Review: The Body in the Garden

 Review: The Body in the Garden (Lily Adler Mystery #1) by Katharine Schellman

Perfect for fans of Tasha Alexander and Rhys Bowen, Katharine Schellman's debut novel is sure to delight.

London 1815. Though newly-widowed Lily Adler is returning to a society that frowns on independent women, she is determined to create a meaningful life for herself even without a husband. She's no stranger to the glittering world of London's upper crust. At a ball thrown by her oldest friend, Lady Walter, she expects the scandal, gossip, and secrets. What she doesn't expect is the dead body in Lady Walter's garden.

Lily overheard the man just minutes before he was shot: young, desperate, and attempting blackmail. But she's willing to leave the matter to the local constables--until Lord Walter bribes the investigating magistrate to drop the case. Stunned and confused, Lily realizes she's the only one with the key to catching the killer.

Aided by a roguish navy captain and a mysterious heiress from the West Indies, Lily sets out to discover whether her friend's husband is mixed up in blackmail and murder. The unlikely team tries to conceal their investigation behind the whirl of London's social season, but the dead man knew secrets about people with power. Secrets that they would kill to keep hidden. Now, Lily will have to uncover the truth, before she becomes the murderer's next target.

-summary and cover via Goodreads

Plot: I don't like to talk about the plot too much with mysteries, because I'm always worried I'll spoil the mystery for someone. But I will say I quite liked the plot, and the mystery was really well done! I guessed part of what happened, but not all of it, which is always nice. And I liked the side plots that were all happening, too!

Characters: Lily was a great main character! I liked all the supporting characters, too!

The Cover: I like it!

Overall: This was a really good start to a new mystery series! And I look forward to reading another book about Lily!

I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher.