Silence in the Library is a well written historical British cozy and the second book in the Lily Adler series by Katharine Schellman. Released 13th July 2021 by Crooked Lane Books, it's 352 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.
I've enjoyed both of the books in this nascent series mostly because they hearken back to my nostalgic fondness for actual period Regency era British mystery without the unfortunate period racism, sexism, and colonialist sensibilities which were unquestioned and prevalent in the actual contemporary literature. The main protagonist is a young widow who is intelligent and (mostly) well regarded and who has, despite her family and upbringing, a strong will and the means and wherewithal to exercise her self-determination and intelligence without (much) reprisal. Her friend and sometimes sidekick is a British Indian naval officer and a product of the Raj period of the colonization of India. He's supportive without being cloying or appallingly sexist and the author does a decent job of mentioning his upbringing and cultural background without being graphic -or- sweeping it under an expensively tasteful rug.
The mystery is twisty and well written and the disparate plot threads culminate in a satisfying resolution and denouement. The language is clean and the dialogue is well written and civilized. The characterizations are competently rendered and three dimensional. I found the almost total lack of romance between Lily and Jack refreshing, although there are hints of a future slow-burn romantic angle between the two.
I'm looking forward to finding out what comes next.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
No comments:
Post a Comment