I love a good mystery and was expecting so much more from a long running series like this. Unfortunately this was not to be the case for me this time around. The author apparently loves antiques and spends an inordinate amount of time describing them. I get what it is, please move on. Then over the use of saying that my grandmother would have said also annoyed me. I had t wonder if this wouldn’t have been a far better read without all the fluff.

While the story was decent, I had a hard time getting past the two glaring issues I noted and am disappointed as I would have loved to have found a series with a bunch of books on which I could binge my way through to catch up. Such is not the case here. Don’t let my views deter you, this may be one you really enjoy if you aren’t bothered by the same things as I am.

I've always liked this series. The information about antiques and the job of authenticating is interesting. However in this installment I grew to dislike Josie. She was demanding, obnoxious, and rude. The storyline of trying to find Veronica was ludicrous. Putting her name in the paper and offering a cash reward to anyone who first gets info on her? Crazy! I'm not sure I'll read any more of this series

I haven't read any of the other books in this series or anything by the author before... Having said that, I think the author did a good job with data collection for this book which results in a very entertaining and well written book with likeable characters and mysteries.

Jane Cleland has created a very detailed, well-researched mystery. I was compelled by the intricacies of the antique world and the details of the document authentication process. The premise of the primary mystery was clever and gripping. However, there were a few areas where this story fell short for me. Josie Prescott’s preoccupation with her father’s death and her extreme angst over the situation with Veronica felt off. While the loss of a loved one is not an experience anyone truly overcomes, that aspect of this story felt inharmonious with Josie’s otherwise capable personality. Additionally, the overly descriptive, and often out of place, details of the trivialities of her personal life caused the pace of the story to become extremely slow. Josie’s interactions with her husband seemed out of place in the story and created an additional storyline that felt unnecessary. The main story thread was one I wanted to follow but I found the other nonessential pieces to be distracting and frustrating.

The Josie Prescott Antique Mysteries never disappoint. The writing style of Jane Cleland is intelligent, interesting and descriptive. She ‘sets the stage’ and keeps the reader engaged and focused with an intriguing plot. The reader is also visited by the wonderful ‘Josie’s Antiques’ characters that add additional charm to this mystery.
Josie Prescott is preparing to film an episode of her Televisions series Josie's Antiques. She is interrupted when a woman insists on speaking with her. The woman introduces herself as Veronica Sutton, a friend of her late father. After a very brief chat, she gives Josie a shoebox and leaves the studio. Josie opens the box and finds a letter addressed to her by her father and a green leather box containing two letters signed by Jane Austen. With curiosity at its peak, Josie wonders if these be two letters could actually have been written by Jane Austen? In her quest, Josie stumbles upon murder, finding the mysterious Veronica Sutton, the authenticating the unknown Austen letters.
Highly recommended and thoroughly enjoyable, my thanks to NetGalley, Jane Cleland and Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of JANE AUSTEN’S LOST LETTERS (Book 14 of the Josie Prescott Antiques mysteries) by Jane K. Cleland in exchange for an honest review. Josie’s television show is going well. The crew is currently filming an episode on authenticating handwritten notes; specifically, the experts are evaluating such a note attributed to Beatrix Potter. Coincidentally, a mysterious woman shows up with something the woman says Josie’s father would like her to have; it’s two letters by Jane Austen. The show is nearly finished filming when someone begins killing the episode’s experts. Josie now has several mysteries; she has to find the mystery woman; she has to learn the woman’s connection to Josie’s father, Josie will have to learn about the Jane Austen letters, and Josie will have to identify the murderer before she becomes the next victim. Some of these things may be interconnected, and Josie’s investigation may reveal answers to other questions. Meanwhile, Josie’s personal life is at a crossroads; her husband has been offered an opportunity that could move them away from New Hampshire and Prescott’s Antiques.

I liked the book and enjoy the series. I recommend the book and the series to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder and antique-themed mysteries.

I received an advance copy of, Jane Austen's Lost Letters, by Jane K. Cleland. This book was way different then I thought it would be.

Another intelligent, complex mystery from Jane Cleland. A cut above most cozies, this series features a heroine who is the whip smart owner of a successful antiques business and the star of her own tv series. In this outing, Josie solves two mysteries: the first involves the motive for two murders and the second involves her long dead father, tales brought together by two newly discovered letters that may or may not have been written by Jane Austen.

Those familiar with the series will enjoy getting updated on the Prescott Antiques "family" as well as Josie's husband Ty and friends Ellis and Zoe. Themes querying how well we can really know even those we love the most and loyalty lead Josie to question her own judgment, but also reinforce the importance of family, and it looks like these themes will be explored in future series entries.

The Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries is one of my all-time favorite traditional mystery series. It's the intelligence with which the stories are written which make it "a cut above" for me.

Prescott Antiques and Auctions in New Hampshire is a thriving business, chosen as best small antiques house for five years. With Josie at the helm, aided by her hand-selected, highly skilled staff, they've even been able to add a small TV studio, where Josie's show is in its sixth season. In the middle of filming the latest episode. where two experts debate as to whether a particular antique is authentic, there is a murder. One of the experts, a former supermodel who has built a highly successful career in her current business, is found strangled. And soon a second murder occurs. Persons of interest inevitably include the victim's assistant, the other expert and his bulldog mother, and others looking for financial gain.

At the same time, Josie is visited by a mysterious stranger who hands her a box and hurries away. Inside is a note from Josie's long-deceased father, along with what appear to be two previously uncatalogued letters from Jane Austen to family members. How can Josie locate the woman to find out more about her father and about the letters' provenance, while keeping her business running smoothly? Although her husband works for Homeland Security, it falls to the local police to try to keep her out of danger and solve the murders.

The author has written books and lectured on writing craft, and her expertise is evident in her excellent series.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and post an honest review.

This is a fun, cozy mystery sent to on Kindle by Netgalley. The protagonist isn’t is an antique appraiser with her own television show…murder and mayhem abound. The book is character driven with likeable characters and villains. Deceit…forgery…murder…family…friendship…family secrets…all of that…try 5is one…a quick read…

This was a completely captivating cozy mystery. The plot was well-paced and engaging to the end. I look forward to more from Jane Cleland. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

This book was very well written, original and entertaining. Good for summer reading and took my mind off of other things for a while.

I liked reading a mystery set in the antique world. I liked that the main character was not a detective just an ordinary civilian thrown into a mystery. There were a couple mysteries going on and both of them were interesting. The main drawback for me was the overly descriptive paragraphs. There is a difference between setting the stage and getting caught in the minutiae. The overuse of old sayings like “ the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” became tiresome.

I enjoyed this book although I found it to be a bit slow. It's through in the settings. I liked the characters and was completely surprised by who the killer was. I liked the plot twist at the ending. #JaneAusten'sLostLetters #NetGalley

I love this latest installment in this cozy mystery series. All of the books have been so good this one is no different. I love the incorporation of Jane Austen as well.

Jane Austen's Lost Letters by Jane K. Cleland (Josie Prescott Antique Mysteries #14) 4.5 stars

A follow up to last years "Hidden Treasure" we find Josie Prescott happily married and getting ready to film an episode of her TV series Josie's Antiques. She is called out of the studio when a lady insists on talking with her. Veronica Sutton introduces her as an old friend of her father. After a short and disjointed conversation she hands a shoebox to Josie and leaves. Inside the shoebox is a note to her from her father and a green leather box. The green leather box contains two letters in a plastic sleeves, both are signed by Jane Austen. Could these be two unknown letters written by Jane Austen? It seem serendipitous to have as show guests, two experts who specialize on authenticating documents. The show is delayed the next day when one of the guests doesn't show up for taping. Taking a walk break around the warehouse, Josie discovers the body of Gloria Moreau, the missing expert and a professor at a nearby college. Could the Jane Austen letters be the reason for her death or did Dr. Moreau know a dangerous secret? Josie is on the case to find the truth to all the questions.

I enjoyed this book; reading a Josie Prescott Antique Mystery is like watching an in-depth episode of Antiques Road Show. Josie applied her knowledge of antiques and research to solve this mystery and didn't let any obstacle get in her way. This book was especially poignant because it illustrates Josie's love for her father and her determination to find out the truth by any means possible. Her attitude towards solving problems is illustrated when her husband Ty is confronted with a career dilemma. She provides reasonable options for advancing his career while staying in New Hampshire. I look forward to the next book in this series.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

This is an adorable cozy I love Jane Austen and this adds a fun and life back into her work.
❤️

The 14th book in the long running Josie Prescott antique mystery series is just as good as the first. There’s a lot going on in this latest installment. Josie and her two guests are filming a.segment on handwriting analysis and with all the research Cleland has done it’s extremely fascinating. A mysterious woman stops by to give Josie a package from her long dead father but won’t stick around to answer any questions, her husband is going through career decisions, 2 murders, someone tries to kill her and a very surprising ending. You definitely can’t say the series is getting stale.
In this book I find Josie a little entitled, always wanting her way and not handling it well when she doesn’t get it, but it doesn’t detract too much from the mystery. With the book ending the way it does I’m looking forward to the next installment.