Silence in the Library: A Lily Adler Mystery
London, 1815, is not easy for smart, attractive widow Lily Adler. She must absorb constant slights from her imperious and demeaning father while navigating among fake and true friends and suitors.
In this second in a series, Lily once more assists Constable Simon Page of London’s police force. A recently remarried family friend, Sir Charles Wyatt, lies dead in his home from a head wound. Early clues and behaviors around the Wyatt estate point to murder that’s made to look like a nasty accident. Wyatt’s two sons, a nephew, various household staff, and workers come under suspicion. A chambermaid who knows too much gets violently ill and soon dies.
Constable Simon’s peers and supervisors urge him to stop pursuing these two unfortunate deaths in a high-society estate, or, if he must, charge some hapless staff member or laborer. Lily’s father accuses her of madness for getting involved. But Simon and Lily can’t stop digging. Each new clue leads to more revelations and potential dangers. Sir Charles’s distraught much younger widow, Lady Wyatt, might even be involved.
Schellman’s portrayals of London’s neighborhoods, people, and ever-present carriages all ring true. Lily, her father, Lady Wyatt, other key Wyatt relatives, and Constable Simon come across as real people driven by honest emotions. Lesser characters (a head maid, a boy who today would be diagnosed with autism, and a kindhearted big bloke of a farmer) become delightful scene-stealers. Readers ought not be put off by too-frequent tongue, cheek, and lip biting, hands trembling, and over-active eyebrows that sometimes “snapped together” or climb “even higher.” This intricately crafted cozy mystery takes us on an enjoyable journey to a layered and realistic page-turner ending.
