Shadows of the Heart

A Romantic Suspense Mystery

Shadows of the Heart by Iris Calder is a breathtaking blend of romantic suspense and art-world mystery—where a single painting unlocks a hidden past and love becomes the bravest truth of all.

When meticulous historian Ethan Carter steps into a boutique gallery, a storm-lit seascape stops him in his tracks. The anonymous canvas mirrors a secret photograph his grandfather kept—and the woman in red seems to be looking straight through time. Gallery owner Isabella Reyes (a curator with a talent for listening to rooms) feels the same pull. Together they trace the painting’s shadowy provenance through a coastal town, a shuttered estate, and a vault that holds a diary no one was meant to read.

As encoded ciphers emerge from layers of varnish—coordinates, bell signals, and a message about a “safe harbor”—Ethan and Isabella uncover a decades-old smuggling ring, a reclusive artist with two names, and a tender love that survived by becoming a secret. But powerful collectors prefer their histories polished, not corrected. When threats arrive disguised as “concern,” the couple must decide what (and whom) to protect: their families’ reputations, a priceless legacy of stolen art, or a love learning to stand in the light.

Perfect for readers who love:
• Romantic suspense with real heart
• Art-world mysteries and small coastal towns
• Slow-burn chemistry, sharp banter, and found family
• Family secrets, forged identities, and a twist you won’t see coming

What you’ll find inside:
• A gallery, a historian, and an unsigned canvas with hidden codes
• A dangerous philanthropist, a ledger of stolen names, and a vault confession
• Two interwoven families, one impossible choice—and a red shawl you’ll never forget

Keywords: romantic suspense, mystery romance, art mystery, small-town coastal fiction, family secrets, slow burn romance, dual identity, provenance, found family, twist ending, book club fiction, women’s fiction with romance.

If you devour atmospheric, character-driven page-turners where love and truth unravel a conspiracy, Shadows of the Heart will sweep you into its tide—and leave you believing that the bravest stories find their way home.