Mystery Review: The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder | C. L. Miller

In new cozy mystery by C. L. Miller, The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder, a divorcee is learning to live as an empty nester when a mysterious death from her estranged mentor brings her back home.

About the Book | The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder

In this irresistible and thrilling debut novel, a former antique hunter investigates a suspicious death at an isolated English manor, embroiling her back in the dangerous world of tracking stolen artifacts.

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? (Synopsis from Goodreads)

Review | The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder

Author C. L. Miller opens the book with a lovely author’s note where she describes the inspiration for this book. Freya and Carole were already in her mind, but she needed to draw on a source close to her to understand how the world of antiques and antiquities might inspire a murder—her mother. “What antique would you kill for?” Miller asks her mother. Her response was unexpected—it’s more interesting to know why someone loves an antique than what the item is. “So many times the value is in provenance.”

This tidbit immediately intrigued me, and I knew this was a mystery I wanted to read. The story centers around a woman named Freya who has been divorced nearly a decade and whose daughter just left for university. Freya is a bit lost on what to do now, so when her Aunt Carole calls to tell her that her dear friend Arthur has died under mysterious circumstances, Freya offers to go back to her hometown and help. Arthur wasn’t just Carole’s friend, he was Freya’s mentor though the two have been estranged nearly two decades. What happened between Freya and Arthur that caused her to cut off contact with him? You’ll have to read to find out!

“All hunts begin with something that has been lost…or taken.”

As Freya and Carole begin their search, they’re led to a tearoom to retrieve a letter from a woman named Agatha. The letter is from Arthur and it was written a few days before his death. As Arthur shares his joy from his friendship with Carole and his regrets over how things ended with Freya, he encourages Freya to go back to the antique hunting career Arthur had mentored her in as a teenager. Now, his words are puzzling and lead to more questions than answers:

“You must first finish what I started. It has taken me over twenty years to find an item of immense value. I have been told its location, but it seems I will not be able to retrieve it. […] I’m sorry I cannot be clearer; I have been betrayed and can’t risk this letter being discovered. Tell no one. There is no one left to trust. Hunt the clues and you’ll find a reservation. I implore you to attend, but be careful. My betrayer will be following your every move.”

Freya and Carole ponder over the clue he leaves at the end of this bizarre letter. Arthur seems to have predicted his own murder. Even more, he knows why he will be murdered, and it relates to something valuable that he has been hunting for. The quest to follow Arthur’s clues leads Freya and Carole to a weekend at a haunting old manor with a group of antiques enthusiasts. The group attending the weekend is more eclectic than Arthur’s antique shop! Each person could be responsible for Arthur’s murder, but who? Of course, as the author’s mother told her—the more important question may be why.

This is a charming mystery! Miller does not rush through towards an answer—the mystery is carefully crafted in detail and laid out step-by-step for the reader to puzzle over along with Freya. I imagine this book may get some readers who felt it was too long in certain places, but I didn’t feel that way at all. I thought the story kept me engaged from start to finish. The setting in the old manor with antique “banks” that the contentious group are seeking out with hidden agendas is a wonderful twist on the classic setting for a cozy mystery.

Each chapter opens with a tidbit from Arthur, which I adored! I wish I got to see Arthur when he was alive, but I also thought he was the perfect narrator from the grave, offering wisdom but not answers. This made the mystery even more compelling, in my opinion. It felt like a treasure hunt (though with a few more dead bodies than the typical treasure hunt). Freya and Carole are a wonderful duo. Since Carole raised Freya after her parents died, they seem more like mother-and-daughter. Carole is a free spirit while Freya is a pragmatist. Together they seem like the perfect balance to solve this mystery.

One aspect that I wanted to know more about was what happened to cause the falling out between Arthur and Freya twenty years earlier and how it tied to Arthur’s murder. Freya seems to have a lot of pain and tragedy in her past that she is running from. The story comes out in tidbits across the book and at the end I really loved how Miller tied those mysteries together (perhaps a hint will be found in Cairo!). You’ll also find out if Arthur’s prediction was true, and solving this mystery may bring Freya’s career and life that she left behind back to her.

I can’t believe I’ve gotten this far without mentioning the antiques and antiquities! One of the most fascinating parts of this mystery is learning about the criminal underworld that surrounds antiques and antiquities. The book explores frauds, forgeries, tricks, thefts, and murder all tied to these items that hold special value for those who possess them. Is all antique hunting this dangerous?

I felt that the door is wide open at the end of this book to explore another book about Freya, Carole, and the mysterious world of antique hunting—and I hope we get a follow up. Aside from the characters and setting in the world of antiques and antiquities that will draw readers back, there is perhaps a slight wink towards a romance? Am I picking up on something or was this wishful thinking? Once again—you’ll have to read to find out!

Many thanks to Random Things Tours, Atria Books, and Pan Macmillan for my copy. Opinions are entirely my own.

About the Author | C. L. Miller

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.