This book follows a typical cozy mystery plot: a woman who is not a detective attempts to identify the murderer of a person she knows. In this case, the woman is manager of an art center named after her sculptor mother. She also happens to have a best friend sidekick and two brothers, one of whom is the town's only detective. I finished the book, but often found myself shaking my head at the obvious arrogance of the protagonist. While some cozy protagonists are accidentally thrown into the role of amateur detective or do so to avenge the death of someone they cared about, this woman outwardly states that she wants to solve the case in order to show up her brother. There are some hints of altruism, but throughout the book, she clearly states her true motive.

The other thing that bothered me about this book is that the story seems to have holes in it--not just the plot, but also the telling of the story. Sometimes the narrative seems to jump all over the place and at other times, things stated just don't make sense. Though clearly set in present day, the protagonist waits til near the end of the book to research potential suspects using the internet. At one point, she is intent on learning more about some men who were soldiers in the Vietnam war. Her friend asks her if she has a connection to the State Department. Huh? Wouldn't it be the Defense Department? And supposedly a legitimate FBI agent gives classified information to a civilian upon request. That doesn't make sense either.

So first, I'd suggest that more editing needed to be done on this story. Checking the flow, making sure that everything is properly connected, sequenced properly. And second, I'd like to see a little more depth in the main character. She seems too "reactive" and not very logical. Third, though minor, it's always better to have character names that aren't too similar. Having a Chase and a Chad as two friends, frequently together in the book, is a tad too confusing.

So, this book is below average in my opinion. Thank you NetGalley and Level Best Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

The second book in the Art Center Mysteries, checks off all your cozy boxes.

The best part is that it highlights a new setting for a cozy mystery - art museum/institute and an art director as the main character. This was the best part for me - I love a cozy mystery with random tidbits of information that teach me something. Bonus points when they flow through the story seamlessly as they did here.

The cover art is very unique - and as a mid-30s reader it drew me in. Honestly - cover update is probably needed. A cover that follows the more traditional cozy cover - will probably draw in your demographic. (Think Maddie Day, Linda Reilly, Amanda Flowers). Cozies are so genre specific that the cover style alone can pull in the right people. In fact I look for those style covers when I want a light-hearted and cozy mystery. ALONG THESE LINES....how has this not been picked up for paperback print? I could easily see this getting picked up in the stores with a cover update.

While I didn't give this book high stars - it did fall on my secret find list for the year. New author with a Independent Publisher Assoc tag - I have to watch this author, as well as Level Best books for future releases.

The only downside I had during the book was the pacing toward the end - chapter 35-ish. At that point the story felt as if it was dragging on and I didn't feel any build up (I want some anticipation before the conclusion!). I felt more like it had just been lulling through a couple chapters aimlessly and without purpose. It did end with quite a museum melee. Which was fun and amusing.

A super thanks to Level Best Books for providing me this ARC, as well as Independent Book Publishers Association!!

I try a lot of 'cozy' mysteries, whether they are contemporary-based or historical ones. The primary reason is because of the time it takes for me to read and absorb the content. They are usually single sitting reads, and for the time that I put into it, it provides a good reward.
The common trend of the female protagonist-led stories of this genre is to have either a ditzy person figure things out or have an uber-responsible person use her brains and contacts to work out the eventual culprit. This series is the latter. I read the first in the series quite recently and would have actually preferred to review them together if I had known the next one was within reach.
Jill is back in her hometown, and after one major hiccup, her plan to set up an art center in the town is working out well. There are good classes being held under its roof, and she has bigger plans for the future. She is hopeful that the previous events have cleared the way for smooth sailing, but there would not be a second book if that had been the case!
Jill has a mentor who has helped her acclimatize after she moved back to town. He is estranged from his own family, and Jill is someone he considers his own kin. On their regular meeting day, she finds him dead.
The more she finds out about the Judge, the more she realizes that she needs to figure things out. Her two brothers feature more in this narrative than in the previous one, and they are a welcome addition to the cast, along with Jill's best friend.
A lot of information comes out as she investigates. I guessed the killer yet again, mostly because the author has a tell (or so I felt). If you have figured out what I mean by that, let me know!
There is more than enough action in this as Jill has to fight for her life once the killer has her in their sights.
I recommend this series for people who like stories set in small towns (with dead bodies turning up often), and the background of an Art Center was quite entertaining. I will be checking out the next book in the series if I get the chance.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Death in a Bygone Hue by Susan Van Kirk is the second in the Art Center Mystery series. Jill Madison, the director of the community art center, finds her friend and mentor, Judge Ron Spivey, murdered when she arrives at his house for their standing lunch meeting. Was it someone that the judge had incarcerated? Or his entitled, estranged children? Jill is determined to figure out who did this to her friend.

