I'm so grateful to have received an ARC of this book! Recently I said to a friend "I'd love a Regency-era Nancy Drew" and you know what? This book is it. Lily, the protagonist, is clever and strong and all sorts of wonderful. Her friendships feel real. The ending of the book isn't a HUGE surprise but it does come with a twist that I found delightful. Although this book is the second in a series, you don't need to have read the first to follow it. That said, I absolutely WILL be reading the earlier one too--lots of enticing callbacks are littered throughout this one, and I have a feeling I'll love it too.

This Regency era mystery was very entertaining! Issues of classicism, feminism, ableism are prevalent throughout the novel. I had not read the prequel to this mystery, and while it would have helped me to understand the characters a little but, it was not necessary to enjoy this great mystery!

The perfect escapist read on a blizzardy March day. How I enjoy this series! This is the second book and I am hankering for the third. The author writes with wit and knowledge from obvious research...so very pleasant to read historical bits here and there. These careful details as well as interesting characters, 1815 London setting and intriguing plot blend so seamlessly. I like and appreciate how the subplots are introduced.

Lily Adler is a young and independent widow who enjoys figuring out puzzles aka "discreet inquiries" and "confidential investigations" as does Captain Hartley, a dear friend of Lily's. So, when Sir Charles Wyatt is found dead, they use their mettle and cleverness to discover what happened along with Simon Page of Bow Street. Lily's sour and uncomplimentary father shows up unannounced at her house which adds to the atmosphere, tension and dynamic of the story. All suspects have skeletons in their closets, naturally...we see many as the story unravels. I like that there is more oomph to it than the murder. Love the ending! Plus the author's note at the back is fabulous. So nice to catch personal snippets to learn about author's inspirations and interests. And I am dying to know her future research projects!

Neurodivergent and autistic kids is a thread running through this novel. How interesting to learn more about it, especially in the era.

Historical Fiction readers, do dive into this lovely series!

My sincere thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading the early e-ARC of this delightful book.

Set in London in 1815, we meet Lily Adler, widow, and detective.. When Sir Charles Wyatt is found dead

in very unnatural circumstances, she both aids and abets Simon Page, an officer of the law from Bow Street. in

seeking answers. They must make their enquiries as seen fit in upper-class British society, Servants and gentry

are part of a larger gripping insight into nineteenth-century life.

The story is told through lively investigations, a sense of humour and plenty red herings. i loved the storyline that

reels you in and keeps you dangling.. A great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Silence in the Library is the second book in the Lily Adler historical mystery series. I really enjoyed the set-up of the first book, so I was excited to read this installment and it was just as cozy and enjoyable as the first. We follow Lily and Captain Hartley as they investigate the death of a family friend, and navigate the intricacies of Victorian highs society. Lily's father arrives unexpectedly and provides some conflict and soul-searching, though I felt like this storyline could have been explored more. The mystery was fairly easy to solve, but it was fun to watch the characters discover the solution.

Overall, this is a fairly lighthearted historical mystery series and a fun read for anyone who enjoys the genre!

Second book in the Lily Adler series, it is not a requirement to have read book 1 as it easy to read on its own.
Lily Alder, widowed, and Captain Jack Hartley, who was her husband’s best friend, once again team up in this 2nd book with Simon Page a Bow Street runner (a team that worked well in book one)
Lily’s father comes for an unexpected visit, and cons her into calling on his old friend and neighbour Sir Charles to congratulate him on his recent 2nd marriage to Winifred. A visit in which Lily helps solves the theft of money and results to an invitation to ride the next morning. When Lily and Jack arrive the next day they find out that Sir Charles has died of an accident or is it murder? A great cast of characters, grieving widow, grieving son who dislikes his dad’s 2nd wife, a nephew, insight in how the upper class works and operates (and how superior they felt), …
I will go back and read book 1, and I am looking forward to the next installment of the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an Advanced Copy in return for my honest opinion.

Well written Regency era mysteries are some of my favorites and this is turning into a very good series with a smart woman as a protagonist, historically accurate details, and a mystery that keeps me interested.

A friend of Lily’s father has died, and it turns out to be due to suspicious circumstances. Once there is someone innocent being accused of the crime, Lily starts to investigate with the help of Captain Jack Hartley and Simon Page, a Bow Street runner. What I really enjoyed about this trip is that they all contributed equally without anyone trying to be better than anyone else, even if Lily and Jack frustrate Page with their investigating.

This could be read as a standalone but you definitely get more of as backstory and appreciate some of the character’s interactions more if you read the first book. I can’t wait to read more of Lily’s adventures!

