This murder mystery left me with a feeling of shock and awe. I was dumbstruck and hanging on every page because it was such an assault on the sense. It reminded me of old school Agatha Christie a little bit, but it was like an Agatha Christie book on steroids! So many detectives, so many twists, and yet an old school feeling somehow? I loved it.

Love it, perfect murder mystery with a old school style feeling, kept me glued until the end of the book, pleasantly suprised with how much I enjoyed this book

An Antique Murder is the second Oldminster mystery by Norman Russell. Released 29th Jan 2022 by Joffe Books, it's 188 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The other books in the series are also available through the KU subscription.

This is a very well written, short, and engaging procedural with a truly disparate cast. There are dodgy characters aplenty: the shady gardener with an eye to profitable sidelines, a gaggle of retired thespians hiding murky pasts, an antiques dealer, and the staff of the Home for Retired Actors in Oldminster. The clues are fair play, and the climax, denouement, and resolution were satisfying and fairly believable. The addition of actions in the distant past (WW2) resonating down through the years to the present day add depth to the story.

There are three books currently in the series, making it a good candidate for a weekend mini-binge read. The plot is self-contained in this volume, so it works well as a standalone read.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

When I pick up mysteries, I gravitate to cozies. An Antique Murder is not a cozy, but I was intrigued through the entire book.

The author, Norman Russell, did an interesting thing. Instead of having a mystery where the reader knows nothing and the detectives solve it along with the reader, Russell created suspense by giving the reader critical info up front. The reason this worked so well was because we weren't given everything—just enough to keep us in suspense while still trying to solve the who-dun-it.

Masterfully done, and I was on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. And I didn't solve it in advance, and yet we had the proper clues. Love it when that happens!

Final conclusion: you're going to love this book if you enjoy murder mysteries. I highly recommend it!

A very enjoyable read. Stunning settings with some good characters and a really good Murder mystery.

Not my typical read but I enjoyed it. A little slow but once you get into it there are plenty of twists to keep you going! I’ve read additional books from the other now and have enjoyed them all! Definitely recommend!

A murder mystery with a fabulous twist
A resident in a retirement home for actors has been murdered with a Nazi dagger and the police must work out what has happened
This book is written from so many view points that it isn’t possible to talk about individual characters but they have all been created perfectly and the personality of each person shines though, more than once I ended up giggling from some of the residents antics. The characters and their lives came to life for me and more than once I went to google them and their care home, only to remember that it’s fiction and I think the shows how much I was drawn into the book
I’m not going to lie that at times this book was difficult to read as it does look at the Holocaust but it was written sympathetically and although I’m not sure of how much is written is true, it’s inclusion in the story works and gives the reader a different perspective on some of the characters
This story looks at how the image that people project to the world may not always the the truth and this is done several ways by different characters and it drew me into the story more wanting the know the truth
This book has the perfect blend of seriousness and humour that comes together to form a story that will stick with the reader long after the last page and as such I would recommend it to a lot of people but especially those who enjoy a murder mystery full of twists that will keep you wondering all the way to the end

As a reader, starting with the second book in a series can be difficult as characters and relationships have already started to be developed. However, Russell does a great job in this not quite cosy mystery of introducing new readers to the previously established characters, there is no barrier to starting the series with this novel.

The story revolves around a home for retired actors, and harks back to the Holocaust (nothing that refers to that period can be described as cosy) but is set in the present day, apart from a brief prologue. This is a well written book with sympathetic characters, good descriptive writing and a strong plot. There are one or two minor issues with the timeline, but nothing that spoils the story.

It doesn't quite hit the five stars mark, but is not far off and is well worth a look for anyone who enjoys a crime novel and would like a fairly easy read. It may not be cosy, but neither is it dark and gritty. It is worth investigating. More from this writer would be very welcome.

My first book by this author and not my usual era but it proved a compelling mystery although a little slow to get going.
An interesting setting, with a vivid background. All in all a solid mystery which kept me guessing.
I received this in exchange for an honest review as given above.

Well Crafted Whodunnit…
The second in the Oldminster Mystery series and another enjoyable and well crafted whodunnit written much in traditional vein. Well paced, with a plethora of suspects and an immersive storyline populated with a credible cast.

This is what caught my attention - A victim who thought he could outrun his past., a killer who’ll never forget, and two detectives determined to find the truth.

An Antique Murder has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very end. The retirement home, the characters, all are brilliantly executed.

