Review - Murder at Midnight

 If you have followed me for very long, you've probably noticed I tend to read a lot of historical mysteries.  The Lilly Adler series is one of my favorites (but honestly, I have so many favorites) and I'm sharing the fourth with you today.  Check out the previous reviews of this series I've done:

1) A Body in the Garden (click here) 

2) Silence in the Library (click here) 

3) Death at the Manor (click here) 

Author: Katharine Schellman

Copyright: Sept 2023 (Crooked Lane Books) 316 pgs

Series: 4th in A Lilly Adler mystery series

Sensuality: mild with adult situations/topics referenced

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical Cozy, Amateur Sleuth

Main Characters: widow Lily Adler

Setting: 1815, Hertfordshire England

Obtained Through: Library

     Book Blurb:  "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."

My Thoughts:  Lily, as independant as ever, is asked to assist in investigating while they are all snowed in. Her sleuthing skills are tested as so many people are hiding secrets.  

Captain Jack (Hartley) is back from sea (Wahoo!) and his usual easy going nature is stretched thin by his sister immediately being the murder suspect.  Matthew Spencer, the romantic interest, tries to spend as much time with Lily as possible... until the murder pulls her away.  John Adler, Lily's brother-in-law and the magistrate, is in over his head and relies on Lily to direct the investigation and cover his missteps. 

The snowstorm is well done and the growing tensions of the stranded group are drawn very well.  The plot has many twists and all the secrets produce some curveballs.  The writing style makes this an easy and enjoyable read that I hated to put down.  

The climax had a tense and suspenseful killer confrontation, my favorite.  All-in-all, another wonderfully done entry in this top notch historical mystery series.

Rating:  Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list