I received this from Netgalley.com.

Second in the Lily Adler mystery series, Lily and her faithful, handsome friend Captain Jack Hartley are embroiled in another murder.

Another easy, pleasant read in this cosy series. I feel the characters didn't have any real developmental progress from the first book and felt no great connections with them.

2.75☆

4 1/2 stars. A charming and entertaining historical mystery that will delight readers with period details and twists and turns. There is just enough historical material to give it flavor without inundating the reading with information that slows the pace of the story. The characters are well-developed and not carbon copies of what can be found in other historical mysteries. It is a delightful surprise to discover that the main character, Lily Adler, is not the only smart character in the book. This is not the setup of Sherlock Holmes; her friends—and some enemies—are intelligent and pick up on things she does not. The second in the series, it is not necessary to read the first one but it gives some references and flavor to her friends who are not in this as much as the first one. Unfortunately, Jack didn’t show up as much as I would have liked. Overall, a delightful read and I will gladly follow the continuing adventures of Lily Adler and company.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review

"Regency widow Lily Adler didn't expect to find a corpse when visiting a family friend. Now it's up to her to discover the killer in the charming second installment in the Lily Adler mysteries.

Regency widow Lily Adler has finally settled into her new London life when her semi-estranged father arrives unexpectedly, intending to stay with her while he recovers from an illness. Hounded by his disapproval, Lily is drawn into spending time with Lady Wyatt, the new wife of an old family friend. Lily barely knows Lady Wyatt. But she and her husband, Sir Charles, seem as happy as any newly married couple until the morning Lily arrives to find the house in an uproar and Sir Charles dead.

All signs indicate that he tripped and struck his head late at night. But when Bow Street constable Simon Page is called to the scene, he suspects foul play. And it isn't long before Lily stumbles on evidence that Sir Charles was, indeed, murdered.

Mr. Page was there when Lily caught her first murderer, and he trusts her insight into the world of London's upper class. With the help of Captain Jack Hartley, they piece together the reasons that Sir Charles's family might have wanted him dead. But anyone who might have profited from the old man's death seems to have an alibi...until Lily receives a mysterious summons to speak with one of the Wyatts' maids, only to find the young woman dead when she arrives.

Mr. Page believes the surviving family members are hiding the key to the death of both Sir Charles and the maid. To uncover the truth, Lily must convince the father who doesn't trust or respect her to help catch his friend's killer before anyone else in the Wyatt household dies."

I am ALL about the Regency right now. ALL ABOUT IT! It might have something to do with what's coming to my blog next year...

A fantastic follow up to Katharine's debut and the first novel in the Lily Adler series, The Body in the Garden, Silence in the Library was thoroughly enjoyable and filled with fun twists.
I love Lily as a character, she reminds me of a regency era Phryne Fisher, another favourite of mine. Her voice and energy is so unique and interesting, and I am really enjoying the will-they-won't-they romance/friendship between Lily and Jack Hartley.
The murder mystery was also really interesting and well done, with red herrings and twists galore.
All in all, a really delightful read, perfect for fans of mysteries, history, and a little bit of romance.

I must admit that I missed the first book in this Lily Adler mystery series and I am sorry I did! This was a very quick, entertaining, fun read.
Mrs. Adler seems to like poking her nose in where it has no business being., And when she pays a duty call to an old friend and family, she discovers murder, and poking she does.
Against her father's wishes and swimming against what is acceptable for a woman of her stature in society, Lily immerses herself neck deep in the murder investigation of her father's friend.
I love mysteries set in this period and especially like them when the main character is a rebellious woman who won't be silenced by the tight constraints of high-society, regency London. I love reading about what is "expected" from women back then, and watching as the heroine of the story makes everyone eat their words and doesn't give a fig about what impression she is making or about her reputation as a "lady" may be tarnished.
Lily shows them all in this intriguing second installment of this series. There is adventure throughout, and quick, witty dialogue, making for a very enjoyable night of reading.
5 stars, I can't wait for book 3, in the meantime I am going back and grabbing book #1!
Thank you to the publishers at Crooked Lane Books and to Net Galley for the free ARC of this novel, I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

This is the second of the Lily Adler mysteries and it's just as enjoyable as the first one. Lily Adler is a widow in regency England who discovers a dead body while visiting friends. With the help of Jack, best friend to her late husband, and Simon, a Bow Street constable, she solves the mystery. Meanwhile, she must deal with her father who has arrived for a visit. And it's her father's friend who was murdered which just complicates things a bit more.
Along the way, Lily meets quite a few new characters, renews acquaintance with several others, and uses her common sense to sort out what has happened.

