When art in the parkleads to murder in the dark,the Shepherd sistershave another crime to solve.Savanna Shepherd, an art expert turned elementary art teacher, is planning the Art in the Park festival for her hometown of Carson. But apparently, someone isn’t happy that Carson got to host the event: the beloved statue in the park is destroyed. Not long after, Savanna finds the dead body of one of … statue in the park is destroyed. Not long after, Savanna finds the dead body of one of the people on the planning committee.
Savanna and her sisters are convinced that the arrested murder suspect didn’t do it, despite strong evidence to the contrary. With the help of Dr. Aidan Gallager, Savanna’s new romantic interest, they uncover hidden resentments and intrigue. Several people in Carson had a motive for the murder. Can they find out which one of them is behind the framing of an innocent person?
This intriguing mystery includes a free Hallmark original recipe for Mini Rhubarb Pies.
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‘Behind the Frame‘ is the second title in the ‘Shepherd Sisters Mystery‘ series, a delightful Cozy Mystery that will keep you on your toes and making guesses throughout.
Really, everything you should know before starting is in the Cover Description and I won’t be giving away spoilers. What I can tell you is that once again we find Savanna smack in the middle of a murder mystery and the twists, turns, and surprises just keep coming as the victim wasn’t exactly what everyone in town thought they were. Although it seems as though the police have their murderer, Savanna isn’t buying it so the sleuthing begins which brings danger right straight to her own door.
The ongoing, developing romance between Savanna and Aidan is sweetly in the background, we’re aware of it and it shows but romance is not the focus of ‘Behind the Frame‘ – murder is.
I had fun with this Cozy Mystery and if you love solving puzzles then ‘Behind the Frame‘ is perfect for you. There are red herrings, some surprises, as well as the close-knit family that we knew from ‘Out of the Picture‘ just keeps getting more familiar as we settle into this series. I figured out the culprit just before the reveal, so it really did keep me guessing almost to the end.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Hallmark Publishing via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
When she’s with her family, Savanna knows she’s right where she belongs. Maybe with her doctor beau Aidan that might be true too- if they can ever spend enough time together to find out
The sisters and their sleuthing can be a hazardous collective – and more than a few threat to them pop up as well
High spirited adventure, romance and drama
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Behind the Frame was the first book by author Tracy Gardner that I have read. This was also the first Hallmark cozy mystery that I have read. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the story, the pace of the writing kept me turning the pages well past my bedtime. I loved the relationship between the three sisters as well as their romantic interests. This book had the best of both worlds for me, a mystery to solve and a little romance. Thank you for checking all the boxes, well done!
When art in the park
leads to murder in the dark,
the Shepherd sisters
have another crime to solve.
This is the first work I’ve read by this author and now I want to read more, especially the previous book in this series. An entertaining cozy mystery with great characters that you’ll getting to know as you read the story. The story line pulls you in and holds your attention with the mystery, suspense and intrigue filling the pages.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Behind The Frame is the second book in the Shepherd Sisters cozy mystery series and it is a fabulous cozy mystery! I cannot begin to express how much I liked it! The characters are very likable, realistic, and interesting. There are 3 Shepherd sisters – Savanna, Sydney, and Skyler. The books primarily center on Savanna who recently returned to her hometown of Carson, Michigan. She is an elementary school art teacher and in this book she is involved with organizing the town art festival. One of the people who is coordinating the event ends up dead and she considers him a friend. But the more she hears about him, she realizes she didn’t know him very well. There are a few suspects but the book kept me guessing until the end. There are a few twists and turns that kept it interesting. The mystery is well done and intriguing. There is some lowkey romance which adds even more to the story. The characters and their relationships are what made this book and series so enjoyable! The sisters and their parents are all close and help each other and they have common sense! The only thing that is unrealistic but is typical of cozy mysteries is the interaction between the characters and the police but it is necessary for explanations and makes this book easy to follow. This book and series are very enjoyable! I loved every minute! I received an advanced copy from NetGalley for an honest review. #BehindTheFrame #HallmarkPublishing #NetGalley
This was a fun little romp. Savannah and her sisters Skylar and Sydney Set out to find the murderer of a local councilman. Savannah actually stumbled upon the body. Skylar is defending the accused and Sydney helps dig for dirt. A little romance, fun animals, mysteries, danger, all rolled into one book. The writing style is easy to read and the plot is fun. I actually didn’t figure out the murderer until it was revealed. Lots of red herrings and suspects.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and offer my honest opinion.
