In the third book in the Lily Adler historical cozy series, we have a ghost and a murder mystery.

Lily is visiting her aunt and she discovers that a manor there is supposedly haunted, and the family is promoting these rumors with house tours and the like. When Lily and her friend visit, there a murder and of course, everyone except Lily assumes it was the ghost who did it.

Similar to previous books, we don’t have a twisty, suspenseful mystery, these books are a bit more character driven than plot driven, but we do have a locked room-type murder with a gothic feel to it. I do think this could be read as a stand-alone, but I think there’s a better appreciation for these characters having read the previous two books. I liked that this was a bit more an ensemble, with Lily working together with several other characters to solve this mystery.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book which had a feel of Jane Austen mixed with a generous dose of Agatha Christie. The Victorian feel of it and the murder mystery set in a village, in a haunted manor nonetheless was a brisk read which kept me engaged and away from thinking about all the things going on in the world. Also, a perfect read in between tense and heavy books

I thank Netgally and Crooked Lane Books and of course the author Katharine Schellman for giving me this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lily Adler and her friend Ophelia Carroway go and stay with Lily's aunt for a few days only to be present at the occurrence of a murder of Mrs. Wright. Previously successful with solving murder mysteries, Lily cannot stop her mind from trying to find out the murderer. Here's the catch, everyone thinks the ghost that haunts that house is the one the frightened the poor woman to death.

This book is for those who are just getting into the world of murder mysteries and this is the perfect place to start as it slow and light. Unfortunately, being used to heavy murder mysteries with thrilling twists and turns, this book was not for *me*

The book was okay, pretty good but also slow and a little boring in places. It started off really slow with unnecessary descriptions and it only picked up once the murder happened. After that again it was a little slow with little bursts of information which excited you but no fun until about 50%. It's at this point you kind of figure who could be the murderer based on eliminating people and arriving at the conclusion.

I really liked that both Lily and Ophelia shared equal parts in investigating and I really liked their characters and their significant others.

The second half of the book really picks up and completely invites you into a thrilling mystery, but at this point even when they bring back suspects with evidence, you still have an inkling of who is the murderer. The end completely shocked me and the how and why I was astonished and had absolutely no idea. Woah. Indeed.

One thing, there were A LOT of romance plots here and a lot of talk about love and potential love etc which at the beginning felt unnecessary but definitely added a cute element to the book.

Lily Adler is looking forward to spending some time with her Aunt Eliza with her friends Lady and Lord Carroway ( Ofelia and Ned) but instead, she is embroiled in a strange murder that appears to be committed by a ghost at the nearby Belleford manor. Can Lily solve the murder with her friends while dealing with her feelings for Mr Spencer?
I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion
This is the third book in the Lily Adler Mystery series, but I was able to get into the story and the characters without having read the previous two books. The book is told from a few points of view which makes the story a lot more compelling.
I loved the diverse range of characters in the book that naturally blended into the story and the expected prejudices are present but overall I loved how the characters in the book were able to accept Ofelia’s mixed-race descent. If anything, Ofelia’s difference from the other people in the village is her noble status.
Lily and Ofelia make a good detective team along with the official agencies such as the local magistrate and the Bow Street Runners.
The underlying mystery is interesting and would fit more within the cosy mystery category with a locked door mystery at its core. There is a definite gothic vibe to the book with the atmosphere at Belleford Manor, creepy butler, and equally creepy owners!
I imagine the romance between Mr Spencer and Lily would appeal more to readers who have read all the books in the series but this does not distract from the story.
Perfect for fans of
Historical Cosy crimes
Content warning
Allusions to racism
Note to publisher
This review will be published on my blog seriesbooklover.wordpress.com on the 10th of August 2022

I enjoyed reading this book, its an interesting murder mystery, though I don't usually read murder mysteries, its a pretty good book.

A ghost in a manor? Count me in!
I expected an atmospheric gothic - just the way I love, but that wasn't quite it.
I knew I was getting into a 3rd book in a series, but it looked episodic, so I thought I could just hop on in.
Sadly, I read the whole clues wrong. This is much more of a cozy mystery, fast-paced cute historical mystery with sweet characters. I'm ok with cozy, but I guess I wasn't in the mood for that, so I was a little disappointed. Second problem, the books starts off assuming that you already like every character and care about them - so I found it hard to even get a sense of what kind of people they were at first. And there was nothing to make you care about them much in the begining. I feel like you miss out if you haven't read the first two books because you didn't get to see the relationships build. So if you like the series, I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself, but don't start with that one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this digital ARC.

