I am ready for Lady Adler and Captain Jack to be a couple! I also enjoyed Mr. Page and his relationship with his niece. There aren’t enough stories about the neurodivergent in historical records as well as fiction. Facts are that these individuals have had terrible reputations attached to them. I hope there will be more stories that put a healthy light on them and their abilities.

Some of the connections felt too unlikely, which made the ending feel a bit forced. Like the author was quickly finishing the story.

Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

I love this series by Katharine Schellman. I love a good historical mystery. They're such good cozy mysteries for me. If I'm going to read a mystery, it's got to be light and fluffy. The world is scary enough as it is haha.

This is the 5th book is the Lily Adler series and it's a great continuation of the story from the previous 4 books. We finally get a little romance in this one too! I was swooning over Jack in this one!! I highly recommend if you've loved the rest of the series. If you haven't read the rest of the series, what are you doing?! Go read the first one!! It's called The Body in the Garden.

I apologize for being late to this ARC (It came out on Tuesday). The school year started, and teacher tired the first week of school is REAL. Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Hallelujah the book I've been waiting for and hopefully a turning point for the series!

First, I'm gonna need all these secondary snoopy bitches to GET OUT THE WAY! Give Lily and Jack some special private time. After four books, they've finally admitted they have feelings for each other, and I eagerly awaited every scene with them together - but they were WAY too short and constantly interrupted. How did people ever get jiggy with it back then? They can't even get a moment for a good snog! AHH! I need more "Jily"!

The mystery was also good and twisty. I thought I had it figured out before Lily, but didn't completely. That's a good mystery to me! Somehow Schellman managed to shoehorn in Detective Page and his cute family, all her friends from previous mysteries and their husbands (who all blend together for me), and plenty of suspects. It's all hands on deck in London and everyone is helping to solve this one. I don't know how she'll top it, but I can't wait to find out.

I hope future books will be exclusively Lily & Jack team-ups and we can dump most of these other friends. Amelia can stay, she's pretty fun. I hope Schellman also gets to ratchet up the romance in the next installment. These characters deserve it and so do the readers. It's been a real slooow burn.

A delightful historical mystery with a dash of romance! She's a widow who has a knack for investigating and soon finds herself with a new case... one she's being blackmailed to solve. Along for the ride is her longtime friend Jack Harltey, who just happens to be her late husband's best friend... and the man she is falling for. Lily has returned home and when she is given a new case to help a young woman figure out her inheritance things take a turn when she meets the young lady's fiancee, a dubious and terrible man that Lily has met before but he threatens to expose Lily's past incident if she doesn't do what he says. Things only get worse when a dead body is found and she is forced to help the very same blackmailer prove he's not the killer. Lily's season is definitely going to be filled with danger, mystery, and a possible romance with her best friend. This was a really cute book and I loved that I could read this one without having to read the first book. I could easily follow along and had a fun time. The mystery and romance were really well done and I loved the relationship between Lily and Jack. The mystery was fun and I'll be reading the rest of this series!

Release Date: August 20,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Lily returns with a great story full of intrigue and a mystery. Now that she is over her mourning period, she is back with her friends and as a lady of quality gets back into the swing of things.

I adore historical mysteries and this series has been a fun one but also can get a little dark. So enjoyable and cannot wait for the next one!

I thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance reader copy of “A Scandal in Mayfair.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Greed, and its subsequent machinations (a perfect mystery book combination) help to form a framework for old angers and murder in “A Scandal in Mayfair,” the latest Lily Adler historical mystery, set in Regency London. “A Young Gentlewoman” seeks Mrs. Adler’s help in forcing her evil uncle to give her a supposed inheritance, so she can marry. And lest readers think this is a simple “you’re not good enough for my niece” storyline, oh, no. Our author has much more diabolical plans in store. The twist and turns ensure that “A Scandal in Mayfair” keeps you turning the pages.

“A Scandal in Mayfair” also involves the temper of the time, as it details what the loss of social status would mean to Lily Adler and her friends, where reputation becomes a point of contention. Lily must tread a fine line as she negotiates the paths of “detection.” Anything that reeks of the least bit of scandal would ruin them all socially, as author Katherine Schellman demonstrates so well in this, the fifth book in the series. I also should mention that readers will get a short historical lesson in what follows in life after a career in the navy. It’s definitely a period of adjustment, in historical as well as modern times.

And finally, for those who like a little romance with their mystery story, Captain Jack and Lily are still negotiating their feelings for each other. Things are looking up.

