ARC Review: A Tarnished Canvas by Anna Lee Huber

A Tarnished Canvas
Author: Anna Lee Huber
Series: Lady Darby Mystery (Book 13)
Publication: Berkley (June 24, 2025)

Description: 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.

My Thoughts: The thirteenth book in the Lady Darby mystery series finds Kiera, Gage, and family settled in Edinburgh for the winter. Kiera is busy painting portraits for an exhibition; Gage is bored because there is no case for him to investigate. When a mysterious invitation to an art auction leads to the collapse of the floor where the auction is being held, things change. 

Both Kiera and Gage are caught in the collapse but are only lightly injured. There is one death. Gage is invited to investigate by the police because the floor collapse was engineered and not the accident that the newspapers are reporting. 

An overheard argument provides a starting point for their investigation which ranges from an enemy of the man whose art and collectibles are being auctioned to a dastardly plot to call attention to unsafe building practices. The investigation also passes through learning who sent Kiera the invitation to attend the auction.  

On the personal front, Kiera and Gage's daughter Emma is turning one year old which brings back memories of the dangers that surrounded the pair at the time of Emma's birth. Also, Kiera is feeling a lot of self-doubt as she waffles about having an exhibition of her new collection of portraits of ordinary people. 

This was another engaging episode in a long-running series. I enjoyed it very much. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.