Advance copy offered to me by the publisher at no cost to me in exchange for an honest review.
Ok – to be honest, I debated on whether or not to give this book a try. I let the email for Hallmark Publishers sit in my inbox for a few days trying to decide if I really wanted to read a “cozy mystery”. I’m so glad that I decided to try something new! I enjoyed this book and found it a nice break from your typical HEA romance.
This was a good clean story about the Shepherd sisters and how they just can’t stay away from the drama happening in their small town in Michigan. This book is part of a series but I was able to follow along just fine having not read the previous book.
I really liked reading this book.
It’s heartwarming, moving & intriguing.
A delightful story of the amateur sleuthing Shepherd sisters, Savanna, Sydney & Skylar.
Savanna, finds herself right in the
middle of crime. When a friend is accused, the Shepherd sisters
leave no stone unturned to prove
they’re innocent.
It’s such an enjoyable read you don’t
what to miss out!!
This city of Carson is hosting the Art in the Park festival for the first time this year. Savanna an art expert is running the festival and things are going well. Savanna has enlisted her family including her sisters Sydney and Skylar. After the kickoff banquet, the councilman supporting the festival is killed. The restaurant owner in charge of food for the festival is charged with murder. Savanna becomes involved in investigating the case.
I enjoyed this book and the characters. This is the second in this series.
Behind the Frame: A Shepherd Sisters Mystery by Tracy Gardner was a winning addition to this cozy mystery series.
Savannah is on the committee for the Art In the Park festival in her hometown of Carson, MI and becomes deeply involved in another murder investigation when a committee member is murdered in his home. The plot moved swiftly, the clues sprinkled throughout caught my attention (for once) and the twists kept me turning the pages. I had actually figured this one out before the reveal but not by much. The characters are developing and growing in this one. I felt like I could relate more to each one of the sisters in this book. The romance between Savannah and Aidan is slow and sweet but never took over the mystery story line. I do have one small complaint about Savannah and that is that she “dog ears” book pages. Ack! Shame on her for book abuse. A great afternoon read and I am eagerly looking for the next one in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Hallmark Publishing via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
xcitement is in the air for the Shepherd sisters and the town of Carson. The Art in the Park festival signals summer for the residents, but something sinister lurks beneath the surface. Someone hijacked the celebration plans and ruined an important landmark.
Once again, Savanna stumbles upon a body and rattles the town. When a friend is arrested, she investigates a slew of leads and suspects, which lands Savanna dead center as a target. Following clues and her instinct is gravely dangerous in Carson.
Twisting plots and likeable characters in this clean, cozy series provide enjoyable reading. Readers will laugh out loud and cringe, too. I hope to see much more from author Tracy Gardner.
I received a complimentary copy of the book without obligation. This review is my opinion.
I’ve reviewed several Hallmark romance books, but this is my first mystery.
Savannah Shepherd left her art curator job in Chicago to return home and teach art in the village of Carson. She has a developing romance with a local doctor and she’s planning a big art festival. She gets drawn into solving a murder when a town councilman is killed and a chef is arrested. Savannah and her two sisters work together to clear the innocent chef.
This is a typical small town, amateur sleuth, cozy mystery. The fact that all three sisters’ names begin with the same letter made it a bit confusing until they could be sorted out. They are different characters though, with different jobs and lives and traits, so that helped.
The mystery was good, with enough red herrings mixed with the clues to be suspenseful. The murderer was unmasked and caught “off stage,” which is an odd choice. I prefer to see the bad guy get caught myself.
I enjoyed the small town setting and the characters. The mystery wasn’t particularly compelling, and the writing is okay. This is the second book in a series, but reads fine as a stand alone.
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I was given a free advance copy of the book from Hallmark Publishing, but that did not induce me to review the book, favorably or not.