This is one of those easy reading mysteries filled with characters you feel invested in. Lily is clever and bold and sometimes pushes the boundaries of the social mores of the time. There's a bit of development in her friendships with both Jack and SImon from the previous book. The writer still only hints at anything further in that area but also leaves the story wide open for flirting and possibly more with other characters she meets. As for the mystery, there are quite a few layers to unwrap in this story. Lily has a long history with the victim's family but it turns out there are secrets that she is unaware of until she delves more deeply into the family's affairs. As expected, it's settled quite nicely and open to future mysteries by the end of the book.

Overall a fun and enjoyable read. I give this 3.5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for sharing an advanced reader copy. I reviewed this voluntarily.

"Silence in the Library" is a mystery set in 1815 in London. It's the second book in a series, but you don't need to read the first book in order to understand this one. The author didn't spoil the whodunit of the first book, either.

This was a clue-based, puzzle mystery. Lily and her friends asked questions and snooped around to discover clues. They were mostly interested in motives while Principal Officer Page was the one to confirm alibis. I guessed whodunit and why from early on in the book, and I was mostly right. I overlooked a clue (also near the beginning) that explained how it was done. The main characters were likable and reacted realistically to events. Historical details were woven into the story creating a distinct sense of time and place.

There were no sex scenes. There was some bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting mystery.

An enjoyable read with a full cast of characters that was only very slightly confusing because I didn't read the previous one. The little personal connections that were mentioned here - relationships between characters, mostly - were missing for me in order to fully connect everything. Otherwise, it was an interesting and entertaining mystery. Lily is a bright young woman and surrounds herself with people who appreciate her and her intelligence, as well as her confidence to use it. Mr Page, the detective from Bow Street investigating the death of Sir Charles, certainly appreciates her input and ability to go places he isn't especially welcome (visits to upper-class families to carry out enquiries).

A relationship twist wasn't really - at least not for me - but there is a lot going on here, and it moves along at a good clip. There is obviously a romance blossoming between Lily and Jack, but it's very respectful, intelligent, and understated, so it feels nicely placed against the mystery which, as it should be, is foremost in the book. Lily's father has invited himself to her home, which she tolerates only because she was raised well; otherwise, she endeavours to spend as little time as possible around him, not least because he disapproves of her friend Jack, who is Anglo-Indian, no matter that he is a decorated navy captain. At the end, however, he surprises her with his cooperation to catch the murderer.

A great read, and I'll be keeping my eyes open for the next one in the series.

When Lily Adler shows up at an old family friends home to go riding with the new Lady Wyatt she arrives to find Sir Charles has died. When Simon Page, a Bow Street constable arrives they discover Sir Charles was murdered. With a house full of suspects and nobody telling the truth, Mr Page enlists Lily's help to be his confident inside the home. Would would want to kill Sir Charles?
A mystery that has lots of twists and told in the way of old fashioned English mysteries . The characters of Lily Adler and Simon Page are well suited and I enjoyed them. Will enjoy seeing this two characters in many more delightful mysteries to come.

Silence in the Library follows the widowed Mrs. Lily Adler as she helps to solve the mystery of the death of her fathers good friend, Sir Charles. With the help of the her late husbands best friend, Jack, and a Bow Street Constable, Simon, Lily meets people she never knew and goes down paths she never thought she would to get to the bottom of the mystery.

I found this book to be extremely enjoyable. I liked Lily, as well as the other main characters Jack and Simon. Additionally, the side characters were also extremely likable and entertaining. Schellman did an excellent job building their personas. As for the plot, I also found that intriguing. The mystery itself was not obvious, and I enjoyed that the focus of the book is on solving the crime, with very little romantic focus (if any at all). I liked that it allowed me to be more engaged with the mystery.

I also found Schellman’s pacing and writing to be well done. It was a light read, one I didn’t find myself trudging through. There were no lulls, and I thought it steadily progressed in a way which holds the readers attention. I’m interested to read more of her books, for that purpose alone.

This book is a sequel.

The book tells the story of a murder, from the perspective of Lily Adler, a widowed woman who has developed a detective instinct.

When her father's best friend is murdered, Lily is once again caught up in a web of mysteries and lies; taking advantage of her free entry into London high society and with the help of her friends, Colonel Jack Hartley and Lady Ofelia Carroway, they assist Detective Simon Page in unmasking the murderer.

I generally cannot resist a mystery novel set in the Regency era; even if said novel is a sequel and I definitely haven't read the first book. Needless to say, I took the risk and I read it and I loved it.

It is not very difficult to fill in the missing spaces in the story, because very little reference is made to them.

Perhaps the only thing that I disliked was Lily uses the attraction that a certain gentleman has towards her to achieve a certain end, but from then on I like her strong and independent personality, her predisposition towards breaking standards without losing her essence, I like her very much. Perhaps I am a bit impartial, because I am also the woman that her father wanted to be a man, therefore I feel identified with her, but I think it is not difficult for you to like her. I had a big surprise with this book.

