September. Isn’t this when we all start thinking of Christmas mysteries? Maybe not, but I’m always ready for an Agatha Christie-style mystery set in an isolated location. Katharine Schellman’s Murder at Midnight just happens to fall during the Christmas season.
Lily Adler is looking forward to the house party in Hartfordshire. It just starts to snow as she arrives with her brother-in-law, Sir John Adler and mother-in-law, Lady Adler. Neither of them told Lily they had invited Matthew Spencer, a widower with two children. Lady Adler is playing matchmaker, and her widowed daughter-in-law does enjoy Matthew’s company. She’s even more pleased to see Captain Jack Hartley join the group. He was her late husband’s best friend since childhood. Now, he’s her friend and confidant.
But, it seems the Hartleys have a problem. While Jack has been away at sea, his younger sister, Amelia, ended up in the middle of a scandal, but she refuses to discuss it with her brother or parents. Now, she’s the subject of whispered gossip, and her brother can only seethe.
When snow traps all of them, and other neighbors who live too far away to get home, it’s just an unexpected ending to an evening of dancing and laughter. But, that all ends the next morning when a body is found shot to death in the snow. Gregory Edison was the man caught up in the scandal with Amelia Hartley. Now, she’s under suspicion. And, Lily’s brother-in-law, Sir John Adler, as the local magistrate, must investigate since all the suspects are trapped together. He’s eager to rope Lily in to help him. Lily’s frustrated, though, because Jack can’t offer his usual expertise due to his relationship to Amelia. Instead, he’s forced to sit out this investigation.
But, neighbors all have secrets they want to hide when they’re trapped together. It’s up to Lily to dig around in those secrets, and find the one that might lead to a killer. Blackmail, jewelry theft, illicit relationships. There’s so much that goes on behind closed doors.
Murder at Midnight is a delightful homage to Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians. Schellman doesn’t go so far as to kill off everyone at the house party, but one by one, their secrets are stripped away. Her characters are as fascinating as always. But, it’s Lily and her close circle who stand out. Pick this one up now. You just might want to save it for a holiday read.
Katharine Schellman’s website is https://www.katharineschellman.com/
Murder at Midnight by Katharine Schellman. Crooked Lane Books, 2023. ISBN 9781639104321 (hardcover), 320p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a galley from NetGalley to review for a journal.
