I received a complimentary ARC copy of Murder at Midnight (Lily Adler Mystery #4) by Katharine Schellman from Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books in order to read and give an honest review.

… A well-written, engaging, and clever locked room mystery that kept me turning pages …

This fourth entry into the Lily Adler Mystery series begins with the widow Lily Adler along with the parents of her deceased husband attending a lavish dinner on an isolated estate. With several prominent families in attendance and with Matthew Spencer a new man on her arm when her deceased husband’s family, his dear friend Jack Hartley and the Hartley join them Lily is sure it will be an enjoyable evening. When an unexpected snow and ice storm closes all routes from the estate the party is stranded and is forced to stay at the estate until their path is clear. Tensions run high when rumours and innuendos surface, arguments flare and what was to be a pleasant dinner now becomes a pressure cooker of sorts.

The sounds of the storm are deafening. When Lily is awoken at midnight by a strange sound, she chalks it up to the storm but when a guest’s body is found the next morning, she knows exactly what it was. With all the party goers stranded tensions run high when the party is stuck on the estate with a murderer. When Jack Hartley’s little sister Amelia becomes prime suspect, Lily is compelled to assist her former brother-in-law and magistrate John to solve the case before the murderer can flee. Jack and Lily have been through some trying times over the years including the loss of her husband who was also Jack’s best friend and their adventures whilst stumbling upon and solving crimes. Over the years Jack has been in the service, sailing on the high seas, finally returning home after a long absence, and announcing his retirement from the service. In a moment that he should be celebrating instead he is devastated at the prospect of his sister’s arrest.

When Jack does the unthinkable to save his sister, he is locked up under house arrest, Lily is determined to work twice as hard to get to the bottom of the murder and clear Jack and Amelia’s name. The more Lily and John investigate the more secrets they uncover, secrets that people would kill to keep buried.

A well-written, engaging, and clever locked room mystery that kept me turning pages to an ending which caught me by surprise (which is often difficult to do). Having read and reviewed the previous books in the series, in my opinion, this is definitely one of the best. I love this series which feels like a unique take on the Agatha Christie novels I have adored since childhood, I wholeheartedly recommend.

What's not to adore in this fun, entertaining mystery starring Lily Adler?

Visiting her deceased husband's family, she is excited to get away from London and see her friend Jack.

When a ball is given and the next morning a body is found, the adventure begins! Enjoyed every minute!

"Murder at Midnight," by Katharine Schellman, is set in Hertfordshire, England, in 1816. Although the weather is cold and snow has begun to fall, Mrs. Grantham's guests are looking forward to spending a lovely evening at a holiday ball in her country home. Lily Adler has been a widow for three years, and her late husband's mother, Lady Adler, would be pleased if her daughter-in-law were to marry Matthew Spencer, a good-hearted widower with two children. Also present are Lily's friend, Captain Jack Hartley, his parents, and his youngest sister, Amelia. Jack confides to Lily that he is worried about Amelia, who has become the subject of malicious gossip.

After the festivities end, the men and women who cannot return home because of the treacherous weather conditions remain in Mrs. Grantham's house. Shockingly, one of them is shot to death by an unidentified assailant. The victim was a scoundrel and troublemaker who had his share of enemies. The police cannot be summoned because the roads are impassable, so John Adler, a magistrate, investigates the crime along with his sister-in-law, Lily, a talented amateur sleuth.

This unremarkable whodunit has an overly complicated plot and little character development. John and Lily interview witnesses, search people's rooms, and are alarmed when the killer strikes again. It turns out that almost everyone in this mystery is harboring secret or two, and there are any number of individuals who could have committed the murders. Among the mystery's themes are blackmail, deceit, theft, and clandestine liaisons. Lily is appealing—she is intelligent, observant, and spunky—but her presence is not enough to earn this talky and meandering novel a thumbs-up.

