A Tarnished Canvas by Anna Lee Huber - The late Lord Eldin's art collection is to be auctioned and Kiera and Gage attend, as she hopes to acquire one or two of the pieces she especially admires. Tragedy strikes during the auction, as a large part of the floor collapses and Kiera and Gage are among the injured. It isn't long before suspicions are raised about the circumstances, and whether the collapse was an unfortunate accident or caused by sabotage.
Sergeant Maclean requests their assistance in investigating, and in keeping the suspicions quiet for the time being. Although they know the building was intentionally compromised, they are no closer to knowing what the saboteur hoped to accomplish. Was someone in the building a target? Was it an act of some kind of revenge? Was it meant as a distraction for a theft? It's proving frustrating and dangerous to solve a case without knowing the motive, or who can be trusted. Kiera and Gage must keep their wits about them and use all their powers of observation to find the culprit as the threats come ever closer to home.
From the publisher:
Lady Kiera Darby had planned to spend the winter practicing her painting, but instead, she must find the flaw in a killer's masterpiece when an art auction results in one participant's final bid . . .
March 1833. Kiera and her husband, Sebastian Gage, have decided to settle in Edinburgh for the winter with their infant daughter. This also allows Kiera to enjoy long hours painting in her studio, making progress on the portraits she soon hopes to unveil in her own exhibit. She's thrilled when she receives an invitation to the auction of the late Lord Eldin's coveted art collection, and she and Gage eagerly accept. When the floor collapses beneath the gathering, killing one of their fellow bidders, Kiera and Gage are lucky to escape with their lives.
Within days it becomes apparent that what at first seemed to be a terrible accident is actually something far more nefarious. Someone deliberately compromised the integrity of the structure, though the police are unsure of the culprit's aim. Sergeant Maclean requests Kiera and Gage's assistance in figuring out who would wish to harm the bidders. As they dig deeper, it becomes increasingly apparent that the victim was not the killer's intended target . . . and that Kiera was lured to the auction deliberately. Kiera and Gage must utilize all their resources to unveil a monster willing to risk the lives of dozens of bystanders to achieve their ends. But they're on the verge of making a dire miscalculation. For one of the cleverest tricks in a painter's repertoire is the art of misdirection, and their eyes have been drawn far from the gravest danger.
By the same author: The Anatomist's Wife, Mortal Arts; A Grave Matter, A Study in Death, A Pressing Engagement, This Side of Murder, As Death Draws Near, A Brush With Shadows, Treacherous Is The Night, An Artless Demise, Secrets in the Mist, Penny for Your Secrets, A Stroke of Malice, A Pretty Deceit, A Wicked Conceit, A Perilous Perspective, A Fatal Illusion, Sisters of Fortune, A Deceptive Composition, Murder Most Fair, A Certain Darkness
This is a book that includes a red herring (#25), and a book from a series at least eight books long (#28) for The 52 Book Club's 2026 Reading Challenge.
#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2026
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This sounds like a really good mystery, it's one I'll definitely look into reading. Thanks for a great review
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