This was such fun. Think of a mix of a Regency romance mixed with a mystery. The heroine, Lily Adler, is intelligent and likable. The hero, Captain Hastings, is lovely - friendly, funny, and charming. He’s protective of Lily, but he respects her urge to figure out the mystery. He doesn’t try to step in and prevent her from being unladylike. If you’ve read the earlier books in this series (which helps some, but isn’t a requirement), you have seen the friendship between Lily and her deceased husband’s best friend develop into more of an unspoken romantic relationship. This book carries their relationship further, as it was time to do so.

The mystery is engaging and the characters they encounter along the way are engaging and interesting. If you’re just interested in the mystery, this book won’t disappoint. There were clues throughout the book, so you can look back when all is revealed and not feel that the author pulled a fast one on you.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

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

I'm a sucker for Regency-era mystery fiction and this was a great addition to that subgenre. I really enjoyed this. The characters were compelling and the atmosphere was great.

I’ve been waiting for this book and I was not disappointed. The characters have neither gotten stale nor become caricatures which both can happen with series like this. Overall, a satisfying addition to the series.

Lily Adler is a delightfully intelligent, witty, and independent young widow taking her life into her own hands. In this addition to the series, she faces a blackmail and a most challenging case. Captain John (Jack) Hartley was her late husband's best friend which has been a barrier to them becoming closer. But in this outing, that situation may change. The Captain's younger sister, Amelia is staying at Lily's for her aid in being presented during the "season". Miss Ofelia Oswald of West Indies is the witty side kick again. The Bow Street Runner, Mr. Page and his family get more attention in this book, which I enjoyed getting more time with him.

The pacing was spot on as I hated putting the book down. The slow-burn between Captain Hartley and Lily gets a little more heated (yeah!), adding to the overall pleasure of this story. The killer reveal was exceptionally well done and satisfying. A quite unexpected killer.

A stellar addition to the series with a fine mystery, hints of romance, and delightful characters. Thoroughly entertaining and highly recommended.

Rating: Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend.

I really enjoy the interesting storylines the author creates but I also enjoy the changing dynamic amongst the main characters with each book. Lily and Jack are delightful and the extended circle of friends they lean into, not only add texture to the story but are also key to the overall success achieved in solving the murder mystery. It really is a team effort. Lily's curiosity and moral compass mean she doesn't step away, even when she is reluctant to help the unsavoury but perhaps innocent accused. Even though she is working hard to keep a low profile and her position in society. Her anonymity is a contributing factor to her success.

I was chuffed that I worked out quite a lot of the mystery, but there were a couple of twists that caught me off guard! It's a great read and series.

All in all, it was four out of five for me.

I hope I have the privilege of reading more in the series. My thanks to Netgalley, Crooked Lane publishers and the author for my advance reader copy. The opinions in this review are entirely my own

An exciting and lovely addition to the Lily Adler series! I loved the characters, and although I hadn’t read the previous books in the series before picking up this one, I still enjoyed the story and will definitely be going back to read the others. Thank you NetGalley!

Lily Adler is rather different from most of the society women in 1817 London. Her husband passed a few years before, and her husband's best friend, Jack, has been watching out for her. Lily has been solving mysteries for folks for awhile, and she is at it again in this book. She received a letter addressed to "A lady of Quality" asking to meet with her. Lily agrees to meet in the park, and finds the woman, Sarah Forrest is concerned because she was supposed to inherit her father's money when he died, and instead her her uncle, Mr. Forrest, who is now handling her father's money has made her move with a cousin to a very small house and barely gives them enough to live on and refuses to give her the dowery she was promised so she can marry the man she loves. The man she loves is there in the park, and when he comes over to them, Lily recognizes the man as Cleve, someone she knew, and he wasn't a proper gentleman and had made his money gambling and lending money to others who gambled. Clive says she must help or he will ruin her and her friend Mrs. Caraway.

Jack's younger sister, Amelia, has been living with Lily as her companion, and he has just come to London, having left the Navy. He immediately begins helping Lily figure out what to do. When they go to a ball at Lily's friend Serena's house, they find she and her husband have been invited to a party at Martin Forrest's home and Serena gives the invitation to Lilly. Jack and Lilly go to the party and manage to sneak upstairs to search the rooms to find the will. They don't find it, and the next morning Mr. Forrest is found dead. Lily has a difficult task to try to help Sarah, and there are some very dangerous situations. While trying to solve several crimes, Lily and Jack also have to figure out where they stand with each other.

The book is very clever and exciting and is a great addition to the series. I thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane Publishing for the ARC to read before publication.

