Two wonderful leading lady characters, both devoted to Arthur who tragically dies at the beginning. He leaves clues to follow as to why and who killed him. Reliving the past exploits of their previous life as antique hunters opens many old wounds that need to be addressed before the new mysteries can be solved. With no-one being who they seem to be it can be confusing but once worked out all becomes clear and you realize that Arthur knew all along what was happening.

Rating: 1.4/5

I had high hopes for this debut novel from Cara Miller. In spite of the cosy mystery marketplace being a very crowded one, there seemed to be a natural niche for a story set in what often feels like the equally cosy world of antiques to slot into. The setting and the genre had all the makings of a marriage made in heaven - but sadly I found "The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder" a real slog.

At around 320 pages this should have been a pretty quick read, but I really did find it hard going and had to press myself to keep going. This should have been full of natural charm and echoes of the golden age of murder mystery writing, but instead it is ploddingly slow and quite tedious. There is some interesting background into the world antiques, but the mystery at the heart of the novel is dull and uninspiring. That may not have mattered too much if the central characters had been engaging enough to carry the story through their very presence - but that wasn't the case either. Antique hunter, Freya Lockwood, and her aunt, Carole, are disappointing. Freya is supposedly in her mid-forties, but the voice the author has given her makes her come across as a much older lady. Aunt Carole is intended to bring some comic relief to proceedings, but her quips generally fall flat or simply miss the mark and sound a bit crass.

This seems to have been positioned as the first in a series of books featuring these protagonists, but if that is indeed to be the case, then I am afraid that neither the format nor the characterisation is strong enough to bring me back for any more.

As ever, I would still like to convey my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review. It is a pity I was not in a position to pass more favourable comment on this occasion.

I do love it when an author makes a debut with an absolute cracker of a novel. This is just that. It's a book of many layers: it starts with some tantalising hooks, and gradually, the layers are peeled away to reveal how and why a beloved antique dealer is murdered, and how and why his prodigy hasn't spoken to him in twenty years. It's all to do with Cairo, you see. And a bird.

The author's upbringing involved being surrounded by antiques, so, that and meticulous research has resulted in a convincingly authentic basis for a murder. There's a brilliant cast of characters: Freya, Arthur the antique dealer's resentful prodigy, her deliciously flamboyant and a teensy bit eccentric aunt and then, of course, those dodgy family members residing at Copthorn Manor, any of whom could have snuffed poor old Arthur out.

Well written, well characterised, well strategised. Thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyable and a very commendable debut novel. I want more from this author!

Huge thanks to the author and publisher for the chance to read this ARC, in exchange for an honest review. This was such a fun read. I thoroughly enjoyed.it.

A cosy murder mystery on the subject of antiques. Following the suspicious death of her friend, Arthur, Carole and her niece Freya set out to find the truth. Arthur has left clues for them to unravel along the way. The story is told mostly as Freya's first person narrative with occasional chapters featuring some of the other characters.
This is an easy to read story with a twisty plot. I didn't really find the story or the characters all that engaging but it was a light read. Overall, I would say this is a reasonably entertaining story but nothing special.

A very slow cosy crime but I enjoyed it very much, interesting to have the crime committed with antiques theme running through the story line. Would definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading more by this author.

The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder is a superb mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Lots of twists and turns, clues and red herrings. And a wonderful cast of characters who were not always who they appeared to be. Carole was a lovely eccentric character and it was nice to see Freya regain her confidence as the story progressed.
I'm very glad to see there'll be more in this series. I look forward to the next one.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I very much enjoyed this book. The story was well-written and C L Miller's debut as a cozy writer felt accomplished and welcome. it was immediately apparent that the author is knowledgeable on the subject of antiques and the antique market, and this added a sense of 'believability' to the story, despite the natural tendency of this genre to include a lot of hyperbole. I very much hope here are sequels to this book, and look forward to finding them on the shelves soon.

Having grown up with the Miller's series of Collectible and Antiques books, it was a real joy to read this, and I send my heartfelt condolences to the family on hearing, through this book, of Judith's recent death.

