A scandal in Mayfair

Red herrings, strange illnesses, a complex mystery, and romance are highlights of Schellman's fifth Lily Adler historical mystery (after Murder at Midnight). Widowed Lily moves back to London for the season, having gained a reputation as a fixer and "lady of quality" who discreetly investigates delicate cases for other gentlewomen. She receives a visit from Sarah Forrest, a young woman who's worried that her uncle and guardian is stealing her inheritance and begs Lily to search his house for a missing will. Sarah is accompanied by a strange but familiar enforcer: Mr. Clive, a con man Lily encountered on an earlier case, who threatens to reveal Lily's connections to previous mysteries unless she helps Sarah. Under threat of blackmail, Lily agrees to attend a ball at the uncle's house. She doesn't find a will, but the next morning she is called back to the house because Sarah's uncle has been killed, and Mr. Clive is found hiding in a closet; now the hunt is afoot. Schellman's Regency mystery series explores the nuances of societal rules and includes characters whose biracial backgrounds sometimes cause uneasiness in the ton. VERDICT The strong characters will appeal to readers of the Bridgerton romances, as well as those who appreciate Georgette Heyer's stories.--Lesa Holstine

A resolute Regency-era widow solves another mystery while navigating societal life in London. It's 1817. Young widow Lily Adler, who's earned a modest reputation for unraveling mysteries, is known as a Lady of Quality--that is, a discreet investigator. So it's no surprise that Sarah Forrest and her fiance, Mr. Clive, ask for her assistance in unraveling a mystery surrounding her inheritance. Did Sarah's father really put it under the control of his brother? But the fact that the request involves stealing a will from Sarah's supposedly nefarious uncle triggers a moral dilemma for Lily. While Lily sympathizes with Sarah's distress, she's torn. And then Clive, whom Lily knows to be unscrupulous, tries to blackmail her, threatening to spread malicious gossip about her. Having constructed an elegant and engaging world over four previous mysteries, Schellman reintroduces her supporting cast in the several chapters Lily takes to decide on a course of action. Lily's two closest confidantes are Ofelia, Lady Carroway, a young heiress recently arrived from the West Indies, and Amelia Hartley, Lily's "temporary companion," who's enjoying her first season in London society. The relationship between Lily and Captain Jack Hartley, Amelia's brother and the best friend of Lily's late husband, Freddy, remains stuck in the friendzone, eliciting much private agonizing for both parties. A murder provides a jolt of juice and a thickening of intrigue, but the lives of the three single London ladies remain persistently more interesting than what turns out to be a modest mystery wrapped in an elegant, romantic comedy of manners. There's little doubt that Lily will discover the identity of the killer. But how smoothly will the course of true love run? That's the real mystery. An engaging immersion in period romance with a whodunit chaser. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.