I read #ATarnishedCanvas by #AnnaLeeHuber as an ARC from #NetGalley. I think this is the 12th Lady Darby book and I believe I have read them all. Kiera and Gage are in Edinburgh with their almost one year old Emma. They use their Valet Anderley, their lady's maid Bree, and their Nanny Mrs MacKay and their Butler Jeffers for their investigations. Besides dealing with the investigation that Sergeant MacLean asks their help with, they also deal with their own insecurities. As always, I'm pulled into Anna Lee Huber's books because of the bantering and historical fiction mixed with facts. I highly recommend this book.

The latest volume in Anna Lee Huber's Lady Darby mystery series doesn't disappoint. Readers will enjoy the blend of Intrigue, well-researched art History, and the warmth of a loving family.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

It was refreshing to join Sebastian, Kiera, and infant Emma Gage in Edinburgh in early spring. Sebastian, nicknamed Gage, has not had a new inquiry to work on for months, and is eager for something to do. This is the first time I recall reading that gentlemen could only enjoy certain hobbies, and his woodworking in quiet times was on the edge of being acceptable.

Kiera, formerly Lady Darby, is a talented artist and a collector. She turned down several portrait commissions in the past year while preparing for her own exhibit. She received a costly printed catalog of art and collectibles to be auctioned, starting the next day. She and Gage went on the second day to give herself time to choose what pieces she might bid on from the estate. The home of the deceased was full of interested bidders. The Gages saw the extent of the remarkable collection, but the painting Kiera desired would be auctioned the next day. They returned the third day to find even more hopeful bidders.

During the auction, they heard a loud noise, felt the floor shake, then give way. Many, including Kiera and Gage, slid into the hole, along with furniture, wood, and plaster. It was essential for the terrified people to escape the locked room to avoid suffocation from the thick lime and dust. There were few serious injuries, but Mr. Smith, partner in a banking firm, died.

The floor collapse was thought to be caused by a material flaw compounded with the weight of many people in the small auction area. Gage’s valet recalled a church in nearby Kirkcaldy with a similar accident several years earlier. On a very full Sunday evening service, the gallery of the church collapsed, killing around two dozen people and injuring many more.

The following day, Sergeant Maclean of the Edinburgh city police visited the Gages. The morning paper stated that the floor collapse was an accident, but he told them that a joist supporting the floor had been cut almost all the way through. He hoped the Gages would help him with the inquiry. The motive and the intended victim were unknown, as was how anyone even accessed that room below, kept locked at the heir’s demand. An inventory showed that the only apparent theft was the swap of several valuable coins replaced with much less pricy ones.

The characters are defined with excellence, including sufficient backstory where necessary. Kiera has always been my favorite, and her lady’s maid, Bree, is also a favorite. Bonnie Brock Kincaid, leader of Edinburgh’s largest gang, is always interesting. For unknown reasons, he was concerned for Kiera, often bringing her information they need, and had, once, even saved the lives of Kiera and Gage.

I always appreciate Historical Notes, especially in Scotland. It is enlightening to learn what inspires an author to build their novel around a central theme, including the nature of a crime, and any real-life people. The author also has to live that time frame in their mind to not accidentally utilize modern methods or tools. There are rich descriptions of early spring, the architecture and décor of various structures, and current fashions.

Gage and Kiera were getting close to solving the mystery when attempts were made on Kiera’s life. They also read a warning that another collapse was imminent in Edinburgh, on Easter, just days away. They have to determine which of at least fifty churches in Edinburgh has been sabotaged.

The resolutions to the crimes were astounding. The author again surprised me in almost every area, from the coins to the joist destruction to the threat of more destruction and who was behind it. No loose ends remained at the end of the novel, and I look forward to the next novel in the series! I highly recommend this historical mystery and series, especially to those who appreciate the early Victorian era.

Lady Darby and Sebastian Gage are launched into an investigation after the floor collapsed at an art auction they attended. While the public is told it is an accident, they investigate this deliberate floor damage. As Lady Darby and Gage and their team of servants and brothers carry on their investigation, they find many clues and potential suspects, but the why of it baffles them all. Bonny Brock joins in the investigation adding new clues and questions. I love this series and A Tarnished Canvas does not disappoint. Every character, from servants to relatives and friends adds depth and richness to the story along with the beautiful descriptions of the clothes and furnishings that I've come to enjoy inn this series to add to your mental picture of the historical setting. A worthy addition to the Lady Darby series and I look forward to listening to heather Wilds narration of this book, even though I read the ebook version.

Much thanks to Anna Lee Huber, Berkley, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great installment to the series! I was fully engaged until about 75%-80%, when it began to feel long and my brain started to tune out, like it was over it and ready to move on. The pace was overall steady until that last quarter, when events seemed to stretch out and grow tedious when they should have been ramping up and getting more exciting; the climax was pretty anticlimactic.