The Antique Hunters Guide to Murder is the debut novel by C L Miller. Some interesting characters are introduced - Freya the middle aged hunter, out of the game for a while but drawn back in when Arthur Crockleford passes away and leaves a mysterious letter for her. She is aided by her aunt Carole, a flamboyant character full of enthusiasm for a mystery.

This cosy crime novel was an easy read. A little dark in places but an engaging story, I felt a bit confused in parts with the varied viewpoints and with a lot of players in the game at the manor house it got harder to follow. Definitely one for an afternoon inside on a rainy day with a cuppa!

I was drawn in immediately, and thoroughly enjoyed this exciting story. An atmospheric book full of twists and turns. Adventure, antiquities, and murder, an interesting mix.

Freya was an antique hunter until something horrific happened to her Egyptian boyfriend and then she had no more to do with Arthur Crockleford. Until she hears news of his death in suspicious circumstances. And a letter is delivered asking her to take up an invitation and maybe solve how and why he died. I loved the way this book moved from one scene to another each building up the suspense.

Upon learning of the passing of the antique dealer Arthur Crockleford, Freya finds herself drawn back to her hometown. Together with her Aunt Carole, they embark on a journey to unravel the mystery surrounding Arthur's suspicious demise.

I thoroughly enjoyed this murder mystery, It seamlessly blends murder and chaos with moments of poignancy and humour, resulting in an engaging but lighthearted read for lovers of the cozy "murder" genre.

The world of antiques has never seemed so exciting before. I was delighted to find a new story book detective in Freya Lockwood. Antiques, detail and puzzles are her thing. As I read she finds herself in danger as she investigates the death of her mentor, and I couldn’t help thinking about why Freya stays when the possibility of her death is all around her. I came to the conclusion that once she has the bit between her teeth she is determined to hold on and shake it until the truth is out. I look forward to more fun antique detective antics from C L Miller Thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

This was a surprisingly dark story of missing antiques which occurs when an antiques dealer Arthur dies in mysterious circumstances. His friend Carole and her niece must discover the truth in a weekend retreat where no-one is as they seem. There were plenty of twists and turns which kept you guessing up to the last moment, the book is well set up for a sequel.
I enjoyed this book though I thought it was a little long in places. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

I loved the premise and the world: a murder mystery in the world of antiques and lots of mentions of Indiana Jones was right up my street. The characters were well drawn and there was lots to like here. Ultimately it was a little slow to start but I'll definitely seek out future books from this author.

This is a debut cosy crime mystery set in the world of antiques that got off to a promising start. I liked the relationship between Freya and her aunt Carole and thought the setting was interesting and original.
However, unfortunately I found that the novel didn't develop, the plot lost pace and became repetitive and I began to lose interest. I feel that the major part of the plot wasn't compelling enough to hold the novel together for me.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Debut book by CL Miller, very engaging, great characters (oh to have an aunt like Carole!)

Interesting read, especially if you like antiques, definitely felt like a 'cozy' mystery to be read on a wet and windy afternoon (plenty of them around at the moment)

Good story, recommended and look forward to the next book

Great book cover. I was looking forward to reading this book, but unfortunately it didn’t quite work out for me.
The novel has a great premise with lots of potential which I felt wasn’t reached. The characters Freya and Carole lacked depth and development. The dialogue felt flat and forced. On Freya’s part there was a lot of introspection and repitition. The plot was clunky, contrived and predictable, and the pacing was slow. I really appreciate the time and effort that goes into writing a novel and maybe this one could have benefited from more edits.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC.

I was looking forward to this but sadly it fell short. Very slow going with lots of repetition (a good edit might help). Characters were not as fully developed as one might hope. Best character was Arthur!
I think it would be worth giving the author a second chance but this was not for me

This was wonderfully different & a little bit quirky. I loved the concept of tracking down a murderer along side the verification of antiques. The characters were great and well written & it would be good to find out more about them in future books. I guess it could qualify as cozy crime.