Lily Adler Mysteries Books in Order

The Body in the Garden begins in 1815 London, where newly widowed Lily Adler is trying to build a life for herself in a society that does not leave much room for independent women. She knows the rules of fashionable life, but she does not always feel obliged to follow them. When a murder lands in the middle of a social gathering, Lily learns that her place in society gives her unusual access to lies, grudges, and carefully guarded scandal.

Lily is the kind of sleuth who notices the detail everyone else is too polite, distracted, or frightened to name.

She is not alone for long. The series gradually builds a circle around her that includes Captain Jack Hartley, the capable and charming friend who often helps her chase the truth, Ofelia Carroway, whose sharp eye and social insight make her a perfect ally, and Bow Street constable Simon Page, who comes to trust Lily’s instincts even when other people do not. Their chemistry is a big part of the appeal. So is the way each book balances manners, gossip, and genuine danger.

Regency England is more than wallpaper here. Schellman uses drawing rooms, libraries, country estates, and the London Season to show how class, money, inheritance, and reputation shape every choice. A rumor can do real damage. A bad marriage can trap someone for life. A widow with a mind of her own can make people very uneasy. That gives the mysteries weight without taking away the pleasure of a classic whodunit.

Across Silence in the Library, Death at the Manor, Murder at Midnight, and A Scandal in Mayfair, Lily’s world keeps widening. The cases take her from crowded London households to haunted country manors, snowbound holiday gatherings, and the sharper social games of Mayfair. Some mysteries begin with a corpse, others with missing papers, whispers, or family trouble, but they all run on the same engine: Lily asking the questions everyone else would rather she leave alone.

This series is a good fit if you like traditional historical mysteries with a smart amateur sleuth, a touch of slow-burn romance, and plenty of suspects behaving badly behind polished smiles. The structure is cozy, but the stakes are real, and Lily’s steady determination gives the whole series its center.