Review: The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller
Author: C. L. Miller
Edition: eARC
Publisher: Pan Macmillan (February 29, 2024)
Genre: Adult, Mystery, Cozy Mystery
Synopsis
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 Review of The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder
The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder is a quirky murder mystery set in the secretive world of antiques dealers that ended up disappointing me a little.
I received a free digital eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
Cozy Mystery with a Unique Setting
The first aspect of The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder that caught my eye was the title. It promises exactly the kind of half-whacky half-whimsical murder mystery that I greatly enjoy, and for the most part the book delivers on the promise.
In particular, I was intrigued to get a glimpse into the world of antiques, a trade that I have absolutely no knowledge about other than that it reminds me of the nerdy passion I know from archaeologists. Overall, I think C. L. Miller’s personal family ties to the antique trade definitely added to the dimensionality of this book’s setting, I love when authors are able to invite and immerse the reader in a highly specialised world such as this!
Quirky Characters
Carole embodies exactly the kind of larger-than-life weird aunt theatre kid energy that a book like this needs. I loved her flair for the dramatic and found her to be a unique addition to a crime-solving effort like Freya’s.
Freya on the other hand isn’t necessarily stoic but definitely stuck in her own head more than is good for her. Carole balances her more subdued energy with grand gestures and presence and well, I know which part of this duo I loved more!
What Didn’t Work For Me
Unfortunately, the writing felt incredibly repetitive and the continuous vague and dramatic references to Freya’s and Aurthur’s falling out every few paragraphs got on my nerves very quickly. I found myself having very little patience for Freya as a character because there simply didn’t seem to be more to her than dramatic wallowing in this ominous past. Subsequently, I found her kind of annoying and struggled to feel invested in her story.
In general, I was unfortunately not the right kind of reader for the dramatic quotes from Arthur that start every chapter. His pretentious presence haunts the book and again, annoyed me more than it added anything to the story. However, the repetitive writing aside, I do think that the slightly dramatic/pretentious flair fits the book well, I just didn’t vibe with it as a reader and it made me struggle to get through this story.
Despite the grand mystery of it all, both the setting and its quirky characters make The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder a book that I think readers who usually read cozy mysteries but want more stakes and intrigues would enjoy.
Overall…
…The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder was a bit of a miss for me because the writing style and main character just weren’t what I wanted from this book. But if those aspects aren’t a deal breaker for you and the setting and vibe intrigues you, I think this book may well be your cup of tea!
This book is for you if…
…you like mysteries that lean into unique settings and quirky vibes
…you are looking for a book that transports you into a profession you may not know much about
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One Comment
dbsguidetothegalaxy
Ooh, okay, quite interesting. I’ll definitely add it to my tbr and see sometime soon. Glad you liked it!