I received a copy of this title from a publisher, but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Murder at Midnight is the latest title to feature Lily Adler and finds her visiting her deceased husband's family around the holidays, but this is not a Christmas story. While attending a local event, Lily finds herself involved in trying to solve yet another murder while stuck snowed in with the suspects. And to add to the stress, Matthew Spencer is present forcing Lily to decide if she wants a future with him or if it is time to move on. The lead suspect is her friend Jack Hartley's younger sister who rumor says was seen scandalously coming back from being alone with the deceased. The mystery was interesting, and readers got to learn a lot more about Jack and his background including meeting his mother and younger sister. The Matthew Spencer storyline is tied up in this story and not drug out as many writers end up doing. I've enjoyed this series, and this story is a wonderful addition; I look forward to future titles following Lily as she decides what she wants from life now that she is out of mourning and ready to move forward with her life.

I uploaded my review to Goodreads. I will upload my review to Amazon on the release date.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Katharine Schellman for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Murder at Midnight coming out September 19, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Regency widow Lily Adler is ready to spend a quiet Christmastide away from the daily schemes and secrets she saw in London. Not only will she be seeing her late husband’s family, she’s reuniting with Captain Jack Hartley, her dear friend who is finally returning after a long voyage at sea.

But secrets aren’t only found in London. Jack’s younger sister, Amelia, is amidst scandal and gossip in their community. She refuses to tell anyone what happened, even when an unexpected snowstorm strands the neighborhood families together after a Christmas ball. Stuck until the snow stops, the Adlers, Hartleys, and their neighbors settle in for the night, only to be awakened in the morning by a maid who has just found a body.

The victim was the wealthy son of a local gentleman—the same man whose name has become so scandalously linked to Amelia’s.

With the snow still falling and no way to leave, it’s clear that someone in the house was responsible for the young man’s death. When suspicion instantly falls on Jack’s sister, he and Lily must find the real culprit before Amelia is convicted of a crime she didn’t commit.

I love this series! Regency era mysteries are one of my favorite genres. Lily is a fun heroine and I love the writing. It’s really cozy and sweet. I really loved the idea of everyone being stuck at home during a snowstorm and having to solve the murder. Jack’s sister was probably my least favorite character, but I enjoyed Jack and Lily’s interactions and friendship. Hopefully there will be more books in the series.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys regency era mysteries!

A big winter storm blows in during a neighborhood ball and not all the guests can make it home. The hostess quickly has rooms made up so everyone can retire for the night - but some of the guests continue the party under the cover of darkness. By morning, it becomes clear that they won't be heading home. Not only are they snowed in, but there is a dead body in the courtyard.

I don't often read books set before the 20th century, but I've read a couple of cozy mysteries set in the 1700s and 1800s that I've enjoyed. As Murder at Midnight looked to be a Christmas novel I thought I would give this Regency cozy mystery a try.

I think protagonist Lily Adler would give Elizabeth Bennett a run for her money. She is quick-witted and opinionated about the social ills of the time period.

Murder at Midnight is the fourth book in the series, and Lily Adler has proven herself to be a skilled investigator. As such it doesn't take much convincing to get her brother-in-law, the local magistrate, to enlist her help. In many ways, Lily reminded me of Miss Scarlett from the television show Miss Scarlett and The Duke.

As I mentioned, the story is set at Christmas, but it isn't really a Christmas cozy. Outside of the ball, there doesn't seem to be any other festivities. If it hadn't been mentioned, I would have just thought it was a winter party. And the novel didn't read like a Christmas story.

The novel was well-written and the mystery was intriguing - everyone has secrets that could ruin their reputation so it is difficult to determine the truth.

If you are a fan of Miss Scarlett and The Duke or enjoy Regency-era murder mysteries, then this book is definitely your cup of tea.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Monday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2023/09/murder-at-midnight-by-katharine.html

Another stellar mystery with our capable and intriguing Mrs. Adler! I’m such a fan of these stories, the subtle but important diversity they hold, and the brilliant Regency air in which they reside.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my free copy. What an honor to continue to be in the front of the line to experience these books! These opinions are my own.

