Liked it well enough. I did find it a bit of a muddle to get through at some points and it does feel like a book that reading the previous titles would give a lot more context and color to the book. But overall enjoyable enough as a mystery.

I really wanted to like this book a lot. However, the middle of it dragged for me, and I am honestly not finished with it yet. I am having a hard time getting back into it. I was actually kind of dreading picking it back up again.

One thing that I really didn't like, was the change in name of the characters over the course of the book. It was confusing to me who the main character actually was. I didn't read the previous books in the series (didn't even realize this was part of a series) and it felt like the names were jumping all over the place. I get that people were much more formal back then, and people would be called by their formal names, but the author went back and forth even among family and close friends with the formality. It confused me.

Another thing that was unbelievable to me were the author's obvious attempts at inclusion. While I get that the 'aunts' surely existed back then, I don't believe so many people would have been accepting of it and dismissed that, even if both of the characters were extremely likable (which they were). And also the fact that Ofelia was a woman of color who also was just accepted by people in society did not ring true to me. The behavior of people from history needs to fit what would have been true at that time, not what we wish had been true.

This book fell flat for me. While someone else calls the climax of the book 'spectacular', it is going to have to really be something to drag my opinion up to where it was when I began the story. For now, it seems to be dragging on, with no redemption in sight. I am not interested in other books in this series, even if they are well-reviewed by others.

Lily Adler is set out to investigate a murder... who is the key suspect? A ghost. This was a FUN murder mystery with twists and plots that can easily keep a reader engaged. The regency setting makes this even more fun!

I liked other mysteries in this series but i wasn't a fan of this one as I found it too slow and some of the turns a bit unbelievable.
Lily is an interesting character and I hope the next story will be more exciting.
This one wasn't my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

⭐⭐⭐ -- ADORE the cover on this one!

I unfortunately was a little disappointed in this one. The main issue I had with the previous one was that it was slow and drawn out, and again, in this one, we have the same issue. The saving grace of the previous book was that it had a cast of diverse, likable, and intriguing characters. In this one, I struggled to like Lily at all, and Jack and Simon were non-existent. Ophelia was really the only character that stood out for me. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Will I pick up the next book in the series? Honestly, I am not sure...

**ARC Via NetGalley**

"The tortured spirits of the dead haunt a Regency-era English manor - but the true danger lies in the land of the living in the third installment in the Lily Adler mysteries, perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn.

Regency widow Lily Adler is looking forward to spending the autumn away from the social whirl of London. When she arrives in Hampshire with her friends, the Carroways, she doesn’t expect much more than a quiet country visit and the chance to spend time with her charming new acquaintance, Matthew Spencer.

But something odd is afoot in the small country village. A ghost has taken up residence in the Belleford manor, a lady in grey who wanders the halls at night, weeping and wailing. Half the servants have left in terror, but the family seems delighted with the notoriety that their ghost provides. Intrigued by this spectral guest, Lily and her party immediately make plans to visit Belleford.

They arrive at the manor the next morning ready to be entertained - only to find that tragedy has struck. The matriarch of the family has just been found killed in her bed.

The dead woman’s family is convinced that the ghost is responsible. Lily is determined to learn the truth before another victim turns up - but could she be next in line for the Great Beyond?"

Ghosts and a Deanna Raybourn namecheck? YES!

There is a likeable cadence to the tone of the Lily Alder Mystery series, and 'Death at the Manor' is no exceptions. I was, however, slightly confused by some of Lily's choices considering the societal norms of the Regency period. Lily is entirely dogged and capable in discovering who is responsible for the death of a neighbor in a locked room. Hysteria has it that Mrs. Wright was killed by a ghost, but Lily proves she knows better. I missed Captain Jack, and except for the final pages where he seems to be in the picture I would be thoroughly disappointed in the trajectory of Lily's private life. I anxiously look forward to more in the near future.

