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Lily Adler Mystery #5
A Scandal in Mayfair
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.
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.
317 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 6, 2024
About the author
Katharine Schellman
17 books1,261 followersKatharine Schellman is the author of the Lily Adler Mysteries and the forthcoming Nightingale Mysteries. Her debut novel, The Body in the Garden, was one of Suspense Magazine's Best Books of 2020 and led to her being named one of BookPage's 16 Women to Watch in 2020. Her second novel, Silence in the Library, was praised as "worthy of Rex Stout or Agatha Christie" (Library Journal).
Katharine lives and writes in the mountains of Virginia in the company of her husband, children, and the many houseplants she keeps accidentally murdering. Find her on Instagram as @katharinewrites.
Katharine lives and writes in the mountains of Virginia in the company of her husband, children, and the many houseplants she keeps accidentally murdering. Find her on Instagram as @katharinewrites.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews
May 10, 2024
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.]
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.]
August 17, 2024
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 this series continues. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
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 this series continues. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
November 22, 2023
4.75 STARS
A high-stakes mystery where our gang of sleuths learn that there are consequences to their meddling
I don’t know what it is about this series, but I always end up devouring these books as soon as I get my grubby little paws on them. And can you blame me? The cast is lovable, the vibes are immaculate, and the experience is always so fun and immersive.
A Scandal in Mayfair takes Lily and the gang back to London for the beginning of the season, and opens with Lily receiving a letter beseeching her to assist a young woman in trouble. Lily, hackles raised, doesn’t agree immediately, but asks the sender to meet her in the park where she can observe the mystery woman before making a decision to help her. Her caution isn’t unwarranted, because Lily soon finds herself face to face with Mr. Clive, the dodgy bookkeeper we met in Death at the Manor, and subsequently blackmailed into snooping around his girlfriend’s uncle’s house for proof that he might be scheming to steal her inheritance.
This book is by far my favourite entry in the series to date. Schellman’s grown so much as an author since The Body in the Garden and does a wonderful job balancing the fun and the serious aspects of this story. I do wish Lily’s flaws were explored a little more in this series, but I did really enjoy how this book forced the characters to grapple with the knowledge that their sleuthing was putting their reputations and the people they cared about at risk.
I especially enjoyed how the characters were allowed to shine in this book. Lily felt so much more relatable and human in this book than she has in its predecessors - largely due to her having to come to terms with her changing feelings towards Captain Hartley, and the events that transpired at the end of the previous book. It was SO nice seeing more of the captain as well - he wasn’t utilized enough in the last book and, I’ve said this before, his cheek and charm is such a great counterbalance to Lily’s seriousness and the books where he features a lot more prominently are the ones that shine the brightest to me.
I loved, loved, loved how Lily and Jack’s relationship is transforming (I’m a sucker for a slow-burn) and truly squeed and giggled way too often while reading this book. I think the pacing for their relationship has been handled masterfully, and I absolutely cannot wait to see what adventures they go on together.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
A high-stakes mystery where our gang of sleuths learn that there are consequences to their meddling
I don’t know what it is about this series, but I always end up devouring these books as soon as I get my grubby little paws on them. And can you blame me? The cast is lovable, the vibes are immaculate, and the experience is always so fun and immersive.
A Scandal in Mayfair takes Lily and the gang back to London for the beginning of the season, and opens with Lily receiving a letter beseeching her to assist a young woman in trouble. Lily, hackles raised, doesn’t agree immediately, but asks the sender to meet her in the park where she can observe the mystery woman before making a decision to help her. Her caution isn’t unwarranted, because Lily soon finds herself face to face with Mr. Clive, the dodgy bookkeeper we met in Death at the Manor, and subsequently blackmailed into snooping around his girlfriend’s uncle’s house for proof that he might be scheming to steal her inheritance.
