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.

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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) **

A very enjoyable cosy read, you do not need to have read the first two in the series to follow the plots but it does give you a background to our lead character

Looking forward to the next read

I enjoy this series. Mrs. Adler is great, an independent woman who is willing to have her friends help her and will even ask for help. The mystery kept me guessing and entertained.
I look forward to more in the series.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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

Death at the Manor is the latest installment in Katharine Schellman's historical mystery series centered around the character of Lily Adler. While the two previous books in this series held my interest and were quite enjoyable, this one fell flat for me. Although the main mystery was intriguing and had fun twists to keep the reader guessing, the rest of the plot seemed a bit mediocre. It seemed like Schellman was trying to delve deep into the motivations of each ensemble character, but it never really felt like that exploration went anywhere. In addition, the romance subplot was a bit contrived and I didn't sense any chemistry between Lily and her partner. Even though Death at the Manor wasn't my favorite, I'm hopeful that the next installment in this series will pique my interest again.

The is the third Lily Adler mystery and I’ve been eagerly awaiting it. I think it’s easy enough to jump in if you haven’t read the others, but you get a better feel for Lily if you’ve read the first two.

Lily Adler is a young regency widow who has had some luck solving murders other people want to sweep under the rug. When she arrives in Hampshire with her friends the Carroways to stay with her aunt and her “friend”, she expects a quiet visit to further her with acquaintance with nearby Matthew Spencer.
 
But a ghost has taken up residence nearby. Half the servants have left in terror, but the family seems delighted with the notoriety. Intrigued, Lily and her party arrive ready to be entertained—only to find that the matriarch has been killed in her bed and her door locked from the inside.
 
Mrs Wright’s family is convinced that the ghost is responsible. Lily is determined to learn the truth before another victim turns up. This story has a more gothic bent than the previous ones.

In the previous mysteries, Lily was assisted by her late husband’s best friend Captain Jack Hartley, a half-Indian naval officer who she’s grown closer to. It’s clear Jack loves Lily, but she’s oblivious/fighting it and in this book she’s taken by widower Matthew Spencer who she met in book 2.

I prefer Jack over Matthew, so this was rough for me since Jack has returned to sea. His insight and support was a notable absence for me. I like Sir Edward and Lady Carroway—a Miss Lambe-esque heiress from the previous books—but Ofelia doesn’t have Jack’s humor. Lily didn’t have as active a role as she typically does compared to her supporting cast. Bow Street constable Simon Page is also absent.

If you haven’t read the previous books, you’d think Matthew was great and the investigation satisfactory. But for me, Jack and Simon’s absence cast too long a shadow and I’m not thrilled with the attempted gothic tone. The middle of the investigation dragged for me, and I haven’t felt that way about the previous books. Here’s hoping book four gets back on track and the gang gets back together.

Historical fiction mixed in with a cozy mystery. It follows Lily and co. and you really get a feel of the relationships without having to read prior stories. This was my intro into a "locked-door" story. I liked it and would continue the series. I am a spooky girl so i love Goth vibes.

Thank you Net galley for sending me an arc!



As the series progresses more and more so does Schellmans writing. Since the first book she keeps getting better at captivating the readers interest.


Although the murderer was more easy to guess I applaud her for the plot development and the extremely positive interactions between Lily and the other characters.

The strong female friendships in these series, especially considering that Ofelia is a woman of colour who is constantly assisting Lily in solving the mysteries instead of being thrown aside, were particularly pleasant to read.


(Also Lilys interactions with her aunts were an absolute delight)

I also was happily surprised to realize that the romantic side of the book was more of a subplot and didn't take away from the main plot. I quite honestly root for both Captain and Mr Spencer, and definitely plan to follow along Lilys journey in the next books.

I was given a free e-copy of this novel by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Regency widow Lily Adler is looking forward to spending the autumn away from the social whirl of London society. When she arrives in Hampshire with her friends, Lord and Lady Carroway, 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 is delighted with the notoriety that their ghost provides. Piqued 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—but tragedy has struck. The matriarch of the family has just been found smothered to death in her bed.