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

In this third installment of the Lily Adler mysteries, Lily investigates a murder who is said to have been done by a ghost! This was a very fun mystery! There were many twists and plots that it kept me engaged throughout the series! Lily is a very fun and intelligent protagonist. She is observant and independent! I also love the Regency setting! Overall, this is a very fun series for Bridgerton fans! I recommend this fans of the Jane Austen mysteries!

This historical mystery set in Regency Hampshire is the third in series following the adventures of Lily Adler, a widow who seems to find deadly mayhem wherever she goes.

Lily, while visiting her aunt with friends in the country, is pulled into a “locked door” murder mystery at the creepy manor of the nearby Wright family. The matriarch is found dead in her locked bedroom and the suspected culprit…the manor’s resident ghost. However, secrets come to light which point to an all too real villain. Was it the son (a n’er-do-well rogue), the daughter (an overly dramatic, fragile recluse), the intense butler, the often overlooked, quiet maid Alice, the outgoing maid Etta or the manservant Isaiah?

I’ve enjoyed this series, but there were a couple of things that surprised me with this one. Lily’s romantic life takes a decided turn (there’s been the beginnings of a love triangle previously) that threw me off a bit…still not sure how I feel about it. Also, some of the discoveries toward the end were just too unbelievable for me. I also felt the story was too long and could have been tightened up more. But otherwise I enjoyed it and its Gothic feel, just not quite as much as I had expected.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing the free early arc of Death at the Manor for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Lilly goes to the country to visit her aunt in hopes of some peace and quiet from her recent adventures in London. Upon arrival she learns the local manner has a ghost haunting their home. While the ghost has scared off most of the staff, it all seems rather harmless...until someone dies. Though looking for rest and relaxation (and an opportunity to get to know Matthew Spencer better, Lilly is once again drawn into solving a murder mystery. Was it really the ghost that caused this murder or are there other forces at play?

After her involvement in two murder investigations, Lily Adler is off to Hampshire to visit her Aunt Eliza. In London she had become acquainted with Matthew Spencer, a widower who has a home near her aunt. At a dinner with Matthew, Lily, her aunt and her friends Lady Carroway and her husband are entertained with stories of the gray lady, a ghost that haunts Belleford Manor. The following day a trip is arranged to the manor to investigate the sightings. Their tour, led by Thomas Wright, is abruptly halted by the screams of Thomas’ sister Selina. After finally gaining access to her mother’s locked bedroom, she found her mother dead in her bed. Selina believes her mother was scared to death by the ghost, but Lily has seen bodies in the past and she believes Mrs. Wright was murdered.

Thomas and Selina’s mother had full control of the estate’s finances. She allowed the estate’s condition to become shabby while she secretly amassed a fortune. Belleford’s staff was minimal and rumors of the ghost had scared a number of employees away. While Selina was content to live in genteel poverty, Thomas wished to escape the manor and settle in London. With their mother’s death it may provide an opportunity to change their lives. Gossip in the village and observing the Belleford’s staff gives Lily possible suspects. The question that she can not answer is how anyone entered the locked room to commit murder. It is a question that she must answer before she can discover who is guilty.

Katherine Schellman’s Regency mystery provides a true puzzle. Lily Adler is a young widow who has a warm relationship with her aunt and her aunt’s companion Susan. Though she misses her husband, she relishes the freedom that widowhood provides. Her husband has been gone for three years and she finds herself attracted to Matthew. While she questions her own involvement in the investigation, she is uncomfortable ending her visit with a murderer on the loose so close to her aunt. She is intelligent, determined and a character that is easy to love. This is the third book in Schellman’s series and I look forward to seeing more of Lily Adler in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this book for my review.

Very fun story! This is part three in a series about Lily Adler, and each subsequent book has been well structured and cleverly written. I love the plot twists and developing relationships between the characters / it makes for an engaging series to continue!

