Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't know much about this book before reading but thought the blurb sounded good so gave it a go. I ended up really enjoying it!

Some really likable and interesting characters and I loved hearing the voice of Arthur throughout. Aunt Carole is fabulous! This is a really good 'whodunnit' and sets us up for what I hope will be a series.

Freya Lockwood thought her antique hunting days and the life in her small hometown were well and truly behind her. But when she receives a letter from her estranged mentor, antiques dealer Arthur Crockleford, things take an unsuspected turn... Arthur died only days before and, according to his letter, it might have happened in suspicious circumstances.

With her aunt Carole, Arthur's best friend, Freya is drawn once more in the world of antiques dealing as they visit an old manor house for a weekend that Arthus was supposed to attend. It soons becomes clear that strange things are going on and most of the antiques are fake. Can Freya discover what Arthur was involved in and who killed him? Most of all, can she stop them before they kill again?

I enjoyed this. I liked the characters or Freya and her aunt, the bond between then and how their relationship is portrayed throughout. The setting and premise were appealing and also written in a delightful way. I was not sure about the pace of the story - I felt the mystery around Freya and Arthur's relationship maybe lacked in prgress/clues for too long in the story, consequently bringing something like felt like the climax too early on and not sustaining my interest in the last quarter of the story. But again, I enjoyed it overall and would read more about Freya and the antiques delaing world.

I liked the concept of this and it was an interesting way of integrating the stories of antiques into a detective book. I thought the character of Arthur felt the most real of the people in the book and I wish there had been more of him to be honest. It was fun to learn about some more niche antiques and the unique value that they have.
However, I didn't really feel like the multiple points of view were necessary and sometimes it felt like they just duplicated descriptions or information that had already happened without adding extra depth to that specific character.
There was also a lot of repetition within Freya's story without giving her more depth as a character (e.g. the fact she left antique hunting, she notices things, she believes artifacts should remain in the culture they came from).

I'd consider reading another book in this series but it wouldn't be straight at the top of my reading pile. The writing needed more editing and most of the characters weren't especially memorable.

I so enjoyed this murder mystery. It was pacy and kept me engrossed, wondering what was going to happen next and what our two main characters would stumble across that might get them killed!
It was a really easy read and I couldn’t put it down. A definite ‘just another chapter’ kind of book. It had murder and mayhem, sadness and humour. It was just a cracking story all rolled into one adventure.

This was a mystery a la Agatha Christie style. There was so many twists and turns, many red herrings and none of the characters were what they appeared to be. I like antiques and this added to the light read that this was.
It took a while for all the characters to come to life for me but the premise and the writing mad this a book that I just needed to keep reading to find out what had really happened in Cairo; why Freya left the antique world and what was she expected to find to make her life better.
This was what I call a cozy winter night read by the fire as it is so absorbing.

Freya and her Aunt Carole are tasked with taking over from Arthur following his sudden death. Arthur is an antiques expert and valuer and Freya was learning from him when she was younger but a terrible incident in Cairo changed her life and career path.
I read this while on a long journey and it was ideal as you don't need to concentrate too.much. There is a lot of repetition, and the writing is quite dull.
The story is OK, Carole is a good character, but none of the others had much individual personality.

For me, this one was a bit slow to get going. I liked the premise and it had potential to be good, but it just didn’t quite pan out. I didn’t really like any of the characters, so wasn’t as invested as I’d usually be in their story.

I absolutely loved this murder mystery story. It is incredibly clever set in a country house mansion but all is not what it appears! There is a darker side to the antiques business and Freya must face her past in order to understand what the truth of what happened both then and now to solve Arthur's death. Told mostly from Freya's point of view, occassionally this changes to other characters in order for the reader to witness action or understand motivations separate from Freya. I particularly loved the character of her aunt Carole - what a superstar! No character is what they seem and there are sufficient twists, turns and red herrings as the plot thickens. A thoroughly entertaining read for any lovers of (cosy) murder myteries!

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **

I really enjoyed this debut novel by C L Miller.

A cosy mystery with a delightful duo as the main characters, the relationship between Freya and Carole and their interactions are entaining

A wonderful setting which adds to the drama and the author has used her knowledge of antiques well a fitting tribute to her parents.

