This was a fun read, if a bit confusing at times. I enjoyed reading this book though, and I am looking forward to reading what's next from this author.

This book was bland and boring. For something with such a good set up, it was wildly disappointing. It dragged and slogged. And the thing about what happened in Cairo! That reveal took waaaaaaay too long. Cairo this, Cairo that.... get to the point already. By the time we got to the reveal, nobody cared anymore. The author's note said that she had the idea for the characters but had no plot to put them with, and it really shows. Not everybody has stories to tell, and people without stories should probably not write fiction.

Great "whodunit" in the style of Agatha Christie. Loved the uniqueness of the MC being an antiques hunter as I'm someone who loves antiques too.

Wonderful mystery with just the right amount of adventure and intrigue. The beautiful message about how an items's worth is often more personal than monetary was great.

I hate that I had to DNF this book halfway through because I got so bored. There was a lot of telling but there was no show. What I did like about it was all the antique talk. I will probably pick up more books from C.L. Miller.

Thank you, Netgalley for letting me give my honest review

“When antiques dealer Arthur Crockleford passes away in his shop, his best friend Carole Lockwood is convinced his death wasn’t accidental.  She asks her niece for help, but Freya is less than enthusiastic, having been estranged from her former mentor and antique hunting for two decades.  When they receive a letter from Arthur, posthumously asking them to investigate, Freya has no choice but to honor the wishes of the deceased.  Following the trail of the letter, the aunt and niece pair find themselves at Copthorn Manor for an Antiques Enthusiasts Retreat, and Freya’s expert eyes immediately clock the items as fake.  Why would a retreat hosted by the estate of Lord Metcalf be passing off poor reproductions as authentic?  And what does it have to do with Arthur’s death?  Something sinister is going on, and the Lockwoods need to figure it out before someone else dies.”

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, through NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Every chapter of “The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder” opens with a quote from fictional antiques dealer Arthur Crockleford, the first being “All hunts begin with something that has been lost… or taken.” Not long into chapter one, readers learn of Arthur’s death, initially classified as a fall down a flight of stairs and subsequent heart attack. One of his closest friends isn’t satisfied with that conclusion, and the sleuthing begins. Freya Lockwood, a former antique hunter once mentored by the late Mr. Crockleford, finds herself unwillingly dragged into a mystery steeped in antiquities drama and espionage. I find it so apt that she’s named after a Norse goddess, a unique name fit for a unique job. She’s accompanied by her Aunt Carole, the aforementioned close friend of Arthur. Though an elderly woman, she is spry as ever and refuses to miss out on the investigative fun. She has the vibrant fashion of a Hollywood starlet so it’s easy to imagine how she carries herself; in fact, as I was reading more about her and giggling away, I was picturing incredible actresses such as Helen Mirren. Most of the story is told from Freya’s perspective, but we also get POV chapters from Carole and a group of seven side characters including Teapot Tearooms owner Agatha Craven (any relation to Wes?), Arthur’s assistant Harry, and the mysterious Copthorn Manor gardener Phil.

Considering how important they are to the story, it was a pleasant surprise that author C.L. Miller has a personal connection to antiques. Her consultant was her late mother Judith Miller, author of more than one hundred books, co-founder of the annually published "Miller’s Antiques Price Guide," and an expert on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. Firsthand knowledge of the antiquities world made an already promising premise even more detailed and fascinating. I was hooked from the synopsis and read the whole book in only a few sittings. That being said, the writing and execution wasn’t perfect. Some of the dialogue didn’t have a natural flow, and the mystery itself felt clunky as the book went on. The way information is presented made it hard to track significant reveals. I also found Freya annoying on occasion. She represents a middle-aged woman rediscovering herself after an abusive marriage, a creative choice that I applaud. I just found her constant complaints to be a bit much and would’ve appreciated a lighter touch. Aunt Carole’s larger than life personality was also a bit much at times, but I couldn’t help liking her “I don’t care what you think of me” attitude. The juxtaposition of the two characters is actually a great life lesson; we should all complain less and be unashamedly ourselves, unconcerned with outside opinions.

Yes, there are flaws, but this is a debut novel after all. My final rating is 3 Stars, and my fingers are crossed for more antique hunting adventures with Carole and Freya. The bones of this first novel were good enough that I have no doubt C.L. Miller can deliver a bigger and better sequel. I’ll be waiting, ready to read!

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Content Breakdown: Abuse (domestic), Alcohol, Bars/Pubs, Blackmail, Black Market, Blood, Cheating on a significant other (only mentioned), Divorce, Forgery, a Funeral (burial, pallbearers, etc.), Guns, Intoxication, Language (minor), Loss & Grieving, Murder (including the discovery & description of dead bodies), Parental loss in a fire & the aftermath (nightmares & a scar), Poison & Poisoning (only mentioned), Robbery, Threats (physical & verbal), & Violence

Sensual/S*xual Situations & Language: There is one mention of Freya sleeping over at her boyfriend’s B&B room as a university student. Aunt Carole makes a few cheeky remarks that are suggestive but not explicit.

I was unfortunately a little bit disappointed in this one. The plot idea was pretty fun overall but the execution didn’t work that well especially with the pacing and repetition.

There were definitely parts that were highly entertaining. The story had great bones. I’ll likely try this author again in the future and hope for the best.

"What antique would you kill for?"
This is about Freya who is a former antique hunter who ends up investigating a death at an old English manor and that makes her back in the dangerous world of tracking stolen artifacts. The book was a cozy murder mystery that had me turning the pages until the very end. I loved all the characters in the book but my favorite was Freya's aunt. This was a great debut book by this author and I look forward to more books by the author. I highly enjoyed this book and would recommend this one to any reader but especially to those who love a good cozy mystery. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for this cozy mystery read in exchange of my honest review of The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller.

