Name of Book: Murder at Midnight
Series: Lily Adler Mystery #4
Author: Katharine Schellman
Narrator: Henrietta Meire
Publisher: Dreamscape Media and Crooked Land Books
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: September 19, 2023
My Rating: 3.4 Stars
Pages: 320

The promo for this story got my attention - Perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Ashley Weaver, (Although I have not read Deanna Raybourn, I am a big fan of [author: Ashley Weaver]! I have read all the Amory Ames Mysteries as well as Electra McDonnell! I did read [author: Katharine Schellman] ’s "The Last Call at the Nightingale" that setting was NYC during the 1924 Jazz/Prohibition Era. ‘The Nightingale’ is a glamorous speakeasy.)

Additionally I loved the idea of a Christmas a story. One that takes place at a party where there is a murder, a bit of romance and a snow storm that traps the party participants definitely had me!

Lily is a widow and still close to her in-laws. If fact, her mother-in-law has invited Lily's love interest, Matthew Spencer, to join them at a Christmas party .Jack Hartley a friend of her late husband Freddy is also invited; Jack and Lily have become close since her husband's death.

I was really looking forward to this story but struggle getting into the story and connecting to the characters. ’I love a good audiobook but am a narrator snob. In this case I was disappointed of the narrator’s performance of many of the characters including Lily. Ms. Meire did a good job with many of the characters but others not so much.
I believe I would have enjoyed this more if I read it. I will read another Katharine Schellman story


Want to thank NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Crooked Lane Books for this audio eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 19, 2023.

Murder At Midnight
Katharine Schellman
It was the Christmastide season and Lily Adler planned to attend a neighborhood ball. The young widow was eager to reconnect with the family of her late husband; she is attending the ball with her mother-in-law and brother-in-law. Her husband’s best friend Captain Jack Hartley will be home; the handsome mariner has decided to give up the sea and return home to care for his family. Jack is also very important to Lily; he is her friend and confidante. Peter Coleridge another friend of her husband is also attending the ball; he is a wealthy man with Irish investments; many local people have invested money in a fund he is managing. Jack’s sister, Amelia, is also attending the ball, while the young lady will not give any explanation, she is the focus of the local gossip. Matthew, a close friend of Lily’s is also in attendance.
An unexpected snowstorm during the ball makes road conditions impossible; the attendees cannot safely return home. The gracious hostess extends her hospitality to the guests. One of the maids discovers a dead body lying with a string clutched in his hand, lying in the snow of the poultry yard, early the next morning. The deceased is the man the gossips have linked with Amelia. Magistrate Sir John, Lily’s brother-in-law, asks fer to assist him in investigating the murder. This is not the first time Lily has participated in an investigation.
This is the fourth book in the Lily Adler series, I have not read the previous books. While this book stands alone, I would like to go back and read the previous books in this series. I enjoyed watching the relationship between Jack and Lily. I enjoyed the character of Jack. I was not fond of Peter or Matthew. Once again it is up to Lily to solve a murder, theft and blackmail.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book for review. As always my reviews are my unbiased opinion.

4.5 ⭐️

Romance, murder, extortion, and thief makes for such a great page turner! I absolutely loved the mystery with a romance intertwined. Author did such an excellent job keeping in the time period. Highly recommend!

A cozy listen, perfect for the upcoming holiday season! I really enjoyed the narration and storyline. This was my first foray into the Lily Alder mysteries and I found that it was easy to follow along despite not having read the previous books in the series. I really liked Lily's character and the fast paced nature of the scenes.

When the whole neighborhood gets snowed in after a Christmas ball, murder and mayhem ensue in this locked door mystery-romance, Amateur sleuth and widow Lily Adler is trapped with BOTH of her love interests, her in-laws, and a whole lot of suspicious neighbors. With so many mysteries and feelings to untangle, this book keeps you on the edge of your seat. WHO will Lily choose to give her heart to? WHO is behind all the murder and theft in this mansion and, do you ever really KNOW your neighbors?