Finally some movement with Lily and Captain Jack. And the mystery was good too!

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

4.25

If you like Lily Adler‘s adventures, this should be a treat for you. If you don’t, you probably haven’t read the previous books and I would not recommend starting with this one as it will become quite the spoiler.

First though, I must mention some cons. I hate it when I have to go and reread a previous book just to know what’s happening. In fact, I think the last time I had to do that was with the last of these books. That might be why I remembered part of the story referenced but not, wouldn’t you know it, the part needed to understand this newest book. So, for the sake of everyone… You will meet a Mr. Clive early on in this story. Two books ago in Herfordshire, Lily and Ophelia are visiting when a woman dies. There is a whole hoopla about how she could be killed in a locked room.

Not exactly central to that previous story is Mr. Clive. He is basically the Village bookmaker and a little sleazy. He is not actually part of the murder, but his presence is called into question when the debt of one of the family members and potential suspects is paid off the morning after the murder. That, and he’s just a sleazy guy who looks guilty. Anyway, at some point Lily and Ophelia visit him to convince him to give more information about the payoff to determine the family members guilt. Ophelia whips out some funds to persuade him. Apparently that comes back to haunt her, even though I think his current threat to generally tarnish her character are more damming than any specifics related to this “bribery“.

The mystery is unique and it’s hard to know if the girl who cried foul is really naive or cunning. Is she being taken advantage of and by whom? A side story that tries to seem isolated is obviously going to tie into the main case at some point. I’ve read enough mysteries to know better and it’s a bit too convenient.

Yes, there is movement on the Lily and Jack front, coming on the heels of the trauma that brought them closer during the last book. They don’t play around with us too much this time if that’s a draw for you, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Not that they don’t make us suffer some! It suddenly doesn’t seem very convenient to have Jack’s young, impressionable sister as Lily’s shadow, though it does at least give Jack an excuse to visit at less proper hours of the day.

All in all, once you finally find out what you need to know from two books ago, it’s an enjoyable mystery. Jack’s sister Amelia isn’t my favorite character but sometimes she’s a necessary annoyance. People finally respect Lily’s detective skills and she has a good circle of friends around her. These books are always an obvious read for me

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

Lily Adler and Jack Hartley are at it again in 'A Scandal in Mayfair.' The Regency era mood is perfectly set and the mystery in this addition to Katharine Schellman's A Lily Adler Mystery is complex and gripping. Everything about this book is wonderful, especially the development of the characters and their relationships. I can't wait for more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Thank you so much to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Sometimes I love historical mysteries and other times I do not. Unfortunately, this was the latter. I was just a bit bored throughout and I wasn't liking the characters or the plot. I think maybe I would have liked it more if I read the others in the series.

I may come back to this series later and try again at some point but it was not working for me right now.

Mrs. Adler continues to delight! Her charming group of friends, keen insight, and slow burn romance with a dashing Naval captain are all in full force in this 5th installment - I can't get enough!

This book is the 5th one in the Lily Alder Mysteries, but it is not necessary to read the previous books to understand what is happening. This was my first historical fiction/mystery and I enjoyed it! I was not able to solve the mystery myself and was surprised at the end. I plan on reading the other books in this series and highly recommend picking it up if you are interested in historical fiction.

A Scandal in Mayfair is the fifth in Katharine Schellman's reliably entertaining Lily Adler Mystery series, set in Regency-era England. Lily is a well-to-do widow who styles herself "A Lady of Quality," offering "discreet inquiries, confidential investigations, and mysteries solved." But when a young woman asks her to steal the will of her late father after her uncle has turned her out of her house and refused to allow her to marry a man she considers the love of her life, Lily is reluctant to get involved, She would rather shy away from such a dangerous, illegal activity, especially since she has recognized the woman's fiancé as a scoundrel she has encountered in the past. At the same time, a neighboring neurodivergent girl has complained that the woman who lives next door is raising poisonous plants with the intent to use them on her enemies. Lily wants to help out as much as she can, while (mostly) operating within the boundaries of period society and the letter of the law, but she soon finds herself involved more than she ever expected.

It is fascinating to see how Lily approaches these assignments, with the help of a close married friend and with the dashing, damaged Jack Hartley, the best friend of her deceased husband, not to mention the local constabulary. And yes, there does turn out to be a connection between the two complaints. I guessed the twist early on, but it didn't spoil the plot for me. The author has beautifully captured the time period and its customs and created a character to root for in Lily. Her relationship with Jack is developing, with hopefully more to come in future episodes.

My thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Another addition to the Lily Adler series? Sign me up.