This is the first book from this author that I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The author maintains a sense of anticipation throughout the book, gradually unraveling the layers of the mystery and introducing new clues at just the right moments. The supporting characters were relatable and engaging, especially her best friend Angie. The text messages from Jill’s arch nemesis, who also happens to be art center board president, add a bit of quirkiness and humor to the story. (I reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.) This is definitely a series that I will continue reading.

This is the second Art Center Mystery, but it's the first one I've read. I like many aspects of this book, including the strong female main character, the art center backdrop, and the layered plotting. I like that the victim is someone of integrity, and both Jill and I, as the reader, care about who killed him.

The weak point to me is some of the procedural part (as if an FBI agent would pass along info to Jill because Jill was "tying up some loose ends" for her cop brother). And I don't think the judge would've put his family next in line after Jill as his heirs.

Still, this is an engaging and enjoyable read. I'm going back to put the first book in the series on my tbr shelf.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Death in a Bygone Hue by Susan Van Kirk

This is yet another great by Van Kirk. I have fortunately read others and this one is just as good, if not better. I usually read the psychological thrillers or horror stories so this author appealed to me. This the second book in the series with our protagonist and amateur sleuth Jill Madison.

Jill has returned to her hometown to work at the local Art center that was named after Jill’s mother who was an artist. After returning she finds that one of her friends/mentor, Judge Ron Spivey, (so funny because that is my dads name and he is a judge) is deceased and ALSO his death is not natural. Jill must put together a list of the many people that would want him dead and there are quite a few. Criminals Spivey has put in jail, his estranged children who think that he treated them unfairly and will make Jills life hell during the investigation, and an art dealer who may have sold the Judge a forgery. Jill and a team of friends and family are on the trail of a killer but can they find the suspect before he/she finds Jill?

A very well written cozy murder mystery with a great slow pace that leads the reader right into the story. Wonderfully developed characters that are intertwined with flawed personalities.

4.5 out of 5

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

Jill Madison has a lunch date with her friend and mentor Judge Spivey. When she arrives at his house, she finds him, sadly, dead in his study. Already the same day she is contacted by the judge’s lawyer about a matter regarding his will. It turns out the judge has appointed her executor in his will and bequeathed his art collection and a large some of money to the Alice Marsden Center of the Arts, and some to Jill personally. His children get nothing.

Something that will surely sour his children. Though they both had a falling out with their father and haven’t been to visit in years, they assume they will inherit the lot and have to take care of his estate.

Soon rumours start that Jill had an undue influence on the judge. Jill tries to shrug it off and go about her work, at the art centre and as executor. After all, she has the first national exhibition opening soon at the art center. In between her jobs Jill does try to find out who could have killed the judge and why.

I wanted to like this story, but the author didn’t make that easy for me.

It started with Tom’s suggestion to Jill that judge Spivey’s children might kill her. As if the death of the executor is going to change the will. Probate court will simply appoint another one. Death of a beneficiary also will not change the will. Depending if the judge set any stipulations for survivorship in his will (and considering he cut his children out completely, I doubt he would have put any loop holes in his will they could benefit from) if a beneficiary dies before an estate is settled, her inheritance goes into her estate, not back into the Judge’s estate for redistribution.

I’m very disappointed that when Erika got the slayer statute wrong, neither of the lawyers in the room corrected her. Although her own lawyer told her to shut up after making a death threat. I guess that’s something.