This book is by far my favourite entry in the series to date. Schellman’s grown so much as an author since The Body in the Garden and does a wonderful job balancing the fun and the serious aspects of this story. I do wish Lily’s flaws were explored a little more in this series, but I did really enjoy how this book forced the characters to grapple with the knowledge that their sleuthing was putting their reputations and the people they cared about at risk.
I especially enjoyed how the characters were allowed to shine in this book. Lily felt so much more relatable and human in this book than she has in its predecessors - largely due to her having to come to terms with her changing feelings towards Captain Hartley, and the events that transpired at the end of the previous book. It was SO nice seeing more of the captain as well - he wasn’t utilized enough in the last book and, I’ve said this before, his cheek and charm is such a great counterbalance to Lily’s seriousness and the books where he features a lot more prominently are the ones that shine the brightest to me.
I loved, loved, loved how Lily and Jack’s relationship is transforming (I’m a sucker for a slow-burn) and truly squeed and giggled way too often while reading this book. I think the pacing for their relationship has been handled masterfully, and I absolutely cannot wait to see what adventures they go on together.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
April 28, 2024
There are times when you read a book to enjoy meticulous plotting, others when you read for a romance, and others when you read for the engrossing vibes. Rarely, do you get all thread in one book. This is the book. A Scandal in Mayfair by Katharine Schellman is perfectly plotted, has a fantastic romantic subplot, and immaculate vibes that transport you to Regency-era London.
This fifth book in the Lily Adler series opens with Lily being asked to steal a will to prove that a young woman is being cheated out of her inheritance by her uncle. The young woman's fiancé made an appearance in a previous book and Lily is conflicted about helping. She agrees to look for evidence of wrongdoing, but doesn't commit to stealing anything. She attends a ball at the home of the uncle and while searching private rooms with her friend, Captain Jack Hartley, finds evidence that something is wrong, but doesn't completely discover the plot. Lily and Jack are almost caught snooping in a scene that will have long-time readers so delighted that they'll have to read the scene twice. The uncle is found dead the next day and Lily returns to the home to assist her Bow Street friend, Simon Page, in his investigation.
In a seemingly unrelated scene, Simon Page's niece, Fanny, tells Lily about a local woman growing poison in her window box. She thinks the woman is going to kill someone or already has. Long time readers remember Fanny as the budding botanist who also shows signs of neurodivergence. Lily has a soft spot for the girl and promises to investigate.
The perfect plotting becomes evident as the two separate mysteries, the murder of the uncle and the poisonous plants, start to grow closer together. It's fascinating to see the threads come together.
At the same time, there are significant developments in Lily's personal life. To say this aspect of the book was enjoyable is a huge understatement. It was magnificent!
While I was given advanced access to this by the publisher, I'll be preordering my copy, as usual. This series is one I find myself rereading regularly!
This fifth book in the Lily Adler series opens with Lily being asked to steal a will to prove that a young woman is being cheated out of her inheritance by her uncle. The young woman's fiancé made an appearance in a previous book and Lily is conflicted about helping. She agrees to look for evidence of wrongdoing, but doesn't commit to stealing anything. She attends a ball at the home of the uncle and while searching private rooms with her friend, Captain Jack Hartley, finds evidence that something is wrong, but doesn't completely discover the plot. Lily and Jack are almost caught snooping in a scene that will have long-time readers so delighted that they'll have to read the scene twice. The uncle is found dead the next day and Lily returns to the home to assist her Bow Street friend, Simon Page, in his investigation.
In a seemingly unrelated scene, Simon Page's niece, Fanny, tells Lily about a local woman growing poison in her window box. She thinks the woman is going to kill someone or already has. Long time readers remember Fanny as the budding botanist who also shows signs of neurodivergence. Lily has a soft spot for the girl and promises to investigate.
The perfect plotting becomes evident as the two separate mysteries, the murder of the uncle and the poisonous plants, start to grow closer together. It's fascinating to see the threads come together.
At the same time, there are significant developments in Lily's personal life. To say this aspect of the book was enjoyable is a huge understatement. It was magnificent!
