Words I Write Crazy: Week 22 Review: Silence in the Library, Death at the Manor, Murder at Midnight

Saturday, June 3, 2023

Week 22 Review: Silence in the Library, Death at the Manor, Murder at Midnight

From Goodreads:

Regency widow Lily Adler didn't expect to find a corpse when visiting a family friend. Now it's up to her to discover the killer in the charming second installment in the Lily Adler mysteries.

Regency widow Lily Adler has finally settled into her new London life when her semi-estranged father arrives unexpectedly, intending to stay with her while he recovers from an illness. Hounded by his disapproval, Lily is drawn into spending time with Lady Wyatt, the new wife of an old family friend. Lily barely knows Lady Wyatt. But she and her husband, Sir Charles, seem as happy as any newly married couple until the morning Lily arrives to find the house in an uproar and Sir Charles dead.

All signs indicate that he tripped and struck his head late at night. But when Bow Street constable Simon Page is called to the scene, he suspects foul play. And it isn't long before Lily stumbles on evidence that Sir Charles was, indeed, murdered.

Mr. Page was there when Lily caught her first murderer, and he trusts her insight into the world of London's upper class. With the help of Captain Jack Hartley, they piece together the reasons that Sir Charles's family might have wanted him dead. But anyone who might have profited from the old man's death seems to have an alibi... until Lily receives a mysterious summons to speak with one of the Wyatts' maids, only to find the young woman dead when she arrives.

Mr. Page believes the surviving family members are hiding the key to the death of both Sir Charles and the maid. To uncover the truth, Lily must convince the father who doesn't trust or respect her to help catch his friend's killer before anyone else in the Wyatt household dies.

From Goodreads:

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?

From Goodreads:

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 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?

My Review:
I really enjoyed reading these books! I really enjoyed the first one, and I was excited to see where this series would go, and I really enjoyed following along Lily Adler for these mysteries, they were intriguing, and I had a really fantastic time!

In Library, Lily has solved one case now. That she has to deal with this case at a family friend's house, on top of her dad visiting, yeah, that was a bit of conflict that she had to deal with. I really enjoyed watching the case develop and get more complicated!

Manor, it was a lot of fun to read, the locals had been worried about a ghost, and were thinking that ghosts were behind the death. But that isn't possible, and I enjoyed watching Lily investigate the case. This mystery just added a bit of a different atmosphere and I loved it!

Midnight, this case with a locked room mystery that is implicating Jack's sister, Amelia, well, of course Lily has to get involved. I can understand why Jack does what he does, but it further complicates the matter, but Lily figures it out in the end, so that was great!

Lily has been grieving her husband throughout this series. Which is understandable, but he died before the series started, so we didn't really get to know him. It was bittersweet to watch her start to move past her grief, and have more in her life besides these investigations.

Loved reading these books and I can't wait for whatever is next from Katharine Schellman!

Author: Katharine Schellman
Series: Lily Alder Mystery #2, 3, 4
Read: May 30th, 31st, 31st, 2023
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Loved the first book, and they're Historical Fiction 2023 Books, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Books and WoW Books!
Publisher: Crooked Line Books
Published: July 13th 2021, August 9th 2022

Expected Publication: September 19th 2023

Silence in the Library: