Antiques to Die For

Josie Prescott is an antiques appraiser. Her friend Rosalie Chaffee is found drowned. Josie had just spent time with her. When Rosalie's twelve-year-old sister Paige contacts her about a treasure Rosalie had alluded to that would set them up for life, Josie sets out to help discover it through doing an appraisal. She soon finds out that Rosalie had many secrets: a secret lover, a secret admirer, and secret treasure. Rosalie's secret admirer seems to have fixated on Josie now. Josie's boyfriend, Police Chief Ty Alvarez, works to keep Josie safe, even though he's off to explore a new job. Can Josie make sense of everything and follow the clues to find the treasure? Is there really a treasure? The New Hampshire setting is so wonderful. Even though I'm not an antiques enthusiast, I enjoy all the descriptions of the antiques and the antiques world. It's fascinating. The author gives enough information but doesn't hit the reader over the head with it. I like that. We really get some insight into Josie through her relationship with Paige and their similar pasts. I love all the people who work for Josie as well. Sounds like a fun place to work. The author does a great job of intertwining the antiques information and the mystery plot. There are plenty of twists and suspects to keep the reader guessing. I highly recommend this book.

After blowing the whistle on her former employers, antique appraiser Josie Prescott struggles to rebuild her reputation along with her new antique business in a small New Hampshire town. When Rosalie Chaffee, the first new friend she made in Portsmouth, drowns, Josie is devastated and especially concerned about Paige, the little sister Rosalie was raising on her own. Still mourning the loss of her own father, Josie is protective of Paige and determined to discover what caused the death of her good friend. With her police chief boyfriend Ty Alvarez unwilling to interfere in another detective's investigation, Josie is unable to resist detecting herself and uncovers a myriad of Rosalie's secrets, including a missing journal, affairs with married men, and a job ghostwriting a CEO's biography. Under the guise of helping Rosalie's attorney settle the estate Josie alternately hides and reveals information in her conflicting relationship with the police. Although she should know better, Josie joins forces with an irritating tabloid reporter who aids in background checks but it may be Paige who holds the key to unlocking Rosalie's secrets. While there seems to be an abundance of antique-themed mysteries in print, Cleland's are well-written with likable characters and an engaging lead character who knows her limitations as an investigator. The antique information is interesting but never overwhelms the mystery, and in this entry antique lore takes a backseat to the action-laden plot, which includes a stalker, academic faculty infighting and jealousies, and a possible Whistler's palette forgery (okay, there are some antique elements). Josie's relationship with Paige is touching but never too cloying, and Josie's conflict about her boyfriend's possible new job with Homeland Security is realistic and heartfelt. There are antique information hints sprinkled lightly throughout the novel, but this is a mystery that stands out with its enjoyable characters and relatable heroine.

Josie Prescott and her best friend, Rosalie Chaffee, are indeed sisters of the heart. They have both lost their parents, a loss that undeniably has shaped the women they have become. While they don't have a whole lot else in common, this invisible bond makes them closer than one might otherwise expect. Rosalie is fun loving and carefree, qualities Josie envies, but she is also an exceptionally fine older sister and guardian to Paige, her 12-year-old sibling. When Rosalie washes up on the Rocky Point shoreline - the victim of a suspicious drowning - Josie is stirred into action. Rosalie has confided several things in Josie recently, any one of which might have some bearing on her death. In addition, Rosalie had garnered the attention of a creepy "secret admirer," whose unwanted attention seems to switch almost seamlessly to Josie once Rosalie is out of the picture. Rosalie also confided in her younger sister that they own something priceless for which they would eventually need Josie's expertise - although Paige and Josie have no idea what that item might be. In addition, when Josie starts probing, she finds out how little she actually knows about her friend. Although it is all but impossible to imagine Josie having such carte blanche to investigate a murder even if her boyfriend IS the chief of police, the plot was enjoyable and complex enough to hold the reader's attention through to the end. If you like a side of antiques with your murder mystery, you'll undoubtedly enjoy the Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery series. Carol Ann Hopkins 4/23/2008

In New Hampshire, antiques trader Josie Prescott is shocked when she finds out that her friend Rosalie Chaffee drowned near Rocky Point. Josie insures that Rosalie's preadolescent sister Paige is okay as she willingly takes the twelve year old into her home. However, her focus somewhat changes when she learns from her boyfriend Police Chief Ty Alverez that Rosalie's death was murder not an accident as she initially assumed. Ty investigates adhering to police standard operating procedures to focus on those who knew the victim very well in her personal life or at work. He has three prime suspects: at Heyer's Modular Furniture where she worked he considers Rosalie's boss and his wife while outside the job there is the deceased's boyfriend. Although Ty would prefer Josie to stay out of the investigation, she begins to follow the clues one antique item at a time. The third Josie Prescott amateur sleuth cozy (see CONSIGNED TO DEATH and DEADLY APPRAISAL) is a delightful New England mystery that interweaves antiquing tidbits into a fine whodunit. Josie is tough on the outside, but soft as mush inside as she cares for Paige while also seeking the culprit. The large ensemble augments the tale with depth into the world of antiques, New Hampshire, or murder. Harriet Klausner

When Josie and Rosalie met, they became instant friends. So when Rosalie turns up dead one January morning, Josie is naturally upset. The fact that it was murder makes things even more upsetting. Rosalie was a woman of many secrets. She had a secret lover, a secret admirer, and a secret treasure. She'd just told her younger sister, Paige, about a treasure that would set them up for life. But what is it? While Josie tries to find this secret item, Rosalie's secret admirer seems to be transferring his interest to Josie. Is Josie in danger? Who is the secret admirer? Where is the treasure? And who killed Rosalie? Now if you are concerned about keeping all these potential plots straight, don't. I had to set the book down for a few days while reading it (too busy), and I had no problem getting back in the flow of things. Part of that is because of the strong supporting characters. They make it easy to keep everyone straight. Josie isn't nearly as emotional as she was in the last book, which I found a refreshing change. On the other hand, we get to watch Paige deal with her emotions, which made for some truly heart breaking scenes. While Josie is a little stronger emotionally, she still constantly shares nuggets of wisdom from her father. While that didn't bother me that much in previous books in the series, it really got on my nerves here. Not quite sure why. There were a few things about the plot that could have been stronger, but on the whole it was a good book that made me wish I had more time to sit down and read. Frankly, I'm not that interested in antiques, so the fact that a book centering around them can keep me entertained is a testament to the great characters, story, and writing.