This was a fun cozy stand alone as part of a series centering on an antiques dealer. It was well-plotted and the perfect reading escape for me after a busy week!

While this is a part of a series, Hidden treasure can be read as a standalone and still be thoroughly enjoyed. I love the twists and turns and layers that are embedded here.

This book is perfect for a lazy afternoon the story keeps you interested and the characters are interesting.I recommend for mystery fans

Jane Cleland involves antiques appraiser Josie Prescott in a Hidden Treasure, a treasure hidden in a trunk in a secret space in the home of Maudie, who has just moved into a retirement residence. Maudie's children want her to fund their lives, particularly by selling the contents of the trunk.. Josie discovers that it is an ancient Egyptian box and cat statue. Maudie's daughter Celia is bludgeoned to death, the trunk is missing and Maudie has vanished. Josie puts on her sleuth hat to find the trunk's contents and the guilty parties. Superior cozy.

Hidden Treasure by Jane K. Cleland has Josie Prescott and her husband, Ty purchasing their dream home in Rocky Point. It is a gorgeous Victorian named “Gingerbread House” that needs some work before the couple move in. Josie receives a call from Celia, a niece of the former owner, stating that her aunt has gotten forgetful in her age. Celia claims that her aunt, Maudie Wilson left behind a trunk containing a valuable family heirloom. Josie promises to keep an eye out. Josie is going through the house when Maudie’s other niece, Stacy arrives inquiring about the trunk. Stacy wishes to look around the house one more time, but she has no luck even in the far recesses of the attic. When the trunk is finally located, Josie will only turn it over to Maudie who is rightful owner. She finds Maudie to be active, bright woman who regrets letting others push her into doing things such as moving into the retirement facility. If the item in the trunk is as valuable as Josie expects, it will allow Maudie to travel as she has always dreamed (instead of handing it over to her greedy nieces). Josie responds to a phone call to return to Maudie’s apartment where she finds a woman dead and Maudie has disappeared. Josie sets out to solve the crime. I thought Hidden Treasure was well-written with developed, realistic characters. When not sleuthing, Josie is running her antiques business which allows us to get reacquainted with her staff, spending time with friends (Zoe needs her), dealing with the renovations of her new home, and spending time with her husband. I enjoyed solving this entertaining whodunit. There were viable suspects and good clues. I liked the author’s descriptive writing that allowed me to visualize the characters and scenes. The author provided just the right amount of detail (not too much to bog down the book nor too little). I found the information provided on the antiques to be interesting. Hidden Treasure is the 13th A Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery. While this is the 13th book in the series, it can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series, but it will take you a couple of chapters to get acclimated. This was a fast paced and engaging cozy mystery. Hidden Treasure is a charming tale with covetous kin, renovation realties, a cat carving, a lost trunk, an absent aunt, and an anxious antiques authority.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I wanted it to be more about the gold box and cat statue and its history, I wanted a story that wrapped together the past of the objects and the present; that is not what this book was. On the other hand, I enjoyed the book and the main character, Josie was easily likeable and I did enjoy the storyline. It was a quick read and a pretty good book.

This was the first time I"d read a book in this series. The characters are interesting, particularly that of Maudie, the senior citizen who is the subject of the mystery. She portrays a spunky flair that makes her not so typical. It appears that Josie, the main sleuth in this series owns a rather large antiques business, with lots of employees. That seems a bit odd for such a small town setting, but perhaps there's an explanation in earlier episodes I've not read. The plot is quite interesting, and has to do with relatives trying to get money from Maudie, as well as the murder of one of those relatives. There are also a couple of supplemental plots that add interest. I would definitely read another episode in this series.

The Josie Prescott series is cozier than my usual mystery reading, but sometimes you just want a comfy story. Josie is delightful. She’s an expert businesswoman, so the books provide an opportunity to learn something about the world of antiques, including researching provenance, matching buyers with the perfect pieces, etc. She stays true to her ethics and is a good friend—respecting confidences and dispensing wise advice. She forms an immediate bond with Maudie, the elderly owner of a missing trunk and its contents that are the basis of much squabbling by her self-absorbed nieces. The mystery has a little bit of a grown-up Nancy Drew vibe, with a trunk found hidden in an old Victorian house, a mysterious cat sculpture, and plenty of bad guys. The story moves along steadily to a satisfying ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a digital advance review copy.

First I want to say what a fantastic job the author did making this a stand alone. I was about 10% into the book when I had to look something up on Goodreads and discovered that it's the thirteenth book in the series. I knew it wasn't the first book but thought it was only a few into the series. Not thirteen! And she did it without any info dumps! Kudos, Ms. Cleland.

