The Deadly Art

Sandie James #2

by Tessa Kelly

In the world of art, most would kill to get to the top. 

An influential art curator is found dead at the local gallery. When Sandie’s friend becomes the prime suspect, he implores her to put her sleuthing skills to the test once again. Sandie’s cop brother is against her sticking her nose in his case, but how can she refuse when the man she’s falling for needs her help?

But the deeper Sandie digs, the more confusing seems the case. Is this a meticulously planned murder, or a crime of passion?

Worst off all, is the man she is trying to save really innocent?

Genres: Cozy Mystery

253 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 15, 2019

About the author

Tessa Kelly is the award-winning author of the SANDIE JAMES MYSTERIES series.

A former teacher with a degree in French, Tessa spent several years living in an uptown Brooklyn neighborhood, frequenting its many cafes and coffee shops and getting to know it from the inside and out. During her undergrad years, she has worked at a bakery just like the one depicted in her novel, where she developed a lifelong fondness for cheesecake brownies.

These days, when not writing, she loves to be outside exploring hiking trails, often wandering off the beaten path. Her other passions include baking, learning foreign languages, and reading.

Follow me on Amazon for news about my new releases!

Reviews

[Krystyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's all in how you view things.

A great read. Two mysteries running alongside and both closed with no loose ends. I must admit that i had one pegged but only got half of the other but I did get the why. Nice, tight construction that flowed well and even allowed for me home front drama with her roomie doing her best diva impersonation. Glad to see that she chose the steadfast rather than the dream in guys.
It all started excuse of the art exhibition. However the evening ended when the curator of the gallery was found dead and stuffed into an exhibit. Her longtime crush is a suspect and begs for her help. Add in another murder, an eccentric artist, a clinging vine of an assistant and a label of an exclusive line of male clothing. Then there is the other mystery that has been tormenting her. The elderly man found battered and bruised and now having no memory of his previous life. To top it off her roomie is having boyfriend trouble and has gone off in a diva snit. Can she work out the killer, find out who the elderly man is and get her roomie on track?

[Debbie Orazi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this cozy mystery. The storyline was full of twists and turns keeping the reader guessing until the end. The characters were relatable and well developed. The touch of romance was a nice bonus as well.

Sandie is involved in investigating who murdered the art curator and assistant curator to try to clear her friend Josh. She also has promised to help her friend with amnesia find out who he is and if he has any family. Highly recommend.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jodi Sweet · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a way to die and be found, stuff in a ball and part of an art exhibition! Sandie’s friend, Josh, is one of the suspects and he begs her to help clear his name. Unfortunately, this makes Sandie’s cop brother very unhappy! Sandie is also trying to solve the mystery of a man with amnesia find his past and his home. Sandie is doing all this while also dealing with her roommate’s boyfriend trouble and diva behavior.
This is a fun and quick read. I love the multiple mysteries and side stories going on.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Pat Eroh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating cozy mystery with fabulous characters. I love Sandie and her love interest. This book is a perfect blend of mystery with a touch of romance and is well-written with plenty of twists to keep me guessing to the end. I am looking forward to the next book by this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jean Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cosy mystery with multiple murders. Well-written story with characters who are well developed. Sandy was asked to help find the identity of a man who has lost his memory and lives at the homeless shelter and asked by another friend to help prove he is innocent. A lot of viable suspects as well as plenty of twists to keep you guessing.

[Vbloemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A man with no memory of his past, a murder at a Gallery Opening, and relationship issues fill this story with plenty to keep your interest. Sandra James has previously helped clear her father when he was suspected of murder. Now that her friend Josh is under suspicion, he has asked her to clear his name. Sandra's Cop brother, however, doesn't want her to get involved in this case. Since it's her friend who is in the hot seat, she just can't stay out of it. There are plenty of suspects for her to check out and she has her work cut out for her trying to figure out why the murders take place and the motive behind it all. Along with all of that she is trying to help the man with no memory of his past find out who he is and if he has family. On top of all that there is something going on with her sister's marriage, as well as her roommate's boyfriend. She also has her own relationship issues to decide. While searching for answers to the murders, she will stumble on some information that will help her solve another mystery. While doing all that she deals with all the relationship issues around her. There is enough going on in this story to keep a reader's interest. This is one of those stories that you really don't see the end coming until right before all is revealed. It's a great story and the characters are all very interesting.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sandie is invited to an art showing of what is supposed to be featuring her good friend’s work. When she arrives and discovers another artist is being featured and her friend saddened that his career is being halted, she plans on leaving. The problem arises when the art curator that put the kibosh on her friend’s career is found dead, Sandie is pulled into the case. This doesn’t fair well with her cop brother who is in charge of the case. He doesn’t want his sister sticking her nose into his case and isn’t pleased to find her more than a little knee-deep. What does he expect? Her friend is being fingered as the main suspect.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries that have funny and intelligent main characters who have a knack for sleuthing, crazy and very quirky characters, a true mystery to follow, and just great writing, then this book is one you will want to pick up to read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Dorothy Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sandie attends an art exhibit where she becomes embroiled in another mystery. The Deadly Art is an exciting novel with appealing characters and a clever plot. I have enjoyed this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sunshine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Deadly Art is an engaging follow-up to the first book in the Sandie James series. Tessa Kelly once again pulls readers into a fast-paced mystery filled with suspense and twists. Sandie’s character development is impressive as she navigates a complicated investigation that mixes her personal life with the case at hand. The storyline is clever and keeps you on edge with its unexpected turns and emotional depth.

What sets this book apart is Kelly’s ability to balance action with character-driven moments. The pacing is well done and the tension builds up steadily without ever feeling rushed. Overall, the book delivers an enjoyable and immersive reading experience. Fans of the first book will not be disappointed by this installment and it’s a solid read for anyone looking for a gripping mystery with a strong central character.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Deadly Art is the 2nd book in the Sandie James Cozy Mystery Series by Tessa Kelly.

Sandie seems to find herself at murder scenes. There were a lot of viable suspects and I didn’t have it figured out until the end.

There were a lot of storylines and that kind of slowed the pace down at times, but overall, I enjoyed this book.

I received this book as a gift and I am voluntarily reviewing it.

[Elsbeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the first book a bit confusing with all the different characters. But in this book you get to know them better. And most of them are really nice. In this story, Sandie gets to solve 2 mysteries. A murder and a man who lost his memory and doesn't know who he is.
I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to reading the next one!

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I really enjoyed Sandie James’ cozy mystery with multiple murders. The characters were well developed and Sandie was asked by a friend to help prove his innocence and another friend to help find the identity of a man with amnesia in a homeless shelter. I definitely recommend this book.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like the prequel and the first book in the series, this story is excellent. The characters are well developed, the plot and mystery well thought out, and it definitely keeps the reader guessing until the end.

[Rebecca Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Deadly Art

Another wonderful book by author Tessa Kelly.
This is the second book in this series and even better than the first. Love all the wonderful characters. Couldn't put it down. I highly recommend it...

[Lizabeth Tarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

This was a very interesting and complex mystery, with a secondary mystery wrapped up inside it. Also, a surprising choice for the first date!

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great mystery

I really enjoyed reading this story. The characters are very realistic and the mystery was very creative. I'll look forward to the next book in this series.

[Juliet Minerva Swift · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very fun read! I really liked the background of the art world and would love to see the Yggdrasil they describe in the first chapters.

The story is made up of many fast-paced scenes, Sandie would bump into (or go look for) clues left and right and I was never bored. I wasn’t a fan of her friend being suspected, but it played out in a way I really enjoyed.
Maybe the only downside is that I didn’t really care much about the trouble with Felisha and Tyrone (he still didn’t explain why he didn’t call when she saw the corpse), so that plotline could have been taken out for me.

I can’t wait to see how the story goes on!

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder---amnesia---unfaithful room-mate's boyfriend---sullen brother-in-law---two hot men---and more! Book two of the series couldn't be more different from the previous book.Yet equally exciting and fun. Family loyalties haven't wavered either. Just a refreshingly different slant on Sandie James' life.
I loved the continuing characters that made the seamless connection between books even better. I was impressed with the sleuthing and Sandie's ability to keep things quiet until she had her plan fully developed.
This was a fun book that was over all too quickly! I can't wait to see what happens next!