While I was given advanced access to this by the publisher, I'll be preordering my copy, as usual. This series is one I find myself rereading regularly!
September 9, 2024
Check out all my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
A SCANDAL IN MAYFAIR (A Lily Adler Mystery Book #3) by Katharine Schellman is another intricately plotted and engaging amateur sleuth historical mystery featuring Lily Adler, a lady of quality who discretely solves mysteries with the help of a few friends among polite society. These books can be read as mystery standalones, but Lily and her friend’s personal and social lives continually evolve in each story.
The 1817 London Season is about to begin, and Lily Adler has returned to her home on Half Moon Street. This year Lily is returning to London with an established life and friends waiting besides the added responsibilities of mentoring Amelia, the sister of her longtime friend, Jack Hartley.
Lily receives a letter asking for her services from a young lady seeking help discovering the truth of her deceased father’s will. When Lily meets with the lady, she is shocked when the lady and her fiancé wish her to steal the will from her uncle. With the threat of blackmail, Lily, with the help of her friends, seeks out the will, only to discover a dead body. With a tangled web of lies and dead bodies, Lily faces danger once again as she seeks the truth.
I love Lily and this entire series! She is an intelligent, strong and independent protagonist. She is a widow conforming to society’s norms while also carrying on in her pursuit of delicate inquiries. Her personal life is certainly more exciting now with the return of Jack and the clearing of misunderstandings and emotional fears. All the secondary characters are as entertaining, intriguing, and fully developed as Lily. The mystery plot in this book starts out a little slow, but there is a lot to set up for all the different threads to be able to come together in the end. I always enjoy these Lily Adler books and look forward to the next.
I highly recommend this amateur sleuth historical mystery as well as the entire series!
A SCANDAL IN MAYFAIR (A Lily Adler Mystery Book #3) by Katharine Schellman is another intricately plotted and engaging amateur sleuth historical mystery featuring Lily Adler, a lady of quality who discretely solves mysteries with the help of a few friends among polite society. These books can be read as mystery standalones, but Lily and her friend’s personal and social lives continually evolve in each story.
The 1817 London Season is about to begin, and Lily Adler has returned to her home on Half Moon Street. This year Lily is returning to London with an established life and friends waiting besides the added responsibilities of mentoring Amelia, the sister of her longtime friend, Jack Hartley.
Lily receives a letter asking for her services from a young lady seeking help discovering the truth of her deceased father’s will. When Lily meets with the lady, she is shocked when the lady and her fiancé wish her to steal the will from her uncle. With the threat of blackmail, Lily, with the help of her friends, seeks out the will, only to discover a dead body. With a tangled web of lies and dead bodies, Lily faces danger once again as she seeks the truth.
I love Lily and this entire series! She is an intelligent, strong and independent protagonist. She is a widow conforming to society’s norms while also carrying on in her pursuit of delicate inquiries. Her personal life is certainly more exciting now with the return of Jack and the clearing of misunderstandings and emotional fears. All the secondary characters are as entertaining, intriguing, and fully developed as Lily. The mystery plot in this book starts out a little slow, but there is a lot to set up for all the different threads to be able to come together in the end. I always enjoy these Lily Adler books and look forward to the next.
I highly recommend this amateur sleuth historical mystery as well as the entire series!
August 29, 2024
Very clever and very satisfying. Such a great group of characters! They are all so endearing and Schellman involves them all so cleverly in this mystery.
August 30, 2024
A solid installment in the series. The cause for the original investigation is stretched a bit thin but still well handled.
I enjoyed Captain Jack, Ophelia, Ned, Jem and the rest of the gang.
Glad to see traction on the romance front.
I look forward to the next book!
I enjoyed Captain Jack, Ophelia, Ned, Jem and the rest of the gang.
Glad to see traction on the romance front.
I look forward to the next book!
