Lily Adler Mystery: Book 3
Publication Date: August 9, 2022
The tortured spirits of the dead haunt a Regency-era English manor—but the true danger lies in the land of the living in the third installment in the Lily Adler mysteries, perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn.
Regency widow Lily Adler is looking forward to spending the autumn away from the social whirl of London. When she arrives in Hampshire with her friends, the Carroways, she doesn’t expect much more than a quiet country visit and the chance to spend time with her charming new acquaintance, Matthew Spencer.
But something odd is afoot in the small country village. A ghost has taken up residence in the Belleford manor, a lady in grey who wanders the halls at night, weeping and wailing. Half the servants have left in terror, but the family seems delighted with the notoriety that their ghost provides. Intrigued by this spectral guest, Lily and her party immediately make plans to visit Belleford.
They arrive at the manor the next morning ready to be entertained—only to find that tragedy has struck. The matriarch of the family has just been found killed in her bed.
The dead woman’s family is convinced that the ghost is responsible. Lily is determined to learn the truth before another victim turns up—but could she be next in line for the Great Beyond?
Widow Lily Adler and her friends, Sir and Lady Carroway, leave the social demands of London to visit Lily’s aunt, Eliza, and dear friend and housemate, Susan Clark, in the Hamptons, hoping for some peace and quiet and a break from solving murders. What they find instead is a murdering ghost seemingly bent on destroying the prominent family of the small village in Death at the Manor, the third book in the Lily Adler Mystery series by Katherine Schellman.
When Lily and the Carroways arrive, they find Aunt Eliza has accepted an invitation to dinner with the charming and handsome widower Matthew Spencer. Having met Mr. Spencer in the previous book, Silence in the Library, there was already an attraction between Lily and Mathew, but far from the prying eyes of the ton, what could happen between the two? Could this peaceful visit bring a bit of romance as well? And is Lily ready for it?
While at this dinner, a discussion ensues about a ghost allegedly haunting the halls of Belleford Manor. Intrigued, it is decided the group would visit the Wrights, the longtime family who has owned the Manor, in the morning to tour the home and perhaps hear the story of the ghost.
And this is when the mystery begins.
The matriarch is found dead in her bed, seemingly scared to death by the grey ghost. Lily and Ofelia believe a human hand, not a spirit is to blame and begin searching for clues. But the Wright family is convinced the woman in grey is to blame, and they swear they have seen her.
With more of a gothic feel than the previous two books, I absolutely loved this episode of the Lily Adler Mystery. Not only that, but the love triangle between Lily, Matthew Spencer, and Captain Jack Hartley really heated up, and I was so there for it!
Ms. Schellman did a fabulous job keeping the reader on their toes with distractions and deceptions at every turn. Just when I thought for sure I knew who the ghostly murderer was, I was proved wrong, and another clue was dropped.
Death at the Manor is a classic locked-room puzzle with gothic themes and a lovely love triangle to keep it interesting. With strong female protagonists in both Mrs. Adler and Lady Carroway, Ms. Schellman has authored another hit!
Katharine Schellman is a former actor, one-time political consultant, and now the author of the Lily Adler Mystery and the 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 Agatha Christie or Rex Stout.” (Library Journal, starred review) Katharine lives and writes in the mountains of Virginia in the company of her husband, children, and the many houseplants she keeps accidentally murdering.
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Thanks for the great review! This one sounds like so much fun to me. It is on my read list! 🙂
You’re welcome, Wendy! It was a very fun read! 🙂