While I'm very familiar with the series Verity Kent, I have only now discovered Lady Darby. I will go back and read some of the earlier stories in series to satisfy curiosity, but this one does work as a stand-alone. One delightful aspect I noticed is that I was lulled by sneaky repetition and detailed descriptions and almost missed some very important tidbits that needed putting together. The main characters are Kiera and Sebastian Gage who are multitalented and wealthy. They work with Police Scotland Sergeant Maclean and Edinburgh criminal Bonnie Brock Kincaid non whatever case as needed. This time they are both injured at an auction in which the second floor of the mansion had been orchestrated in such a way that the floor collapsed. Upon closer examination it seems that the wrong target died and a very complex investigation ensued. Great story with believable characters, blindsided by plot twists, and more.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley via NetGalley. Pub Date Jun 24, 2025 **** review #NetGalley @bookbub @goodreads #LibraryThing
#ATarnishedCanvas by @annaleehuber #LadyDarby MysteriesBk13 @berkleypub #storygraph
#Mystery #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalMystery #HistoricalRomance #paintersart #artist #artcollector #detectiveduo #devious

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.

This was by far the best Lady Darby mystery novel yet. We see both the main cast of characters, as well as some recurring characters from previous books. The characters must all work together to foil a sinister plot after Gage and Kiera's brush with death turns out to not be a mere accident. Kiera and Gage battle not only an unseen foe but also their inner fears and turmoils; giving the reader a more in-depth understanding of our favorite duo. Thank you, Net Galley and Berkley Publishing, for this ARC.

⭐️: 5

*Received as a free ARC*
Something about Anna Lee Huber just hits right every single time. Once again, it was great. Very well researched. The Bonny Brock stuff does get weirder every time, but it's fine. Obviously can't wait for the next one.

If you are looking for a series that has similar elements of Tasha Alexander's Lady Emily series then Anna Lee Huber's Lady Darby series is the one for you. This novel will follow the brave adventures of well to do lady and her husband the mysteries that seem to follow them wherever they go. Overall this book and the series in general are very lovely and the characters are great as well.
Our story starts with Kiera and her husband have had a pretty quiet winter season and they are looking for something to do. They decide to go to an art auction. Everything seems to be going well until the floor ends up collapsing on the third day of the auction. Thankfully everyone seems to be alright and everyone assumes it was accident.
Kiera and her husband go back home and go about their normal routine. Sergeant Maclean soons drops by need their assistance because he believes that there is much more to this incident. Soon it becomes a challenge to figure out what the motive behind this incident was.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.

As an artist and collector, a last minute invitation to an art auction seems too good for Lady Kiera Darby to pass up. But when the event turns deadly with a collapsed floor, it will take everything in Kiera and her husband's powers as private investigators to unravel the truth.

Reading this book and and returning to one of my favorite detective duos felt like picking up a conversation with old friends. Filled with twists and turns, returning characters, and hints at what may come in future books, it is well worth a read.

Some research, an author’s brainstorming session, and a simple question – “What if?”-- brings us this very lucky (for us) thirteenth addition to the Lady Darby series. The story quickly spins from a tame invitation to attend an estate auction to a chaotic scene of mayhem and murder.

Sebastian has become very restless as they’ve spent a quiet winter in Edinburgh. While Kiera has had her painting to occupy her time, Gage has mostly played ‘gentleman’ rather than having an interesting investigation to occupy him. He is quickly going to get more excitement than he wants! Kiera decides to attend the second day of the auction to view the items to be auctioned, and there are several she’d like to have. On the third day, they return to bid on the items – when the floor collapses beneath them. Everyone in the bidding room quickly finds themselves in the room below – covered in dust, - with many severe injuries.

As the floor collapse was an accident, Kiera and Gage go about their business happily preparing for their daughter Emma’s first birthday party. That peace doesn’t last long because Sergeant Maclean soon pays a visit to ask for their assistance in solving the mystery of the collapse and the death that occurred because of it. No, it wasn’t an accident as the papers reported, it was sabotage that could have taken many lives.

It is all-hands-on-deck to solve this one because there are more suspects and motives than anyone can count – and no real clues to point at any of them for sure. When I say all hands, I truly mean it. I think we had everyone except Lord Gage helping with the investigation. Gage’s step-brother, Lord Henry, and Kiera’s brother Trevor were on hand along with our usual Anderly and Bree, and it wouldn’t be Edinburgh if Bonnie Brock didn’t play a role. With a plethora of red herrings, suspects, and motives, you’ll be hard pressed to identify the villain.

I thoroughly enjoyed this new entry to the series, and now, I can hardly wait for the nicely teased next addition coming in a year! I highly recommend this book, this series, and this author. While you can enjoy this as a standalone, I sincerely suggest reading the series from the beginning to better understand the character growth – especially Kiera’s. If you don’t want to go back and read the first twelve, I suggest trying the first two at least. However, if you try those, you’ll be hooked and will read all of them. 😊Happy Reading!

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A very enticing tale as usual! After a horrific accident turns out not to be an accident, Gage and Kiera investigate. Gage is not his usual analytical self. Kiera is left to wonder why. Bonnie Brock makes several appearances. Emma is about to turn one year old. Kiera is ready to exhibit her paintings but is afraid to. There is a lot going on in this book!

