Out of the Picture {A Book Review} #OutOfThePicture #NetGalley

**I received a complementary copy via Netgalley for consideration. Post contains affiliate links. All thoughts are 100% my own. 

There’s an art to solving a mystery…

Savanna Shepherd is former art authenticator―someone who can tell a forgery from the real thing. She’s got a talent for spotting secrets hiding in plain sight.

In the wake of a painful breakup, she moves back to her idyllic hometown on the banks of Lake Michigan. At least she’s close to her sisters again, and she’s enjoying her new job as a grade school art teacher.

Savanna even rediscovers her creative soul when an old family friend hires her to paint a mural. But sad and strange incidents occur at the woman’s mansion, compelling Savanna to investigate. With a little help from her sisters―and from Aidan, the intriguing town doctor―will she be able to figure out what’s wrong with this picture?

This intriguing cozy mystery includes a free Hallmark original recipe for Holy Yum Baked Chicken.

Tracy Gardner is a Detroit native who writes mystery and romance novels. A daughter of two teachers, she has been writing since she could hold a pen. Tracy grew up on Nancy Drew mysteries and rock and roll. When not writing, Tracy works as a visiting nurse in a rural community, where she lives with her husband, two fun-loving teens, and a menagerie of spoiled rescue dogs and cats. She is a strong believer in the power of baked goods, live music, and girlfriend therapy as staples to a happy life.

If you- like me- are a fan of the movies from Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, chances are you are going to love this cozy mystery just as much as I did! Like the many movies that we have come to love and expect from the network, this book from Hallmark Publishing is the perfect blend of mystery and yes a little bit of romance too. As a Hallmark read, you can rest assured that you won't find any foul language or inappropriate content. Likewise, despite the rather heavy topic of murder, it still manages to not lean too dark or scary. Personally, I tend to prefer this type of mystery over those darker toned ones in the genre. 

I loved this story of art forgeries and the lengths that someone might go to keep such thing a secret, but what I really loved was the way the author introduced to a variety of characters that had the motive...and the suspicious behaviors too. Though you'd start to feel like perhaps you had it figured out already, there was always that little hint of doubt being cast elsewhere that had me wanting to turn the page to figure it all out. I couldn't put it down.

While there is a little bit of romance throughout the story, I would say it wasn't the main focus, so for those who enjoy a clean mystery without the romance, this one could still be quite enjoyable.

I loved this book, and cannot wait to see more from the author in the future.

Out of the Picture will be available from Hallmark Publishing on September 3, 2019. You can preorder your copy today.