The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder is C.L. Miller's wonderful debut novel.
The cover immediately caught my eye. It promised a great read - and it delivered. I've become addicted to cozy murder tales lately.

I liked that Miller introduced the book herself. I'm always curious about how a plot is devised. Miller has lots of background herself in the antique world and that adds a great deal to the book.

What is the plot you ask? From the publisher "...a former antique hunter investigates a suspicious death at an isolated English manor, embroiling her back in the dangerous world of tracking stolen artifacts."

Ahh, an isolated manor in England? Perfect setting of course. A wealth of characters to choose from for the 'culprit'. Check. (And I admit, I had picked wrongly for final reveal! Freya is a lead character you'll quite like. Her personal life is tied to the past - will she take her life back? Her Aunt Carole is a great choice for the supporting role. Her acting skills and personality are fun.

The premise is a good one, the setting is perfect for this tale, it's a wonderful debut and I would be quite happy to see Freya again! Or another book from Miller.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an an honest review.

The premise of this book really intrigued me - antiques, a murder, and a manor in the English countryside are all elements that should lead to a solid mystery novel that I have enjoyed in the past. However, while having great main characters in Freya and Carole, this one was a bit of a letdown for me. On the one hand, the premise, characters and setting were very fun and engaging. On the other hand, the writing, pacing, plot and exposition is where the book fell flat to me personally. I found it a bit surface level where things moved too quickly or weren't delved into deep enough, which really took me out of the story and made it less enjoyable than books in this genre are usually for me. The idea was strong, but the execution was where it didn't quite live up to the mark for me. It was a pleasant and easy read, however.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller from Net Galley and Simon & Schuster Canada in order to read and give an honest review.

In this debut novel from C.L. Miller we meet Freya Lockwood, our “down on her luck” protagonist. Freya’s life is becoming overwhelming for her, she is losing her daughter to college, her bully of an ex-husband is pushing her to sell their marital home and she lives in an insecure state. She longs to be the brave woman, the adventurer and antique hunter she used to be before a traumatizing event in Cairo changed the trajectory of her life. She blamed her estranged employer and mentor Arthur Crockleford for the event and refused to return to her hometown for fear of running into him. When Freya gets a call from her beloved Aunt Carole informing her Arthur has died in what Carole is convinced is a murder made to look like an accident. Carole begs Freya to come home to help her get through losing her lifelong friend. Upon returning she learns she has inherited half of Arthurs Antique Shop along with Carole. While out to lunch the waitress hands them a strange letter to be given to them both on the event of Arthur’s demise. The letter reveals that Arthur knew his life was endangered and that should he die, Freya was the only one who could solve his murder. He leaves cryptic clues for Freya and Carole leading them on a hunt that has been set up meticulously by Arthur, revealing secrets that tie his murder, thefts and to the events twenty years earlier in Cairo leading the duo on a mission filled with stolen artifacts, murder, and mayhem.

As Freya and Carole put the pieces together, Freya learns more about Arthur’s murder, her past and that she can once again be the fearless woman she once was.

I really enjoyed Freya’s character, and the growth her character has throughout the book. I love protagonists who are intelligent, strong, down to earth, yet vulnerable. I was also impressed by her supporting characters, they read both quirky yet genuine. Told from multiple points of view Antique Hunters Guide to Murder is a fast-paced, fun, and cleverly woven debut novel although there were a few small blips which is normal in ARC copies I found this to be an entertaining read that I would highly recommend.

This was an enjoyable journey into the world of antiques.

Freya Lockwood, a former antique hunter, wanted to erase the time she worked with antiques after being betrayed by her mentor. After twenty years, she was returning to the place where it all began. Arthur Crockford, an antique dealer, died in mysterious circumstances. Before his death, he sent a letter to Freya, asking her to investigate and track down the stolen artifacts, and be aware that his traitor will follow her. Freya was mad that he asked her for this favor after he betrayed her in Cairo, but she decided to take the matter in her own hands. Together with her aunt, they deciphered the clues Arthur left them. During the investigation, they meet people dealing in antiques, but it seemed that no one was who they say they were.

This mysterious book was written by a debut author, which was a great surprise to me.

I enjoy reading about antiques and this story was nicely presented and engaging. Short chapters were told from the perspective of each person involved in this story. That was a very clever and interesting way to introduce each character and describe their role. I could have suspected anyone behind Arthur's murder, except Freya and Carole, of course.

Read this book if you want to escape into the world of mystery, antique hunters, and forgeries.

The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller is an absolute romp!

