The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder by C L Miller
| The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder by C L Miller | |
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| Category: Crime | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: An engaging, easy read and the first of a new series. | |
| Buy? Maybe | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 384 | Date: February 2024 |
| Publisher: Macmillan | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1035021802 | |
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It's twenty years since Freya Lockwood has been back to the English country village where she grew up. She's back now because of a request for help from her beloved aunt, Carole. Freya's former mentor and Carole's close friend, Arthur Crockleford, is dead and the circumstances seem suspicious, to say the least. Arthur was the reason why Freya had not been back to the village: Arthur, she feels, let her down badly. Even though they were in business together as antique hunters, she has not felt able to be near the man or pursue the profession she loved. After the split, she worked in a cafe, met and married James (on the rebound from the love of her life, who was murdered) and Freya and James have now divorced.
So, you might be wondering, what is an antique hunter? It's not someone who goes around, knocking on doors in the hope of finding an undiscovered Chippendale chair which the owner is willing to part with for a few pounds. The hunter is a professional who hunts down antiques which have been lost or stolen, usually from war-torn countries, and then returns them to where they belong. Freya found this very satisfying.
Arthur's death seems more suspicious when a letter from him is delivered to Freya and Carole some days after his death by the local cafe owner. Arthur knew that his life was in danger and he begged Freya to accept an invitation that would come her way. Freya - and Carole - are sucked back into a life that Freya had sworn to leave behind.
The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder is well-written and engaging. Carole (a former actress) can be annoying but does give the story some lightness. There's an interesting cast of characters and there's a feeling of harking back to the golden age of crime fiction. I was happy to read it and I'll probably be equally happy to read the next in the series which is due to be published in 2025.
In addition to reading the book, I listened to an audio download (which I bought myself). It's narrated by Emilia Fox and is well done. Many of the characters are utterly over-the-top and Fox plays them for all they're worth. I'd happily listen to more from her.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy of the book to the Bookbag.
If you'd like to read more about dealing in antiques, we can recommend [How to Deal in Antiques by Fiona Shoop]]. For more crime in the antiques world, try The Chippendale Factor by John Malcolm.
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