As far as the denouement, I was surprised that Keira's exhibition was glossed over! It was such a big deal to her, she was so anxious about it, then we just get a couple lines saying it went well? She deserved better.

I continue to lament Heather Wilds as the narrator. She's very talented and sounds very proper and mature, which makes her a natural pick for British historicals (or Scottish, as it were)--but she's too steady and monotone. She reads blah exposition with the same tone and pace as a super tense, near-death experience. "The floor ruptured beneath our feet" is delivered the same as "Emma has cute golden curls." I.e., she makes the story sound more boring than it is at times, which doesn't help keep my attention.

Otherwise it was lovely spending time with these characters again. Though I wish Bree and Anderly would get their stuff figured out so they can be happy already. I understand Bree's position, but after several books, I'm getting tired of their it'll-never-work angst.

And I continue to love Bonnie Brock. Looove me an anti-hero love-interest-who's-not-really-a-love-interest-so-it-doesn't-count-as-a-love-triangle-and-therefore-I-don't-have-to-hate-it.

Looking forward to 14!

"A Tarnished Canvas" is a mystery set in 1833 in Scotland. It is the 13th book in a series. It can be read as a standalone and didn't spoil previous mysteries. The main characters were complex, well-developed, and acted realistically. I enjoyed reading about them. A main part of the story was how Gage felt like he had to be useful to be lovable and Kiera feared the criticism that she knew she'd get for the subject matter of her latest paintings.

Overall, the story felt historically accurate and brought out some interesting details about the time period. Kiera, Sebastian, and their servants investigated the floor collapse. They uncovered clues and followed up on them. It was clear that the one man who died couldn't have been the target since nearly a hundred people were injured. So why sabotage the floor and who was involved? I was frustrated that they believed that the collapse was not targeted at a single person yet kept investigating who the intended target was like there was one. They're experienced investigators but were easily side-tracked, not following up on certain clues or asking certain questions that I felt they should have asked sooner. But I guess if they had then the mystery would have been solved too easily.

There were no sex scenes or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this mystery to fans of the series.

I could not finish this book. The writing included way too much internal reflections of the main character, Lady Kiera so the plot dragged incredibly. I tried really hard to continue but it never go better.

Maybe someone likes this kind of writing, but there are far better historical mysteries out there to spend my time reading.

As Mrs. Kiera Gage, formerly Lady Darby, puts the finishing touches on the portraits for a planned exhibit, she's also planning her infant daughter Emma's first birthday. Thus, she is thrilled with an impromptu invitation to an art auction. Tragically, there is a horrible accident at the auction leaving a man dead. Gage and Kiera must once more investigate and rely on the assistance of Sergeant Maclean and even the roughish Bonnie Brock, but was this a deliberate attempt on their lives or just a bit of misdirection for an even more fiendish plot?

Once Again Anna Lee Huber has concocted a twisty mystery full of dead ends and some truly interesting subplots. Having read the entire series to this point, I very much enjoy the highs and lows of the series. The previous few novels have felt dire, as though everything was at stake. This novel felt as though it's setting up for the next big plot movement. While the situation was deadly and our heroes were in real danger, the movements of side characters left me feeling like something big is coming next. This was a great installment of the series and I enjoyed it so much! My Art Historian self was delighted to know who the artists were at the auction and even recognizing several pieces mentioned. All of Ms. Huber's endless research was not in vain, this novel was lush!

I've been a pretty hardcore fan of the Lady Darby series since book 1, The Anatomist's Wife. I've handsold innumerable copies to customers, I've pressured several friends into starting the series. And I've convinced two different book clubs I was a member of to read book 1. For years, I've eagerly anticipated the release of each new book.

But sadly, the last couple have left me more lukewarm than enthralled, and this -- the 13th book in the series -- continued that trend. The writing itself is still pretty solid, and the historical aspects of the story still ring true/suggest Huber has really done her homework. But the spark of the early books is lacking, and very little happens for a HUGE portion of this story. The inciting incident during the auction, and the last 10% of the book, have some excitement/danger, and there's an emotionally fraught scene with the mobster Bonnie Brock that got my pulse tripping -- but beyond that, it's a lot of characters sitting in drawing rooms rehashing established details and indulging in circuitous discussions.

There is something to be said for the way this book breaks the established trend/framework of the previous mysteries: Keira and Gage literally fall into the crime at the story's heart, rather than being hired or begged to help or pulled in by familial connections, and it's certainly a unique crime/motivation. And the true historical events that inspired this are undoubtedly tragic (and a reminder of that old classic adage that "every safety standard was written in blood"). But there just really isn't enough substance to fill out the full book, and I kept expecting more to happen (only to be disappointed every time).