The book begins with Josie and her husband Ty preparing to renovate the old house they just bought. They are interrupted by the sister of the house's former owner, wondering if they had found a chest that may have been left behind. From there, many mysteries sprout and multiply. It was overwhelming at times and I didn't buy into the facts behind Maudie's disappearance. But the various mysteries kept me both entertained and guessing. I was pleased that I figured out some, though not all. Josie is a typical cozy mystery heroine in that she sticks her noise everywhere and literally cannot mind her own business. Though she does have some connection considering she found the trunk and knows antiques. I really enjoyed the antique aspect even though I'm not big on antiques. It was interesting seeing her evaluate antiques, run her antiques house, and work on her TV show about antiques. Add in a friend going through a crisis and the various mysteries she was helping solve and the new house, and she was a very busy woman!

"Hidden Treasure" was a fun and engaging story. It strained credulity at times, especially how much info Josie shared with the reporter, but characters and details were well-developed and the story kept me reading. I had to know what would happen next. I enjoyed trying to figure out the mysteries and identifying the villains. While Josie was occasionally over the top nosy, she had a knack for questioning people and figuring out clues. I loved her devotion to her family and friends and her expertise at her work. I want to read more in the series.

Thank you, Netgalley, for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

I had such great expectations for this book! I really wanted to love it, but I just couldn't! Maybe I should have read the other books in the series first or ... I don't know. I just couldn't feel any connection with the characters and there were too many details not related to the actual murder case. Cozy murder mysteries is one of my favorite genres and I have read a lot of them. This book doesn't make my Top 10 list. I will give the other books in the series a try, though!

I love this series and this book was a delightful addition. I got to visit again with the characters and to follow along on Josie’s murder investigation. Where is Maudie? This was a well written and satisfying mystery.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thirteenth in the series, Hidden Treasures is a beacon of light in the cozy mystery field. With complete views of every scene, a protagonist we can believe in, a suspenseful, satisfying mystery, Jane K Cleland hasn't just written a cozy mystery, it is a gift of love to her readers. Thank you, Netgalley and Macmillan Publishers for my digital advance copy of this novel.

Out of 13 books in this series, I have only missed one. That should tell you something about my thoughts. Every book highlights some antique piece or type. As the series progresses, you see Josie Prescott grow from a young whistleblower basically exiled from the NYC big leagues to an established, honorable and successful business owner. The mysteries are always solid and the characters realistic. In this one Josie becomes involved as the previous owner of her new home has accidentally left something of value hidden there. Family machinations and dishonesty prevail. Even after the mystery was solved, the book continues wrapping up some storylines for friends and family. I enjoyed the fact that the author more to say. Enjoyable series even for a person who really doesn't care about antiques, like me.

Josie Prescott, owner of Prescott’s Antiques and Auctions, has owned her new home for an hour when Celia Akins, niece of the home’s previous owner, shows up at Josie’s office. Celia insists on seeing Josie because there’s a problem. Celia tells Josie that Stacy, Celia’s sister, and Celia need Josie’s help for their Aunt Maudie. A trunk has gone missing. Josie agrees to accompany Celia and Celia’s husband Doug to the house so they can search for the missing item, even though Josie knows the trunk isn’t there. Celia and Doug’s search comes up empty.
The next day, Josie does her own walk through of her new home. In the kitchen she discovers an old dumbwaiter hidden behind a panel and in the dumbwaiter is the missing trunk. Josie informs Maudie Wilson, previous owner of the house, of the find and offers to deliver the trunk to her at the Belle Vista, an assisted living facility. Celia and Stacy had both referred to Aunt Maudie being forgetful, but the woman Josie meets and forms a bond with is anything but forgetful. By the time Josie leaves Bella Vista, she’s found a new friend in Maudie Wilson.
Maudie decides to sell the trunk and its contents, and she wants Josie to handle the sale. Josie arrives at Bella Vista to meet with Celia and Maudie to finalize the paperwork and pick up the trunk. Maudie and Celia fail to keep the appointment, and no one can find either one. Josie finally convinces an administrator to check Maudie’s apartment. Inside is Celia’s body. Someone has taken a presentation box from the trunk and Maudie is still missing.
Where is Maudie? Did the person or persons responsible for murdering Celia take Maudie and steal contents from the trunk? Josie is determined to discover what has happened to her new friend, and someone is determined to stop her. Can Josie figure out what’s happened to Maudie and the missing items before she becomes the next victim?
Recommendation
I enjoyed reading this book. The twists and turns kept me guessing as to the killer’s identity. The threads of the plot and sub-plots were slow to untangle, which kept me involved in the story until the end. I recommend this book for its vibrant characters and smart storytelling.

Copy provided by Netgalley
#Netgalley #hiddentreasure

This is my first book to read in the Josie Prescott series by author Jane K. Cleland. I had no problem reading it as a stand alone. I do want to read the previous books in the series.
Hidden Treasures is a slow paced mystery that ambles along keeping you intrigued to keep reading. Very different type of mystery for me to read and I did enjoy the story line. There is a lot of information about the antique business.
If you are in the mood for a cozy mystery, this is the book to pick up.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is one of my favorite series though I will admit it can be a little bit hit or miss. Luckily, in my opinion, this one is very much one of the hits. It was a bit of a complex plot with a murder, stolen valuables, and a missing person who may or may not be missing voluntarily. There's also a subplot involving Josie's neighbor and best friend Zoe. But despite all the goings on this book didn't feel to jumbled and the mystery never felt like it was hiding in the background.