Murder at Midnight is the fourth book in the Lily Adler Mystery series by Katharine Schellman. If you're a fan of "locked door" or historical mysteries, this book is for you, as it combines both. I've only read the second book and had no trouble jumping into this one, as each mystery stands alone. I just love the main characters, Lily Adler and her dearest friend and confidante, Captain Jack Hartley, and was pleased to meet up with them again.

In 1816, young widow Lily Adler is happy to be leaving the secrets and machinations of London behind to spend time with the family of her late husband in Hertfordshire, England as Christmastide approaches. Lily is especially excited: her dearest friend, Captain Jack Hartley, finally returned from a long sea voyage, will be visiting with his own family. While attending a neighborhood ball, Lily discovers that Jack's younger sister Amelia is the subject of vicious gossip in connection with a young man. To make matters worse, Amelia refuses to discuss it, not even denying or confirming the rumors. A sudden, brutal snowstorm hits, causing the Adlers, the Hartleys and other ball guests to spend the night at their hostess' home. In the morning, a maid discovers the body of a man shot to death lying outside in the snow. Unfortunately, he's the young man who's connected to Amelia in the gossip! Why did Lily think all this would be left behind in London?! She should have known better! Of course she accepts the invitation to investigate...

This was a wonderful mystery! After a slow start, there were lots of twists and turns, with red herrings flying hither and yon. I enjoyed the second book in the series, but this one truly had it beat. Who knew that just about everyone at the neighborhood ball had secrets?! I kind of figured out whodunit, but I still managed to be shocked at the end; seriously, I did NOT see THAT coming! Though it was a great story, it was the characters who made it riveting and at times charming. Lily Adler, of course, is the lead. She is a young widow who lost her husband Freddie due to an illness. She is still very close to his family. Lily seems to find herself investigating crimes quite often; she has a knack for being in the vicinity of wrongdoings. (Do you think anyone ever wonders if Lily is the one committing misdeeds? She's around them often enough!) Though she loved her husband, Lily has gotten to the point that she takes an occasional lover to her bed. At the moment that man is Matthew Spencer, a handsome widowed father who lost an arm in the war. He's at the ball, as well. Matthew asks something of Lily, and she must make a decision. My favorite character (sorry, Lily!) is Captain Jack Hartley, a seaman who just returned from a long voyage. (Jack is the reason that I want Matthew, who normally I would swoon over, to take a hike! Jack is YUMMY.) Jack was Lily's husband Freddie's friend from childhood; he is now Lily's dearest friend and confidante, and he ends up working on investigations with her. He is attending the party with his sister Amelia and his parents. Jack is frustrated that Amelia won't confide in him; he feels guilty because he was away from home so long many times. When Amelia is suspected of the murder, Jack makes a sacrifice to protect his sister. Sigh...what a man! I enjoyed meeting Lily's brother-in-law Sir John, who was a local magistrate, which put him in charge of the investigation. Amelia was a great character, wanting to be grown up and handling things herself, but she still needed her family. There were many viable suspects stranded in the hostess' home, and they were all entertaining, but not all were likable. There were so many people with motives! I can't get into all of them; otherwise this review will be more like a book. I look forward to reading the next book in this highly entertaining series! (And Ms. Schellman? May we PLEASE have Lily and Jack get together?!)

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I do love a house party mystery and a house party mixed with a blizzard that strands everyone there longer than they planned to be is even more fun. I also really enjoyed getting to spend ore time with the Adler and Hartley families. We've seen Lily Adler and Jack Hartley from the beginning and seeing her in-laws and his family was really fun.

The victim was rather awful and if Jack's sister wasn't caught up in a scandal involving him than a number of people would have been easy suspects. Lily's reputation as a detective proceeds her and she is quickly pulled into the investigation. I really enjoy how Lily investigates. She's very smart and logical, good at analyzing situations quickly but not afraid to think outside the box. I also really like her relationship with her family and her love interest Matthew.

