This is Book 4 of the Lily Adler Mystery Series – and while each book can be read as a stand alone, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND reading the entire amazing series!!
Synopsis for Murder At Midnight, Book 4:
When a body is found shot to death after an unexpected snowstorm, Lily Adler quickly realizes that some people will stop at nothing to bury their secrets this holiday season.
Regency widow Lily Adler is looking forward to returning to Hertfordshire to spend time with the family of her late husband. She is also excited that Captain Jack Hartley, her friend and confidante, will be visiting his own family after a long voyage at sea. With winter quickly approaching, Lily is most excited at the prospect of a relaxing and enjoyable Christmastide season away from the schemes and secrets she witnessed daily in London.
At a neighborhood ball, she soon becomes reacquainted with a friend of her late husband, Peter Coleridge, a wealthy man who not only manages Irish investments, but also a fund that most of the locals of Hertfordshire take part in. There, she also learns Jack’s sister, Amelia, is the subject of much of the neighborhood gossip—although Amelia refuses to explain if there is any truth to it. For a brief moment, Lily wonders if she ever really left London.
When a snowstorm forces several guests, including both the Adlers and the Hartleys, to stay the night, Lily quickly deduces that all is not well this holiday season. In the morning, a maid discovers the body of a guest in the poultry yard, shot to death—and he is the same man that is scandalously linked to Amelia.
Lily accepts the offer to assist in the investigation, but will she find more than what she bargained for the more she digs? Or will she herself be buried deep within the snow?
Praise for Murder at Midnight:
“Delightful . . . Historical mystery fans will devour this holiday treat.”
~ Publishers Weekly
“A plummy period whodunit with a colorful collection of suspects.”
~ Kirkus Reviews
Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Christmas, Historical, Holiday, Historical Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Romance
Genre: Historical mystery
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: September 2023
Number of Pages: 320
Get Your Copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Penguin Random House
PREORDER: A Scandal In Mayfair (Book 5) – Release date: August 20, 2024
Everything about this book was outstanding from the thrilling beginning to the bittersweet end. I say “bittersweet” only because I am truly devastated that it’s over!! I have read every book in this series, and though each one can be read as a stand-alone, do yourself a favor and fully submerge into four books worth of the delightful world Katharine Schellman has created.
The series takes us to 19th century London, where women were barely allowed to speak their minds, let alone solve murders – but that didn’t stop Lily Adler. Chasing after suspicions, uncovering clues, eavesdropping on gossip, and following her gut instincts, Lily and her trusted circle take us on an adventure that you won’t be able to put down. I absolutely love the old-timey setting mixed with a strong female empowerment vibe. It’s a very Enola Holmes meets Pride and Prejudice, kind of feel in all the best ways.
(BTW, if you haven’t seen the Enola Holmes movies, they’re a must watch on Netflix.)
I think one of the main reasons this story is so much fun to read is that we get to know each of the potential suspects and their possible involvement with the murder through salacious gossip within a society of upper class families and their household staff. The way Lily is able to knit together pieces of half truth with telling body language and words that are purposely unspoken is absolutely genius. Pay attention to every word and you just might figure it out along with her – but don’t worry, you’ll also have a few gasp worthy plot twists here and there that you’ll probably never see coming.
I give every book in this series 5+ stars!!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, Partners In Crime Tours
Katharine Schellman is a former actor and one-time political consultant. These days, she writes the Lily Adler Mysteries and the Nightingale Mysteries. Her books, which reviewers have praised as “worthy of Agatha Christie or Rex Stout” (Library Journal, starred review), have received multiple accolades, including being named a Library Journal Best Crime Fiction of 2022, a Suspense Magazine Best Book of 2020, and a New York Times editor’s pick in June 2022. Katharine lives and writes in the mountains of Virginia in the company of her husband, children, and the many houseplants she keeps accidentally murdering.
Catch Up With Katharine Schellman:
www.KatharineSchellman.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @KatharineSchellman
Instagram – @katharinewrites
Facebook – @katharineschellman
Cozy Home Delight 
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