This is the fourth book in the Lily Adler mystery series. After reading the first book I abandoned the series and happened to be rewarded my request for this audiobook ARC. I'm so glad I gave it another chance. The "will they, won't they" subplot seems to have really ramped up and now I'm hooked.

If you are a fan of Deanna Raybourn's "Lady Julia Grey" series, Andrea Penrose's "Wexford & Sloane" mysteries or Anna Lee Huber's "Lady Darby" series, this is another in the same vein. A friendly, crime-solving partnership that turns into a sweet romance. I've got read the next one as soon as it comes out! I need more Lily & Jack moments!

First, the narration. I thoroughly enjoyed this narrator’s mellow, pleasant voice and delivery. There was enough emotion in the delivery to give you all of the ‘feels’ – happiness, fear, tension, etc. It was nicely paced and the narrator was successful in delivering a unique voice for each character most of the time. However, when there were several characters in a scene with each taking a speaking part, there were times when I couldn’t tell who was speaking. Still, it was an excellent delivery and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Widowed Lily Adler has left the cold and damp of London for a Christmas visit with her husband’s family in Hertfordshire. Yes, they are still very close because they all grew up together and they all loved her husband. As part of the festivities, they are all attending a ball hosted at a nearby estate. Everyone in the area – all the people Lily grew up with – is in attendance and it is nice to see everyone. At least until she catches hints of undercurrents in the air. Hints of gossip – scandal – and she learns that Amelia Hartley, Jack Hartley’s sister, is the subject of the gossip. Oh! My! Goodness! Amelia has just let the gossip run amok because she will not speak about it – to anyone. The man who is also the subject of the gossip, Gregory Edison, isn’t speaking about it either.

With the ball in full swing, the snow begins – and it snows, and snows, and snows until there is no way the guests who live further away can get home before the roads are impassable. The only option is for those guests to spend the night and hope they can travel the next day – or the next – or the next.

So many things happen at the ball – and lots of red herrings are put in place – so you’ll have fun sorting them all out. When the attendees retire for the evening in their borrowed night clothing, the house becomes quiet and settled. Of course, there is the usual bed swapping that happens at house parties, but it is quiet – for a while. At first light, a body is discovered – outside – frozen in the cold. Of course, it wasn’t the temperature that did the victim in – it was the bullet hole that did it. The victim? Gregory Edison! The immediate suspect? Amelia Hartley! OMG – the race is off and running.

Lily, Jack, and Matthew Spencer (a sometimes love interest) are on the hunt for the real murderer because Lily and Jack are sure it isn’t Amelia. With no evidence – none at all – they have their job cut out for them. John Adler, Lily’s brother-in-law, the local magistrate, is totally without experience in investigating the murder and he immediately puts Amelia under lock and key. Luckily, John has a somewhat open mind and allows Lily to help him investigate since she has experience.

With witnesses being evasive and no physical evidence it is going to be difficult to prove Amelia is innocent or someone else guilty. Then, there are the jewelry thefts from various entertainments in the area – are they related? Or, is there another motive? You’ll just have to read the book to find out!

This was an interesting, fast-paced, well-plotted, and well-delivered mystery with lots of red herrings and many possible motives. You’ll be solving the case right along with Lily and her helpers, and you’ll feel the tension as the weather begins to improve to the point of allowing the suspects to return to their homes.

Another great part of the story – for me – is the romance. Where will Lily’s attentions land? She has choices – will she make the right one? I’m ready for this part of the series to be defined, and I’m hoping the events in this book will see that happening.

If you are looking for compelling characters, a complex mystery, and a tad of romance, then you will find all of that right here in this book. I recommend it. It was interesting and intriguing enough that I completed it in one session!

I voluntarily listened and reviewed an Advanced Audio Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a cozy, christmas-y read set during the regency era. I loved the characters and the setting of this book!