Silence in the Library is the second installment in the Lily Adler series. We follow Lily and her friends through another murder mystery - this time, that of a family friend. While I mostly enjoyed the first book, Silence in the Library was definitely an improvement in both writing and plot. Overall, I give the book 4/5 stars.

What I liked:
- the murder plot was far more interesting in this story than the first one
- I enjoyed reading as Lily struggled to remain unbiased while solving the mystery of her friends
- everyone made for a good suspect
- Mr. Page and Lily realizing they are very similar. I enjoy the relationship they have curated with each other
- it’s not romance based. Though I wouldn’t be mad at all if Lily found herself a new man after Freddy, I just hope it doesn’t become some major plot point in future titles
- it’s pretty fast paced, with not too much filler. I do enjoy getting to read about the social habits of our cast as well.

What I didn’t like so much:
- Jack was like, barely in this book, and that didn’t make sense to me. I like him, I want more
- I don’t care for Lily to pursue mysteries as a “side business” fit with business cards and all. I think it’s unnecessary for her as she continues to make inquiries
- can Mr. Page stop trying to make her stop? He knows he’s not going to get rid of her. I can handle other people not wanting her involved, but his is just irritating. He should have given up on that after the first book

Overall a fantastic little murder mystery. I’d be very much inclined to read future titles in the series. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books to sending me an advanced ecopy of this book in return for an honest review. Silence in the Library will be published on July 13, 2021!

Silence in the Library is set in 1815 London England. This is the second in the Lily Adler mystery series. I had no problem catching up with the characters without reading the first book in the series. Lily is a widow who when not being visited by her father lives alone, after losing her husband within the last few years. Lily, her friend Captain Jack Hartley, and Simon Page (local police) are tasked with finding out who killed the newly married Mr. Wyatt and one of Mr. Wyatt's staff. I am not familiar with the roles of police in the early 1800's but I found it frustrating how they Wyatt's treated Mr. Page as he was trying to solve the crime. Fortunately Lily had access to people and information Mr. Page was not likely to obtain without her assistance. I appreciated that Lily was an independent lady in those days, but it would be nice for her to let down her feminine guard a bit and maybe see the handsome men as a bit more than "friends." I am not saying we need intense love scenes, but Lily deserves some distraction. I enjoyed the unique, well unique to me setting of the 1800's and the characters were all fun. I had a feeling the ending was going to be as it was so that was not much of a surprise to me. I am giving this a 3.5 rounded to 4 star review.

Delighted to be following Mrs. Adler’s adventures in Book 2! Who would have thought Lily would get herself involved with another messy murder so soon after the misfortune earlier in the season? But when she pays a visit to the new wife of an old family friend she steps into a bit of misfortune again!

Lily and Jack Hartley are stressing poor Mr. Page of the Bow Street runners to no end. It was interesting to see some of these side characters fleshed out as well as peering behind the curtains of the abovestairs crowd a bit. Lily proves herself a cunning and clever detective as well as a lady of quality at all times, even when presented with near impossible social and personal obstacles.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and you will too if you’re a fan of Victorian novels and and mystery teasers. The culprit was a bit predictable but the journey was worth it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this free copy. These are my personal opinions.

Review:
Plot: a "whodunit" kind of novel has a recipe already tried by many authors. Made famous by Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, many authors since have ventured into the genre - some with success, some without. Katherine Schellman is a fortunate writer who wrote a great murder-mystery that was empowering for women, convincing and thrilling. An old man is murdered in his own house, leaving only family members as suspects, but I still could not guess the killer by myself, thanks to the twists and turns of the well-developed plot.
Writing: "Silence in the Library" is the second book in a series. Even though I never read the first book, Schellman's writing is so concise that I understood the story and the character's backgrounds clearly. As I said before, this kind of novel has a recipe, so I can't say her writing is revolutionary, but it is good enough to create a great mystery.
Characters: My favorite character was Lily, of course. The main character is a smart woman going against many of the limits and expectations put on women in 1800's England. I believe we need more woman young women solving crimes in books, to set examples of how brave girls can be. She was not only smart but funny and determined as well. Her friends were a great addition to the story too.
Overall: I'd recommend this book for anyone starting to read murder-mysteries. The lack of graphic scenes and easy writing make it a great book for young adults too.