We’re back with the latest Lily Adler mystery! While this series has been a bit hit and miss, the hits have been strong enough to pull me through some of the weaker books in the series. And, notably, Lily Adler herself, as well as the various characters that surround her, has always been an intriguing leading lady, carrying the brunt of my interest when the mysteries themselves have been on the weaker side. Well, I’ll spoil my own review and say that I am pleased to report that this is another solid entry! Which makes two in a row, since the low point that was “Death at the Manor.”

We’ll start with the mystery itself. While I did enjoy this one more than others, it remains to be true that the mysteries themselves are not the main draws for this series. If you’re a fan of the mystery genre and have read a decent number of them, many of the twists and reveals found in this series are easy to spot well in advance, as they are often staples found in many other books that use similar plot devices. Now, that’s not unique to this series and many of these tried and true mystery devices have been used repeatedly for years, so the inclusion of a familiar device isn’t a problem. It’s the execution. One of my biggest frustrations with “Death at the Manor” was the blundering way in which one of these familiar mystery devices was used; in that it was presented in such an obvious way as to undercut Lily’s intelligence.

This book tackles another familiar mystery trope, but I’m pleased to say that it does so in a much more smooth and well-executed manner. While I was able to piece together what was going on fairly early, the mystery itself was complex enough and had enough red herrings and other dead-end pathways as to keep my interest piqued. And to present a challenge that is believably difficult for a character like Lily. There were a number of different storylines playing out at once and, as the story continued, they were neatly woven together in a way that felt organic and interesting. The new characters who peopled these storylines were similarly of interest, with some familiar faces popping up in unexpected places. I appreciated the shades of grey that was used in constructing many of these characters, as well, with the villains given some sympathetic motivations and heroes acting in sometimes very unlikable ways.

On top of the solid mystery, I was thrilled to realize early in the book that we’d finally reached a point in the narrative when the slow-burning romance between Lily and Captain Jack would finally come to a head. And it was everything I’d been waiting for! Jack was given a few POV chapters himself, and these were used well to explore his mindset during this shift in their relationship. And I appreciated the delicate balance the author used in dealing with Lily’s conflicting feelings about entering into a romantic entanglement with the good friend of her late beloved husband. For a situation that was rife with drama and angst, I very much appreciated the straight-forward manner in which much of this was dealt with. The book takes the time to explore these topics thoroughly, but there is very little “silliness” or dramatic dithering only for dramas’ sake. I, of course, appreciate this approach to romance subplots, but it also would be out of character for practical, steady Lily Adler to slide into an angst spiral over this.

Overall, this was a very satisfying entry into the series. Probably my favorite since the first book even! The mystery, while a bit predictable, was interesting, and I loved the character progression on the romance front. Fans of this series (particularly those interest in the slow-burn love story) are sure to enjoy this one!

Rating 8: With a compelling mystery at its heart and the lovely bloom of new romance, this is a fantastic new entry into the Lily Adler mystery series!

Link will go live on The Library Ladies blog on August 31

As Lily navigates the bustling London Season, she becomes entangled in a dangerous new case involving a missing will, a suspicious death, and the threat of blackmail. With her protégée Amelia by her side, Lily must unravel a web of secrets within London’s high society to unmask a killer.

This Regency mystery is full of twists and overlapping subplots. I recommend reading the series in order—I frequently confused the characters, especially given how similar all the names are. I liked Lily and the energy she brought to her endeavors.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

I received a copy of A Scandal in Mayfair from the publisher, but all thoughts and opinions are expressed are my own. A Scandal in Mayfair picks up several months after the events of the prior book and moves the series back to London. Lily Addler and her new companion Amelia Hartley visit a park to meet with a potential client in need of Lily's investigative skills who believes that her uncle may have stolen her fortune or at least be withholding it from her in violation of her father's will. Unfortunately, this brings Lily in contact with someone from a prior case who threatens to expose her investigations to society unless she agrees to take the case, which would impact Lily and her friends potentially ruining their reputations. Lily decides to find out where Sarah Forrest's father's will is and enlists the help of her friend Jack Hartley. Jack tracks down the uncle and finds him to be unpleasant; the two attend a ball at Mr. Forrest's home and sneak off to find a copy of the will or the name of the lawyer who drafted it. Unfortunately, Mr. Forrest winds up dead after the ball and Lily finds herself involved in trying to find the killer. Additionally, there is a side mystery involving the suspicions of Mr. Page's daughter and a neighbor growing poisonous plants. Plus, Lily's feelings for Jack continue to grow as she tries to make peace with her first husband and moving on with his best friend. The mystery is well done, even though the twist was easy to predict several chapters before our characters put it together. I look forward to future titles to see where Lily and company go from here.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC
The Lily Adler series is a favourite of mine as I love the unconventional and more mature main character.
I'm also happy that Captain Jack has returned as books in the series where he's a presence are much more fun.
Lily is once again 'discretely investigating' a problem for a young woman who is being taken advantage of because of her youth and vulnerability in society. There's an interesting secondary plot involving the young niece of a friend who is also unconventional.
I like these books as they portray an intelligent woman who is restricted by the mores of the society she lives in, but uses her wits and friends and acquaintances to find information and help people who are being taken advantage of - I love watching the puzzles unfold, and not without realistic frustrations and obstacles. I also enjoy that the 'romance' is not the main point of the books and very often is almost non-existent.
I could wish for a little more world-building, but the writing is good and the characters are well-drawn.
4-4.5 for this one.