December 19, 2024
4.75 stars
i think this was my favourite in the series so far- both for the mystery, and the sub-plots! lily and the gang have grown and overcome so much, it tickles my heart to read !!! one of my favourite things about this series is how wonderfully realistic the characters are- they have their good points and their bad, and none of them are perfectly intelligient, or perfectly kind, or just plain perfect- they make mistakes and own up to them, react terribly at times, and sometimes make the wrong assumptions. but i really do love reading about them because of how intentioned i feel their motives are.
it's so evident through this book in particular how schellman as an author has also grown- in style, structure, and development of plot and character. the mystery was thoughtfully done, but the real star for me continues to be lily and jack ;-; oh, how they have my heart <3
i think this was my favourite in the series so far- both for the mystery, and the sub-plots! lily and the gang have grown and overcome so much, it tickles my heart to read !!! one of my favourite things about this series is how wonderfully realistic the characters are- they have their good points and their bad, and none of them are perfectly intelligient, or perfectly kind, or just plain perfect- they make mistakes and own up to them, react terribly at times, and sometimes make the wrong assumptions. but i really do love reading about them because of how intentioned i feel their motives are.
it's so evident through this book in particular how schellman as an author has also grown- in style, structure, and development of plot and character. the mystery was thoughtfully done, but the real star for me continues to be lily and jack ;-; oh, how they have my heart <3
August 30, 2024
I loved this book.
Lily and Jack have my heart. I'm a sucker for their slow-burn romance. 🤌🏻🥲
As for all the drama, I can never predict what Katherine has in store for us. I did suspect the culprit, but never with certainty.
Also, for some reason, I finished this book wanting a spin-off of the Magistrate with Miss Page 😅
I can't wait for more 🥹
Lily and Jack have my heart. I'm a sucker for their slow-burn romance. 🤌🏻🥲
As for all the drama, I can never predict what Katherine has in store for us. I did suspect the culprit, but never with certainty.
Also, for some reason, I finished this book wanting a spin-off of the Magistrate with Miss Page 😅
I can't wait for more 🥹
October 18, 2024
Lily Adler and Amelia are getting along well living in Lily’s London home together. Lily is pondering her feelings for Jack, when she receives a letter from a young woman, asking for help.
Lily has VERY discretely handed out the occasional card to certain women in Society, offering the services of a Lady to solve perform certain types of inquiries. Naturally, if all of London Society knew Lily was involving herself in something perilously like working and snooping, her reputation would be shot. This bothers her a little less than the idea that her own activities could negatively affect Amelia’s reputation, something she is determined to prevent, particularly as she’s assured Amelia’s and Jack’s parents she will care for the younger woman while she lives with Lily.
Taking precautions, Lily arranges to meet the young woman, Sarah Forrest, who is desperate for Lily to determine if her uncle Martin Forrest is keeping her fortune from her. Sarah lacks a certain polish, and is louder than Lily would like while they discuss the matter in Hyde Park, but what really bothers Lily is Sarah's association with Henry Clive (they are engaged), a man Lily views with distaste.
Lily is initially unwilling to help Sarah, but Clive blackmails Lily, and by extension Ofelia (Lady Carroway) by implying he knows they've engaged in what Society would deem scandalous.
After apprising Ofelia, Lily reluctantly agrees to search Martin Forrest’s home for Sarah’s father’s solicitor’s name so Sarah can learn the terms of her deceased father’s will.
At the same time, Fanny Page, the neurodivergent niece of Bow Street Constable Simon Page, informs Lily that Fanny’s neighbour, a woman who sells beautiful lace, also has extremely poisonous flowers growing in her window boxes.
Though these two situations seem unrelated, the more Lily becomes involved with the Forrests, she begins to get an inkling of nefarious dealings and a troubling number of people dying suddenly.
This was a fun instalment in this series. Not only is Lily faced with a client whose associations she doesn’t like or trust, but she has Fanny Page, and the girl's extensive knowledge of botany, piquing Lily's interest in Fanny’s neighbour. Though many plants, and flowers, have poisonous parts, the flowers in question are highly toxic, and can cause grave harm and even death.
