim. Will she succeed?
It's a really good novel that I am sure you will enjoy.

Even though I didn't fall in love with this book, I'm always glad to have a new historical murder mystery series.

Lily comes back to London as a new widow. The day she arrives she gets invited to her friend's ball where she discovers a dead body literally in the garden. After seeing her friend's husband bribe the police not to take the case, she decides to investigate. Helping her is a navy captain and an heiress from the West Indies.

I really liked the inclusion of minorities. The navy captain is half Indian and passes for white while the heiress is half black and doesn't pass for white. The book goes into how people treat them differently. There is a wall around the heiress because of this treatment and Lily has to get through them in order to find out the truth of everyone surrounding her.

Lily is a fine leading character but she does have some room to grow. There's a point when she becomes too stubborn to prove herself and doesn't think about the consequences.

I found this book to be a sweet cozy mystery, full of detail, history and charm. Very enjoyable, and very nicely done!

A Lily Adler mystery that while slow in the beginning picks up to a satisfying conclusion i recommend for Victorian mystery lovers

«The Body in the Garden» was unfortunately a miss for me.
The pace of the book was quite slow in the beginning and I need a story to grasp my interest immediately if I am to be invested in it. Even though the mystery started right away, I found that I could not care about the genesis of it all.
I was not able to connect with neither the story nor the characters.
I can, though, acknowledge that the story might please others.
The female lead is a strong character after all; she has a fierce temper and is very clever. She is quite modern in that sense, taking into account that the story is set during the 19th century.
I very much enjoyed the historical setting of the novel, quite refreshing from the usual mysteries I tend to read.
Still, the plot was too slow and turned out to be too politically driven for my liking.
It was well written but there was not enough plot twists to keep me interested or on the edge of my seat. Even the ending fell flat to me.
The novel does read fast though and that is always a good point!

Recently widowed Lily Adler is at a party at her friend’s house when she overhears a quarrel between two men and a gunshot is fired. In this exciting story of murder, blackmail and bribery, Lily is shocked to find who is involved.

The police get bribed and the case is put off because of «insufficient evidence». Large sums of money change hands and suddenly they are unable to identify the victim because they don’t want to try. The magistrate, himself is in receipt of 300 £ from the host of the party where the murder took place. Lily secretly witnessed this. As the police are instructed not to investigate, Lily takes it upon herself to do it, with the help of Capt. Hartley and Miss Oswald. She hasn’t the first idea how to investigate a murder case, but sees no way around it if she is to bring about justice for the victim.

The scene of the crime is in a large mansion, so the party goes on unawares while the investigation is kept secret. Pretty difficult to do, I’m sure, but the hosts of the evening seemed to go to extremes to avoid scandal, which seemed the crucial concern for people of “Quality” at the time.

In this plot the victim discovered something worth killing to keep secret. I found the circumstances around the murder interesting as well as exiting. Difficult to find out who the culprit might be as the murder victims kept piling up. I felt the West Indies connection added extra interest to the plot. I have read some books set in the West Indies before, but not murder mysteries, so this was a new angle for me which I enjoyed a lot. As I like stories with multi cultural dimensions, this felt like a win. There seemed a bit of a Sanditon feel about the part of the plot which contains the West Indian heiress, Miss Ofelia Oswald, who is launched into London Society to find a wealthy husband. Miss Oswald is, however, slightly less rich and therefore slightly less aggressively chaperoned compared to Miss Lamb in Sanditon.

I found the progress and exiting intensity of the plot more than made up for a slightly wordy start. I enjoyed the writing a lot. Added bonus, I think, were the funny parts of the story, particularly relating to the budding friendship between Lily and Capt. Hartley as they were knees deep in trying to solve the murder. With a mix between light hearted banter and the serious issue of murder, this was a story I was unable to put down even well past midnight. I found it highly entertaining as well as a quick and easy read. No shortage of suspects here, I can assure you. Well done to the author for creating such a wide variety of realistic “good guy” characters as well as the unsavory ones that both angered and unsettled me.

The Body in the Garden is recommended for readers of historical fiction as well as readers of crime fiction. Thank you to publisher Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this eARC in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 stars / 5

Re-entering society after the death of her husband, Lily Adler soon finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery.

A delightful historical novel, with twists and turns galore, this story will delight many and have then desperate for the next instalment.

