The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder

By C. L. Miller

What it’s about?

WHAT ANTIQUE WOULD YOU KILL FOR?

Freya, it’s down to you to finish what I started . . .

Freya Lockwood has avoided the quaint English village in which she grew up for the last twenty years. That is until news arrives that Arthur Crockleford, antiques dealer and Freya’s estranged mentor, has died . . . and the circumstances seem suspicious.

You will uncover a reservation, I implore you to attend . . .

But when a letter from Arthur is delivered, sent just days before his death, and an ordinary pine chest concealing Arthur’s journals, including reservations in her name, are revealed, Freya finds herself sucked back into a life she’d sworn to leave behind.

But beware, trust no one. Your life depends on it . . .

Joining forces with her eccentric Aunt Carole, Arthur’s staunch best friend, Freya follows both clues and her instincts to an old manor house for an ‘antiques enthusiasts’ weekend’. But not is all as it seems; the antiques are bad reproductions, and the other guests are menacing and secretive.

Can Freya and Carole solve the mystery surrounding the weekend before a killer strikes again?

What I think:

The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder was on my list if most anticipated books of the year, so I was absolutely delighted to be invited to be a part of the blog tour.

This is a complex and interesting murder mystery with some absolutely brilliant characters.

I loved Freya and Carol and the dynamics between them.

Freya is a bit lost at the beginning of the book. Her horrible ex-husband is making her sell her home and her daughter has grown up. Her former mentor in the world of antiques, Arthur Crockleford does, and she heads home to stay with Aunt Carole while she regroups.

A mysterious letter written by Arthur shortly before his death sends Freya and Carole in a treasure hunt that will ultimately reveal who has murdered Arthur and why.

Stolen and valuable antiques and the darker side of the Antique dealing world are a great setting for a murder mystery. The mystery is interesting and complex. Freya has to think back to the last and revisit some of her worst memories. In doing so, she has to re-evaluate some of her past and sees situations from different perspectives.

There is a lot of action and some great characters.

Aunt Carole is a fabulously entertaining and compassionate character, full of life and a sense of adventure. I loved the dynamic between her and Freya.

The resolution to this mystery was really satisfying and the book sets Carole and Freya up for a new chapter in their lives with the possibility of future adventures. I’m really looking forward to seeing where this series goes in the future.

About the author:

Cara Miller started working life in publishing as an editorial assistant for her mother, Judith Miller, on the Miller’s Antique Price Guide to Europe before she went into hospitality and events.

After she had children, she decided to follow her long-held dream of becoming an author and began writing full-time. She was an Undiscovered Voices winner in 2022 and was showcased in the UV 2022 anthology. She lives in a medieval cottage in Suffolk with her family.

This book was written in consultation with international antiques expert Judith Miller (1951–2023), a regular specialist on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. Judith was also the co-founder of the bestselling annual Miller’s Antiques Price Guide, which started in 1979. She went on to write more than 120 books on antiques and interiors.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for my gifted copy of the book and to Anne at Random Things Tours for inviting me to be a part of this brilliant blog tour.