The mystery kept me guessing and I loved the snowed in setting. It gave a closed in feel mixed in with all the gossip and politics of a London ballroom. I really enjoyed the mystery from beginning to end and especially enjoyed visiting Lily's world.

My thanks for the ARC go to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books. I'm voluntarily leaving a review, and all opinions are my own.

Genre: Mystery, Historical Mystery
Subplot: Romance
Spice Level: Medium because affairs are mentioned but there's no sex on the page.
Representation: LGBTQ

MURDER AT MIDNIGHT can stand alone or be read as part of the series. I love how Lily works through the clues. The (paraphrased) statement: that if something doesn't fit or seems strange, then it must be investigated—resinated with me. She took a logical step with what she knew along with her brother-in-law to solve this crime. There was only one moment when I wanted to grab them and say, why are you searching the room when you could search the person.

As with all mysteries, there are a lot of people to sort through. (I'm only slightly preening when I tell you that I figured out a bit of the whodunnit in advance of the reveal.) The solution is quite clever, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's made all the harder to decipher when so many people have secrets worthy of hiding.

The setting of a house part in Regency England was wonderful—and there was good reason they were snowed in that the author talks about it in the notes at the end. I love it when novels are set in solid facts!

Regency and mystery lovers will enjoy this book, and I recommend it!

Happy (sleuthing) reading!

A straight up Agatha Christie style of mystery with a dead man found one morning in a snow storm so serious that house guests are forced to overstay their welcome at a ball for several days. While Schellman’s detectives are younger than Christie’s ever would have been, one has a nose as strong as Poirot’s for discernment while the other has the duty crossed with a suggestible tendency toward easy answers. There is enough sub rosa malevolence in the trapped party goers and secrets unshared to keep the story moving. A delicious who dunnit.

The fourth book in the Lily Adler Mystery series. I have read them all to date.

Murder at Midnight is a locked room mystery. The murder occurs at a house party and the occupants are snowed in, unable to leave or for the police to attend. Lily has practiced sleuthing on several occasions before, with either her close friend Matthew or her late husband's best friend, Captain Jack. In this instance they are both there and their investigation starts immediately.

I am enjoying this series very much. Lily is a great character and a very independent woman. I think I approve of the tough decision she makes in this episode. The author writes really well and paces the action nicely. All good and I look forward to book five.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC!

While this is a fun, cozy mystery, I believe that I expected a bit more of a romantic element in this story. The mystery, while intriguing and continually growing bigger, felt like it needed more subplot beyond just added elements of mystery. I love the relationship between Jack and Lily (something I'm sure we'll see more of) and would have loved for this book to give them an opportunity to grow closer and maybe even develop an explicitly romantic connection, rather than just the subtext of that.

I love a good English country house murder mystery, and Murder and Midnight does not disappoint. Lily Adler's fourth case takes us to Hertfordshire, where Lily is attending a house party in the company of her deceased husband's mother and brother.

Also present are Captain Jack and his family. When the body of one of the young men from the party is found in the snow, Jack's younger sister becomes the main suspect. Lily and her magistrate brother-in-law investigate, but are stymied by Amelia's refusal to talk and Jack's false confession.

Lily's lover, Matthew, helps with the investigation. He also wants to formalize their relationship, and you do have to wonder at his timing. Lily, naturally, postpones the discussion until the murder is solved, which perhaps should have been all the answer Matthew needed.

Why you should read it: Schellman has recently begun a new series, and I worried, unnecessarily, as it turned out, that it might cause a small drop in the quality of this series. The writing is as solid and wonderful as ever, and allows you to understand the characters.

Why you might not want to: Amelia grated on my nerves. She could have resolved things much sooner if she just hadn't been so stubborn, silly, and overindulged by all the adults in her life. Yes, I know that she was trying to avoid being "ruined," but I was seriously out of patience with her before I was half done with the book. It wasn't enough to keep me from finishing it, but I hope scenes with Amelia are few and far between in future books.

