Murder at Midnight: A Lily Adler Mystery

Schellman’s delightful fourth mystery featuring feisty widow Lily Adler (after 2022’s Death at the Manor) sees the amateur sleuth attending a Christmas ball in 1816 England. Lily has brought along her late husband’s mother, Lady Adler, and his brother, Sir John, to Mrs. Grantham’s annual yuletide celebration in Hertfordshire. Also in attendance are Jack Harley and Matthew Spencer, both of whom harbor feelings for Lily. After much dining, dancing, and gossiping, the festive evening takes a turn when a terrible snowstorm hits, forcing the guests to stay at the house overnight. In the morning, someone is found shot to death in the poultry yard. Potential motives for the murder abound, including fraud, blackmail, theft, and romantic jealousy. Mrs. Grantham, who has heard murmurings about Lily’s success at solving crimes, asks her to quietly investigate. The plot is sufficiently complicated, and Schellman does an excellent job casting suspicion on multiple characters while keeping the clues subtle. Historical mystery fans will devour this holiday treat. Agent: Whitney Ross, Irene Goodman Literary. (Sept.)