Aside from the errors in inheritance law (I know those laws are complicated, but a little research goes a long way) the story also has little inconsistencies with the details, or timelines that didn’t add up. The most glaring one is that in one chapter Jill talks with Tom about his investigation into the death of Judge Spivey and gives him the Patterson letter, and in the next chapter Jill remembers that she forgot to tell Tom about the Patterson letter.

But most importantly, the story disappointed on the mystery. There’s loads of information on how art connoisseurs (such as jurors, appraisers and forensic investigators) look at art and determine its quality, value or provenance. There’s very little investigating the murder. Jill finds a few clues, mulls them over and then gives them to her brother the detective. The latter is a good thing (even though I’m of the opinion that Tom or the police should have found some clues, such as the Patterson letter, themselves. It was present at the crime scene.), but it makes the mystery a bit dull. Jill doesn’t start her investigation until 80% into the story.

And it makes me question why the killer thought they had anything to fear from Jill. Actually, I’m curious how they found out, because Jill never talked with them about her investigation.

A well written and well plotted entertaining mystery with interesting characters, a lot of humour and a dash of romance.

A review copy of this book was sent to me by the author. All of the above opinions are my own.

I loved this book! Filled with complex and interesting characters this story has a lot of twists and turns. Very entertaining and unpredictable, it kept me wanting more. A real page turner and a must must read!

Death in a Bygone Hue Earns 5+/5 Art Works … Engaging & Endearing Gem!

Jill Madison’s passion is art and as the executive director of the Apple Grove art center bearing her mother’s name, Adele Marsden Center for the Arts, she manages a wide range of exhibits and classes. One of the center’s board members, Judge Ron Spivey, is also a close family friend with whom Jill enjoys spirited conversations about art as well as reminiscing about his late wife and her late parents with whom the judge was very close. The judge’s recent voice mail asking for names of companies specializing in forensic art analysis was quite puzzling. By itself it isn’t unusual for a true collector to seek such services, but Jill wonders if the judge has a specific concern. But, sadly, Jill won’t be able to learn any details; she arrives at the judge’s home, finds the front door unlocked and the judge dead!

The shock of the judge’s death pales in comparison to the shock that the judge named Jill his executor with no accommodation for his two adult children, but the most shocking development is the judge’s death was not health related, but murder. As the finger pointing begins, Jill is hard pressed to explain why she was put in charge instead of the victim’s children as well as why she and the center received a substantial benefit. But, most importantly, why was the judge murdered?

Susan Van Kirk combines the various “hues” of an engaging mystery in her second book of the Art Center Mystery series: clever investigation, diverse characters, page-turning intrigue, a personal stake, informative details, perilous predicaments, and a “didn’t see that coming” arrest. It has it all! This complex journey had many engaging sides capturing my attention from the tragic death of a close friend to curious inclusions and omissions in the will, from the judge’s disgruntled adult children to an interfering tabloid reporter, from past secrets, hidden agendas, and misleading clues to suspicions, accusations, and danger. Nothing was obvious, an entertaining challenge, with both the judge’s personal life and professional decrees requiring close scrutiny. Jill is a strong, clever female lead, and I appreciate that she enlists realistic investigative methods and doesn’t circumvent law enforcement. Her close, supportive family dynamic, which includes the sheriff, and a hint of romance, introduced in book one, adds a personal connection to the character, and the ins and outs of the art center drama is more than just peripheral. It’s a personal favorite no one should miss!

An enjoyable cozy mystery set--at least partially--in an Art Center on the West Coast. All the characteristics of a cozy are there: a charming small town, engaging characters, and of course, an amateur detective. Jill Madison has returned to the town of her youth to become the executive director of the local Art Center named after her mother, a renowned artist. She is shocked to discover her mentor dead when she arrives at his house for lunch and even more shocked to discover, later, that he has been murdered. There are plenty of suspects: estranged children, people with a vendetta against the former judge, an art dealer in possible forgeries and someone from the long-ago past but not forgotten war. But if Jill isn't careful with her investigations, she might be joining her mentor before her time...

I liked this book. It was a good mystery with plenty of strong red-herrings and kept you guessing until the end. The characters were down-to-earth and likable. I particularly enjoyed the strong friendship between Jill and Angie. There was even a little bit of romance. An added plus was some insight into modern art and the appreciation of composition without pretentious language and attitude. And I was left with an humorous image that I won't be forgetting any time soon (something to do with a kangaroo and a takedown).

