Publication Date Feb. 6, 2024

Summary

Arthur Crockleford was the owner of an antique shop in a lovely English village. When he was found dead at the bottom of the stairs to his apartment, it was assumed that his death was the result of a tragic accident. However, his closest friend, Carole, was not convinced that this was the case because the vases on the table in the window were the wrong vases. Though she didn’t know what that meant, she knew that something was wrong, and she knew in her heart that Arthur had been murdered. Carole knew just the person to help her find out what had happened; her niece, Freya.

Freya had been raised by Carole, and as a child she had been close to Arthur. He taught her about antiques, and trained her to be an antique hunter. Then, 20 years earlier, the two had had a serious falling out from which Freya had yet to recover. The two had never spoken again, and Freya had never returned to her aunt’s home. Nevertheless, she loved her aunt, and knew that it would be a comfort to Carole if she went to visit her. Little did she anticipate being drawn into a mystery that only she could solve. 

My Thoughts

This mystery took a rather unusual format. Instead of having a group of suspects to interview, Arthur had left a string of riddles and clues. He knew that Carole would call Freya after his death, and he knew that Freya had the skills necessary to figure out what had happened and why. 

Although the book was primarily written from Freya’s point of view, different chapters were written from the points of view of other characters. It gave the readers a fair chance at trying to solve the  mystery alongside Freya without having to know a great deal about antiques and antiquities, and the trade in both.

There is also a secondary mystery for the reader – what happened to cause the falling out between Arthur and Freya. That backstory is gradually revealed as the book progresses. It comes out very slowly, and though I have no doubt that for some it may come out too slowly, I thought their history was revealed at just the right time. 

I read a lot of mysteries, but this is by far one of the best I have read recently. The pacing was perfect, the clues were clever, everyone was hiding secrets, and nobody could be trusted. It was exceptionally well-structured.

Freya was a wonderful protagonist. She starts the story as an angry and depressed woman who hates Arthur. Her emotionally abusive ex-husband was selling the house from underneath her. She was a woman with both physical and emotional scars, a woman who had experienced a great deal of loss in her life. Perhaps her greatest loss had been the loss of her identity. She had had a passion for antique hunting, and liked the person she was when she was antique hunting. As the story progresses, we see a woman who is reclaiming her identity and reclaiming her power. More than one character said of Freya “she sees things that others don’t”. 

There was some degree of friction between Freya and Carole because Carole had sided with Arthur in the falling out that drove Freya from the village. Nevertheless, the two of them made a formidable team. Freya knew Krav Maga and Carole had a black belt in tae kwon do. Their personalities also complimented one another, with Carole being outgoing while Freya was more introspective. 

I loved the final denouement. It was similar to those found in golden age mysteries where Freya explained all the clues that led her to her conclusions. The end was satisfying. 

I very much look forward to more in this series.

I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

My Rating 5/5

Trigger/Content Warnings

Domestic Violence – Emotional

About the Author

C.L. Miller started her career in books as a publishing assistant for Miller’s Antique Price Guide. She was also a researcher for the Antique Hunter’s Guide to Europe. She also worked in hospitality and events before following her dream of becoming an author. To learn more about her and her writing be sure to check out her website.