Great read!

I enjoyed this…but wow, it was all over the place. Four different detectives, Nazis, drug trafficking and more all wIthin the confines of a posh seniors home for retired English actors. There were many twists, but the murderer’s identity wasn’t surprising. But still a fun read.

A cozy this is not. It starts with the Jewish Holocaust and a disintegrating marriage. Eventually, it becomes a bit more upbeat. There are even funny moments. Overall, it is a solid police mystery. There were some details at people’s motivations and their timing which I didn’t quite buy (I can’t go into it without spoilers) but they were relatively minor.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the ARC in return for an honest opinion.

A cosy read with an elderly man, great Actor, knighted and living in a retirement home for actors is being found murdered in his bed. The weapon an antique Nazi SS dagger. The deeper the two detectives delved into his past the more complicated it became. Although fascinating at this distance, there is a lot of disturbing history about wartime atrocities and these do play an important role - it is well written in this respect. Whilst, yes, I did guess/work out some of the ramifications it was still a good read. French and Edwards, the two detectives, are a solid likeable pair and, although it's clearly in an I-phone time frame there is quite an old-style feel about the book as a whole. It's quite good to have this for a change rather than the frenetic bad guy/gal chasing, DNA, CSI minutiae aspects. Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this mystery that kept me guessing till the end. And turning pages to find out what happened.

Overall I see this becoming a great series. This is book 2 in the series. It could have used more substance in the story. The mystery was very easy to figure out. It was a slow read that didn’t seem to pick up. The actions of the characters at times weren’t believable.
#ANANTIQUEMURDER #NetGalley

Another entertaining and compelling mystery by this author.
I liked the setting, the vivid background, and the solid mystery kept me guessing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A very cozy mystery! Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It's been a while since I read a cozy mystery and this made me want to read more after I was finished with it. I will say that sometimes the writing style didn't really work for me, at times it seemed kind of juvenile, but it wasn't so much that it bothered me throughout the book. I found myself intrigued and kept wanting to read to find out what happened, and I really loved the setting being in a retirement home for old actors. Definitely worth the quick read.

Can a police procedural mystery also be a cozy mystery? If so, then An Antique Murder is that book. A plot that you might find in a Golden Age mystery coupled with non-amateur detectives. This is the second book in a series, but I no trouble following.

Sir Frank Taylor, one of the greatest actors of the age, lives in a retirement home for actors. One morning he is discovered murdered, a ceremonial Nazi SS dagger plunged in his chest. What is Sir Frank's connection with Nazi Germany and why was he murdered at the age of 94? Detectives French and Edwards are called to investigate.

I liked the various characters, particularly the actors who lived in the retirement home. We meet one who was a reliable but never famous character actor and another who enjoyed a fabulous career but fell from grace after a major scandal. The descriptions of the Nazi atrocities were gut-wrenching but I felt well researched. I did feel the writing was a bit disjointed in that a couple of side-plots take place that really slow the pace of the book and disconnect the reader from the main plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe books for the advance copy.

When I requested this book, I did not realize that it was book #2 in a series, however, even with it being a part of a series, I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

Sir Frank Taylor is a famous, retired British actor, living in the Irving Home for Retired Actors. At 94, he's not in good health, cancer and a deep fear that his life will be snuffed out by an assassin. HIs fears come true when he is found murdered, an authentic SS Nazi dagger sticking out of his chest. What is the connection between this dagger and Mr. Taylor?

DI Paul French and DS Glyn Edwards are sent out to investigate his murder. They immediately surmise that it couldn't have been an outsider but instead had to be someone on the inside due to the intense security measures taken around the retirement home. The detectives start asking around and as they progress the plot thickens. The search for the truth involves delving into one the worst and most heinous times in world history. Long held secrets, that have been hidden are forced to the surface and threaten to destroy more than one life.

I found this to be a really intriguing story. With rich background stories on the plot, blending both modern times and historic WWII.I felt the pacing was slow in the beginning but picked up about 1/2 way through. Since the book is set in England and involves a lot of German words as well as a few other languages, it was nice to have a glossary at the end of the book. Several times throughout, I thought I had the killer pegged, only to discover at the end that I was wrong. I love a good twist and to be surprised in my mysteries and this story did not disappoint. Knowing now that this is a series, I am looking forward to reading the first book. I received this book free from NetGalley for an honest review.