Another fantastic Lily Adler mystery! I love the Gothic twist on this one. The village setting is wonderfully rendered, with all sorts of delightful new characters, and the twists and turns of the dastardly deeds remain thrilling as ever.

The third book of the series. There will be some characters from the first books that are not here. Lily and Ofelia make a good team, and I am fond of their relationship. Though I do miss the trio, some new characters were thrown in the mix. Hmmm, I have seen a lot of reviews wanting Jack for Lily. However, Matthew seems like a steady guy to me. He looks pretty dependable, and I would like to see future developments in their relationship. Also, I do love hearing the POV of Ofelia and seeing how observant she is.

The mystery had a bit of a “gothic” style, and I had some suspicions of who “dunnit.” Although, there were some instances where Lily seemed a bit distracted and unsure. I am glad she was surrounded by people who encouraged and supported her. I cannot wait for the next mystery Lily has to solve with her friends.

I give this book 3 stars and recommend this to anyone interested in Regency-era cozy mysteries. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book and the writing is well done. The characters are so very likable. . I look forward to reading any additional books in the series.

I loved the first two books in this series, so when I saw the third one on Netgalley I knew I had to request it. And I was lucky enough to receive it 😀

In this series we follow Lily Adler, semi-recently widowed lady in Regency London as she keeps stumbling into murder mysteries. In this book she travels to the country to visit her aunt. When going on a ghost-hunt the lady of the house is found dead in her bed, and seeing as the room was locked from the inside, only the ghost could have done it. Right?

The mystery in here is quite good. Locked room mysteries usually bring a bit more puzzlement which I do love, and this one was no exception. I did figure out who did it before the characters did, but that was more due to the writing than to my cleverness… not that the writing was bad. The characters start making certain assumptions, ones that us readers don’t necessarily make. It becomes obvious what the author wants us to think… therefore it must be different. This didn’t make the conclusion any less enjoyable for me though.

If representation is important to you than you’ll be happy to know that this book has disabled, queer and characters of colour. I know make it sound like boxes that were ticked, but it never feels like that. All these characters are major side characters and are important to the story… and also happen to be coloured/wounded in war/… It all feels very natural and not forced at all (though still appropriately addressed regarding the time period).

My only irk with this book is that it feels quite different in tone. The author also acknowledges this at the end of the book. So for a part it was intentional. I cannot help feeling though that it was also in part because Captain Jack isn’t really in this book. 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 two books. I hope we get to see him back soon…

For anyone who is worried that with Jack the romance in these books also leaves, I’ve got some good news. Mr Spencer happens to live very close to Lily’s aunt… so there is romantic potential galore. I do still prefer Jack though…

This book only comes out in August (I received this very early and was going to wait, but just couldn’t), so I’m sorry if I now got you all excited for this… the wait is quite long still. Which means I still have to wait even longer for book 4!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC. This is the third in the series about the lovely Lily Adler. Lily is a widower that hails from London. She has found herself in the middle of a few murders since moving to London. Her deceased husband's friend, Captain Jack, has been a good friend to her and has assisted in her impromptu investigations. But in this book, the dashing Captain is called to port and we do not get to see their friendship grow other than a few exchanged letters.

Lily travels to Hampshire with her friends the Carroways to visit her aunt's and then another friend after. What she hopes will be a series of restful visits is not the case. A neighbor who is rumored to have a ghost haunting their halls let's them stop in for a visit. Simply trying to find amusement to pass the time, while at the manor, the lady of the house is discovered dead in her bedchamber. Everyone, including the servants, believes it to be the work of the ghost. Lily and her friend Ofelia Carroway, along with various other people, go about solving this mysterious rumor of a ghost and who committed the murder. Lily reconnects romantically with a previous acquaintance. I found myself missing London and the Captain instead of the dark, brooding manor with its "ghost". Not my favorite of the series but still entertaining.

The third Lily Adler Mystery is a worthy successor to the first two, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and in this book Lily has an intrepid accomplice--her recently-married friend, Ofelia.

