A Painting To Die For

by David L. Tucker

In A Painting to Die For, where art world meets underworld, the question is not what is fake, but who is genuine?

Bill, a struggling Toronto artist, is drawn into a world of art fraud, money laundering, and murder when his uncle convinces him to go to England to check on his estranged daughter. When Bill finds his cousin, and former childhood crush, all grown-up and running a posh Mayfair Gallery, he thinks he’s gone to heaven.

Or has he really landed in hell?

David Tucker paints a vivid portrait of glamour and greed with a sly touch of humour. A Painting to Die For is a page-turner that keeps you wondering what's really going on right until the end.

310 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 19, 2025

Reviews

[Ghinger]

I found A Painting to Die For engaging, challenging, and a provocative glimpse into the rarefied world of art crimes and conservancy. The character development and dialogue are first-rate, as are the real-world insights offered into art history and art forgery. While the story is fiction, the author's knowledge of the world of art and art crimes is first-hand. I would recommend this book to someone who loves art and a good mystery.
The plot was convoluted enough to keep me reading. If you have a need to guess the resolution before it's offered, I think you'll be disappointed. There is no chance of that. As the story winds down there are some real twists and turns that come sneaking up on you. I did make a connection about three-quarters of the way through, but it was only partial. It kept me reading to find out the ending, which I enjoyed in the tying up of all the threads . . . excluding one. Waiting for the next one with bated breath.
Now I wonder if all the paintings we value in museums are real.

[Norman Morra]

Tucker's A Painting to Die For moves quickly and deftly through the intriguing but obscure world of painting as a business, an art form, and a source of villainy. The hero, Bill Frederick, enters this world with the hope of reconnecting with his estranged cousin, Ann, whom he loves and respects. Unwittingly, he enters a world of forgery, duplicity, crime and murder. Somehow, he survives and surfaces with his dignity intact. Besides Tucker's expert storytelling, he also teaches the reader about art (the business and forgery) in a charming, down-to-earth way. I thoroughly enjoyed the book from the first page to the last.

[S.N. Rao]

It is very easy to praise this book. It reads fast. I finished it in 48 hours. From the very beginning the story keeps making me wanting to know what happens next. David unravels the mystery slowly but the the pages will flip so fast that you won't have to wait for long.

The twists keep coming. The only spoiler I will give is that the story has a pleasant and satisfying end.

[Marci Lin Melvin]

"A Painting to Die For" is a richly woven tale with such beautiful description one would think the novel is a painting itself. Tucker's attention to detail is superlative, and though his research is evident, it does not sound expository. A terrific summer read.