This is the third book in the series.

The main character is Lily Adler, an amateur sleuth.

The book started off slow but it was a decent read.

#DeathattheManor #NetGalley Thank you to the publisher and @NetGalley for the E-ARC copy of this book. The rating of this book is entirely of my own opinion.

Lily Adler is my new favourite female sleuth! This is the third in the series but I jumped straight into this story and loved every second of it! This is a brilliant gothic, locked door, ghostly, murder mystery. One to look out for in August when it's published - thank you @NetGalley and @crookedlanebks

"Apparently, it wanders the halls of Belleford at night. Half their servants have quit in fear..." - Matthew Spencer.

Ghosts and murder. The latest book in the Lily Adler series turns slightly gothic when visiting her aunt in Hampshire. While there she learns that Belleford manor is haunted. Members of the family and staff having seen the vision of a "Grey Lady". Rather than the family attempting to distance themselves from these rumors, they instead are promoting it and enjoying the notoriety. Mr. Thomas Wright, the son of the house, talks of giving tours. Thinking a tour might be a bit of fun, Lily and her friend Ofelia decide to visit Belleford and figure out the mystery. But while there the unexpected and unexplained death of Mrs. Wright, Thomas's mother, occurs. Everyone, but Lily, believes it is the Grey Lady who has killed her.

What I liked about the book is how it felt like a traditional mystery to solve. The murder or death appears to be within a locked room with an old, rundown manor with limited servants. So while Lily and her gang attempt to get to know all the circumstances of who and why someone might want to kill Mrs. Wright, there is also the struggle of how it occurred at all.

I also appreciated how the story used multiple individuals to dig into the circumstances and find clues. Even though it is a Lily Adler mystery, it really a group effort and it helps give the story a more well-rounded feel. No one person can do it all, and although Lily is capable, the narrative uses everyone's strengths to help find answers.

Death at the Manor clearly glides into a gothic direction with a potential haunting of Belleford. But while the story goes in that direction, it never feels truly gothic. Gothic stories generally have a ghostly or haunting type of presence, but they also build an atmosphere within the storytelling that leads credibility to the presence. Even though Belleford has a reported ghost, the atmosphere of the book continues to feel more traditional/cozy-mystery instead of gothic mystery. Still, a potential ghost is always a win for me and I appreciated the addition because of how it added to the overall mystery.

Rating: 3.75 stars

I received an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for my honest review.

Lily Adler is an amateur sleuth who feels compelled to solve the mysterious, seemingly supernatural, murder of an elderly woman. With the help of her friends, she eventually untangles the complicated mystery.

Overall, I liked the book, though it started out very slowly. The first 25% was sluggish, making me unsure that I would even finish it. Once it picked up, though, I couldn't put it down. It's an intriguing mystery, much like an Agatha Christie novel, minus the gratuitous sex scene.

Things I liked: character development, writing style, red herrings, and a surprising reveal

Things I didn't like: the spelling of Ofelia, the sluggish start, gratuitous sex

It is the third in a series, but, for the most part, that didn't affect the story. I was a bit confused by the inclusion of Jack, but I figured it out toward the end.

Really good book with interesting characters. A good murder mystery that kept me guessing that had a dash of romance included which mixed it up a bit. For me it was a little slow in paces but nonetheless still a good book. Was worried as it`s the third book that I would have needed to read the first 2 in order to understand what happens in this one but not at all! I love books like that , there`s hints of things that happened in past books which intrigues you and makes you want to read the others but the references aren`t too huge that you don`t understand what`s going on.
No chance that I would have guessed who the murderer was which is great and keep you guessing throughout the book.

Another Lily Adler mystery! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read an arc version before it’s release. I think this novel had pros and cons in comparison to the first two books. I immensely enjoyed the setting, rural town setting outside of London, which helped add to the gothic atmosphere within the novel. The theme and writing style is definitely what keeps me interested in these books. The con I have with the 3rd instalment was my lack of connection with the main character. It wasn’t non existent but just not as strong as the previous books. Still an amazing read and I will still be recommending this to other Lily Adler fans!

Lily Adler returns in her third mystery

This time she is looking forward to spending a quiet few days in the country with her aunt and a couple friends. When she hears of a ‘ghost’ haunting a local manor house, she is game to try and solve the mystery. However, when someone is found dead at the ‘haunted’ manor, Lily finds herself investigating a murder.