The mystery is not a great thing, I think that the strength of this book are its characters and the relationships that are forged between them. Even I, who am terrible at guessing the murderer, because I always have doubts, this time I guessed it halfway through the book, not the reasons, but I did know who them was/were.

I simply adored "The Body in the Garden" and was beyond excited to read the next installment in the Lily Adler series! This book did not disappoint. I love the fun historical murder mysteries. And the covers are always stunning!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book in the Lily Adler Mystery series. I had not read the first book and found the author inserted enough background information for me to easily put all the characters in their places in this plot. The characters don't feel very well developed because they were still just set dressing by the time I finished the novel; I didn't feel any connection, either liking or disliking, with them. Ambivalence is probably not what the author was trying to accomplish. There is a formality which Mrs. Lily Adler maintains which is probably perfectly correct for the time period but it does tend to make me feel I *still* haven't gotten to know the characters. Also, it is not difficult at all to solve the puzzle and that's unfortunate.

At the end of the book there is some interesting historical information included by the author which I found enjoyable. Also included are the names of people the author wishes to thank, among those editors and beta readers. I find that sometimes an author will get hung up on using a particular phrase or word while writing their story and that is the case here. I wish some of the well-wishers had mentioned to the author that she was using the same phrase too often. It turned out to be laugh-out-loud funny when I pictured all the characters sitting in a room looking at each other out of the corner of their eye. That phrase jumped off the page for me because it was used too often and it just pulled me right out of the atmosphere that was being created.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an e-galley of this novel.

I connect with this book in ways I didn't anticipate. I really felt Lily's pain, anguish, frustration, and anger when she interacted with her father. Schellman did a wonderful job with that relationship, even if it was painful to walk that path with that character.
The mystery was secondary to the character development. I like where these characters and their relationships are going. I enjoyed getting more glimpses into Mr.Page's life, thoughts, and motivations. All of the characters, really, were 3 dimensional and relatable. I felt connected and invested in them.

An excellent Regency mystery. I enjoyed it very much. Mrs Adler was an interesting character and the side characters were all fully fleshed out too. The mystery itself was well done and I enjoyed it a lot.

Lily Adler, a young widow in Regency London, is unhappy when her obnoxious father turns up unannounced for a visit and demands that she pay a call on his old friend. She complies, and the old gentleman's new wife suggests they go riding the next day. There is to be no riding that day, as there has been a murder at the house, and Lily finds herself working with Constable Page to determine the culprit. Lily is bright and independent in an era which frowned upon that kind of woman, reminiscent of Lady Darby in the Regency mysteries by Anna Lee Huber. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Widow Lily Adler shines in this cozy Regency mystery. Second in a series, this mystery is a charming page-turner I just couldn't put down. It's a standalone, no need to have read book one, "The Body in the Garden" although you’ll want to after following Lily in action as she works to unravel the murder of a family friend with the help of attractive Jack Hartley. Then another murder occurs, raising the stakes even higher. Will they succeed before someone else dies? Will their friendship become something more along the way? A delight for fans of historical mysteries and slow-burn romances.
Bonus points: includes a character who is on the spectrum.

Mysterious, evocative, and a little bit fun, SILENCE IN THE LIBRARY brings us into the world of nineteenth-century London, where danger seems to be lurking about every corner. Lily Adler is a worthy detective, and mystery lovers will find so much to enjoy about this engaging sequel.

Silence in the library was a gripping mystery set in London during the Regency period. Intrepid widow Lily steadfastly holds to her widowhood and is not easy in her relationships. She is determined to aid Bow Street Runner Simon Page solve the murder of her estranged Father’s closest friend. The mystery is brilliantly produced and the reader gets to know a lot about how Lily’s mind works. She has much to learn about herself and others. I look forward to being along for the ride.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

(The following review will run on CriminalElement.com the week of publication.)

Making a courtesy call upon the newly married Sir Charles Wyatt on behalf of her infuriating father, clever widow Lily Adler finds herself unexpectedly drawn into the family’s affairs when a servant is accused of a theft.


“Your footman is innocent. I am afraid it was your nephew who stole the money.”
“Percy?” Sir Charles shook his head. “Surely not. I provide him a generous allowance.”
“Which I expect he exceeds greatly, like all young gentlemen.” Lily shook her head. “Just one of those waistcoats must have cost at least thirty pounds. And he hasn’t even the money on hand to keep food in his lodgings.”
“But—”
Sir Charles was interrupted as the door banged open to reveal a grinning Jack hauling Percy in with a hand around the back of the younger man’s neck. “Look at who I found trying to hurry out the door,” he said, as cheerfully as if he were inviting them to fireworks at Vauxhall Gardens. In his other hand he held Percy’s writing portfolio.
“Take your hands off me!” Percy’s cheeks and neck were red with embarrassment and anger as he struggled to free himself. “And return my things to me at once — you have no business… Those are my personal letters…”
Ignoring his continuing protests, Lily took the portfolio that Jack handed her. She admired the workmanship for a moment, then opened the case. A slow smile spread across her face. “Tell me, Sir Charles, how much did you have in that drawer?”
“Seventy-six pounds.”
“What a strange coincidence.” Lily offered Sir Charles the portfolio. “That is exactly the amount Mr. Wyatt has here.”


