Lily Adler Mysteries: Book 4
Publication Date: September 19, 2023
Perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Ashley Weaver, 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.
Regency widow Lily Adler is looking forward to a quiet Christmastide away from the schemes and secrets she witnessed daily in London. Not only will she be visiting the family of her late husband; she will be reunited with Captain Jack Hartley, her friend and confidante, finally returned after a long voyage at sea.
But secrets aren’t only found in London. Jack’s younger sister, Amelia, is the center of neighborhood scandal and gossip. She refuses to tell anyone what really happened, even when an unexpected snowstorm strands the neighborhood families together after a Christmas ball. Stuck until the snow stops, the Adlers, Hartleys, and their neighbors settle in for the night, only to be awakened in the morning by the scream of a maid who has just discovered a dead body.
The victim was the well-to-do son of a local gentleman—the same man whose name has become so scandalously linked to Amelia’s.
With the snow still falling and no way to come or go, it’s clear that someone in the house was responsible for the young man’s death. When suspicion instantly falls on Jack’s sister, he and Lily must unmask the true culprit before Amelia is convicted of a crime she didn’t commit.
What starts as a lovely Christmas celebration in the country quickly turns to chaos when a storm locks Lily Adler and company in with a murderer. But when Jack’s sister is marked as suspect number one, can Lily discover the true murderer before the snow melts, or worse, another body is found.
In Murder at Midnight by Katharine Schellman, Lily Adler is back with a new mystery where the stakes are higher than ever.
Lily Adler is invited to a Christmas gathering with her late husband’s family, who conveniently invite Matthew Spencer, her friend and occasional lover. Among the attendees are her good friend, Captain Jack Hartley, and his family. Lily quickly realizes a scandal has taken place in the countryside, with Jack’s little sister Amelia right at its heart.
When a sudden and turbulent snowstorm forces many guests to stay until the roads are safe, a murderer waits among them. In the morning, a body is found, a man whose most shocking connection is none other than Amelia herself. Amelia is immediately labeled as suspect number one, and Lily and Jack must work together, along with Lily’s former brother-in-law, Sir John, the local magistrate. But as the mystery unfolds and the snow melts, not only does the story get more complex, but the danger only grows.
I absolutely love this series, and this installment doesn’t disappoint! The setting adds to the anxiety and reinforces the clock Lily is on to solve this murder. Schellman’s writing is top-notch. She can write so many complex characters and such engaging dialogue with every page. This book was easily one of my favorites of the series. I would even argue that it was my favorite, which is a high bar, considering how much I loved the first.
However, it killed me to knock this book by half a star. How could I ding such an amazing book?! But the ending of this book left me incredibly frustrated. There has been a pattern I have discovered in reading these books in short succession, and I was hoping this book would break the mold. But the ending fell right into that pattern. Schellman is too good a writer to fall into a simple trope. That was the frustration. This book left me feeling there was untapped potential, potential I hope is explored in future novels.
Murder at Midnight is a perfect “can’t put down” read that will leave you guessing with every twist and turn. Don’t wait to join Lily, Jack, and the crew. Pick up this book and be prepared to be transported back in time.
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 review1 This book has been getting great reviews1 It sounds like so much fun. I’m glad you loved it! 🙂