Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Lily Adler books are a great cozy mystery series and this installment is no different, though I do think it's the best of the series so far. I discovered this series through NetGalley, when I requested book 3 of the series without realizing it was book 3. Luckily, it was no problem reading it out of order, as the author filled the reader in on enough that jumping in midway through was no problem; however, I liked it enough that I then went on to read the rest of the series, culminating with this one. If you are new to this series, I do think this book in particular is a little harder to start with than the others because many of the events and twists rely on established characters, so it would be better to start elsewhere.

I found the mystery in this book to be better laid out and organized than the prior novels. While I enjoyed the other books, I found some of them to have just too many possibilities and red herrings, and drag things out too long, while this mystery felt like a good balance among elements. Some of it was guessable before the end, but at least for me, not enough to get the full picture of what is going on until the reveal. There is some further development of Lily's friendships, particularly her relationship with Jack, here as well, which helped make the book about more than just the murder.

I find this series relaxing to read. The Regency Era means the mystery has to be solved "the old fashioned way" with clues and problem solving, not DNA results or surveillance cameras. Nothing ever gets too gruesome, and you know your favorite characters are all ultimately going to be ok, even when they go through some traumatic events. A lovely book to read on a rainy day for some good cozy crime solving vibes.

i had such a great time reading this book!! it was so fun. the characters were amazing and sweet and wonderful. it was just such a pure joy and i'm so very thankful to netgalley for letting me read this one early!!!

The London season is just beginning in the fifth in the Lily Adler mystery series, set in Regency England.

Lily Adler is a well-to-do young widow who currently has Amelia Hartley under her wing. That doesn’t make it easy to hide her correspondence from her charge. When Lily receives a note addressed to “A Lady of Quality”, a young woman expresses concern that her uncle and guardian might be stealing her inheritance from her. There’s something off about the letter, so Lily challenges the writer, asking her to meet in a public park. Lily is right to worry. Although the young woman is upset about her circumstances, and wants help, the man who accompanies her knows Lily and her history, and threatens to blackmail Lily and her friends if Lily doesn’t assist them. They want Lily to search the uncle’s house for a possible missing will.

Now that Amelia is staying with her, retired Navy Captain Jack Hartley has a reason to visit frequently, checking on his sister. But, he and Lily are both aware of their growing attraction. When Lily tells Jack about her plans to attend a ball, and search for the will, he’s willing to accompany her. During a ball, it’s a little easier for the couple to disappear than for one woman, although Lily and Jack soon find themselves under suspicion.

The next day, Lily is called back to the same house to meet with Bow Street investigator Simon Page. It seems her client’s uncle was murdered during the night, and a suspect found in the closet. That suspect begs Page to send for Lily Adler.

Katharine Schellman throws a number of red herrings in her readers’ path, but she also manages to throw us a few bones as well. It’s time Jack and Lily admitted their feelings for each other, and she handles it well. Lily is as straightforward as readers would expect with her character. And, the mysteries always benefit from the appearance of Lily’s diverse collection of friends. This time, though, she’s forced to acknowledge that her actions could disgrace her friends, not just her.

Schellman is also the author of the Nightingale mysteries. I hope she continues to find time and energy for the yearly Lily Adler ones.

I found this very gripping and super easy to get through. Although some may say the storyline is a little predictable, I still thoroughly enjoyed it and was glad for the realistic conclusion.

A great addition to this series!

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC. I really enjoy this historical mystery series, the character development is great and the plot will keep you guessing. Well written too.

I loved the story line but it was difficult to read with Katharine Schellman popping up between the sentences and the page number along in the sentence. Tried to skip over but was often reading those words before sentence was complete. Don’t know if this was a mock up before sending for publication. Your writin talent is great just need better editing.

