Out of the Picture by Tracy Gardner ~ Review

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Three reasons you should read this Cozy Mystery:

Out of the Picture by Tracy Gardner hit all the high notes of a great cozy mystery.
The characters were memorable and made me want to visit again for the next mystery.
While I had an inkling of the who-dun-it, I couldn’t figure out the details until the very end.

About Out of the Picture by Tracy Gardner

Title: Out of the Picture
Author: Tracy Gardner
Series: A Shepherd Sisters Mystery #1
Genre: Cozy Mystery

Join the Shepherd sisters in solving a mystery…before it’s too late!

This artful cozy mystery is perfect for fans of Krista Davis and Joanne Fluke.

Savanna Shepherd is a 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.

My Review of Out of the Picture:

Out of the Picture by Tracy Gardner is the first Hallmark Mystery I’ve read. And it didn’t disappoint. The Shepherd Sisters were a riot and I want to be their forgotten fourth. The only major problem I had was telling them apart. With all the names starting with S, I got them all confused until the very end. Only Savanna, the main sleuth in this case, stood out.

There’s an interesting mix of murder and theft tied together in Out of the Picture. And it really did seem to take the whole community to solve the case, which was a little different to me. While Savannah was the focal point, she really relied on everyone around her to help put the pieces together and catch the bad guys.

The small-town atmosphere and peeks into family gatherings really brought everything together. It rounded the characters out in a way that I don’t always get to see. The side characters weren’t just there for decoration, they were all very unique to themselves and had a reason for being there.

I’m excited to see where this series goes. And it looks like there are a couple of other Hallmark Mysteries that I may need to check out as well!