This is definitely a mileage may-vary type of book. The setting and the premise were very intriguing, but I found the writing difficult to follow. The pacing also did not work for me. I think if you like the writing style, you will end up loving this book.

Antique hunting meets murder mystery. This book is heavy on the plot, light on character development, and is a quick read. I do wish there had been a few more twists that were difficult to figure out and a bit more character development, but it was entertaining overall.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.

I unfortunately had to DNF this at about the 20% mark for no other reason than I just couldn’t get into the story or the characters. The author is very passionate and knowledgeable about the antique business, and it was fascinating to get an inner glimpse into the world, but I found myself uninterested in what was going on. However, I believe the biggest issue was that I think I might not be too interested in “cozy mysteries” and nothing actually to do with the book itself. I just couldn’t get myself to care about the murder investigation and as I was reading/listening to this on audiobook to try to finish it - I found my mind wandering instead.

I would really recommend this book to anyone who likes antiques and soft mystery investigations, with the action being more focused on character interactions/conversations instead of higher paced action. I think if I were someone who enjoyed slower paced mysteries than I’d have liked this more, but I do recommend giving this book a try. It just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Atria Books for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cozy mysteries are wonderful! If you like antiques and mysteries, check this one out!

I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review.

The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder was a super fun cozy mystery that I am glad I did the audio for. I started reading this one on the kindle and the pacing was a little too slow for me to follow but on audio it was beautiful. The production is well done and I really cared about the characters. The action got pretty intense towards the end and I was super invested! I loved the healing of Freya and watching her become the person she had hoped she could be. Overall, great cozy mystery to dive into.

Oops, finally finished this!

I was supposed to read this as an ARC, but I had trouble getting into it. I had very similar complaints for this as I did for The Cartographers by Peng Sheperd-- I could tell the author was very passionate and enjoyed writing this, but I found it somewhat clunky as a read unfortunately.

Freya Lockwood is shocked when she learns that Arthur Crockleford, antiques dealer and her estranged mentor, has died under mysterious circumstances. She has spent the last twenty years avoiding her quaint English hometown, but when she receives a letter from Arthur asking her to investigate—sent just days before his death—Freya has no choice but to return to a life she had sworn to leave behind. Joining forces with her eccentric Aunt Carole, Freya follows clues to an old manor house for an advertised antiques enthusiast’s weekend. But not all is as it seems. It’s clear to Freya that the antiques are all just poor reproductions, and her fellow guests are secretive and menacing. What is going on at this estate and how was Arthur involved? More importantly, can Freya and Carole discover the truth before the killer strikes again? A fun cozy that I hope turns out to be the start of long series!

I was excited about the plot but I felt like the writing style dragged. Continually felt like obvious things were being over explained while some details lacked necessary explanation for them to make sense in the story. Lots of editing errors in this ARC that took me out of the reading, too. Very distracting.

THE ANTIQUE HUNTER'S GUIDE TO MURDER is simply one of the best cozy mysteries I have read in a while. C.L. Miller gifts her readers unique and engaging characters surrounded by secrets, duplicity, and murder.

From beginning to end, this story was entertaining and more fun than I ever thought a mystery could be. The combination of antiquities and murder works seamlessly as the reader joins in on the investigation of what Arthur Crockleford was involved in before his death. By interlacing different personalities into the mix, everything comes together to provide a downright addictive read. And let me say the balance of Freya and Aunt Carole is gold. These two are so different but feed off of each other’s energy to propel the story forward. Their dynamic made this book for me.

All I will say is that THE ANTIQUE HUNTER'S GUIDE TO MURDER is the first in a series and I sincerely hope there are many more books to come. Seeing how Freya evolved in this book, I cannot wait to see her hit her stride on her next trip. Not to mention Bella. There is something with that character. I need more of her in the next book.

Audiobook Note: Spending part of my time within this story listening to Emilia Fox bring to life the world and characters C.L. Miller created was positively enjoyable. The pace was exactly what you would want from a mystery like this and the dialog effortlessly flowed. This narration was a perfect reading of this novel.

I'm sorry to say I did not finish this one. It was an interesting premise and I really wanted to enjoy it and go along on the mystery, but something about the writing style didn't click with me and I could not make it through. I will still recommend it to those who love a good mystery, because that was what kept me going almost half way through the book. I hope others really love it, it just wasn't for me.

I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

Cozy mystery readers, add this one to your TBR! Sometimes if I read too many cozies too close together, their similar plots all kind of run together and I can't remember what each book was about. But that is not the case here because the plot and characters were so unique. The vibes were The Maltese Falcon meets Agatha Christie.

Freya Lockwood used to be super close with surrogate grandfather and mentor Arthur Crockleford until a falling out twenty years ago during an antique hunt gone wrong. Arthur has suddenly died under mysterious circumstances and Freya has come back to settle his affairs with her eccentric Aunt Carole. They soon discover a coded letter that Arthur wrote days before his death that may point them in the direction to solving his suspected murder AND the mystery of what happened twenty years prior.

Freya and Aunt Carole have been added to my list of favorite amateur detective duos. Aunt Carole was so funny and all scenes with her put a smile on my face. I personally love antiques and find the serious antique trade fascinating. So if you have no interest in that kind of thing you may not enjoy this book as much since they're talked about quite a bit. But the fun plot and characters should still make it an enjoyable read. I also loved how each chapter begins with a quote or piece of advice from Arthur that seems to relate to what happens in each chapter. Overall, a solid mystery and impressive debut and I'm excited to see what the author does next.