2.5 stars

The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller  is a mystery novel.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Simon & Schuster and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 
My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
When Freya Lockwood was 12 years old, she lost her parents in a fire, and went to live with her Aunt Carole in a quaint English village.  From her aunt's close friend Arthur Crockleford, she learned about antiques, and developed her passion.  Arthur's side business of finding stolen artifacts and returning them to their real owners may have caught up with him.

It's been 20 years since Freya has been back in town, but when her estranged mentor dies, she is called back by her Aunt Carole.  It was due to Arthur's betrayal that Freya could no longer work in the antique business, but in his death, he is trying to correct things.  But Freya may have to put her life on the line to follow his clues.  Once again, Freya is on the hunt, this time with her Aunt Carole by her side.

 
My Opinions:
I fear that this is the start of another series, and I'm not sure I want another one.  However, the premise of an antique hunter as the protagonist is definitely unique.

However, I'm not sure I like the characters.  Freya is finding her strengths again, after 20 years of being a doormouse, so she may grow on me.  Carole is too into herself, and must always be the center of attention.  I would have loved Arthur.

The plot was quite good, but there was so much repetition as they tried to work things out, that it got boring.  As well, the overall pacing fell short, and it lacked excitement.  The actual perpetrator seemed obvious (to me, anyway).  I did, however, learn quite a bit about the world of antiques - the shadier side.  The author does know her subject matter, and was able to explain things quite well.

Overall, this one just missed the mark for me, and at this point I am unsure whether I would read a second in this series.

I was a bit let down by this one. The pacing and writing were just not for me, which is disappointing because the plot and idea were so promising. If you can get past the writing style, it’s an enjoyable story, but the way it was written really made it difficult for me to feel invested.

Freya once again enters the world of antique hunting and repatriating art, a life she swore she'd leave behind, by attending an antiques enthusiast's weekend with her aunt Carole at the request of her estranged mentor who recently died under mysterious circumstances. What ensues reminds me of an antiques roadshow styled version of the game clue. An excellent closed-room style murder mystery with tidbits about antique art and collectibles.
I truly enjoyed this debut novel by C. L. Miller, and wonder what she might have in store for us next!

The premise for this book was exciting, but the execution was a miss for me.

I found this book to be a bit cheesy, and everything worked out too well with not a lot of evidence. Mainly, it was the main character “solving” the mystery by deciding what happened, not because she found evidence to support her claims.

The writing style of the author wasn’t for me, but I think it would be very entertaining for others.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review.

What an adorable cozy mystery! We are following along Freya as she navigates her divorce, losing her home, her daughter living across the pond and trying to figure out her next move, when she is landed back in the midst of a dangerous world of hunting down stolen antiques. Her elderly aunt Carole is along for the ride and offers funny antidotes, good advice, and always a cup of tea,

If you want a fun detective story putting together the pieces then this book is for you. It's not too scary or thrilling but has the makes of a solid fun story as we solve not one, not two, but three murders. Freya is clever and all her past education comes flooding back to as she needs to rely on long forgotten skills.

The Antique Hunters Guide to Murder by CL Miller is a cozy murder mystery set in the picturesque English country side.

When Freyas mentor, Arthur, mysteriously dies, she returns home and joins forces with her elderly Aunt to solve the mystery of what happened....luckily he has left some clues behind.

A delightful read that is a cross better Antiques Roadshow and an Agatha Christie type mystery.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to my favourite bookstore, The Bookshelf, for a paper copy!

Years ago, an incident pushed Freya away from her mentor, Arthur, and the world of antiques. But suddenly, her aunt Carole calls her to let her know that Arthur has passed away and that the circumstances seem odd. Combine that with an ominous letter sent by Arthur just before his passing, and we’ve got ourselves a mystery on our hands. Freya attends an antiquing enthusiast’s weekend with Carole to figure out what is happening here!

I’ve been reading a lot of fast-paced thrillers lately to get my mystery fix in. But I think this cozier, piece-the-clues-together approach was just what I needed. The clues are hidden and provided throughout the book, so it is possible to solve the mystery, which I thought was fun! And there are two mysteries that you get to witness unravel. The first is what happened 20 years ago in Cairo to push Freya away from Arthur, the second being what is happening in the world of antiquing that is causing death and chaos in the present day.