Death at the Manor by Katharine Schellman is the third in her Lily Adler series, although this is the first of her books that I’ve read. Lily goes to stay with friends and accompanies them on a call to the Wrights’ the following morning. They find Mrs Wright dead in her bed with a look of terror and fury on her face. The household all firmly believe that “the ghost did it” as Mrs Wright’s door was locked from the inside. Lily and her friend, Lady Ofelia Carroway, are determined to find out the identity of the real murderer.

Although it seems wrong to start at the back, I have to blurt it out now: the climax of the book is superb. Although I had confidence that Lily would survive (come on, is the author likely to kill off her series heroine?!), I genuinely couldn’t feel at all confident about any of her friends.

However, I wasn’t hooked by the earlier text. It’s OK – and I might buy other books in the series if I saw them in a charity/thrift shop, but I’m not going to go hunting for them. Two things struck me, causing me to stop identifying with Lily:
1. The author is inconsistent with her naming. Sometimes the main character is “Lily” but then, in Chapter 6, she becomes “Mrs Adler”. The reader feels alienated: someone they were getting close to has suddenly turned all formal.
2. We initially see things from Lily’s perspective and feel we are accompanying her, looking over her shoulder. That’s good in a mystery, as we then hear/see what the “detective” hears/sees but no more. However, in Chapter 11, accompany Ofelia to the village, leaving Lily to go elsewhere. I understand how this allows us to be present when further information is divulged to Ofelia, but it destroys our close identification with Lily.

The characters were a little bit cardboard but, again, OK. I did enjoy Lily’s Aunt Eliza, though: she’s obviously someone who doesn’t suffer fools – gladly or any other way!

Finally, although I haven’t read the earlier books in the series, that wasn’t really a problem, although a bit more context about Lord Walter, other than “the husband of her friend, Serena” would have been helpful.

Thanks, Crooked Lane Books, for letting me have a free ARC to review.

#DeathattheManor #NetGalley

Perfect locked room mystery!
Lily Adler and her friends, the Carroways, are escaping London. The Carroways are dropping Lily off at her aunt’s house and staying for a couple of days.
Belleford Manor in the little village has been plagued by a ghost, is there such as thing? Lily and her friend are intrigued, and ready to check it out for themselves. As they arrive at the Manor, they don’t find a ghost but the lady of the house death in her bed in a locked room …. Natural causes???
Loved this installment! Did not see the end coming at all!
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a early peek at this great book.

Absolutely fantastic. This author gets better and better with each book; I can't wait to see how the next one will come out. I was totally wrong about who the murderer was and I was extremely cheerful about it - REALLY well done. Can't wait to see more of Mrs. Adler in book 4!

I'd like to thank Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Katharine Schellman for an ARC of this novel.

I've been reading the Lily Adler mysteries right along, and I love her world. Her circumstances lend her character depth, and her personality is solid and steadfast. She feels fleshed out enough to be believable, but there is still room for her to grow. Her friends are endearing, and I like how they add to the story. In this novel, I was particularly thrilled with Ofelia's participation in solving the crime. I will admit that I missed Captain Jack and Simon Page. The little hints of them in the story weren't enough. I love it when Lily works with both of them. Mr. Spencer, albeit very likable, is not on the same level as Jack or Simon for me. Thankfully, Ofelia was there to carry the absence of both men.

The gothic twist in this novel was particularly fun. I love a good ghost story, especially when it is wrapped up in a murder mystery.

There were a few wording problems that were awkward, particularly toward the end as the action picked up. Nothing a quick run-through with editing can't fix.

In general, it's a 3.5 overall, but I rounded it up. I'm looking forward to more books featuring Lily Adler.

