Lady Kiera Darby had planned to spend the winter practicing her painting, but instead, she must find the flaw in a killerโs masterpiece when an art auction results in one participantโs final bid.โฆ
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. Sheโs thrilled when she receives an invitation to the auction of the late Lord Eldinโs 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 culpritโs aim. Sergeant Maclean requests Kiera and Gageโs 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 killerโs 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 theyโre on the verge of making a dire miscalculation. For one of the cleverest tricks in a painterโs repertoire is the art of misdirection, and their eyes have been drawn far from the gravest danger.