Our fifth adventure with Lily Adler, lady of quality, this time at her home in Mayfair, London in 1817.

Lily is asked to help a young lady who has been denied her inheritance and her family home and finds herself dealing with a web of lies and eventually a murder. Another case brought to her attention involves someone growing poisonous flowers in a window box and suspicions about their purpose. These two plots eventually converge into an intriguing conclusion.

This author writes great characters and in this story I particularly enjoyed Mr.Page from Bow Street and his niece, Fanny, who is neurodivergent and very entertaining in her approach to life. Also worth remarking on is one delightful, romantic scene. Captain Jack Hartley is certainly a keeper! I hope there will be more books in this series.

For the last couple of years, Lily Adler has been up to her pretty eyeballs mourning her husband, being courted by and rejecting various suitors, and solving murder mysteries. Yes, that is quite a varied set of activities there! Lily performs discrete inquiries, and the key word there is discrete because if the word got out into society, she would be ruined. Lily believes in finding justice for people who have been wronged therefore, she is inclined to help young Miss Sarah Forrest when the young lady asks her. However, Miss Forrest’s fiancé is accompanying her, and unbeknownst to Miss Forrest, he threatens Lily with exposure if she doesn’t help. Well, that will never do!

When, a few days later, that same fiancé is accused of murder, he swears he is innocent and begs Lily to help. Life would be easier to let him be hanged, but, what if he is telling the truth? Lily’s sense of justice and fair play won’t let her walk away without at least looking into it.

Goodness, what a tangled web Lily and her friends uncover. There is not just one murder, but several, along with attempted murders, poisonings, desertion, impersonation, and more. It is a very convoluted search for the truth and young Miss Forrest’s problem seems to be at the heart of all of it. Can Lily and her friends solve it before Lily’s life is forfeit? Even if she solves it, can they find proof?

This was a compelling mystery with many suspects, red herrings, unsympathetic victims, and some victims that will have you holding your breath to see if they survive. Another thing I liked about this particular book is that the author managed to move the romance between Lily and Captain Hartley forward significantly without impacting the mystery. Personally, I MUST have some romance to go along with my mysteries and I was about ready to give up on the series because it seemed that wouldn’t happen.

It was nice to see that several supporting cast members had significant roles in this mystery even though it was Lily who put all of the pieces of the puzzle together. I really like Captain Hartley’s sister, Amelia, and was glad to see her featured along with Lady Carroway and Constable Page and his lovely family.

Should you choose to read this book, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. Happy Reading!

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

A Scandal in Mayfair by Katharine Schellman is absolutely my jam, and in fact, it's jam on toast because not only is it a cosy mystery based in Regency Era London, it has a dark side which accurately reflects the times (and yes, I am absolutely here for it!) I was very surprised to see that it was a part of a series as it works very well as a sstandalone, but, I cannot leave a series part-read and as such, the four previous titles are straight into the shopping basket, oh yes!

Lily Adler is everythig I look for in an FMC. She is smart, defies social conventions of the time, independant and trailblazing. A canny sleuth who gets the job done! The dynamic in Lily's team is well balnced and the love? Oh my goodness, a big yes! (Seriously, I need to back up and read the rest of the series for the romance, even though I am not a big romance fan! Yes, that is how much I was invested there)

Love, love, love

Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Katharine Schellman s for this incredible ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all reviews are my own

Book five of the series finds widow Lily Adler and Captain Jack once more trying to solve a mystery. Lily is blackmailed into taking the case. Good story.

4.25/5 stars

This is book five of the Lily Adler historical mystery series and is set in 1817 London.

Lily finds herself blackmailed with the threat of exposure to society unless she breaks the law and helps a young woman expose her uncle for keeping her inheritance for himself. An old nemesis, who is hoping to become the fiancé of the young woman, complicates matters even more.