Newly widowed Lily Adler is returning to society in London 1815. Society frowns on independent single women. Despite that, she is determined to have a meaningful life. She attends Lady Walter’s ball and is ready for scandal, gossip and secrets but not the dead body in her garden. When Lord Walter bribes the magistrate to drop the investigation, Lily is determined to find the killer herself. This historical novel has many twists and turns. When Lily, Miss Oswald and Captain Hartley continue to investigate on their own, things become very dangerous. Society is much more difficult in the early 1800’s and someone doesn’t want them to figure it out. A good read for those who like historical fiction.

This is a good start to a new series and combines historical fiction and mystery. I love the setting of London during the social season. The cast of characters adds to the story and I look forward to reading more about them.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Widowed Lily Adler has returned to London to reenter society following a period of mourning for her young husband. During a ball, she has the misfortune to overhear a blackmail attempt that ends in murder. As was common in the time period, the magistrates are bribed to NOT investigate the murder, and Lily, who has an unusual sense of justice for her time period and social standing, sets out to investigate with the assistance of her late husband's friend, Captain Jack Hartley. While there are many historical mystery series set in Regency England, and several feature young widows of good background reentering society, Ms. Schellman introduces us to some interesting supporting characters, an Anglo-Indian sea captain and a mixed race West Indian heiress. While historically we know that the British population included such individuals, we seldom encounter them in popular fiction, especially as such engaging and sympathetic characters. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for access to the eARC in return for an honest review. I look forward to a sequel!

Talk about descriptive titles – the body in the garden is actually about a body in the garden. A historical murder mystery is just my cup of tea and I am glad I picked this one up. I enjoyed this book and would love to know what happens next in Lily Adler’s life. (Does the name Adler ring any bells? Sherlock Holmes fans?) Also, I like that the title is a play on the famous, 'Body in the Library'.  This list could go on and on, Body in the drawing room, Body in the conservatory, Body in the Buttery, etc. I am not being facetious - I really mean it! I liked the deep blue cover and the silhouette of the female head. Not very descriptive of the book, unless it was meant to depict the night in the garden, but certainly very aesthetically pleasing.

Lily Adler, recently widowed and just back in English society, chooses to become an eccentric rather than conform to the rules of society and remain just a pretty face on the lookout for a second husband to establish a life of security for herself. Well, a pretty face usually gets its way and so does she.  When she stumbles upon, literally, a body in the garden at a party that she has been invited to she decides to find out who killed the poor foreign fellow even though he was clearly blackmailing someone at that time. What follows is an intriguing list of episodes that lead Lily to the killer.

Along the way, she picks up two assistants, a friend of her husband and a West Indian heiress. The interactions between these two individuals were extremely passionate. Period. Will not say anymore as it will spoil a lot. Needless to say, the author has placed several red herrings in the book and I thought they were well done. I kept trying to figure out who the murderer might be and could not. Very disappointing. Historical murder mysteries are supposed to be much easier to figure out! the book is a bit serious without getting too dark which suits me just fine.

There isn’t much else that I can share without giving away spoilers but suffice to say, this book is a perfect cosy read for the British historical fiction fan.

An enjoyable and believable read, full of gorgeous descriptions and phrasings. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC egalley.

An enjoyable historical mystery, featuring a widowed protagonist in Georgian-era London. As Lily tries to figure out what to do with her life following the death of her beloved husband, she finds herself investigating the murder of a young man from the West Indies, after it becomes clear the authorities have been paid to sweep the whole thing under the rug. She is assisted in her endeavors by her late husband's best friend (a half-Indian naval captain on leave), and by an heiress from the West Indies who knew the victim as a child. The inclusion of people of color into the story is both refreshing and historically accurate (and the book comes with extensive sourcing at the end for those interested in learning more). I look forward to reading future books in this series!

Mention of Tasha Alexander sold this book to me. I loved Tasha's heroine as if she was my best friend. Lily Adler from The Body in the Garden is an amazing heroine as well. She is smart, independent, thorough and very much a lady.
The Body in The Garden is a story of murder at the ball. Well, it is the murder in the garden of the estate. But it happened during the ball. London season has just began and this is the first scandal of the season.
The host wants to hush up the murder. The predecessor of Scotland Yard want to do away with murder and put it among 'cold cases'. Everyone seems to be very interested in hushing the murder but Lily Adler, a young widow who just arrived to London after period of grieving and found herself unwilling attendant of this ball.
Katharine Schellman has done an amazing job in recreating London, sexist attitudes, the divide between upstairs and downstairs. The concept of widowhood through the eyes of sociallites of those times was an eye-opening.
Lily Adler fights the crime, the society, even her friends to uncover the murderer. She succeeds. She 'makes her own bed' for herself. Will it be soft and restful or prickly and lonely? The Time will tell and so will next books in the series.

