Strong debut novel and start to a new series.

When widow Lily Adler overhears a blackmail attempt that ends in murder, she is understandably shocked. When she overhears a respected friend bribe someone from Bow Street to drop the investigation of that murder she is appalled. Her sense of justice won’t let her drop the matter, so she decides to start her own investigation.

While at times the tone and dialog didn’t feel quite right for the historical setting, it wasn’t enough to lessen my overall enjoyment of the story. The mystery was interesting, and the characters were well developed. I especially liked the relationship between Lily and Jack. Their interactions were funny and at times very sweet, without the usual contrived pendulum between ‘stare longingly into each other’s eyes’ and ‘sulky over some misunderstanding’. I’m interested to see how the author further develops their friendship/possible romance as the series continues.

Content-wise: Mild language, reference to affairs, no bedroom content within the events of the story, non-graphic description of murder.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me an ARC!

I enjoyed this novel from the first page to the last.

The leading lady, Lilly Adler, is just lovely.

I enjoyed her depth and the author's skill in communicating what she is feeling on the inside, which is times is in sharp contrast to what is happening on the outside.

Victorian England, and London society, are not the easiest to traverse as a younger widow. Especially one with an outstanding brain and a strong value system (as well as a tight and supportive group of friends) to guide her. The reparte amongst them is delightful and solving this cosy mystery requires the use of their combined talents.

The outcome a little surprising and I loved that.

I hope I have the privilege of reading more in the series.

My thanks to Netgalley, Crooked Lane publishers and the author for my advance reader copy. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

Set in Georgian England during the reign of the Prince Regent, this is a delightful murder mystery.

Miss Adler, recently returned to London and still grieving the loss of her husband, finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation and discovers that her intellect is well suited to such investigation. Using her wits and calling on the assistance of trusted acquaintances, she probes the affairs of aristocrats and businessmen to unveil treachery, treason and murderous motives. Set in Georgian England during the reign of the Prince Regent, this is a delightful murder mystery.

Miss Adler, recently returned to London and still grieving the loss of her husband, finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation and discovers that her intellect is well suited to such investigation. Using her wits and calling on the assistance of trusted acquaintances, she probes the affairs of aristocrats and businessmen to unveil treachery, treason and murderous motives.

Miss Adler is a wonderful creation. Whilst mourning her beloved Freddie, her new-found freedom allows her the opportunity to exercise her talents in a most opportune way whilst exasperating friends who fear for her safety. Much is made of the restrictions placed on aristocratic women by polite society and it will be interesting to see the response to Miss Adler's unusual occupation in future volumes.

Events proceed at a satisfying pace and the language seems appropriate to the era, although US spellings do jar occasionally in the dialogue. The mystery is well plotted and the denouement convincing. Supporting characters are well portrayed and add to the enjoyment of the novel.

This promises to be the first in a series of mysteries involving Miss Adler and future stories are much anticipated.

I really enjoyed this well-researched and interesting murder mystery.
Lily Adler is a realistic and engaging protagonist. London and Georgian society are vividly recreated.
Issues about the position and options available for women are central to the book.
This is the first in the Lily Adler series and I look forward to reading future adventures.
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review

Welcome to my review for The Body in the Garden by Katharine Schellman!

The non-spoiler review:

In this book, we follow Lily Adler, a widow who has come to London after two years of mourning her husband. She reconciles with all her old friends and the invitations to parties come rolling in.

On one particular night at her best friend Selena’s party, Lily wanders outside to get some fresh air and hears a gunshot. Returning to the place where she had heard the shot with help, she and Captain Jack Hartley find the dead body of an unknown individual.

Lily, who has lots and lots of time on her hands, realizes that no one is prepared to go through the effort to find out who the mystery victim was and, most importantly, who the killer was.

"Not showing is not the same as not feeling."

It’s up to her, Captain Jack Hartley, and Miss Ophelia Oswald to solve this mystery in London (in the 1800s, I think).

This was such an enjoyable and pleasant read, to be honest! It was easy to read, there weren’t any sections where the author seemed to drag the story out, and I couldn’t for the life of me guess who the murderer was in the end.

This is a light, pleasant read that doesn’t get too serious but also doesn’t make light of everything. Lily Adler is a fantastic character, sort of like a female Sherlock but an entire character on her own, and her observations are interesting to follow.

I’m very pleased with the ending and couldn’t have asked for better!


The Review With Spoilers:

You’ve been warned.


Good Underlying Messages/Themes:

-You don’t have to be what society wants you to be.
-Your own happiness is more important than what others think of you.
-Violence is never the answer.
-Respect will always be valued.