Divorced and on the brink of losing her home, Freya Lockwood finds solace in roaming London museums and art galleries, studying antiques and antiquities. These visits are her only link to the world of antique hunting that she was forced to leave behind 20 years ago.

While visiting the Victoria and Albert Museum, she receives a phone call from her Aunt Carole, informing her that Arthur Crockleford, Aunt Carole’s beloved friend and Freya’s estranged-mentor, has died.

Once back in the quaint Suffolk village she ran away from, Freya discovers Arthur was on the hunt for an item of great importance when he died in suspicious circumstances. Knowing his time was running out, Arthur left behind an encoded letter of instructions for Freya and Carole. In addition, the letter contains the tantalizing suggestion that Freya would be able to get back the career she was made for and find out what really happened on that fateful trip to Cairo all of those years ago.

I loved so many things about this book! Freya’s sweet relationship with her vivacious Aunt Carole added fun and lightness. The idyllic landscape of Dedham Vale, a.k.a. Constable Country, provides the perfect setting. And the manor house that isn’t quite right, added the right amount of unease.

It was a delight to read a story about a woman in her late forties who is finding her own identity beyond motherhood. This book is described as Indiana Jones meets The Antiques Roadshow, and quite rightly too! But it is also a story about a woman finding her way back to the version of herself she was proud of, before life took the wind out of her sails. I loved getting to see Freya’s transformation.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy of this book through NetGalley.

First off, I really wanted to love this book, I loved the premise of a middle age divorced woman trying to gain her confidence back as well as the world of reparations of stolen antiquities. i loved the setting of the English countryside manor complete with a hidden folly. Despite my high hopes this debut novel by C.L Miller fell flat for me. I found it too repetitive and the pacing was slow, it was lacking the necessary oomph to keep me engaged. As Well, the twists were too predictable and I would have liked to have seen more stories of Arthur and Freya’s past adventures finding stolen antiquities. Although I enjoy a lighthearted quirky side kick character, Aunt Carole was too forced for my enjoyment.

My rating 2 1/2 stars out of 5

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this eARC that will be released February 6 2024.

I adored this book. It's a lighter change of pace from the psychological thrillers that I usually read, and that was a great thing. This reminds me more of Agatha Christie's style of books, and we had a fun mystery to solve with Freya and Carole.

For the most part, the backstory didn't get in the way. The only thing I found annoying at first was this reminder that Freya was mad at Arthur for something he did 20 years ago. It took too long to find out what that is considering how much she went on about it, and I did roll my eyes a couple of times. I would have preferred to learn sooner so I could empathize with her a little more.

Other than that, the story was fun and went smoothly. What we needed to know about antiquing was explained and nothing more so it didn't bog down the story. And I'm not ashamed to say that I got it wrong. It's not often a book can do that, so I rate it highly when it manages it.

Move over antiques roadshow, it’s time for the dark side of antique hunting to come to light!

20 years out of the game after a traumatic experience in Cairo, Freya Lockwood is dragged back into the world of antiquities, when her former mentor Arthur Crockleford dies under mysterious circumstances. Spurned on by her Aunt Carole and the clues left behind by Arthur, Freya finds herself at an antiques retreat trying to get to the bottom of a mystery spanning 20 years.

With plenty of twists, Miller has written a real page turner. While Freya is the main point of view, she sprinkles in chapters of other character perspectives to give you tidbits of the whole picture. You’ll be rooting for Freya and Aunt Carole throughout the book, as they make a great duo that’ll hopefully have more adventures to come.

Despite the pace slightly dragging near the end, and few bits that felt a tad repetitive or confusing, I highly recommended this read. It is perfect for fans of the Knives Out movies and The Maid series.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books, and Simon & Schuster Canada for the advanced copy to read and review.

The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder by C. L. Miller is a pleasingly fun find, especially for readers like me who are entranced by the antique world.

Set in England, middle-aged Freya is a former antique hunter who is going through a rough patch. Her Aunt Carole who raised her convinces her to visit and investigate the suspicious death of Carole's dear friend and ex-mentor of Freya. At first Freya had misgivings due to her relationship breakdown with Arthur but relented. Arthur had written a letter to Freya before his death with specific and unique directives only she would understand. The two women bond as they team up to sleuth. They discover secrets in nooks and crannies galore. A few parts are predictable but didn't bother me as it was an engrossing reading experience. My favourite aspect is the enjoyable antiques information.

If you are in the mood for an escape, do snap this up. It hits all the right places beautifully. My eyes are eagerly peeled for the next by this author.

My sincere thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this delightful novel.