As always Schellman delivers in this historical fiction mystery. Not only are we treated to another well-thought-out case with twists and turns, but we are also given glimpses into the lives of side characters we have grown to know and love. One of my favorite things that Schellman does it continue to develop her characters from one book to the next instead of leaving them at a fixed point in their lives. One storyline in this book brought about something that I have been wanting to happen for a while, and the slow burn coming to fruition was very satisfying. I also liked popping in on Ofelia, checking in on the Pages, and keeping an eye on Amelia.

All in all a very solid read, and I look forward to the next one.

(Why only a 4 star? There were moments that moved a little slow for me, but about half-way through the pacing picked up.)

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

The Lily Adler mystery series by Katharine Shellman is delightful, and I was thrilled to read the latest installment, A Scandal in Mayfair. Our intrepid heroine, Lily Alder, and her friends are back for another intriguing Regency era historical mystery. Unsurprisingly, this was another winner - a well-developed, well-written mystery. The author expertly wove in several red herrings to keep readers guessing. Consistent with the overall series, this book proves to be a captivating and entertaining read. I thoroughly enjoy this series and eagerly anticipate the next installment. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books publishers for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

So so so good. Loved every single second of this book. The characters are super interesting. The plot is fantastic!!! I rated it 4 stars.

"A Scandal in Mayfair" is the fifth entry in the Regency era Lily Adler Mysteries by Katherine Schellman.

Previously, widow Lily Adler had made up cards and rented a post office box as "A Lady of Quality" offering discreet inquiries and mysteries solved. However, she has not been pursuing that activity recently. She is surprised to receive a request for assistance from an unknown young woman.

After discussing the letter with her companion, Amelia Hartley, and friends Lady Ofelia Carroway and Amelia's brother, Captain Jack Hartley, Lily meets with the writer, Sarah Forrest, who believes she is being cheated out of her inheritance by her uncle. Sarah is accompanied by her fiance, Mr. Clive, a bounder known to Lily from a previous case. Lily originally declines Sarah's request, but is blackmailed by Mr. Clive into a preliminary review.

Then the uncle is found murdered and Mr. Clive is arrested. Lily and her friends begin to investigate seeking information from additional friends Lady Serena Walter and principal Bow Street officer Simon Page. Along the way to a conclusion there are several twists and turns and a subplot involving Simon's family.

I recommend this book, especially for those who have read the earlier books, but with a few reservations. Reading the earlier books in the series would help the reader fully understand the major characters and their motivations and interactions. I found that the romantic byplay between Lily and Jack valuable, but somewhat overdone in relation to the mystery plot. I'm sure that many readers are likely to disagree and consider that an important part of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for providing the advance review copy of this book.

I have enjoyed this series thus far, but I am not certain I will continue after this book. Don't get me wrong - it was an enjoyable read - but I just do not connect with the characters. The book reflects the structure social norms of the era, but the result are somewhat cold and superficial characters. I appreciate that the author allowed Lily to express vulnerability in relation to Jack, and I really enjoy his character, but I am not sure the mysteries are enough to bring me back.

If you are a fan of the series. I definitely recommend this book. I only hope that future installments have a bit more life to them.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to review this ARC.

'A Scandal in Mayfair' by Katharine Schellman follows Lily Adler, by now infamous in London, as she untangles the web of an uncle disinheriting his niece, a return of an 'unsavory gambler' from her past and a young botany enthusiast suspecting her neighbour of sinister plans... and uncovers multiple murders in the process. Not to mention picking up a romance hinted in the last book. All while navigating a London season with her friends and mentees of course.

I had high expectations for this book as the fifth in its series with Lily as an intelligent, independent and motivated detective - and I found too many coincidences in the plot, starting with why she starts investigating in the first place and ending with the information leading to uncovering the murders and motives. Unrelated, I am also glad for the regulation of police search warrants nowadays.

The series has diverse characters with a lot of potential, however, they still seem to be modern characters wrapped in Regency clothes. It might be just me thinking of Georgette Heyer and Agatha Christie books - but there must be a way to show intelligent women of the nineteenth/ even early twentieth centuries, especially like Lily with her social and financial independence, without them coming across as twenty-first century women (whom I enjoy reading about, to be clear, but just not in a Regency setting).

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books publishers for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🌟🌟

The rating for this book is 2-2.5 stars, rounded down to two stars as I personally couldn't relate to the characters and the mystery.

[Half a star for the premise and the whole book; 1/4 - 1/2 star for the characters; 1/4 -1/2 star for the story arc; Half a star for the writing; Half a star for the world-building and description - 2-2.5 stars in total.]