I wish I had known that this was a book 13 in a series before requesting. It would be super helpful to put that in the title! I won’t be reviewing this timely due to not having read the first 12 yet but will definitely read asap - this series was already on my TBR.

This is the 13th installment of the Lady Darby Mysteries and if you haven't read the first 12, I'd encourage you to go back and read them. You could probably read this as a standalone as the mystery is a new one each time but you definitely miss out on the personal stories which make up a good portion of the books - whether that is with Sebastian and Kiera or all the secondary characters that help move the stories along.

In this book, Kiera and Sebastian are in Edinburgh for the winter with their daughter who is just about to turn one. This is giving Kiera plenty of time to paint the portraits she hopes to exhibit and help her sister plan her daughter's first birthday. It's also leaving Sebastian a bit at loose ends...without a case he doesn't really know what to do with himself so when Kiera receives an invitation to the auction of the late Lord Eldin's art collection, they eagerly accept. What they didn't plan was that the floor would collapse under their feet, making them lucky to escape with their lives and wondering whether the collapse was an accident or actually something more sinister.

As the days go by and they continue to heal, Sebastian and Kiera receive a visit from Sergeant Maclean who informs them that the collapse was, in fact, deliberate and he asks for their help to figure out who would want to harm the bidders. As they dig deeper though, it turns out that the man who died wasn't actually the intended victim and Kiera actually wasn't truly invited to the auction so now there's the question around whether it was her that was the target and whether she is still in danger. As Kiera, Sebastian and their normal group of friends (and foes) work to figure out what is going on and why, they also continue to navigate the challenges of their pasts.

Huber did a fantastic job in this book of continuing to build on the relationship between Sebastian and Kiera. I also thought the relationship development between Bree and Anderley was done well - the way Huber had Bree articulate her feelings and concerns to Kiera made sense. I love continuing to see the engagement with Kiera's brother and sister and am excited to see where the next book in the series is headed.

If you're looking for historical mystery books and you haven't picked up this series yet, I think you're missing out. I'll continue reading these for as long as Huber keeps writing them.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

The latest mystery in the Lady Darby series, where Darby and Gage attend an auction and are one of the victims in a calamity. The usual cast of interesting characters. Thank you NetGalley and publisher.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher. A Tarnished Canvas is the latest title int he long running Lady Darby series, which continues to feature well-crafted mysteries and likeable characters. Kiera and Gage are back in Edinburgh as their daughter Emma's first birthday approaches. Due to Kiera's reputation as an artist, she receives an invitation to attend an auction of artwork collected by a recently deceased gentleman. While attending the auction, Kiera and Gage are caught in the collapse of one of the rooms and luckily avoid any series injuries; unfortunately, one of the other guests wasn't so lucky. When it becomes clear that the collapse wasn't on accident, Gage and Kiera must figure out who was the intended target and why someone was willing to risk the death of so many people. I love the relationship between Kiera and Gage including how much he values her contributions to all the investigations. If the investigation and their daughter's upcoming birthday weren't enough, Kiera is putting the finishing touches on show of her portraits of common people and struggling with the confidence she needs to move forward with the show because of her past as the infamous Lady Darby. Long time readers of the series will be delighted that Bonnie Brock makes several appearances in the book after a lengthy absence. I'm happy that the series will continue with a 2026 release and can't wait to see what Ms. Huber has in store for Gage and Kiera next.

Another brilliant Gage and Lady Darby offering from Anna Lee Huber. I really liked that we got to tap more into Kiera's artistic side. Huber continues to mine for the depth of the period and flourish her world with pitch-perfect research

This is a strong series that is an auto-buy for me. Huber never disappoints.

I always enjoy these mysteries, which have auch attentive care to the historical details. This one did seem a bit slower-paced and lower+stakes than others in the series, but I suppose they can’t all be bloodbaths with a deep personal connection to our heroes. Even within the genre, that would strain credulity after a while. I was glad for the return of Brock Kincaid in this installment — the rogue needs his own spinoff series IMO!

With breathtaking suspense, exquisite historical detail, and a plot that never lets up, this is the kind of mystery that keeps you hooked. Absolutely enthralling.

I loved this book, focused on Kiera's art and art in general. It's so heartwarming how much Kiera and Sebastian love each other and their daughter, in the midst of the mystery and drama. A page-turning must read for lovers of mystery and history and art and this wonderful series.

Anna Lee Huber has yet another wonderful book in the Last Darby series. We are back in 1830s Edinburgh with this book. This is based on a real event that happened, where a floor had collapsed and people fell through, killing one person. Of course something seems off, Kiera and Gage investigate while Kiera also makes plans for baby Emma’s first birthday party. With her sister’s help.

Lots of characters from previous books in the series appear, so while there is a slight introduction to the premise of the series, it is always best to start with book one. I adore this series and hope Anna Lee Huber will continue it for a long while.

Kiera and Gage are faced with solving what appears to be an random murder with too many suspects and motives. At the same time Kiera is working on an exhibition of her paintings and they are preparing for Emma's first birthday celebration. A great addition to this wonderful series.

Another stellar edition to this amazing historical series!!! When I read the next edition, it makes me want to start all over again.