The antique business is one of my very favorite things about this series and while that was a bit lighter in this book I did enjoy that very much. As well, I'm hoping that Josie and Ty's new home is explored in more detail in future books as I wanted more about it!

This was a solid mystery and while I did guess the who and the what on the main issue there were a few side mysteries I was anxiously awaiting the outcome of and the guessing didn't dampen my enjoyment in the slightest. The last couple of cozies I've read have really had a rushed ending where I was left wanting more but that was definitely not the case here. It wasn't too contrived but I was left with all the answers I wanted and got to see a bit of the aftermath.

If you enjoy a light mystery with a touch of history this series is a good one to pick up and this book might just be my favorite yet.

This is a charming series that blends antiques and history with fun sleuthing. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own. This is the 13th book in this series . This book can be read as a stand alone. I highly recommend the entire series.

In this next in series our protagnist Josie has closed on her gingerbread house when she gets a frantic call from the owners niece that the owner misplaced a valuable antique trunk. Josie finds the trunk and when she opens it to document the contents she finds a mysterious cat statue that appears to be Egyptian and expensive. When she returns the statue she is suspicious of the nieces of the owner who are pushing her to return the statue and not kind to their Aunt. One of the nieces then calls her back to pick up the statue to sell for them. Josie finds the niece dead and is determined to find out why she was murdered and what connection her murder had to this statue.

This is a well crafted fun mystery that kept me guessing to conclusion. I like the charcters and the fast paced writing of this series. The antique information is fun to read about and interesting. I look forward to the next in series.

Josie and her husband, Ty, are starting a new life project when they purchase their dream house and begin the renovations. The house is locally known as the Gingerbread House and the previous owner has been moved into an assisted living facility. Her two nieces insist that their Aunt Maudie has become feeble and that they are in charge of her affairs. They tell Josie that Aunt Maudie, in her diminished capacity, left behind a family heirloom, a chest and they want it returned....to them, not to Aunt Maudie. Josie refuses and returns it to Maudie leading to the start of a friendship between them. Things go sideways when Maudie disappears as does the family treasure and a dead body is found in her apartment. The two nieces are up to something and Josie is worried about the current status of Maudie. Things are getting very complicated. Besides running her business and her tv show and the work on the Gingerbread House, there is a mystery to solve.
I have enjoyed this series from the first book, each one presenting me with a well crafted puzzle to solve with fair clues and more than a few red herrings to send me off in the wrong direction. I'm saving a space on my TBR list for the next book in the series.
My thanks to the publisher Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Exciting Antique Filled Cozy Mystery
This is the best book I have read in quite some time. The crime portion is so well done that I was amazed when it was all solved. The antique portion was exciting. Our heroine is well-spoken and very knowledgeable about antiques. I learned so much from just this one book. This is the first book that I have read in the series and was never lost. The story has no slow moments. It goes from one major happening to the next. It was tough to set it down for any reason. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Hidden Treasure by Jane Cleland is a Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery and so, of course, the sleuth is Amy Prescott. Josie and her husband have just closed on the purchase of their new home, a historic masterpiece, near the ocean. No sooner than Ty is out of town when the niece of the old owner appears to ask for Josie's help in discovering a trunk that has gone missing in the move. She assumes it was left in the house, so off they go. No trunk, but Josie does arrange with Tom, the handyman, to meet her tomorrow to over the house from top to bottom, take measurements and such. During that walk-through, Josie discovers a non-functioning dumbwaiter, and of course the trunk is inside. Professionally, as always, Josie calls her staff, removes the trunk, and films as it is being opened. Several interesting pieces are inside. Josie then contacts the owner, who has moved to an assisted living facility, for delivery of the trunk. Then her two nieces get involved and it starts to get messy. Celia and Stacy do not necessarily appear to have the best interests of their aunt, Maudie Wilson, at heart. Things get complicated. There is a murder and Maudie, whom Josie had really liked, disappears.

This is an interesting story on several levels: one being elder abuse, which is what the nieces are doing to their aunt, making her believe that she is losing her grip and forcing her to make decisions she is not ready to make, all of their own self-serving purposes. Another is right up Josie's alley as things that come out of old houses are often treasures and sometimes, extremely valuable. Murder is always a terrible thing, especially when the victim is innocent and leaved a husband and children behind. The murder is someone unexpected, but the motive is the same: greed. This was a complicated story, but one that is entertaining and well worth the time. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of Hidden Treasure by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #hiddentreasure