I think it's time to admit that this series is no longer on my auto-buy list, and while I'll continue to recommend the early books to customers and friends, I'll probably not sing this one's praises so loudly...

I really enjoy this series. I like the characters and the setting. Mystery did keep me guessing, I hope for many more in this series.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley.

I read this and a bunch of other historicals back to back, so unfortunately this one did not really stick out to me, it just blurred with the rest I have read recently.

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

I’ve been following Anna Lee Huber’s Lady Darby Mysteries since the beginning of the series. For fans of historical mystery, this is a series not to miss. A Tarnished Canvas is the thirteenth book, and there is also a novella tucked in there. While the latest novel can be read as a standalone, it would really be better to have read at least some of the earlier books to get the gist of the relationships. The mystery can stand alone, but you’ll lose out on a lot of the heart of the story.

Kiera Gage (Lady Darby) is an artist, a new mother, a skilled sleuth, and a devoted wife. That is a handful for anyone, but fortunately, she and her husband are wealthy enough to afford good help – a valet, lady’s maid, and nursemaid who also aid with the sleuthing. The valet and lady’s maid add a second element of troubled romance to the storyline.

Kiera is a sought-after portraitist amongst the members of high society, but she is currently working on material for an exhibition of the downtrodden populace. While she wants to make her peers see the subjects, she’s fearful of a negative response. (Her past has her very insecure about being attacked for her work.) As the book opens, Kiera receives an invitation and catalogue to an art auction. The effects of a deceased collector are being sold off. During the auction, calamity strikes. Part of the floor collapses, sending numerous attendees plummeting. Although at first it appears to be an accident, there are hints that it was intentional. Kiera and her inquiry agent husband, Sebastian Gage, are drawn into the investigation. They are aided, to Gage’s dismay, by the local crime lord Bonnie Brock (who is infatuated with Kiera.)

Once again, Huber crafts a well-plotted mystery that will keep you guessing until the end, and immerses it within ongoing complex family dynamics. This is an engaging series to follow!

Another satisfying addition to the Lady Darby series, the novel opens with Kiera and Sebastian at home in Edinburgh after months of travel. Although the book can be read as a standalone, knowing the histories of the main characters and their extended sphere and watching the growth of their feelings and personalities is great fun. The murder mystery aspect is singularly original. The settings are limned out with great care, especially the details of the clothes and the furniture, in a way that puts the reader almost in the scene. Highly readable!

A Tarnished Canvas is the 13th book in a series best read in order.

A quick rundown of the series: Kiera, Darby is a woman ostracized by society when it’s found out her late husband had her sketch the dead bodies (obtained from questionable sources) he dissected for an anatomy journal he planned on publishing. Kiera had no knowledge of this at the time, but she couldn’t refuse with her husband forcing her to comply. He was an awful man, so I was happy he died before we’re introduced to Kiera.

With the knowledge of anatomy she acquired, and her superb deductive skills, Kiera’s a valuable source of information to Gage, an inquiry agent tasked to solve a murder while staying at her sister’s estate (book 1). Gage and Kiera initially lock horns.

Each installment tackles a new mystery, while at the center of the series is the relationship/romance between Kiera and Gage. Ms. Huber masterfully created two wonderfully complex characters, faults and all, so of course their journey isn’t all smooth sailing, but I’ve loved every minute!

In A Tarnished Canvas Kiera and Gage are wintering in Edinburgh, preparing for their daughter Emma’s first birthday, which holds both joyful and traumatic memories. While Kiera is immersed in her art, painting pieces for an exhibition she hopes to display, Gage is at loose ends with no major cases coming their way.

One bright spot is an art auction Kiera’s been invited to. However, the event is overcrowded, and the floor gives out injuring many and killing one. Kiera and Gage barely make it out alive. Was it an accident or sabotage?

When it becomes clear the collapse was purposeful, the police ask for Gage and Kiera’s assistance in finding the culprit and their motivation.

As usual, I was completely captivated as the mystery was unraveled piece by piece! Kiera and Gage’s relationship, as well as their friendships with a few of their servants, who also help with the investigations, are a huge draw for me. Emma continues to be adorable and the sweet baby moments between mother and child are touching!

The mystery comes to a thrilling and satisfying conclusion, but Kiera’s last words have me eager for the next installment!

Anna Lee Huber continues her Lady Darby series with A Tarnished Canvas about i833 Edinburgh. Kiera and her husband stayed in Edinburgh for the winter with the intent for Kiera to finish her paintings for a possible exhibit and they go to the auction for Lord Eldin's art collection. The floor under the exhibit fails and many are wounded and one dies. Who is responsible? Was the one dead the target or Kiera? The team is hampered by the hidden agenda of the perpetrator. People continue to be harmed. Great thriller.