I was thoroughly entertained by this cozy mustering about the dark side of antiquing!
Freya had been estranged from Arthur Crockleford for many years, when she learns from her Aunt Carole about his sudden death. Carole has her suspicions about Arthur’s death, even if the police don’t. And at the reading of the will, the strange clues Arthur left them arouse an old longing in Freya. She used to be an antiques hunter, compared to Lara Croft, but had given up on her dream after a horrific incident in Cairo. Her ex husband constantly put her down, but as her and Carole plunge themselves deeper into the investigation, Freya regains her adventurous risk taking side.
This is a fun nod to Agatha Christie style locked room isolated setting with a cast of characters that are not all who they seem to be. I think it’s also set up quite nicely for a sequel. If this book had a subtitle, it could be How Freya Got Her Groove Back! Watch for this book February 6, 2024!
Big thanks to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for this advanced ebook! All opinions are my own

Unfortunately I found that this book dragged on and was very repetitive. It didn’t have a lot of elements to define it as a cozy, or a mystery, which makes it a mystery on who to recommend the book to. The antiquity elements weren’t even that compelling.

The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder is C.L. Miller’s debut novel, a cozy mystery set around an antique dealer.

Told in first person, from Freya’s point of view, we follow her from London to Little Meddlington, to investigate the death of her former mentor, antiques dealer, Arthur Crockleford.

The police have deemed Arthur’s death an accident, but Freya’s aunt insists he was murdered and wants Freya’s assistance to prove it.

With many cozy mysteries being entered around food or book establishments, the backdrop for this book was refreshing. I didn’t care much for any of the characters, and the ending was a bit disappointing, but overall I enjoyed this mystery.

All in all though, it was a decent read, and a good debut.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Mysterious, action-packed, and entertaining!

The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder is a suspenseful, engaging tale that takes us into the life of Freya Lockwood, a middle-aged mother of one who, after learning of the death of antique dealer extraordinaire Arthur Crockleford, her mentor and partner from twenty years ago, heads to the small village of Little Meddington to follow the clues he left behind to not only uncover how he actually died but to also discover what truly happened all those years ago when an antiques excursion they were on went tragically wrong.

The writing style is intricate and light. The characters are intelligent, adventurous, and intriguing. And the plot is a well-paced, compelling whodunit full of red herrings, tricky situations, awkward moments, ruthless murder, danger, deduction, and amateur sleuthing.

Overall, The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder is an immersive, satisfying, wonderful debut by Miller that I could easily see becoming a must-read, enjoyable series for lovers of this genre.

What a great title, it instantly caught my attention & happily the book itself kept it. I love reading about the antiques & history, it adds such rich details. Freya is an interesting yet somewhat mysterious character. As the book goes along we learn more about her falling out with the victim
& it reveals so much. Her aunt Carole is a hoot & the two of them make a great team. I loved the quotes at the beginning of each chapter! The mystery itself was really creative & unlike a lot of cozies.

This seems to be I feel the first book in a series, I can definitely see myself looking out for future one.

I had high hopes for this book after it was compared to one of my favourite series, The Thursday Murder Club. However, I thought that that description was a bit of a stretch. It felt like the character of Carole was added in because of the popularity of older people solving crimes, but she was really just an annoying side character who impeded the plot. I wanted to like Freya and I hoped that she would all of a sudden become this Indiana Jones/Lara Croft type character (which was alluded to many times in the book) however she never really did much adventuring or returning of stolen antiqutiies and just seemed so very dull. I wanted her to grow a backbone and get a personality that wasn't all about her ex-husband, her old house, her grown child (that really didn't need to be a side character) and her grudge with Arthur. This had a lot of promise but that quickly fizzled out.

I want to start by thanking both NetGalley as well as the publisher, Atria Books, for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Antiques Roadshow meets cosy mystery. Afun well put together debut novel that spins though an intriguing past verses a mysterious present to bring about a renewal of confidence. A wonderful introduction to characters I look forward to reading more about.

4.25 stars~

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I actually really enjoyed this book! I liked the different POVs and felt it added a bit of extra intrigue and mystery. I also really enjoyed the added quotes from Arthur at the beginning of each chapter. I felt it allowed the reader to get to know him a bit more, even though the quotes felt a bit generic. I think some parts of the story became a bit much, and I felt at least one portion was a bit obvious. I liked how it was left open to sequels in the future, though I think I do wish there was just a bit more in the ending so that it also felt fully resolved as well, as it felt just a bit too open for me personally.