Meanwhile, she is also asked by Constable Page’s young niece to investigate a neighbor’s planting of wolfsbane, a deadly poison.

And on a personal note, her friendship with Captain Hartley who was a friend to her late husband and an aid to her in prior investigations, takes a different turn and must be examined in a new light.

Schellman has deftly woven what is basically two plotlines seamlessly together and provided an entertaining murder mystery. She is a gifted writer, and I am very much enjoying these adventures with Lily and friends.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing the free early arc of A Scandal in Mayfair for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

I'm a fan of this Regency era series that sees Lily Adler, a young widow turned of all things investigator, solve crimes and right wrongs alongside her BFF (and romantic interest) Captain Jack. Know that while this will be fine as a standalone, fans will nod when a few people we've met in the past turn up-and know also that Schellman provides the back story. This is nicely complex with a sweet (not steamy) relationship and there are a few twists. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

✨ Publication date: August 6, 2024✨

A Scandal in Mayfair is the 5th instalment of Katherine Schellman’s Lily Adler mystery series. It’s my 2nd book in the series but I find it was easy to catch up to the back stories and feel these can be done stand alone!

The Lily Adler mystery series is a little Downton Abby and Sherlock Holmes mixed together with a strong female leading the way.

After solving the most recent mystery over the holidays and returning to her home in London, Lily finds herself in quite a different place than she was only a year ago.

She is no longer a recent widow and in mourning for her dear husband. Lily is back in London with a social life and dear friends, including hosting Amelia Hartley the young charge she is responsible for, the younger sister of her dear friend Captain Jack Hartley.

It’s not long before Lily is called upon for the next great mystery, including a side of murder. As things get interesting and Lily discovers a link to the recent sicknesses among the people she meets throughout her investigation, things get dangerous when Lily and Jack are shot at.

Lily is desperate to find who is out to harm them but cannot ignore her growing feelings for Jack. As they explore this new ground together they must put aside their feelings until this case is solved.

I really enjoy this series and was delighted to see Lily and Jack’s relationship take the next step! This was a 3.5 star for me and I’m eagerly awaiting the next instalment!

#NetGalley #katherineschellman #ascandalinmayfair

"Sometimes danger lurks in plain sight, and in the cutthroat London Season socialite Lily Adler must race against time to catch a killer.

Fans of Bridgerton will delight in this Regency-era mystery featuring an intrepid sleuth, plenty of intrigue, and a touch of romance.

London, 1817. The London Season is beginning once more, and Lily Adler's return to her home on Half Moon Street feels different this year. No longer a recent widow, she has a life and friends waiting for her. Lily also has new responsibilities in the form of her protégée Amelia, the sister of her longtime friend Jack Hartley, who is escaping her own brush with scandal and murder.

It doesn't take long for Lily's growing reputation as a lady of quality who can discreetly find what is missing or solve what is puzzling to bring a desperate young woman to her doorstep. But helping her means unraveling a tangled web of family secrets. Soon, a missing will, a dead body and the threat of blackmail leave Lily facing danger every way she turns.

The glittering society of Mayfair conceals many secrets, and the back alleys of London hide even more. Lily Adler will need to find the connection between them quickly if she wants to stop a killer before it's too late."

Bridgerton but better because there's murder!

In this fifth Lily Adler mystery, Mrs. Adler is approached by a young woman who is concerned that her guardian is stealing her inheritance from her. She is sympathetic but, when it becomes clear that the young woman wants her to burgle her guardian's house to look for her father's will, she isn't interested in the case. However, the young woman's suitor, known to Mrs. Adler from a previous case, blackmails her into getting involved.

Luckily Lily's friend Lady Warren has received an invitation to a ball to be held at the guardian's home and lets Lily use the invitation. She brings along Jack Hartley who has now retired from his career as a navy captain. Jack was Lily's husband Freddy's best friend from childhood and has been a loyal friend to Lily since her husband's death. Their relationship is changing gradually from friendship to romance, and both are dealing with some feelings of guilt fearing that they are betraying Freddy.

When the guardian is found stabbed to death the morning after the ball and the blackmailing suitor is found hiding in the house, it looks like an open-and-shut case. However, the suitor manages to convince Lily that he wasn't to blame, and she manages to keep the Bow Street runners from fixing on him as the killer.

Lily and Jack discover a twisted plot which includes more murders and some poisonings on their way to bring about justice and, incidentally, acknowledge their new personal relationship.

This was a very nice historical romance. I enjoy the characters and really enjoy the relationships between them. I also like the historical details which illuminate England in 1816.