I loved Carole. You can’t help but pay attention to her big personality. Every scene with her lit up for me. In contrast, Freya is quieter and trying to figure things out in her own controlled way. The pairing was perfect, and I think most readers can relate to one or the other. All the side characters felt straight out of a whodunnit. There weren’t cliches, which I appreciated, but every side character is suspicious in their own way.

Between the characters, setting and mystery this is a great book to curl up on the couch with after grabbing tea and getting cozy. I highly recommend it!

“𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐖𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞.”

Hearing that C.L. Miller's mother was Judith Miller of Antiques Roadshow and that she assisted her mother, I knew that this story would combine mystery and expert knowledge of antiques.

This story is a delight from start to finish. I found myself invested in the central mystery of why Freya's estranged grandfather-like figure, Arthur, was killed and how it linked to Freya's antique hunting past. Freya's relationship with her aunt Carole is lovely; they compliment each other in the protectiveness and care they have for each other, and Carole is the perfect funny foil to Freya and her serious nature. The clues and riddles that Arthur left behind were fun to try and solve alongside our amateur sleuths, and Miller creates an adventerous narrative that has the hallmarks of a classic mystery: a creepy crumbling manor, fake antiques being passed off as authentic, shady characters, and an evening storm that knocks out power creating a sense of dread. I was reminded of another favourite series, Finlay Donovan by Elle Cosimano: with a sense of mystery combined with adventure, humour (especially with the main character's sidekick) and a hunky potential love interest who wants to support and protect. I did think a piece of the solution did seem to come slightly from left field due to a holding back of key infomation, but it was still overall satisfying.

The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder is a story of rediscovery, plans, having faith in yourself, courage, and regret. It seems like we have a set up for a series - I’d gladly reunite with Freya, Carole and Phil again! Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the ARC!

The Antique Hunter’s Guide To Murder by C.L. Miller is perfect if you love a cozy, closed room mystery. This multi-narrator story follows Freya and her Aunt Carole following the untimely death of their antique dealer friend and mentor Arthur. Arthur and Freya have been estranged for years following a time working together, and Carole has lost her closest friend. Upon his death, Arthur leaves a number of clues for Freya and Carole including an invitation to attend an antiques weekend organized by Arthur with a warning to be careful. With a cast of unsavoury characters, no one can be trusted, and Freya must rely on the skills from her long-ago past to solve more than one mystery. Learning about Freya’s past and the business of repatriating antiques was fascinating and it was really touching to learn that the author’s own Mother was consulted on this book before her death as the author of antique guides and an Antiques Roadshow expert. This book leaves a few loose ends which hopefully means there will be more adventures to come. This story is perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Janice Hallett, and Robert Thorogood.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder is an addictive and fabulous cozy murder mystery.

I love a good whodunit murder mystery, and C.L. Miller really knocks this one right out of the ballpark. She created a unique mystery with characters that are intriguing and really well-developed. She has created this twisty game of secrets that has you trying to guess who the murderer is and where they are after. This book is great for those who like their mysteries on the lighter, less gruesome side. If you are a fan of British murder mystery shows like Father Brown or Midsummer Murders, then I think you will enjoy this book. It has those cozier murder mysteries with an antique twist to it. The story itself unfolds at a perfect pace. C.L. Miller knows when to throw in a twist or when to give her readers a clue. She leads her readers on this really clever journey, and I found myself so invested in the story that I couldn’t put this book down. The beginning of the book has a slightly slower pace; the author introduces us to the characters and the setting in a manner that allows us to get our bearings before we dive deeper into the mystery. The build-up to the climax at the end was perfect, and the final reveal had me at the edge of my seat. It really had this Clue-like feel to it.