The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder is a debut mystery novel by C. L. Miller. After the death of her estranged antique hunting mentor, Arthur Crockleford, Freya returns to the village she spent her youth in. While reconnecting with her aunt Carole, she finds out that they have inherited Arthur’s antique shop. An interesting development, as Freya cut all contact with Arthur for the last ten years. She receives a letter from Arthur revealing that he had been betrayed over a stolen artifact and that his death might not be as accidental as she has been led to believe. He charges her with finding the artifact with a promise that it will help her rejoin the antique hunting world she once loved.

I’d first like to say I really wanted to love this book! It has the structure of a really good story but I found that it fell short. I admit this might be because I read an ARC version of the book and not the finished edition. However, the ARC should have gone through more editing before being released to reviewers. There were multiple typos - either spelling mistakes or grammatical errors, throughout the book (although I’m prepared for a few typos but this was frequent). There were also sentences that didn’t make sense at times. As a debut novelist, Miller should have received more support.

I found the characterization of Freya, a divorcee finding her identity again after her child has gone off to university, to be interesting. But at times it felt a bit heavy handed, the author spent a lot of time repeating that Freya had lost her self confidence and doubted her antique hunting skills. Descriptions of events and settings also at times came across as quite obvious. It felt like the author was telling us what to think instead of showing us. For example, there’s a scene where a room has been upturned, the author describes it and then Freya observes the room has been searched. I think with a bit more polishing, it wouldn’t have felt as over the top.

Another element of the book that could be improved is the quotes from Arthur at the beginning of each chapter. They’re supposed to come off as advice from a fatherly figure, to make Arthur seem endearing and like an uncle to Freya. I found these tips to be so generic that reading them at the outset of every chapter became annoying.

Like I said, the bones of the story are good. And I enjoyed the character of Aunt Carole as the life of the party/sometimes the Mrs. Bennett of the story. She provided some comedic relief during tense moments. I also think this could be a good starting point for a series where Freya investigates stolen artifacts.

Ultimately, I would want to read the finished version of the book before recommending it to my audience. However, I think C.L. Miller will only get better the more she writes. I would consider reading more of her writing when she next publishes. Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for giving me access to this novel.

The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder is not only a debut novel but is a delightful read that kept me wanting to turn the pages and help Freya and her Aunt Carole solve who killed poor Arthur.

Arthur was Carole's best friend, Freya's former mentor an antique dealer who knew his days were numbered so he left clues as to why.

Arthur has instructed to Freya to finish what he had started years ago.

Freya and Carole are a dynamic duo that play off each other very well. Carole is flighty ( or is she) and Freya is struggling in her personal life.

The two set off on their mission and the cast of characters that meet up at an isolated English country home just add to the atmosphere.

Secrets and lies, who can the ladies trust if anyone.

I didn't know what to expect when I picked up The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder but I just loved it and when I wasn't reading I wanted to be.

Highly recommend you grab your copy and settle for a great read and an informative one.

I sincerely hope that we see Freya and Carole again soon.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada, Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this debut novel.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Feb. 6, 2024
Freya Lockwood and her former mentor, Arthur Crockleford, parted ways very unamicably many years ago, after an incident in Egypt. Freya also left the world of antique hunting behind and became a devoted wife and mother. Now, her marriage is dissolved, her daughter has moved away and Freya is struggling to find some purpose. When she receives word that Arthur has passed away she is stunned, but even more so when she discovers that Arthur has left her a letter that was written only a few days before his death, asking her to investigate his murder. Freya has no choice but to return to the world she left behind so long ago in order to help seek justice.
“The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder” is an addictive and charming debut novel by author C.L. Miller. Combining Sherlock Holmes with Antiques Roadshow, “Murder” is a suspenseful adventure into the world of antique hunting that is both creative and delightful!
Freya is a forty-something woman whose past trauma has left her scrambling to find a new identity, when she ends up falling back into her old one. Recovering from a negative, controlling, borderline abusive husband, Freya finds comfort in reuniting ancient things with their owners, which leads her to a derelict estate at the will reading of an English Lord. Freya is a delight, and it was refreshing to see a middle-aged, “frumpy” (her words) protagonist stepping in to save the day!
Miller comes from a background of antiquing and her knowledge of the business shows on every page. I learned a little bit myself about the antique business and the exhaustive attention to detail that comes with it!
Each chapter is narrated by an individual who attends the will-reading “event” (although mostly the narrators are Freya and her aunt, Carole), which gives the novel an Agatha Christie “locked room” feel. There were definitely many possibilities when it came down to suspects, but Miller managed to shock me! “Murder” was a stellar debut, and I look forward to more from C.L. Miller!