A unique aspect of this story was the somewhat gothic tone to the actual mystery. It made for a more suspenseful feel, which I enjoyed. However, other aspects feel similar to many other historical ‘cozy’ mysteries. Such as a young widow protagonist who defies conventions to seek justice. There also is the obligatory love triangle.

On a side note, a choice the main character has made in her relationship with one of the men (while not explicitly described) is more risqué than I personally am comfortable with. As a result, I’m on the fence whether I will continue the series.

thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

This was my first time reading this author and the series. You can read this as a stand alone. I find no trouble reading a book out of order in a series without having read the previous ones and not feel lost and this one was no different.

So what worked for me, was that it was an enjoyable story. The mystery was good and nicely developed, and it was a fairly quick read.

What did not work for me - the dialogue. The whole Mrs. Adler and Lily and who was at times speaking (I found myself blinking and rereading a sentence a few times). This detracted from the story. I did like how Lady Ofelia helped, but It does leave you wondering who the true sleuth is as the book is progressing (and honestly in 1800s England - I don't see how a stranger (Lady Ofelia from the West Indies) can come in and investigate in a strangers home.

There is also a love triangle, but it appears our heroine is oblivious to one of her suitors.

I LOVE THIS BOOK! It’s very intriguing and I usual don’t read mystery but this one was a good read👀 Thank you so much for granting my request on this book!

Death at the Manor is the third in the Lidy Adler Mystery series. The plot and the book cover gave me some Agatha Christie vibe, and I enjoyed reading it.

It was an interesting murder mystery read with some Downton Abbey feeling. I didn’t read the first two books but even without them, I could get into this one. It’s a well-written novel that can be a hit for anyone.

A much different vibe than the first two books in the series. This one takes place outside London and one of the main characters is missing. Without him I didn't seem to connect with the main character - apparently he kept her grounded and most importantly, I think, reminded her to keep a sense of humor. But as in the first two in this series, the mystery and writing were both great. I also thought this third book had some great representation without it feeling forced.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here expressed are my own.

Bridgerton meets Miss Marple - never was twisted murder more charming!

When Lily Adler visits her aunts in the countryside, she is fascinated by the rumour of a ghost hounting a nearby house. But when the house's owner is murdered in her bed and the ghost blamed as the unlikely culprit, Lily must investigate before more people die.

I have not read the first two titles in the series, but this works very well as a standalone - just enough detail about earlier events is given to make the reader understand the necessary background without giving too much away, so you can still enjoy the earlier titles after reading this one. There is a story sub-arc that develops over the course of the series, however; and if you don't want to be spoiled for that, I'd recommend going in sequence.

Lily investigates the death with the help of her relatives and friends; and while she may be a little hindered by the conventions for women of her time, she never lets propriety get into her way if there is something she wants to ferret out. As Agatha Christie knew very well, even small communities have the ingredients for a deliciously twisted tale; perhaps none more so.
In spite of being a seasoned mystery-reader and inveterate guesser of endings, I did not spot the culprit in this one.

I like to group historical fiction into two different varieties: the one that aims for maximum historical accuracy, and the other that has a thoroughly modern cast with thoroughly modern values and opinions in pretty frocks. Death at the Manor falls into the latter category, so if historical accuracy is important to you, this book is not for you (I'd like to point out that the author has definitely done her research, as becomes clear from the afterword; and this is a deliberate stylistic choice on her part.).
If, however, you are looking for a fun, cozy mystery with a historical background, not too much gore and a smattering of romance, definitely check this one out!

This review was published on Goodreads, Storygraph and Instagram on February 11th.

“The lady in grey killed our mother”
“No one wishes to admit they might be living with a murderer”
This was great !!!!
This book was a Miss Murple in the 19th century and I loved it !!!
Not only the mystery, the gothic themes, the investigations and the small romantic vibes … it has a great POC representation with an amazing character married to an amazing man, both being an amazing couple !!!
Lily is great, sweet, witty and intelligent and her background plus the possibility of an interesting future with a certain male character ??
I’m in love!!
And don’t let me even start on her aunt and her aunt’s best friend … which may be more than they seems !!!
This story, this plot, these characters were just unique and beautiful and so easy to love and cherish !!!
You don’t even have to read the first two books to understand what happens in this one … but you absolutely should !!!
I really hope I’ll have the chance to experience something else. To follow Lily’s journey through murder and mystery as it develops in the future !!!
“I am intrigued to see not only what you uncover but how you uncover it”
“We assumed - and we kept assuming. Once again”