There were a lot of issues addressed in this story, and I’m glad of it. I loved how Lily knew that society thought that the only point of her was to get married again, and she continued to defy them. She was comfortable on her own and with her friends, and she had no intention of changing that. She also knew exactly how to ward off unwanted suitors so I applaud her for that!

A whole star for this category!


Interesting Story:

As I mentioned before, I had no idea who the murderer was, and to be honest that’s quite rare for me. I usually guess who the murderer is, not always from the get-go, but this book had me stumped!

I liked the end, however. There was enough motivation and evidence for me to think to myself at the end Why didn’t I see it coming?

A whole star for this category!


Realistic Characters and Growth:

Yes! I’m so happy about this one!

Lily lost her husband, Freddy, two years ago and has been grieving since, which is understandable. I appreciated that the author didn’t bring her grieving up at every waking moment but wrote about it when necessary. I just wished that we could know some more about Lily and Freddy – they sound like an amazing pair. I would love to read a sequel about them!

"Just because you can do something does not mean you should."

Captain Jack Hartley is an absolute gentleman but is sometimes too over-protective. I’m happy that by the end of the book, he realized that Lily was quite capable on her own!

Ophelia Oswald was a peculiar character. I didn’t immediately take to her but as the story went one, I found myself starting to respect her. She was quietly brave and I admired that.

A whole star for this category!


Writing Style was Beautiful/ Easy To Read:

I mentioned before that the book was easy to read but I only wished that the author would throw in some more of her quotes. Wise words, coming from Lily, always provided a good moment in a chapter!

I struggled to find quotes for this review, and those that I found were quite short. Half a star for this category.


Fantastic World Building:

I think that there is only so much world building an author can do in a murder-mystery fiction novel but this author went to the extreme! There’s a special author’s note in the book which explains how much effort and research went into this book and I think it’s well done.

I always appreciate it when an author gives 100%.

A whole star for this category!


That’s it!

4.5 stars out of 5!

"A clever mind likes an audience."

Have you read The Body in the Garden? What did you think?

*I received this arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. Enjoyable historical mystery. Well-researched and a fun read from the historical fiction standpoint. The mystery was a little shakier - the final twist was a bit out of the blue and felt rushed? But I'll definitely be interested to see where this series goes.

I loved spending time with all the characters in this book. The Victorian England time period is one of my favorites so this book was my cup of coffee (I would say tea but I don't like tea).

This is a debut novel but I hope it is just the first of many. Taking place in London in 1815, newly-widowed Lily Adler has returned to a society that does not readily accept strong women without a husband. While attending a ball given by her friend, she stumbles across a body. Teaming up with a navy captain and a mysterious heiress, they set out to find out who the murderer is and hopefully uncover the truth before there is another victim. I am looking forward to more adventures involving this team. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

I really enjoyed this mystery. The period was right up my alley. Our heroine is recently widowed and still trying to find her footing in London. She has help from a dashing Captain and also her childhood schoolmates. I was not able to figure out the "ah ha" moment too early, which I love. So many novels today have too weak a storyline and it is too easy to guess the ending. This mystery involved several characters and was interwoven perfectly. I definitely will be reading more form this author.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me a review copy!

4.5 rounded up to 5 stars, because I really do think this would have been 5 stars if I hadn't just read a novel set in this time period.

The only reason (besides the one stated above) that this isn't 5 stars, is because the first 30% is kind of slow. It takes awhile to pick up, but once it does things get CRAZY. The beginning's slowness is almost necessary just to set the pieces in place that will basically be your cast for the entire novel. Names are dropped around quickly, but they get re-introduced quite a bit so you don't ever forget anyone.

The mystery aspects are also very nice and I felt that the ending was properly led to without outright telling us who did it. It does all get revealed of course, but I felt that Schellman did a great job of not showing us the culprit too early. Everything felt like it was revealed at just the right time and Lily Adler was a great protagonist. The motive felt real and not forced, and all the evidence lined up perfectly.

This book's main characters: Lily Adler, Jack, & Ofelia were also all great. I loved them all so much. The only characters in this book that I didn't like, were the ones you aren't supposed to like. All the characters have such great depth to them.

basically: imagine a female Sherlock Holmes, but less pretentious. Also the ending scene made me feel all the butterflies.

This was a great story and I neeed book 2 right now. This title is definitely in the running for the best book I read this year.

This was so much fun to read! A vintage murder mystery set in London, 1815. A young widow is being pushed to re-enter society after her young husband's death. She is still deeply in love with him but with a friends encouragement she attends a season opening party and discovers a body in the garden. This is when her independent spirit shows itself and she takes on the task of solving the mystery. Needless to say, people are appalled! The novel was well constructed and delivered. Minimal predictability with fully developed characters, some of whom developed great relationships. So looking forward to book 2. I received an ARC in exchane for an honest revue.