The characters are wonderful and complex. I loved Aunt Carole; she comes off as this one-dimensional, flighty character, but she is not. She is clever and smart and knows how to work in a crowd. I loved watching them interact with the setting and other characters. She knows what her strengths are and uses them to help Freya solve the mystery of who killed Arthur. Aunt Carole is also a hoot and had me giggling at times. She was just so wonderful, developed, and complex. Freya was interesting. When we first meet her, she is lost and a shell of her former self. Her ex-husband really took that spark that made her expectational and crushed it. Freya’s growth in this story took the form of her remembering who she used to be. Freya is smart, clever, and capable of taking care of herself and solving mysteries, whether hunting down stolen antiques or solving murders.

The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder is a well-crafted mystery that will remind you why you love to read.


Thank you, Simon and Schuster Canada, for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Turns out you don’t need to know anything about antiques in order to enjoy this delightful cozy mystery! An unlikely heroine and her aunt with larger than life personality get thrown into an unexpected murder mystery! Let me tell you - all of us need an aunt Carole in our lives! She was by far my favorite thing about this story and I hope we get to see much more of her in future books.

Freya’s sleuthing instincts combined with a letter left by her estranged former mentor Arthur, give her midlife crisis a new direction! I really enjoyed the fact that the main character is experiencing a sort of midlife identity crisis. And a small English town seemed like the perfect setting for this story. Past and current timeline brought us two mysteries. And maybe it’s just me but I love wintertime cozy mystery reading - especially combined with a nice cup of tea and a reading blanket.

This read like a promising start of a fresh new cozy mystery series. I will definitely be on the lookout for more Freya/aunt Carole adventures! And hints of possible things to come left me wanting more for sure!

Super grateful to NetGalley & Simon Schuster Canada and even more so to C.L. Miller for sending me a finished copy which is now prominently displayed on my shelves!

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was fun! Basically Indiana Jones meets antiques. Which is already a premise I can get behind. Sometimes when you read a book you think “ hmm this would work really well as a movie?” The Antique hunter Guide to Murder” by CL Miller would make a great movie. Mostly because movie is a lot of show and not a lot of tell and I found this book very showy, but lacked that integral tell factor.

Unfortunately after the first 10 chapters and my initial excitement died down I found the dialogue a bit of a slog to get through, sometimes I found a bit of gaps for example: Freya our protagonist is portrayed as someone very observant all the time but she misses key points, this is fine but her being observant is so integral to her character that when something is missed it just seems like the point of her character was forgotten. There are no explanations to why this was missed either, which leads me to believe that it was forgotten.

The pacing also was a bit strange I thought we were reaching the conclusion but we were only at the middle end of the story. We also get transported to a manor for the end of the book and I really missed the small town feel that was in the first half of the book! Moving to another place felt ingenious and meeting all the new characters at the manor house was difficult because there was a lot to keep track of.

I kind of suspected the culprit of this who-dun-it mystery so when the big reveal happened I wasn’t too surprised.

I think this was a solid debut from CL Miller and I’m looking forward to the sequel ( and maybe a bit more polishing?).

Thank you to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

OOF. I really wanted to love this book, or even like it, but in my opinion, it was a mess.

There’s no doubt that the author knows their antiques, but when it comes to character development, plot, and pacing - they fall short. The main character Freya, who is rife with potential as a divorcee getting her old life back, comes across as incredibly dull and whiny. She has such minimal growth as a lead character. Her Aunt Carole, who I assume was written as comedic relief, is incredibly tiresome and annoying. The dialogue is cringeworthy at moments, and I’m not actually sure I’ve ever heard people speak as such. The other characters are introduced halfway through the book with little to no exposition. We’re just expected to know who these people are. Which is unhelpful since they’re all two-dimensional with no real discernible identities. The same goes for a very forced romance between Freya and a secondary character. Too many cooks in the kitchen here!

There is this theme of quotes beginning each chapter, let’s call it words of wisdom. They’re supposed to be advice from a fatherly figure to Freya, but they’re so droll and empty that I found myself rolling my eyes at every one. They add no real substance to each chapter they’re connected too either.

I would have much preferred an Indiana Jones-esque novel, which I was lead to believe it was, since the antiques parts are quite interesting. I just found the novel so predictable, repetitive and underdeveloped, that it became a slog to finish. The plot is paper thin and the pacing jumps all over the place and then some. It’s clearly set up to be a series with Freya and her Aunt Carole, and suffice to say, I won’t be hunting alongside them in the future.

