Book Review: Death at the Manor (arc)

Death at the Manor (2022) by Katharine Schellmen

Fiction| Mystery | Historical Fiction

Disclaimer: In every review that I complete, I try my best to avoid spoilers of any kind and include spoiler warnings when necessary.

About the book (from Goodreads)

Regency widow Lily Adler is looking forward to spending the autumn away from the social whirl of London society. When she arrives in Hampshire with her friends, Lord and Lady Carroway, she doesn't expect much more than a quiet country visit and the chance to spend time with her charming new acquaintance, Matthew Spencer.

But something odd is afoot in the small country village. A ghost has taken up residence in the Belleford manor, a lady in grey who wanders the halls at night, weeping and wailing. Half the servants have left in terror, but the family is delighted with the notoriety that their ghost provides. Piqued by this spectral guest, Lily and her party immediately make plans to visit Belleford.

They arrive at the manor the next morning ready to be entertained—but tragedy has struck. The matriarch of the family has just been found smothered to death in her bed.

There was no one else in her room, and the door was locked from the inside. The dead woman's family is convinced that the ghost is responsible. The servants are keeping secrets. The local magistrate is flummoxed. Lily is determined to learn the truth before another victim turns up—but could she be next in line for the Great Beyond?

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Note: Thank you to Netgalley & the publishers for allowing me access to this arc!

My Review

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery. The writing is excellent, and the story is easy-going and interesting. I believe that this book can be read as a standalone, or after reading Schellmen's first two books in the series (The Body in the Garden & Silence in the Library), and that is a huge plus for any book.

The Good Things

1. I love the main character, Lily Alder! She is written well and jumps off the page, as the main character should.

2. Much like Lily, the rest of the characters in the book are engaging.

3. The dialogue between characters is realistic and intriguing.

4. This story is the textbook definition of a Mystery, and I love it!

The Bad Things

1. There were two or three places where the story seemed to sput out a bit. However, they were short, so I moved past them quickly!

My Final Rating:

☆☆☆☆ (Goodreads)

☆☆☆☆ (Blog)

☆☆☆☆ (Amazon - will post as soon as the book is released)

Pre-order this from Amazon by clicking here!

If you have access to this ARC, please feel free to leave comments concerning how you liked -or didn't like, no judgment here- it! If you don't have access, let me know if this is on your tbr! I would love to hear your thoughts!