There was no one else in her room, and the door was locked from the inside. The dead woman’s family is convinced that the ghost is responsible. The servants are keeping secrets. The local magistrate is flummoxed. Lily is determined to learn the truth before another victim turns up—but could she be next in line for the Great Beyond? (Goodreads synopsis)

I have not read any novels by Katharine Schellman, so I will have to go back and read the first two Lily Adler mysteries.

I enjoyed the historical mystery as well as the gothic tones that the author employed. I, especially, was enjoyed by Lily and Ofelia’s straightforward, intelligent outlook to the case. Both women are down to earth, but are not ridiculous enough to put themselves at risk. They also recognize romance when it is staring them in the face, although this does not distract from the main theme.

The mystery was well plotted, and gave more than enough suspects. I found myself thinking one way (due to the amount of mysteries I read), changing my mind, and then returning to the original thought.
I am worried, though, of the potential love triangle that the author appears to be implying. I really hope that this is not the case, as such a cliche can cause unnecessary drama.

Overall I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

Death at the Manor is an enjoyable cozy mystery. With a rather simple, gothic inspired plot, the book's selling point is the atmosphere and characterization rather than the mystery itself. I liked immersing myself in the idyllic English countryside, and appreciated the inclusion of Black characters in a very organic manner. I did not care for romantic subplot as I thought it didn't enhance the story in any way, and the purpose of the male character's inclusion could have been served regardless. The emotions are a little underexplored.

What a great historical fiction!! Death at the Manor, the third installment of the series was well written with very well-crafted characters. So much so, that you feel as if you know them.

The novel is about the haunting that occurs at the Manor. One spirit a lady in grey has scared the servants away. Lilly is so intrigued she decides along with her friends to visit Belleford manor. They arrive at the manor ready to see the spirits only to find that tragedy has struck. The matriarch of the family has just been found killed in her bed.

So, Lily decides in investigate to find out what really happened. And, you will be surprised by the ending.

Can't wait to read the next book in the series!

Much like the first two Lily Adler mysteries this delightful period romp of our favorite characters was the perfect mix of comfort, friendship, and mystery.

Brilliant read! Well written (and likeable) characters and the excellent backdrop of the creepy Manor House made this novel a great, fast paced experience. I was guessing right up until the end!

If you like serious (but not gory) historical mysteries, this series is for you. In this book, Schellman delves into the gothic house in the countryside mystery. Lots of fun, great characters and an interesting love triangle that is leaving me guessing as to what's going to happen next. C. S. Harris and Laurie King fans will enjoy.

The third in the Lily Adler mystery series. I enjoyed spending time with Lily and her friends, but was slightly disappointed by Lily's lack of observational skills when it comes to those close to her in this one. I also was sad to see Captain Hartley not playing a greater role. I suppose this will be a challenge for future books, as his career necessitates his absence most of the time. It will be interesting to see how the series handles this fact going forward.

Having not read the first two books in the Lily Adler series, I wasn't sure how I would enjoy this but I really did! You quickly work out who the main characters are, and how they're linked. It reminded me very much of the Laetitia Dodd series.

I thought the mystery itself: that of a ghost haunting an old manor, the lady of the house killed whilst locked in her room, very good. There were numerous potential suspects and I enjoyed ruling them out and then ruling some of them back in again. There were some surprises and twists thrown in and the ending is shocking so I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Whilst this is a mystery series, there's lot of extra romance thrown in which I actually enjoyed too and didn't think took away from it being a mystery. I felt it added to the character's as they would have their own lives continuing despite investigations. It was also good to see that whilst the series focuses on Lily as the main 'detective', others in the group (namely Ofelia and Matthew) combined efforts.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will be looking into reading the first two in the series!

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **

Slow and overdiscriptive. Not a page turner but the ending is what I was not expecting at all. Surprised me to say the least. Pops of love and potential love throughout really didn't need to be there to tell the story but was a cute little addition.