3.75/5 stars

I received an advance copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Murder at Midnight is the fourth novel in the Lily Adler Mystery series. While the mystery is contained to make this a nice standalone, there seemed to be some character relationships that have carried over from the previous novels. Unfortunately, I haven’t read the previous three novels, so I was missing some of the nuances, however, there is enough information for me to understand the dynamics. The story takes place in the regency era (1816) and follows a widow, and sleuth, Lily Adler. In this story she returns to Hertfordshire where she attends a party with her late husband’s mother and brother. Along for the ride are Captain Jack Hartley, Lily’s late husband’s friends, Jack’s sister Amelia, another friend of her late husband, Peter Coleridge, and Lily’s potential love interest, Matthew Spencer.

During the party a murder takes place and with the snowstorm, everyone is stuck there as they try to solve the mystery. This part of the story was well done as there are lots of twists and turns where it was difficult to fully figure out the solution until the end. I’m sure there were readers that could guess it sooner, but I enjoyed that it wasn’t obvious to me at first. There were a lot of characters to track, which did add to the time it took to piece together the mystery, but there were some nice twists in the writing, too. I think if I knew more about the characters to keep everyone straight, I may have figured it out sooner, so I am curious how the other novels are written. Since many of the characters are continued from the previous stories, I am curious to get more background with them by reading the others. There is a hint of romance in the story, but the focus does remain on the mystery. It’s a fun concept for a series and I cannot wait to read more in the future.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

The clock strikes 12!

A Christmas dinner and dance in the local neighbourhood. Not too grand but grand enough!
Too bad a murder happens! Lily Adler finds herself knee deep in investigating the affair, particularly the supposed killer.
None other than Amelie, Captain John’s younger sister!
What!?
Added to this is that the guests haven’t been able to leave due to a snow storm.
They’re all trapped, and Oh! Yes! Jewellery has gone missing!
Adding to the drama, Matthew Spencer is a guest, but Captain Jack Hartley has news of his own.
A pleasing Regency mystery with just a sprinkling of romance.

A Crooked Lane ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Lily Adler is back, this time visiting friends and family in the countryside at Christmastime. Matthew Spencer is there, and though she has been enjoying becoming romantically involved with the widower, she is unsure how she wants their future to play out. She is also reunited with her close friend Captain Jack, recently returned from seafaring. But no sooner does she start to settle in than she discovers that Amelia, Jack's younger sister, is the source of village gossip...and she's not saying a word, not even to her beloved family. They and several other neighborhood families become trapped at the house hosting the ball they are all attending, and one of their party doesn't last until morning. It's up to Lily to find the murderer before hysteria takes over and Amelia...or some other innocent person...is blamed.

Yet again, I found myself marveling at the healthy, friend-based relationship that Lily has with two different men. They are realistic relationships based on character development and realistic reasons, but are still wonderful to escape into. Lily is still healing from the tragic loss of her husband, and as she learned from a child to hide her feelings and be reserved, it's hard for others to truly know her if she has her defenses up. I do love that we get to see glimpses from Amelia's perspective in this one, as she has a fresh take on things. I found that it had a slow build, but about halfway through it hooked me and I couldn't read it fast enough. This latest installment didn't disappoint and I look forward to more adventures with Lily and Captain Jack!

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for my advance electronic copy. All opinions are my own.

Katherine Schellman’s Regency cosy mystery series features a young widow, Lily Adler who has a talent for inconspicuous sleuthing and solving crimes. In this fourth episode, it is 1816 and Lily is in Hertfordshire spending the Christmas season with her late husband’s family. She’s especially looking forward to spending time with Matthew Spencer, a widower she has become fond of who lives nearby and is also delighted that her husband’s best friend and her sometime fellow sleuth, Captain Jack Hartley will be home on leave from the navy.