It pains me to write such a negative review, but I won’t be recommending it to anyone.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is what i would call a cozy locked room mystery.

At a young age, Freya started working with her Aunt Carole's dear friend Arthur Crockleford, who is an expert in antiques and antiquities. They would track down stolen objects and return them to the rightful owners. Both believing that antiquities should remain in the countries that have a cultural link to the objects. On one such mission Freya has to deal with a heartbreaking loss that results in her estrangement from Arthur.
Decades into the future Freya's Aunt Carole contacts her with the news that Arthur has died. After the reading of Arthur's will, as well as receiving some very cryptic letters from Arthur himself, Carole and Freya find themselves on their way to an old English Manor where Freya is meant to authenticate some antiques of the recently departed owner. The pair are drawn into a ring of black market antiquities dealers with ties to the mission that Freya and Arthur were involved in many years ago. The other guests at the manor are hiding their own secrets that Freya will uncover, giving her answers so many questions about the past. Arthur has provided the clues and now Freya must solve he mystery of who killed Arthur and why.

I really enjoyed this novel. The characters are eccentric, the plot played out with just enough info to keep you interested and move forward, and it was fun trying to figure out what involvement each of the characters had and exactly how they were connected.
This was a very quick read that took me a day to complete, sure to be loved by all mystery lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This was so much fun! The cast of characters were very entertaining. We got enough of a background picture of the major players to set up the book (and hopefully a series) without being bogged down by history. A great author to keep an eye on for sure.

Fantastic story, brilliant writing, wonderful audiobook and an enticing story. And there’s another!! Hell yes. I can’t wait.

This was a very interesting and well written book with an Indiana Jones type of vibe. Freya Lockwood receives a letter from her estranged antique hunter mentor, Arthur had taught her all she knows about antiques. Though an incident in Cairo caused her to lose her faith in him and resulted in her leaving the antique world for 20 years. The letter was written by Arthur days before he was murdered in his antique shop, together with her Aunt Carole, who is also in the antiques business, they begin to uncover clues left by Arthur that lead them to an English Manor house where an antique sale is being held by the owners. There are several people there, some that Freya and Carol recognize from their time in the business, they also begin to realize that all of the antiques on display are fake reproductions. Another murder occurs, Freya finds herself briefly locked in a vault and some of the attendees are stealing the real antiques. I found the middle part of the book slowed a bit, but towards the end the pace picked up and the ending was perfect. I would recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Atria for the ARC.

I absolutely loved this cozy mystery. I am often a fan of multiple POV's when it comes to a murder mystery because I find it hard to figure out who I'm really hunting for? As an antique/murderer hunter I LOVED Freya's character. I thought the way that C.L. Miller wrote her coming alive again after a long slumber was magnificent and I would love to get to follow her journey as she finds herself again. **another one please** :D

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Delighted to interview Cara Miller about the personal and industry inspiration for this enjoyable cozy mystery, for The Big Read, the weekly featured longread for the Books section of Zoomer, Canada’s national culture magazine. (see article at link)

The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder is C.L. Miller's wonderful debut novel.
The cover immediately caught my eye. It promised a great read - and it delivered. I've become addicted to cozy murder tales lately.

I liked that Miller introduced the book herself. I'm always curious about how a plot is devised. Miller has lots of background herself in the antique world and that adds a great deal to the book.

What is the plot you ask? From the publisher "...a former antique hunter investigates a suspicious death at an isolated English manor, embroiling her back in the dangerous world of tracking stolen artifacts."

Ahh, an isolated manor in England? Perfect setting of course. A wealth of characters to choose from for the 'culprit'. Check. (And I admit, I had picked wrongly for final reveal! Freya is a lead character you'll quite like. Her personal life is tied to the past - will she take her life back? Her Aunt Carole is a great choice for the supporting role. Her acting skills and personality are fun.

The premise is a good one, the setting is perfect for this tale, it's a wonderful debut and I would be quite happy to see Freya again! Or another book from Miller.