All this is happening while Lily and Jack are trying to figure out what they might do with heir feelings for each other. They’re both swamped by guilt, but are also intrigued by the idea of acting on their attraction. As author Katherine Schellman has slowly and carefully built up their relationship, this novel is a great payoff.
The mystery is also suitably twisty, taking Lily through the lives of veterans and the effect of war on them. And the appeal of sudden wealth to those without, who might be unscrupulous enough to harm others.
I found this entry to be compelling, entertaining, and it left me eager to find out what is next for Lily and Jack, and for Lily's next investigation.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Lily has VERY discretely handed out the occasional card to certain women in Society, offering the services of a Lady to solve perform certain types of inquiries. Naturally, if all of London Society knew Lily was involving herself in something perilously like working and snooping, her reputation would be shot. This bothers her a little less than the idea that her own activities could negatively affect Amelia’s reputation, something she is determined to prevent, particularly as she’s assured Amelia’s and Jack’s parents she will care for the younger woman while she lives with Lily.
Taking precautions, Lily arranges to meet the young woman, Sarah Forrest, who is desperate for Lily to determine if her uncle Martin Forrest is keeping her fortune from her. Sarah lacks a certain polish, and is louder than Lily would like while they discuss the matter in Hyde Park, but what really bothers Lily is Sarah's association with Henry Clive (they are engaged), a man Lily views with distaste.
Lily is initially unwilling to help Sarah, but Clive blackmails Lily, and by extension Ofelia (Lady Carroway) by implying he knows they've engaged in what Society would deem scandalous.
After apprising Ofelia, Lily reluctantly agrees to search Martin Forrest’s home for Sarah’s father’s solicitor’s name so Sarah can learn the terms of her deceased father’s will.
At the same time, Fanny Page, the neurodivergent niece of Bow Street Constable Simon Page, informs Lily that Fanny’s neighbour, a woman who sells beautiful lace, also has extremely poisonous flowers growing in her window boxes.
Though these two situations seem unrelated, the more Lily becomes involved with the Forrests, she begins to get an inkling of nefarious dealings and a troubling number of people dying suddenly.
This was a fun instalment in this series. Not only is Lily faced with a client whose associations she doesn’t like or trust, but she has Fanny Page, and the girl's extensive knowledge of botany, piquing Lily's interest in Fanny’s neighbour. Though many plants, and flowers, have poisonous parts, the flowers in question are highly toxic, and can cause grave harm and even death.
All this is happening while Lily and Jack are trying to figure out what they might do with heir feelings for each other. They’re both swamped by guilt, but are also intrigued by the idea of acting on their attraction. As author Katherine Schellman has slowly and carefully built up their relationship, this novel is a great payoff.
The mystery is also suitably twisty, taking Lily through the lives of veterans and the effect of war on them. And the appeal of sudden wealth to those without, who might be unscrupulous enough to harm others.
I found this entry to be compelling, entertaining, and it left me eager to find out what is next for Lily and Jack, and for Lily's next investigation.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
September 23, 2024
Fifth in the Lily Adler series. Interesting storyline although I found the pacing somewhat slow.
February 27, 2025
Another thoroughly enjoyable Lily Adler mystery. Enjoyed some of the deviations on the formula from previous books.
December 21, 2024
I love them ♥️
Back in my day we didn’t have autism - Fany just REALLY likes botany
Back in my day we didn’t have autism - Fany just REALLY likes botany
June 5, 2026
I love visiting the world of Lily Adler! Her mysteries that could only be solved by a lady of society are just too much fun!
September 18, 2024
Ehhh. We’re five books in now, and while I’ve enjoyed the series I overall, I’m starting to feel the lack of things I’ve been patient with until now. Anachronistic language and phrasing, friendships and relationships and professional associations that feel like they should’ve progressed more than they have, and cases that are feeling surface level, vs attempting to explore any interesting themes or ideals or feelings.
