Book Review: The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller

Rating: 3.5⭐️

After the shocking death of her mentor and former employer antique dealer Arthur Crockleford, Freya Lockwood is drawn back into the world of antiquities after almost twenty years. Arthur has left his business to her and his friend, her Aunt Carole. As Freya returns to her village and finds out more about Artur’s death and receives a coded letter Arthur left for her, she begins to suspect that someone aware of the true nature of Arthur’s work might have been responsible for the same. As the narrative progresses, we follow Freya as she travels to Copthorn Manor to value the estate of one of Arthur’s associates for probate as per Arthur’s last wishes. The guests at the Antiques Enthusiast Retreat include the family members of the late Lord Metcalf, the house staff and Arthurs's lawyer, among others. Freya is sure that the antiques on display are reproductions and senses that Arthur had his reasons for sending her there – reasons connected to the events that led to her rift with Arthur and their subsequent estrangement twenty years ago.

I loved the premise of The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller and the fact that the protagonist is a mature middle-aged female character. I adored Aunt Carole and her eccentricities. Plenty of humor, a cast of interesting (and suspicious) characters, the insights into the antiquities trade and the suspenseful plot definitely made for an entertaining read. I also loved how each chapter began with Arthur’s words of wisdom. However, I had an issue with the pacing and thought the narrative suffered from much repetitiveness (multiple references to the events that unfolded in Cairo twenty years ago ), resulting in a long-drawn-out journey to the end. There were aspects in the present day timeline that should have been explored in more detail, but past events tended to overshadow the same. Though the plot became a tad convoluted toward the end, I did like the resolution to the murder mystery.

Overall, while there were aspects of the novel that I enjoyed, I felt that it could have been a tad more tightly woven and more emphasis given to the characters and events in the present timeline.

Many thanks to Atria Books for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.