"The Body in The Garden" is the debut novel of Katharine Schellman and the first book of the "A Lily Adler Mystery" series. And YES, it's marvelous! The book tells the story of Lily Adler, a young widow who just lost her husband and it's coming back to London to try to keep on with her life. But, as she expected, the void that Freddy left is too much and too hurtful to fill with lonely days and balls at night.

To Mrs. Adler, London is very dull and pretty much the same as when she'd left… Well, until the moment she overhears a peculiar conversation followed by a shot and a dead body in the middle of her best friend's garden.

Considering that the authorities seem to have no interest in finding out who killed the unknown young man, Lily sees herself forced to take the matter into her own hands. And if there's someone able to solve this murder case, it's Mrs. Adler with her brilliant mind.

"London society has never been known for letting women be their true selves.."

In this first book, we follow our protagonist as she tries to cope with her beloved husband death. She's not exactly thrilled to go back to London but she thinks this is the perfect opportunity to have the control of her own life. As a widow, Lily has more freedom than she ever had and plans to make the best of it.

The story is incredible! The descriptions, the scenarios, and also the secondary characters are amazing and interesting (and person of interest o.o) and they made me feel like "The Body In The Garden" was one of the best books I've read recently.

Schellman's writing is a masterpiece and I can't wait to see what she does next!!! "The Body In The Garden" is set to be released on April, 7th, and I'm already in need of the next installment ASAP!

"And I hope that after this, you will be able to spend your evenings doing only the sort of things frivolous young widows do."

It's 1815 London, and newly widowed Lily Adler is returning back to a society that frowns upon independent women, but Lily is determined to make a life for herself without her husband. At her first ball back, she expects all the whispers and gossip that usually surrounds the London upper class. What she doesn't expect is stumbling upon an attempted blackmail turned murder in the garden of her oldest friend, Lady Walter.

Because she's a woman, the police don't seem to believe her when she tells them what she's overheard. They especially don't seem to care once the local magistrate is paid off by none other than Lord Walter himself to drop the case. Determined not to let a terrible deed go unpunished, Lily recruits her husband's oldest friend, a charming naval captain, and a mysterious heiress from the West Indies to help her catch a killer. The farther into their investigation the trio goes, the more they uncover a bigger plot, and the more their lives are at stake and it's a race to the truth before Lily becomes the next target.

This book checked all my boxes: Victorian England, check. Take no crap leading lady, check. Witty, smart dialogue, check. Fun mystery, check. It was such a well written story and I was hooked right from the start. I loved how Schellman laid out the mystery and all the details. She really left you guessing as to who was the mastermind behind it all, and I felt really satisfied by the end. There's slight twists that throw you, and subtle clues you pick up throughout. Lily was such a great character, and really holds her own against all these men who try and silence her. I also really liked her co-detectives, Captain Jack Hartley and Miss Oswald, but my favorite secondary character had to be Jem, the wily young urchin who helps them out. If you're looking for a quick, well laid out mystery, check this one out.

A good read from a new author who shows lots of promise. Set in an era where women did not assert themselves or run households, the main character is a young widow who will not be pushed into society's idea of a "proper" widowhood. Lily takes on the investigation of a murder when the police will not. Her efforts will take her many places and introduce her to many people that she would not have met otherwise. As the story progresses, Katherine Schellman adds to our heroine's story and gives the story a couple of twists that you will not see coming.

3.5 stars. I liked this Regency mystery and am looking forward to seeing what the author does with these characters next. I didn't LOVE it because I found the mystery aspect of the story (which heavily involved shipping manifests) to be a bit dry and confusing at times, and I wasn't quite sure how everyone involved in the crime knew that Lily and the gang were investigating (though it did manage to keep me reading late into the night, so perhaps my exhaustion by the end can be blamed for that.) I also got annoyed with Lily at times for being so angry that Jack wanted to protect her even when someone had just tried to shoot her while she was asleep in bed. Overall this was a good, engrossing story that I'd recommend to anyone who likes historical mysteries and a nice set-up for a series.

I appreciated the diverse cast of characters (Jack is half Indian, and Ofelia is from the West Indies with an English father) and am interested to read more about how their backgrounds play into their lives in the time period, and also more about Lily's marriage. While she's clearly still grieving, I loved that she was a widow, because it's the perfect time to give a woman maximum freedom to go poking around in murders during this time period.