The matter seems neatly resolved — but when Lily and her friend Jack return to the Wyatts’ home the following day for a riding excursion, they are met with some very shocking news.

Sir Charles has been found dead in his library, the apparent victim of an unfortunate fall.

Or, at least that’s how the rest of the family wishes to spin the event. Mr. Page of the Bow Street Runners, however, is less than convinced it was a mere accident. And when he pulls Lily and Jack — now trusted acquaintances thanks to their help with a previous peculiar death — into his confidences, the truth behind Sir Charles’ demise quickly becomes apparent.


“…Mrs. Adler, what are you doing?”
Lily was twisting her neck to look in the fireplace, and as she did, something white behind the lintel caught her eye. She reached in, grabbing a corner of it, and tugged. “There is something stuck in here, some kind of fabric.” She tugged again, then let out a startled yelp as whatever it was came free and tumbled into the fireplace with the clanging sound of metal and a shower of soot.
Jack grabbed Lily’s arm and hauled her to her feet while Mr. Page stepped quickly back. All three of them were coughing as the door to the library flew open.
“What the devil?” Frank Wyatt demanded, staring at them from the doorway. Behind him stood Percy Wyatt — newly arrived, judging by the hat and gloves clutched in his hands. Lily, her arm still clasped by Jack while dust and soot swirled around them, tried to think of some explanation. “Mrs. Adler, what are you… And Mr. Page, what is the meaning of…”
He trailed off, staring toward something at their feet with confusion that was slowly growing into horror. Lily followed the line of his gaze.
At her feet lay a pile of toweling that had clearly once been white. Now, though, it was stained and discolored — not just with soot from being stuffed in the chimney, but with the reddish brown of blood that had not yet had time to dry. And sticking out of the bundle was the missing iron poker.


But who would kill Sir Charles, and why? The man was well-respected in society and presented a very jovial exterior. His new wife appeared to be very fond of him, he was known to have a close relationship with his son Frank, and even the nephew who had been caught stealing from him swore that they had made amends the night before. He was a man seemingly without enemies, and no one appears to have significantly benefited from his demise.

Lily, Jack, and Mr. Page quickly set about gathering as much gossip and information as they can, knowing all too well that the London ton is quick to pin the blame on easy scapegoats, and more than willing to pay to make their problems go away. If the true murderer is to be found, they’ll have to work quickly. And unearth more than one family secret…

Silence in the Library is the second installment in Schellman’s thoroughly charming Lily Adler series, and the sharp-eyed widow continues to delight. This time she’s juggling a mystery with persistent unpleasantness at home: her impossible-to-please father, Mr. Pierce, has descended upon her without warning and is refusing to depart.

So now not only must she uncover Sir Charles’ murderer, she must also contend with Mr. Pierce’s constant disapproval and snide remarks about everything from her wardrobe — how dare she set aside her widow’s weeds, a mere two years after her husband’s death? Doesn’t she know she’s supposed to mourn FOREVER? — to her friends and “unladylike” behavior. And heaven forbid she actually do something useful with her life, like secure justice and protect the innocent…

There are plenty of lady investigators running about in the historical mystery genre, but Schellman has done a fine job making Lily stand out from the crowd. It’s not often that the heroine is a quiet widow, an introvert who knows when to speak up but has little interest in making a splash in society. For all the wildflowers and ladies who are underestimated by the men around them, Lily will really resonate.

It’s also refreshing to find a historical story set in London where significant portions of the cast aren’t white; London has never been as lily white as BBC period dramas/classic literature would have you believe, and having prominent biracial characters — Lily’s closest friend, Jack, has an Indian mother, while their friend Ofelia’s mother was Black — is far closer to reality.

Speaking of representation: Silence in the Library features significant commentary on how neuroatypical people, or people who are on the spectrum, are not a modern trend. Autistic folks have always existed, though they’ve rarely been treated kindly by society, and that becomes a sizable, sensitively-handled plot point in this whodunit.

As a whole, Silence in the Library, is a thoroughly entertaining jaunt through Regency London, with colorful and likable characters, a mystery that’s just twisty enough to keep us guessing, and a finale that shows off all of Lily’s cleverness and daring. Schellman is building a very satisfying series, and this is the perfect time to jump aboard.