Pick it up and enjoy.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

At first I wasn’t sure I was going to finish this book. But about a third of the way through I finally got interested in the story even though I never really connected with the main character, Jill. The mystery itself was well done and it took me a while to figure out who the killer was.

Author Susan Van Kirk creates another masterpiece mystery in this second of her series featuring art center director Jill Harrison as the amateur sleuth, and her big brother Tom, the police detective who prefers to handle his own investigations.

DEATH IN A BYGONE HUE deals with the murder of Jill's mentor, Judge Ron Spivey, his secrets from the Vietnam War, and his two estranged adult children. Van Kirk provides plenty of red herrings to keep readers guessing till the final pages.

I loved the small Midwestern town of Apple Grove, as well as the friends and family who surround Jill. Can't wait to see what Jill gets herself into for the next book.

Susan Van Kirk explores relationships between the main character, single woman Jill Madison, and her brothers, friends, and her 'friend,' in Death in a Bygone Hue. She takes the reader through life in a small town, following Jill's challenges to be fully accepted in her role as art center director, and executor of her deceased friend's estate. When she learns her friend was murdered, she adds 'investigator' to her workload. She learns things about the deceased that she was not prepared for.

Van Kirk develops the characters with depth, giving the reader the opportunity to know Jill Madison's inner desires and struggles to get the answers. This reader felt heart tugs with the character, making Jill a person to root for. The plot is strong, I could not guess who the murderer was until the very end. Well done!

Death in a Bygone Hue is a solid addition to the Art Center Mystery series. One easily reconnects with art center director, Jill, while she tries to solve the murder of her mentor, Judge Ron Spivey, while secrets from the past put her life in danger. Van Kirk easily keeps the reader entertained while figuring out the whodunit.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review "Death In A Bygone Hue" by Susan Van Kirk.
This is the second (and hopefully not the last) in Ms. Van Kirk's Art Centre Mysteries featuring Jill Madison and her family and friends.
The first ever International Art Exhibition is about to take place at the Art Centre, named for Jill's mother - a world-renowned sculptor (who sadly has passed away, but for whom the Centre is named) - and preparations are fast and furious. And Jill has her weekly lunch with Judge Ron Spivey, her mentor.
But when she arrives at the Judge's home, she finds that he has passed away - shock number one; the coroner finds that the Judge's death was not of natural causes - shock number two; and the Judge's attorney summons Jill only to tell her that she is now a very wealthy woman!
Thus begins the mystery which Jill of course feels she must investigate. But watch out! The Judge's estranged children believe they have been treated unfairly, and they threaten to make life difficult for Jill. Add to that the hint of something in Judge Spivey's past, an unscrupulous art dealer who may or may not have sold the Judge a forgery (the painting which lends its name to the book title) and the incredibly bizarre publisher of the local newspaper and Jill (and of course her bff Angie, her cop brother Tom, musician brother Andy and his partner and her new boyfriend, doctor Sam) are hot on the investigatory trail. A trail which could lead to danger.
(And where would we be with out the hilarious texts from Jill's nemesis - the inaptly named Ivan F. Truelove III!)
Highly recommended, even if you have not read the first book (but, please do).

This series is so amazing. I loved reading these. They just capture my attention and keep me hooked til the end.
I just reviewed Death in a Bygone Hue by Susan Van Kirk. #DeathinaBygoneHue #NetGalley
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Poor Jill. She returned home to head up a new art center and boy does she have a lot on her plate with exhibits, groups and classes going on. When a local Judge, whom Jill was very close to, is murdered, things may just change and she may become Rich Jill.

Having bypassed his children to leave Jill his estate, Jill just has to manage one thing…remain alive for six months. With the kids joining up with a sleazy writer, Jill worries if she’ll make it to that six month mark. She has got to figure out who killed her beloved Judy Spivey, if it doesn’t kill her first.

A good second entry in this series. I really enjoyed the first one and am so glad the second entry was just as good! If you love a strong and successful female protagonist, give this one a read. It’s sure to be added to your must read series.