It's Regency England, and young widow Lily, along with Ofelia and her adoring husband, Ned, have looked forward to spending a few months in the country with Lily's aunt and her longtime companion. But no sooner do they arrive from London than they are caught up in an implausible ghost story at a neighboring family's estate. By all accounts, a menacing ghost has caused many of the servants to leave, especially after one of them is injured while fleeing from the apparition. When the family's matriarch is found dead in her bed while locked--from the inside--in her bedroom, even the police are inclined to give some credence to the ghost story. But Lily, who has helped law enforcement resolve two previous murders, believes the woman's son and daughter have their own reasons for wanting her dead.

This story has everything I look for in a historical mystery--an intelligent, caring heroine, a plethora of promising suspects, interesting supporting characters, a well-drawn setting, and a satisfying conclusion, not to mention a burgeoning romance between Lily and dashing Matthew Spencer. I'm sure there will be more installments to come.

My thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for affording me the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this bookk.

Lily is pragmatic and she is looking forward to a quiet companionship with her aunts in Hampshire. She is
accompanied by her friends and is looking forward to meeting Mathew Spencer whom she has a fondness for. Arriving
in this small village, her interest and the interests of her companions is aroused by the stories surrounding a
ghost in a manor bordering the village.

The story takes off from there. Visiting this manor house, Lily is not met just by stories of a ghost who has been
seen by many in the house, but also by the death of the mistress of the house - supposedly at the hands of the ghost.
Unfortunately the local magistrate is not willing to deal with a proper investigation but is willing to pass it off
as a death by an unknown party. Not attributing it to a ghost or to a human being either.

Lily sets in motion an enquiry with Bow Street and uncovers a story of intrigue. The obvious suspects are taken into
custody but with no real proof - only suspicion and the actual villain of the piece gets away almost scot free.

Very lovely setting - the English countryside and the English countryside way of life adds piquancy to the story.

While I loved the first two books in this series, this third book seemed to have a different feel and I didn’t connect with it emotionally. Death at the Manor continues Lily Adler’s life as a young widow in Regency Britain who seems to stumble into murder investigations. This time, she’s out of London, traveling with her friends Lord & Lady Calloway, to visit her aunt in the country. While there, Lily is reunited with Matthew Spencer, who we met is book #2. Matthew is a wounded war hero, widower and father of 2 younger children,. He seems more interested in Mrs. Adler than when he was in London and is courting her. The murderer in this book may or may not have been “the grey lady” a ghost plaguing Belford Manor and the family and servants who live there. Lily doesn’t believe in ghosts but finding the real killer is a big challenge.
The book was well written and a fun read but it seemed like a departure from Lily’s story — a bubble outside of the her trajectory. I hope the next series installment gets back on track.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

I loved this book and I had not read the other two prior ones in the series.The writing is just so good! The main characters are so very likable and affable. The story, with murders and the quest to solve them, is fun. I look forward to reading any additional books in the series. Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Discordant Notes…
The third Lily Adler mystery finds our engaging protagonist on a ghost trail. Looking forward eagerly to a visit with friends at a country manor, she is taken aback to find discordant notes in the small village. Has a ghost taken up residence in the big house? When a murder occurs it soon becomes very clear that the real danger is from living, breathing entities. Wholly enjoyable and entertaining with a delightfully drawn cast of characters and a solid plotline. A worthy addition to the series.

I LOVED this book. It’s mainly because of the writers excellent writing style which was a joy to read. Not having read the other 2 books in the series I had no problem catching on to the various characters and their backstories. The mystery and plot were both complex but easy to follow and very interesting and engaging. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who likes a good solid A plus mystery novel!!! I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Note: Thank you to Netgalley & publishers for allowing me access to this arc in exchange for an honest review! 

My Review
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery. The writing is excellent, and the story is easy-going and interesting. I believe that this book can be read as a standalone, or after reading Schellmen's first two books in the series (The Body in the Garden & Silence in the Library), and that is a huge plus for any book.

The Good Things
1. I love the main character, Lily Alder! She is written well and jumps off the page, as the main character should. 

2. Much like Lily, the rest of the characters in the book are engaging. 

3. The dialogue between characters is realistic and intriguing. 

4. This story is the textbook definition of a Mystery, and I love it! 


The Bad Things
1. There were two or three places where the story seemed to sput out a bit. However, they were short, so I moved past them quickly! 


My Final Rating:
☆☆☆☆☆ (Goodreads)
☆☆☆☆☆ (Blog)