May 1, 2021
A patriarch's murder disrupts the families of both the victim and the sleuth. London, 1815. The unexpected arrival of her bullying father, George Pierce, shakes the fragile equilibrium of young widow Lady Lily Adler. Pierce even manages to insult courtly Capt. Jack Hartley, who's been Lily's most faithful supporter and friend ever since the death of her husband, Freddy. A social call on Pierce's longtime friend Sir Charles Wyatt and his new young wife turns awkward when Thomas the footman is accused of stealing a large sum of money, greatly upsetting his sister, Ellen the maid. The observant Lily dazzles the group by accusing Sir Charles' nephew Percy, who turns out to be guilty. When Lily and Jack visit the Wyatts the next day for a horseback outing, they're shocked to learn that Sir Charles has been murdered. This puzzling crime gives the fledgling sleuth an excuse to stay away from her new home on Half Moon Street, where Pierce has settled in for an indefinite visit. Impassive investigator Simon Page of the Bow Street Runners undertakes the investigation; Lily turns on the charm in order to piggyback onto his probe and strikes out on her own with Jack as wingman. Suspicion naturally falls upon heirs like Sir Charles' devoted son, Frank, Pierce's godson. Schellman's gracefully written whodunit is equally a tale of 19th-century female empowerment and societal conventions. Depth of character and persuasive historical detail keep the pace leisurely. More than a clever murder puzzle, this is an immersion in a bygone era.
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June 7, 2021
At the start of Schellman’s strong second Regency mystery (after 2020’s Body in the Garden), George Pierce, father of widow Lily Adler, comes to London, where Lily lives, to see a doctor. Mr. Pierce, who can be highly critical of his daughter, doesn’t have time to call on Sir Charles Wyatt, an old family friend who has recently remarried and could be leaving any day for the country, so Lily agrees to visit Sir Charles instead and convey her father’s respects. Sir Charles is not at home, but Lady Wyatt, his much younger wife, is, along with his son Frank, who’s Lily’s age and treats Lady Wyatt with disdain. The next day, Sir Charles is found dead in his library, and perceptive Lily, who has inserted herself into a Bow Street investigation before, immediately suspects foul play. In the end, Lily enlists her disapproving father’s aid to catch the culprit. Lively characters and an intricate plot keep the pages turning. Readers will look forward to Lily’s further adventures. Agent: Whitney Ross, Irene Goodman Literary.
Starred review from July 1, 2021
Lily Adler, a widow living in 1815 London, is appalled to see a commotion in front of her home. Her father, George Pierce, has arrived unexpectedly, planning to stay with Lily while he visits doctors. The two don't get along, so she escapes, offering to visit her father's old friend Sir Charles Wyatt, who has recently remarried. When they arrive, Lily and her late husband's best friend Captain Jack Hartley discover a great deal of tension in the Wyatt household, where Sir Charles's son Frank is rude to his new stepmother, and Frank's cousin Percy has just stolen money from his uncle. That's nothing compared to the uproar when Sir Charles is found dead the next day. The Wyatts claim that he fell, but shrewd Bow Street constable Simon Page knows he was murdered and enlists the help of Lily and Jack. He believes the Wyatts might confide in them, even as they ignore Bow Street. Despite his disapproval of her lifestyle, Lily enlists her father's help for a final showdown with a killer. VERDICT Although the second "Lily Adler" mystery (after The Body in the Garden) incorporates issues of racism, classism, women's independence, and neurodiversity, Schellman never forgets that it's a mystery. The fast-paced, engrossing story has a climactic confrontation worthy of Rex Stout or Agatha Christie.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN
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July 30, 2021
As a widow in Regency London, Lily Adler knows the rules of proper society, and follows them. Except when she and her late husband's friend Captain Jack Hartley happen on a murder scene. Lily has arranged an outing with the new, young wife of one of her father's friends, Sir Charles Wyatt, but when she arrives, she finds the house in an uproar because Sir Charles has been found dead in the library. The Wyatt family is horrified that Simon Page from Bow Street is investigating what they want called an accident. Simon, having worked with Lily and Jack before (The Body in the Garden, 2020), uses Lily's society position to ferret out what the family is not revealing, as she and Jack can go places and talk to people he cannot. Fans of Bridgerton will enjoy watching Lily, Jack, and their friend Ofelia Carroway pursue the truth in tea shops, formal dinners with charades, and horse rides in the park, watching for small changes in expression and casual references to break the Wyatt family's silence. The presence of Ofelia, Jack, and Jack's servant Jem, all with non-white parentage from Britain's far-flung colonies, adds depth to the characterizations.
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