This may be my favorite installment in this series since Body in the Garden! Schellman gave us all our favorite characters in another twisty, turny mystery that checks all the boxes: Lily finds herself in another mess? Yup. Jack and Ofelia are eager to help? Yup. There are a dozen suspects with strong motives? Yessir. I read these mysteries for the coziness and the characters, but this story actually had ben guessing the entire time, and for that I'm grateful. I still got my cozy story but it came with a happy dose of shock and awe that the others in this series didn't hold for me. If you are looking forward to another Lily Adler story, rest easy, this one is just as wonderful as the others if not better.

**Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the eARC**

I still really enjoy this series! Lily Adler is a lovely character, and I'm so glad to finally see the progression with Jack. I've also enjoyed the addition of Amelia to the story.
I felt like this book was a bit more predictable, but maybe I'm just getting better at seeing through the red herrings (of which there were many!). I was engaged throughout the novel, and I'm glad that there was a solid and realistic conclusion.
I look forward to the next installment!
Thanks to NetGalley for the book to review.

In this fifth installment of her Lily Adler mystery series, Schellman once again delights Regency-era fans with a clever cozy mystery with just the right amount of heat. Mrs. Lily Adler and her intrepid society friends are forced, under threat of blackmail, to investigate the villainous uncle of a young girl determined to marry a scoundrel. All ends happily, with a waltz for Lily and Jack and the promise of another mystery on the horizon.

Schellman manages to strike a pleasant balance between independent and vulnerability in her heroine, and the characters are likable. Fairly low stakes and not a lot of angst - a perfect read for a cup of tea.

I quite enjoy this cozy mystery series set in Regency era London (this is number 5 and they are arriving yearly). Socialite and war widow, Lily Adler, is approached by a young woman who feels her Uncle is robbing her of her inheritance. Of course, nothing is as simple as it seems, and missing wills, a body or two, and some mysterious illnesses combine into a real threat for Lily (who of course would never give up).

A little romance, character development across the series, and some very good twists. I was quite pleased that I figured things out just pages before they were revealed — the mark of a mystery perfectly tuned to my taste — ie not obvious but directly related to the clues presented. Plenty of cozy style filler but I enjoyed the filler (and it wasn’t stupid) so that was just fine. The characters tended to be on the slightly non-conforming / diverse side which gave the London society setting a bit more flavor as various levels of snootiness struggle to apply the “correct” respect.

Fun!

I don’t know what it is about this series, but I always end up devouring these books as soon as I get my grubby little paws on them. And can you blame me? The cast is loveable, the vibes are immaculate, and the experience is always so fun and immersive.

A Scandal in Mayfair takes Lily and the gang back to London for the beginning of the season, and opens with Lily receiving a letter beseeching her to assist a young woman in trouble. Lily, hackles raised, doesn’t agree immediately, but asks the sender to meet her in the park where she can observe the mystery woman before making a decision to help her. Her caution isn’t unwarranted, because Lily soon finds herself face to face with a certain someone from one of the previous books, and subsequently compelled to help untangle a web of family secrets.

This book is by far my favourite entry in the series to date. Schellman’s grown so much as an author since The Body in the Garden and does a wonderful job balancing the fun and the serious aspects of this story. I do wish Lily’s flaws were explored a little more in this series, but I did really enjoy how this book forced the characters to grapple with the knowledge that their sleuthing was putting their reputations and the people they cared about at risk.

I especially enjoyed how the characters were allowed to shine in this book. Lily felt so much more relatable and human in this book than she has in its predecessors - largely due to her having to come to terms with her changing feelings towards Captain Hartley. It was SO nice seeing more of the captain as well - he wasn’t utilized enough in the last book and, I’ve said this before, his cheek and charm is such a great counterbalance to Lily’s seriousness and the books where he features a lot more prominently are the ones that shine the brightest to me.

I love this series dearly, and can't wait to see what new adventures Lily & friends go on.

a good cozy mystery set in 1800s England. Lily is approached by a woman wanting help to get her inheritance from her uncle who is trying steal it from her. A few twists and turns, and must admit it would help if I had read others in the series. Overall though, enjoyed it enough to see to the end and would recommend.