An Artless Demise is the seventh book in Anna Lee Huber’s Lady Darby Mystery Series. The premise was engaging and hooked me immediately; Kiera’s past comes back to haunt her as a new case of bodysnatchers-turned-killers breaks out, throwing London into a frenzy. Not only will she be thrown back into the horrors of the public’s preconceptions about her involvement in her late husband’s trade, but she will be bringing this scrutiny upon Sebastian and Lord Gage’s names too.

That’s not all the premise, I can’t spoil it for you should you already have it on your TBR list. There are layers and high stakes involved and I was here for it when I picked the book up. I can’t say I felt the same way halfway through the book. With the multiple plot points and subplots going on, relationship shifts and interactions aiding the flow of the story and a seriously good sequence of plot points that I thoroughly enjoyed reading, I thought I should feel more invested. The pacing was good, the tension was high and there were undoubtedly taut strings and details that skewed the attention to the obvious places. It just felt a little flat to me. A lack of emotional engagement maybe?

Now, I can’t speak to the accuracy of Kiera’s first few months expecting, but I did find it extremely convenient that she had next to no bad symptoms to combat while investigating the cases involved in this novel. I wish there was more going on with her pregnancy-wise that made the emotions come out of her. She should have been going through a lot, and I mean a lot, in this one given the trauma she went through at the hands of her late husband. Yet, Kiera is cool, calm and collected most of the time. There is only really one part of the novel’s main plot where she’s showing her distress and raw emotion in how her narration comes across and I think had there been just a little more of that displayed emotion colouring her narration this could have been an exceptional book. Maybe even my most highly rated one in the series.

The true nature of major characters is starting to come into the light and I’m loving it. There are some good details and behaviours that shape people, showcasing the depths of their emotions, actions and intentions. The opposite can be said too – I wish some characters got more chances to develop in front of the reader rather than in the gaps between inclusions. Let it be known that if I don’t see more of Earl Grey from here on out, I will pitch a fit. That fluff baby needs attention and I need to see them be given in words.

Reread notes: I still agree with the lack of action plot interest part to a degree, with Kiera’s lack of emotional reaction often stunting other character’s experiences. I could see more of the subtler instances of Kiera’s emotion coming through where it pertained to her directly, but it seems she lacks empathy for others who aren’t victims. This, in my opinion, creates this divide between her and others, including Anderley and Bree, which is a shame because even if they are employed by the household, they are still close confidants of Sebastian and Kiera. Kiera’s general lack of confidence and belief in herself seem s to teeter toward a victim mentality she doesn’t seem to want to escape. This makes her feel very spineless to me, like she can’t hold her own, and I do wish she wasn’t portrayed as meekly as she is.