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

The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder
Author: C. L. Miller
Publication: Atria Books (February 6, 2024)

Description: In this irresistible and thrilling debut novel, a former antique hunter investigates a suspicious death at an isolated English manor, embroiling her back in the dangerous world of tracking stolen artifacts.

What antique would you kill for?

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 and her instincts 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?

My Thoughts: Freya Lockwood is entering a time of change in her life. Her daughter has gone off to college in the US and her ex-husband is pressing her to sell the family home. Then she receives a letter from Arthur Crockleford, her estranged mentor from the time she worked with him as an antiques hunter, which brings her back to the village and life she led more than twenty years earlier.

When Arthur dies in what looks like an accident in his antiques shop, Freya is called back home to support her Aunt Carole in her grief and maybe get a glimpse of what her new future will be. She is immediately involved in Arthur's business and soon becomes convinced that his death was not the accident it seemed. 

She and Carole are given a letter Arthur left in case of his death which contains clues that the two of them can decipher to find out what happened and what secrets Arthur was holding. They find themselves attending an antiques weekend at a local manor and find themselves mixing with a variety of suspicious characters. 

Since the story is told from multiple viewpoints, we have the opportunity to know more about each character's agenda than Freya and Carole do. However, the viewpoints are obscure enough that the reader isn't sure who the good guys and the bad guys are or even if there are any good guys. 

As Freya unravels the clues to a tragic episode in her past, she is also reclaiming it and paving the way for her new future. It was intriguing watching a woman who let her husband belittle her and damage her self-esteem find her way to reclaim it as she solves Arthur's murder. 

This is a first novel and has some strong and weak points. I was engaged with Freya's characters and her struggles and was glad to see a smart and adventurous woman rebuilding herself. 

Favorite Quote:

"Up you go, darling." Carole nudged my shoulder.

"I'm not a performing monkey," I replied.

"I know that and it's quite disappointing. If you were, we would've already had the keys in our hands."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.