I am a fan of the Lady Darby books and the story in book #13 does not disappoint.

After a lull in the need for Kiera and Sebastian to engage in their inquiry duties, they are happy to get an invitation to an art auction. Although Kiera is using their time in Edinburgh to paint and spend time with their almost one year old daughter Emma, Sebastian is absolutely done with doing nothing! When their attendance at the auction coincides with a tragedy. They are both injured and when it looks like the perceived accident was intentional, Sebastian and Kiera are once again asked to participate in the investigation!

As each lead dries up, Bonnie Brock makes an appearance and helps with a few clues his minions have been able to uncover. He also lets Kiera know he expects payment. When he comes to collect, Kiera give him a portrait of him and his sister. I think her debt has been paid!

Just a few things that drop the review from 5 to 4 stars. I really don't care for all the clothing and house descriptions. Colors, fashions, and all that kind of break up the story for me. It's not awful, but when Kiera and Gage are rushing out of the house there really is no reason to discuss the fashions of the day. Having said that, I'm very glad the ending hinted at the next book in the series!

Synopsis:
Anna Lee Huber returns with another stellar historical mystery in A Tarnished Canvas, the 13th installment of the Lady Darby Mysteries. Set in 1830s Edinburgh, this novel combines the atmospheric charm of the series with a fresh and deadly twist centered around the high-stakes world of fine art.
Lady Kiera Darby and her husband Sebastian Gage are settling into city life with their infant daughter, enjoying the calm and the chance for Kiera to focus on her painting. But when an art auction ends in tragedy and structural sabotage is suspected, Kiera and Gage are once again called to investigate. The mystery deepens when it becomes clear the true target may have been Kiera herself.

Review:
This book is tightly plotted and suspenseful, with beautifully woven historical detail and a smartly paced mystery. Kiera’s perspective continues to shine. She is thoughtful, observant, and unafraid to confront danger in the pursuit of justice. The relationship between her and Gage remains a highlight, full of mutual respect, care, and quiet strength. Though part of a long-running series, this entry works well as a standalone, making it a great place for new readers to jump in. Longtime fans will find plenty to love—from evolving relationships to subtle callbacks and a well-earned sense of continuity. Elegant, clever, and emotionally resonant, A Tarnished Canvas is another triumph from Anna Lee Huber. I’ll absolutely be reading the next one.

1833 Edinburgh, Scotland

I love that the cover and inside pages shed light on Sebastian and Kiera's home life. They are spending March in Edinburg with their almost one year old daughter. It's a time for Kiera (Lady Darby) to focus on her painting and Sebastian (Gage) to be...restless. They visit an exclusive auction and the floor collapses beneath them. Nearly 100 attendees plummet to the floor below. Was it an accident or did someone compromise the building on purpose? The husband and wife team along with servants and family members work to solve the mystery.

Such a lovely series and I'm so glad it continuing.

A return to Edinburgh with Kiera and Sebastian Gage, Tarnished Canvas delivers another twisty cozy mystery layered with art, intrigue, and a dash of domestic contentment.

This is book 13, and while my reading tastes may have shifted since book one, there’s something endlessly comforting about watching this duo navigate murder and marriage in equal measure.

With Kiera’s artist’s perspective adding depth and Huber’s steady hand guiding the story, it’s like slipping back into the familiar rhythm of dear friends—who can’t seem to stay out of trouble.

Wow this my first book in this series and by this author and I did not feel lost!
You dive right in and the intricate plot and cast bring you right in like a family you returned to visit! They are complex and diverse like most families with their share of triumphs and tragedies!
We have Lady Kiera Darby aka Mrs Gage and her husband Sebastian Gage who have been brought into another mystery that almost takes their lives! They visit an auction where the floor literally caves in beneath them and they are rescued in the nick of time!
Now they have a vested interest in the culprit or culprits as well as some other items that turn up missing in this family feud aka auction!
When things take a turn and send them in several different directions for clues I love that they use caution! I have read plenty of mysteries quite the opposite and involve unnecessary dangers!
Kiera is a beautiful, married and very happily married wife and mother! Not sure how I feel about the men that didn’t seem to respect that!
I loved the reference to church and scripture sprinkled throughout the story as well!
Bonnie Brock Kincaid plays a prominent role in the resolution and research for answers! He has an unhealthy fascination with Kiera!
We have other key players like Trevor, Kiera brother and Henry Gages brother! Even their brother Edward pops in!
When the villain just won’t stop and Kiera is again literally in the line of fire it seems justice won’t be served!
There is a ram in the bush though! It is quite an exciting turn if events and the description of little Emma makes you think you could just pop in the nursery for a visit! Bravo on your the next case!