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The Antique Hunter's Guide To Murder
By C L Miller
Published by Pan Macmillan Australia
ISBN 9781035021819
Usually I don't read fiction, but The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder had me hooked from the beginning, line and sinker.
The principal setting is in what one can imagine is a picturesque village in Suffolk in England away from the hustle and bustle of cities, apart from a few brief mentions of the main character's home that is for sale in London. Freya Lockwood, the main character, was once an antique hunter in the village working for the well respected antique dealer, Arthur Crockleford who just happens to be the long term partner of Freya's aunt Carole.
Freya's mean spirited former husband James wants to sell the family home in which she and their daughter Jade have lived for the past eighteen years. James is in a hurry to sell this house and although Freya knew this was inevitable as their daughter Jade was now at university in America, after so many years of being put down and disrespected losing her self-confidence, she is more than a little worried at the prospect of losing her home.
In the nick of time an opportunity arises to take her away and her mind out of this situation with the sudden death of the now elderly Arthur Crockleford, mysteriously found dead in his antique shop.
Carole believes he has been murdered. But has he? Arthur had trained Freya from the age of sixteen to be an antique hunter and in her early twenties went with Arthur to Cairo in Egypt to find a missing valuable statue for his friend and client Lord Milford . Therein lies the crux of the plot, with a massive web of intrigue, forgeries, a love affair with the handsome son of the company manufacturing the fake copies and a murder. There is a chance that Freya could be implicated but fortunately thanks to Arthur flees home to safety.
At this point I must tell you that C L Miller has an incredible talent for weaving this story and keeping the reader on the edge of the seat, wanting to just read to the end of the page and then carry on reading. Not only is the author a talented writer of intrigue and mystery, but from reading about her she also has a solid knowledge of the antique's world. A perfect combination.
Aunt Carole sounds like a hoot, loads of fun as she drives a rate of knots down small county lanes in her convertible Mercedes which scares Freya. Apart from her daughter Jade, Carole is Freya's only family member as she lost her parents when she was very young.
Carole who misses her dear Arthur, is a keen investigator and the two of them are determined to find out who murdered him. There are many characters to suspect. Could it be Arthur's young assistant Harry, his solicitor, Franklin who seems to have a shady side with Giles and Amy, he disagreeable son and daughter of Lord Melford or Phil the gardener who doesn't seem to do much gardening, or there's Bella who plays a dirty trick on Freya at the antiques weekend on the family estate.
The plots are well thought out, the fictional quotes from Arthur at the beginning of each chapter make one think this is or could be a true story. The writing style is easy to read and it is easy to imagine this story as a tv movie. It is a bit of Agatha Raisin meets Lovejoy meets Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries. Entertaining, but thoroughly good reading, just the ticket for escaping all the bad news.
The author
C L Miller started working life in publishing as an editorial assistant for her mother, Judith Miller on the Miller's Antique Price Guide and as a researcher for the Antique Hunter's Guide to Europe and then went into hospitality and events. After she had children, she decided to follow her long-held dream of becoming an author and began writing full-time. She was an Undiscovered Voices winner in 2022 and was showcased in the UV 2022 anthology.
C L lives in a medieval cottage in Dedham Vale, Suffolk, with her family.
This is independent review, I am not paid by the publishers, so.If you
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