Just okay in my opinion. There's potential here, but it was never fully realized. In a field increasingly packed with female detectives in vaguely Victorian England, I think I'll stick with Laetitia Rodd

This was a fun historical novel! The author did a great job with the several twists and turns. She kept me guessing through the entire book!
I enjoyed meeting Lilly, Captain Jack and all the rest. I can't wait to see what develops between Lilly and Mr. Page. It looks to be a series so I cannot wait to read the next installment!

We meet Lily Adler, a young widow returning to polite society after the death of her husband who she is still deeply mourning. During a party thrown by her best friend, she stumbles on a body in the garden. She feels it is only right that the young man's killer be brought to justice, and if the Bow Street Runners won't do it then she will with a little help from some friends.
The characters are well written, and I look forward to seeing the relationships evolve through the series. Lily is a unique woman for 1800 London. She is clever and independent., often leaving the men around her speechless.
I enjoyed this book from the very first page. In fact I was on vacation when I started this book and even with all the things to do and see, it was easy to find time to read such an enjoyable book. I received the book as an ARC from NetGalley in return for my honest review.

cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, 19th-century, historical-fiction, historical-research, London

Excellently researched!
Lily was widowed too soon from her beloved and has moved to London at the suggestion of her in laws where she has lived for the past two years. At least she has a few friends there are is of an independent nature. Navy Captain Jack Hartley had an English father who married a local while in India and was a good friend of Lily's husband. He learns flexibility. Lily finds a good and capable friend in young Miss Ofelia Oswald, an heiress from the Caribbean West Indies whose English father sent her to London to secure a husband. Bow Street provides another good guy by the name of Mr Page, and then there are the ragamuffins who...
The plot is ingenious and the other characters are also well done! Enjoy!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

The Body in the Garden by Katharine Schellman is an intriguing historical mystery.

Lily Adler is a widow who has returned to London to begin her life anew. She is still very much in love with her husband and has no interest in looking for a new husband. In fact, she is quite independent in many ways which makes her rather odd in London society of the early 1800's. The secondary characters, Captain Jack Hartley and Miss Ofelia Oswald were great supporting characters that often moved the story along. The plot was smoothly paced, the characters were well developed for a first book in a series and there were enough red herrings and twists to keep me guessing until the reveal. I didn't have a clue who was behind the murders and treason until the end which made it an good read for me.

The Body in the Garden by Katharine Schellman is the first a hopefully long-standing series (A Lily Alder Mystery).
Ms Schellman has created a real gem. I loved the fiesty Lily and the array of secondary characters (Jack, Jem, Serena, Ofelia, Mr Page, etc). I think Lily has a lot of potential, and I also see several potential love interests already.

I enjoyed the time period, 1815 London, and I also enjoyed the complex murder/mystery.

This series has so much potential that can be drawn from these top-notch characters and material. I can’t wait to see where this goes.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am submitting this to my GR account immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Bookbub, and B&N accounts upon publication.

The Body in the Garden by Katharine Schellman, is a historical murder mystery. Lily Adler is as independent as she is lost when she first returns to London. She has lost her husband and is struggling to set up a life for herself alone as a widow. On one of her first forays into society she stubbles upon a murder. Shocked that the magistrate is going to not investigate this crime she takes it upon herself to discover who the murdered man is and solve his murder. In her seacrch, she becomes friends with her late husbands best friend, and a young lady newly from India who is just as out of her element as Lily is. As bodies pile up around Lily, she learns to depend on her friends and herself as she navigates society on her own as a widowed lady. Schellman is a bit prosy in sections, but she keeps you guessing until the end. I'd rate this a 3.5 - 4.

An enjoyable Historical Mystery. This was a fun read, offered up several suspects and enjoyable characters.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I gave this book 5 stars, it was so much fun to read! I loved the characters and their relationships with each other. Lily and Jack’s friendship was just the best and I loved every interaction.

This is a historical fiction murder mystery, kind of Sherlock Holmes-esque with a witty female protagonist. It takes place in the sophisticated London society in 1815. Lily has recently lost her husband and moves back into London’s society where she stumbles upon a body… in the garden of course.

These characters were well crafted and Katharine Schellman’s writing is beautiful. I loved the intricate plot and with each turn she kept me guessing. It took me a lot longer to guess who the killer was than most books, and that was so much fun!

I really enjoyed spending time with these characters! It looks like this book is the first of a series and I look forward to read the next installment!

Post on Instagram about this book will be up today (10/22) at @Bayley.Pepper