ARC Review: The Antique Hunter's Murder at the Castle by C. L. Miller

The Antique Hunter's Murder at the Castle
Author: C. L. Miller
Series: Antique Hunter's (Book 3)
Publication: Atria Books (March 17, 2026)

Description: The third novel in the “delightful, page-turning” (Tom Ryan, USA TODAY bestselling author) Antique Hunter Series finds Freya, Aunt Carole, and friends searching for a missing colleague in picturesque Scotland.

Hot on the heels of an art forger, a member of the Lockwood Antique Hunter’s Agency disappears while investigating an isolated castle deep in Scottish countryside. Freya and Aunt Carole race to her last known location and arrive in the wintry, snow-covered Scottish Borders.

At the castle, they discover that a murdered laird in the vegetable garden and his priceless collection of silverware has been stolen. Local police believe Freya’s missing team member was involved with the robbery and murder...but where is she now?

As a snowstorm descends on the castle, Freya and Carole call in back-up to help uncover what happened that fateful night. As each question is met with more mystery, the clock is ticking to find their friend and the murderer before they are cut off from the outside world.

Another delightfully gripping and endearing mystery, the Antique Hunter’s Series provides “great characters, great story, and you’re always eager for the next one” (Ian Moore, author of Death and Croissants).

My Thoughts: The third Antique Hunter's story takes place in a Scottish Castle. The team has been hired by the FBI to track down some paintings that were discovered to be forged. They are also working their way through the third notebook left them by their friend and mentor which includes the paintings and some silver. 

Their new friend, potential partner Bella, has gone ahead. She has her own agenda that deals with finding her family. She has never been part of a team in her somewhat dubious career and isn't sure she wants to be part of one now. 

However, when Bella disappears, Carole and Freya head to the castle to see what has happened to her. They stumble over the body of the laird of the castle but can't find Bella. They call in their FBI contact Phil who is also Freya's boyfriend and begin their own investigation.

The story is filled with twists and turns complicated by a snowstorm that strands them in the castle. I enjoyed this story but think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the second book in the series. There were lots of references to that story and how the relationships between the characters began.

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

Book Review: Gutter Mage by J. S. Kelley

Gutter Mage
Author: J. S. Kelley
Publication: Gallery Books (September 21, 2021)

Description: J.S. Kelley weaves epic fantasy and hardboiled noir in this fast-paced, twisting tale of magic, mystery, and a whole lot of unruly behavior.

In a kingdom where magic fuels everything from street lamps to horseless carriages, the mage guilds of Penador wield power equal to the king himself. So when Lord Edmund’s infant son is kidnapped by the ruthless Alath Guild, he turns to the one person who’s feared by even the most magically adept: Rosalind Featherstone, a.k.a. the Gutter Mage.

But as Roz delves into the circumstances behind the child’s disappearance, she uncovers an old enemy from her traumatic past and a long-brewing plot that could lead to the death of countless innocents, as well as the complete collapse of Penadorian society itself!

My Thoughts: This epic fantasy stars Roz Featherstone. She is known as the Gutter Mage but nobody better call her that to her face. She works as a sort of private investigator in the country of Penador. 

Roz is called to the home of Lord Edmund to find his kidnapped infant son. Clues lead to the Alath Guild, one of the new mage guilds. But there are disturbing signs that an old enemy, one she thought she had killed some fifteen years earlier, wasn't quite as dead as Roz believed.

As Roz and her partner Lysander search they discover that things in Penador aren't what she always thought. Nor is she who she always thought she was. 

Teaming up with a mage from a more respectable guild, Roz and Lysander track down the infant to a mining town high in the mountains. But they learn that there never was an infant and the spirits who are harnessed to run the kingdom doing everything from lighting the streets to heating the homes aren't what she thought they were either.

This was an engaging fantasy with an intriguing main character with some anger management issues. I liked the worldbuilding. 

I bought this one September 18, 2025. You can buy your copy here.