REVIEW: I would say this was a cozy mystery well done, lovely characters, easy reading but really entertaining. I love how the characters play together, Lily has a brave and quirky gang!
I like small mysterys, with not many locations and just a few suspects. You could felt some things, but it had twists and good writing so it kept you hooked up.
I haven't read the previous books but I saw this one and spiked my interest. Even though it would be much better to read all of them in order, to get to know the characters better, you can read each book alone because they have different mysterys. The only thing now, I will need to read the next ones because I want to know more.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

---------------

RESEÑA: Tengo que decir que este fue un misterio bien hecho, los personajes me encantaron, es fácil de leer, pero entretenido. Y me gusta como los personajes casan tan bien, son como una pequeña banda, valientes y peculiares.
Me gustan los misterios así en espacios pequeños, donde transcurre casi todo en un mismo sitio y con pocos personajes. Había algunas cosas que podías ir adivinando, pero eso no quitaba que hubiera pequeños giros y que la pluma de la escritora igualmente te mantuviera enganchada.
No he leído los libros anteriores, pero este llamó mi curiosidad. Lo mejor es leerlos todos en orden, pero al final son misterios diferentes por lo que se pueden leer como libros independientes. Eso sí, ahora quiero seguir leyendo los que vengan!
Gracias a Netgalley y a la editorial por dejarme leerlo a cambio de una honesta reseña.

I love this historical mystery series! The characters are wonderful and real, you feel as if you really know them on a personal level, so easy to connect with. Though this is the third book in the series they can certainly be read as a stand=alone, losing nothing from the story.
I always love a locked room mystery and this one has all the elements to spell success, the quirky characters, the ner'e do well heir, jealous sibling? There are plenty twists and turns, and a few red herrings thrown in to equal a delightful, entertaining trip back in time to help Lily and the gang solve another mystery. Only one thing detracts from the appeal of this third installment, I don't know about all of you but I definitely felt the absence of Captain Jack, and even though Mr. Spencer may be charming and attractive, my vote goes to Jack and I find myself wanting to yell at Lily to open her eyes and see what is it in front tf her! Anyone else feel this way too? Captain Jack needs to return in the next book and set Lily straight! I look forward to seeing what will transpire in future installments.
Great, entertaining fast read, I highly recommend this and the complete series.
thank you to the publishers and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

Book 3 in the Lily Adler mystery series by Katharine Schellman was a good continuation of the story’s and fun to read. I enjoy reading about all the characters and learning a little more of Lily’s aunties, and the mystery certainly had some twists and turns, while being somewhat easy to guess the conclusion. That said, I do wish the love triangle would be settled and disappear already.

🌺🌺 𝕖𝔸ℝℂ ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 🌺🌺

💞 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙧 by 𝙆𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙎𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙣 💞


𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5


**Thank you to the autor and the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, for giving me a pleasure of reading an eARC of this amazing mystery book through NetGalley.**


When I requested this book on NetGalley I must admit I haven't read the previous books. I still requested the book and I was lucky enough to receive it. Before I read this one tho, I read the first book in the series (still haven't read the second one) and loved it so much. The reason I am saying all of this is that you can read each book alone because they have different storyline, but reading them in order provides more information on the main characters, in my humble opinion.


Now onto the book itself. The mystery itself is very well done. Locked rooms, ghosts, murder, love, friendship, representation of disabled, queer and people of colour...this book has it all.


Only thing it missed, I felt like, was more of Captain Jack. He brings out the best in Lily, and without him the book is lacking the wit and humour I so much loved in the first book. I hope we get to see him back soon. Hopefully in book 4.

But, just because Captain Jack was missing that doesn't mean there is no romance in Lily's life. Mr Spencer happens to be living very close to Lily’s aunt, so there is romantic potential. I still prefer Jack though.

This book comes out in August 9th 2022. I received eARC version end of March I belive and was going to wait, but just couldn’t, so I’m sorry if I now got you all excited for this for you to have to wait for 3 more months. The wait is long still but it will be worth it.

**All of my reviews will be posted on Instagram (@booksta_mommy) and my Goodreads page (@adna_fazlibasic) **