Also pretty middling on the narrator at this point.
Idk if I’ll keep going. This feels very drawn out as a series and for this heroine.
Also pretty middling on the narrator at this point.
Idk if I’ll keep going. This feels very drawn out as a series and for this heroine.
October 6, 2025
By far the best installment. It finally feel like a cohesive cast of characters with Lily and Jack as lead investigators again. The minor side characters are just that- MINOR.
So many of my complaints were resolved. The mystery is finally more fast paced, multi-layered, and not stuck in a single location. As it turns out, that can ruin a book faster than a comet speeding toward the Earth for me.
I loved that Lily was approached for this case rather than mysteriously finding herself at the same location as a murder for the 5th time. 🤨
In this rendition, Jack’s sister is staying with Lily to rehab her image after the disaster of her last book (HA). This is the perfect cover for J&L to see each other more often and Jack to return to his original level of involvement in the story. Lily is contacted to look into a young lady’s uncle who appears to be keeping her inheritance hostage. We have a murder, a poisoning, fraud, blackmail- a recipe for a good time!
So much to love about this one. Everything good about this sub-genre was on display.
So many of my complaints were resolved. The mystery is finally more fast paced, multi-layered, and not stuck in a single location. As it turns out, that can ruin a book faster than a comet speeding toward the Earth for me.
I loved that Lily was approached for this case rather than mysteriously finding herself at the same location as a murder for the 5th time. 🤨
In this rendition, Jack’s sister is staying with Lily to rehab her image after the disaster of her last book (HA). This is the perfect cover for J&L to see each other more often and Jack to return to his original level of involvement in the story. Lily is contacted to look into a young lady’s uncle who appears to be keeping her inheritance hostage. We have a murder, a poisoning, fraud, blackmail- a recipe for a good time!
So much to love about this one. Everything good about this sub-genre was on display.
Read
October 27, 2024no rating because i just skimmed this to see
May 7, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for the opportunity to read this book. Schellman does it again with my new favorite Lily Adler mystery. Lily is back at it in a Scandal in Mayfair with an engaging and challenging mystery. Plots, wills, and plants abound to keep the reader guessing until the end. I would definitely recommend
January 9, 2025
I enjoyed this Regency Era mystery book with a strong protagonist widow who fends for herself in difficult times within London society, yet knows when to bring in the backup of her friends to aid in an unveiling of a suspect. Lily is a likable character as well as those around her. The scenario was believable and held your attention. I would read more of this series.
January 4, 2025
Enjoyable book. One slight problem was the characters' names -- and there were a lot of characters here. Two were brothers, others were sometimes called by last names, sometimes by first names, some by nicknames, and I had to constantly remind myself who they were.
I think I'm reading too many books set in the same time period. Lily Adler in this book and Miss Morton in the last book I read, by a different author, both live on Half Moon Street in London. I wonder if they know each other 😁
I think I'm reading too many books set in the same time period. Lily Adler in this book and Miss Morton in the last book I read, by a different author, both live on Half Moon Street in London. I wonder if they know each other 😁
August 24, 2024
Yes thank you Lily and Jack I love a conversation!!
August 31, 2024
I guessed who did it before the end but it was still a good story.
September 3, 2024
Oh, this was another fantastic read, loved the mystery, and I can't wait to read more!
October 14, 2024
A good series.
October 15, 2024
Cute cozy murder mystery, like-able characters.
November 16, 2024
4.5 :)
January 15, 2025
Good twist ending!
January 30, 2025
Several mysteries overlap to a very satisfying ending. Also fun when characters pop up in later books.
March 27, 2025
This was a bright, romantic, proper romantic mystery. It delivered an escape and I HAD to finish it. The plot was surprising and complicated enough to keep me in the hook. I say “Yes”.
March 31, 2025
Although I enjoyed the story, it went on just a bit too long for me.
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