My Instagram review will be posted on July 6th, my account is @moicas_readinglist

The novel is the second in the series however it is easily read as a standalone murder mystery. I found the novel enjoyable to read, it has a gentle charm to it and I think a lot of that has to do with the characterisation. The characters have real depth and it was interesting to see how their relationships with each other evolved through the novel particularly Lily and her manipulative father. I think this is a real strength in the authors writing because while I found her father properly dislikeable I felt for the emotional struggle and conflict Lily has in dealing with him and her opinions on her life. Luckily she has some wonderful people in her life and its interesting that her relationship with Jack may in time develop into something deeper. The murder mystery plot is rather conventional and the conclusion is not going to shock anyone, however it is still fun to follow the clues and how it all develops. I think for me, the whodunnit took a back seat to the characters themselves and thats not a bad thing.

his book is a cozy mystery and it was a pleasant read. Lily Adler is helping the police investigating the murder of a close friend of her father. It is not an easy task.
Thank you Netgalley for this book.

This was pretty fun; Schellman is good at crafting a mystery with a resolution that kept me guessing. I was hoping for a bit more romance in this installment; I liked what she created with the two main characters in the first book, but was disappointed not to see any progression there.

Engaging continuation to a Regency cozy mystery series.

This time Lily Adler finds herself investigating the murder of a close friend of her father. At first it appears to be nothing but an unfortunate accident. However, when a weapon is discovered and there is no evidence of forced entry, it begins to look like someone in the household must be the culprit. Though the family just wants the matter settled quickly and quietly, Lily can’t leave it alone, especially once an obviously innocent person may be set up to take the blame. Along with her friend Jack, and a member of the Bow Street constabulary, she works to piece together what truly happened and why.

This was an easy to read mystery, with just enough details about Regency life to help the reader understand the norms of the day. While the first third felt a bit slow at times, the pace seemed just right for the last half. Interesting characters and a satisfying ending made for an enjoyable read.

Even though I have read the first book in this series, this one could easily be read on its own. That being said, if character development is an important part of a story for you, I would definitely recommend starting with the first.

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

I enjoyed Silence in the Library by Katherine Schellman, the second of the Lily Adler Mysteries even more than I did the The Body in the Garden. This one flows more smoothly and Lily seems to have found her footing a bit more. The arrival of her very disapproving father and the suspicious death of his close friend add up to a very intriguing story! I think the characters in this book are fleshed out better and more interesting, I definitely am looking forward to more of Lily and Jack's adventures! Thank you to #NetGalley for a review copy of #SilenceintheLibrary!

I received an ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. This was a new author and characters to me, but I do like historical detective series with good characters - which happily, is what this proved to be. The only minor gripe was in Lily’s father being quite such a cliché of preferring a friend’s son to his own daughter, and being such a rude houseguest. Otherwise, this was a very good plot, well thought out and kept me pulled in enough to read through quite quickly after a delayed start (my fault, I was juggling multiple books, but I effectively read this one over 2-3 days). To grab a new reader in book two and have characters who come alive and soon feel familiar, isn’t always easy - but the author managed it here.

Second in a series, this Regency mystery featuring widow Lily Adler is a charming page-turner and such a fun read. No need to finish book one first 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 is knocked off? Will their friendship become something more along the way? A delight for fans of historical mysteries and slow-burn romances.

4 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 13 Jul 2021  
#SilenceintheLibrary #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for my honest review.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. This review is entirely honest.

I haven't read the first book in the Lily Adler series, but I didn't feel that I needed to in order to understand this one. (Albeit, I already bought myself a copy of it since I enjoyed this one so thoroughly.)

This story is an incredibly fun mystery. I appreciated that in this story, the consulting detective and the police officer felt like they were on equal footing and genuinely working together. This is kind of nice in comparison to other tales where the police are bumblers and the detective is blindingly brilliant.

The characters were well-rounded and interesting, and I also liked that there was just a hint of romance. Sometimes, a slow-burn just feels all the more rewarding.

Definitely a solid, enjoyable read.

Plot: I really enjoyed this mystery! The plot was well done, and while I guessed part of who the culprit was, I did not guess the whole thing, which is always a pleasant surprise! I won't write anything else about the plot, for fear of spoiling people.

Characters: I love the characters in these books! Lily is a wonderful protagonist! Mr. Page and Jack are great, too! MINOR SPOILER: There is not much romance in these books, but I feel like the author is leading toward a Lily and Jack romance, which while I love Jack (And hope for a happy ending for him!), I just don't see it? I feel like they are more family than anything, but perhaps that's just me? Personally, I like her and Mr. Page, but I know that's very unlikely. I'm curious if you've read it, what your thoughts are? END SPOILER

The Cover: I like it! It's simple, but fits the book well.

Overall: I really enjoyed reading the first book in this series, but I loved this one! If you're looking for a good Historical Mystery, I highly recommend this series of books!

I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher.