The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller review: A great start to a potential series
Just as you think you’ve worked out the mystery in The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller, you’re thrown another twist. It’s clear by the end, though, that this could be the first book in a series.
Disclaimer: I got an advanced copy of this book for free via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
If you’re looking for a cute murder mystery book, The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller is going to be for you. This steps away from the psychological thrillers and gives us something a little more like Agatha Christie.
I’d highly recommend this book for those who like to solve the murder mystery with the leads. While there is a backstory that’s important, it doesn’t overshadow the main story too much.
What is The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller about?
The novel opens with a death, and it seems like the victim knows that this death is coming. Arthur Crockleford has left clues for Freya Lockwood to figure out. Freya hasn’t spoken to Arthur in 20 years, but it’s up to her and Aunt Carole to get to the bottom of the situation and solve the mystery before some antiques end up in the wrong hands.
Nothing is at it seems. Everyone has their secrets. And it looks like the killer could strike again. Can the two women figure it all out?
While they do so, Freya has to learn the truth about what Arthur did to her 20 years earlier. She has spent the last 20 years running away from Arthur and blaming him for getting out of the antique hunting game. It turns out that he did it for a reason, and he never got a chance to gain forgiveness for his actions.
The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder review
This is a great novel whether you know a little or a lot about antiquing. You simply don’t need to as C.L. Miller goes into the details and explanations that are necessary for the story. One thing I love is that we don’t get bogged down with too many explanations, and some of them are done through backstory to get to know Freya rather than just a brain dump for the sake of the case.
We’re certainly taken on a fun murder mystery. Trust nobody when it comes to figuring out the clues. Everyone has a secret. Only Freya and Carole are guaranteed to be working on the same side. They both want to get to the bottom of the mystery before the killer strikes again, but they’re doing it for their own reasons.
I adored the twists and turns along the way. It made it impossible to guess who did it until the end. I’m really happy to say that I got it wrong. It doesn’t happen often.
The start did have Freya telling us a little too often that she didn’t like Arthur. It was almost like she was protesting too much against herself, trying to remember why she disliked him. That took away from some of the story at first, but nothing too much. It was clear from the start that Arthur did the wrong thing for the right reasons, so it was hard to dislike him as much as Freya did—or even connect with her dislike for him. Had this been cleared up right away, I think I could have connected with Freya right from the start instead of just rolling my eyes for a while.
Stars: 4 out of 5.
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The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller is available to buy on Amazon on Tuesday, Feb. 6.