Both the Adler and Hartley families are invited to attend a neighbourhood Christmas ball along with Matthew. Normally it would be an splendid occasion for everyone to enjoy except for an awkward shadow cast over Jack’s younger sister Amelia, who recently caused a scandal after being found alone with a man, Gregory Edison, in the garden of a party at the vicarage. The family find themselves shunned and whispered about and no one will ask Amelia to dance. Amelia has refused to tell Jack or their parents why she was with Gregory in the garden but swears she wasn’t doing anything wrong.

Towards the end of the ball, a massive snow storm rolls, quickly rendering the roads impassable and making it impossible for the guests to leave so they have no choice but to spend the night. The guests spend an uneasy night listening to the storm rage and the sound of branches cracking under the snow and in the morning are woken by a scream when a maid finds the body of Gregory Edison outside in the poultry yard. Amelia is immediately suspected of his murder and John Adler, Lily’s father-in-law is the local magistrate and quickly takes control of the situation, recruiting Lily to help question the gusts and search their rooms.

This is an entertaining locked room mystery with a murder to be solved over a few days before the snowed in guests are able to leave. It’s nicely paced with quite a few red herrings and twists as the characters’ secrets and relationships are revealed. Along with murder there is jewellery theft, blackmail, touches of romance and more than one couple having an illicit relationship. Lily is a developing into a strong and interesting character. As well as being smart, confident and courageous, she is quite modern for the times and will have to soon decide how she wants to spend her future; either as a wife and mother or as her own woman, free to do as she pleases. An excellent addition to the series with the ending setting up the potential for some interesting developments in the next episode.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.

I really loved the first two books of this series and was really looking forward to reading this next instalment. I have really enjoyed getting to know Lily Adler who, although taciturn, has proved to be an interesting protagonist in these cozy mysteries.

In this book we get to know Amelia Hartley, Lily's friend Jack's sister. The scene is a country house murder at Christmas and the cast of characters, including Amelia, are as interesting as in the previous books. The story is well told but unfolds slowly with not much going on at the beginning and everything culminating in the last couple of chapters. So, the pacing was a little slow for me. I also felt Lily's personality was missing in action a bit and found her a little more bland than in the previous books.

It was great to see Matthew and Jack in the same story but I felt a little dissatisfied by the end of this story with the way things were left with the two of them.

I am sticking with this series but I didn't love this book as much as the previous ones. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for me.

Lily returns to Hertfordshire to spend the holidays with longtime friends and the family of her late husband. When a snowstorm forces many of the guests to stay overnight, and a body is found the next morning, Lily is invited to assist in the investigation. Most of the guests had reason to want the man dead, so figuring out who the culprit is won’t be easy, despite Lily’s connections and inside knowledge.

When I chose this book to read, I didn’t realize that it’s the fourth book in a series, so I expected to have to spend time figuring out characters’ relationships and backstories. Fortunately, that wasn’t much of an issue, although I’m sure knowing more about the apparent recurring characters may have helped with little nuances. There were a few references to ‘problems’ Lily helped solved, apparently in previous books in the series, but nothing in this book gave away the outcomes in those, so this could be read as a stand alone.

Having not read the previous books in the series, I don’t know how recently Lily was widowed, but she appears to be comfortable with her life and surroundings. I like that she has a good relationship with her former in-laws, and that she has a good network of supportive friends as well. I have always had trouble with the whole servant/class system ‘back in the day,’ but it’s appropriate for the time – and it comes in handy when investigators garner information from the servants that they otherwise would have missed :)

The murder victim in this story was not a very popular man, so initially, nearly everyone was a suspect. The snowstorm that stranded guests at their hosts’ home created a locked room situation, which should have made it easier to figure out but didn’t. Several characters rose to the top of my mental list, but their position on the list kept changing as the story progressed. I didn’t figure out who the killer was or the motive until just before it was revealed in the book.

I liked this book enough to go back and start the series from the beginning, and I hope there are many more books to come.