Silence in the Library

Silence in the Library is the second novel in Katharine Schellman's Lily Adler Mystery series, set in Regency-era London. Lily Adler has just begun to settle into her new life in the city when her semi-estranged father arrives unannounced, intending to stay with her while he recovers from an illness. Amid the strain of his visit, Lily grows close to Lady Wyatt, the new wife of an old family friend — only for the household to be thrown into turmoil when Lady Wyatt's husband, Sir Charles, is found dead.

What first looks like an accident draws the suspicion of Bow Street constable Simon Page, and Lily finds herself drawn into the investigation alongside Page and Captain Jack Hartley. As the inquiry deepens — and a maid connected to the household is also found dead — Lily must persuade her disapproving father to help her navigate the Wyatt family's secrets and alibis before the killer claims another victim.

Published by Crooked Lane Books on July 13, 2021, the novel continues the series' blend of intricate, historically grounded whodunit plotting with a close look at class dynamics and women's agency in early nineteenth-century London society.