Looking forward to see how this series develops.

When Freya finds out that antiques hunter Arthur Crockleford - her former mentor and her Aunt Carole's friend - has died, she initially only feels relief. She travels back to the village in rural Suffolk she grew up in to be there for her aunt, but upon arrival she receives a letter from the late Arthur which forces her to dig up some of the things she had hoped to leave in the past.

The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder is a cozy murder mystery with a sprinkling of quaint Lara Croft. It's an easy read with some pretty likeable characters and despite having no particular affinity for antiques I really enjoyed this as the background story.

On occassion I felt like the book went on a little about how much Freya had lost and how much regret she had, I don't think it needed quite so many mentions of this and after a while it got a little repetitive.

Overall I really liked this, if you want a quaint darker weather murder mystery you'll probably really like this.

A cosy crime in the antiques world, with a back story that reminded me of a budget Lara Croft. What was there not to like,
I actually really enjoyed this book and found the antiques side very informant almost like watching an episode of Barging Hunt rolled in with the Antiques Roadshow.
The murderer was a surprise and the red herrings enough so that when the reveal came I just did not see it coming.
I do hope that there will be a sequel as I will be first in the line to read that one as well. This is a book to curl up with in the dark nights to come and just have a jolly good read.

This is a cosyish murder mystery set in the Suffolk countryside, with a generous side helping of antiques. I thought the best character was Arthur but he was mostly dead - a shame as I'd have liked to meet him in another book. Carole was fun, if a little over the top, and Freya, though staid and fearful, came good in the end.

The plot was a little confusing but that doesn't matter as it's just the MacGuffin to get the characters into action. I wasn't entirely clear as to who was doing what and why, and nobody was really who they claimed to be, but the whole thing rolled over in a relatively easy read. It would probably make a good television series.

Comforting and not too bloody.

Antiques and murder, a perfect combination! Beautiful setting, good antiques knowledge and a twisty if unbelievable plot.

I love antiques and murder mysteries. This book had all the makings of a good story, but it all fell a bit flat. A good idea, just not executed particularly well.

Many mentions of hair prickling, lumps in throat, the Martin bird and the vast amounts of tea! Plus there was the saga of what happened in Cairo stays in Cairo, until it doesn’t!

An easy wet weather read. If you love twee, cosy stories, then this is for you.

Thank you NetGalley.

The idea behind this book is a good one, but I was disappointed. It isn't very well-written, and the story is rather disorganised. I didn't particularly warm to the main character, and I was bewildered by the solicitor (and I am a former solicitor, specialising in estates) I won't be rushing to read more books from this author, sadly.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for an e-arc of this cosy mystery book.

I was so excited to read this book as I help out in an antique shop now and again so I thought it would be right up my street. I was however mildly disappointed, I found the story and the characters a little dull and I struggled to like them, although I thought Aunt Carole was written very well and I had a perfect vision of her in my head, the others not so much but that being said I was eager to find out, who the murderer was so that in itself motivated me to get through the book. The antiques information was also interesting.

All in all it was an average read for me but it seems to be getting very good reviews, my expectations were maybe set a little too high for this one.

'The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder' by C L Miller.
WHAT ANTIQUE WOULD YOU KILL FOR? Freya, it's down to you to finish what I started. . . Freya Lockwood has avoided the quaint English village in which she grew up for the last 20 years. That is until news arrives that Arthur Crockleford, antiques dealer and Freya's estranged mentor, has died... and the circumstances seem suspicious. You will uncover a reservation, I implore you to attend. . . But when a letter from Arthur is delivered, sent just days before his death, and an ordinary pine chest concealing Arthur's journals including reservations in her name are revealed, Freya finds herself sucked back into a life she'd sworn to leave behind. But beware, trust no-one. Your life depends on it. . . Joining forces with her eccentric Aunt Carole, Arthur's staunch best friend, Freya follows both clues and her instincts to an old manor house for an 'antiques enthusiasts weekend'. But not is all as it seems; the antiques are bad reproductions and the other guests are menacing and secretive. Can Freya and Carole solve the mystery surrounding the weekend before a killer strikes again? 
I really enjoyed this book, it kept me guessing till the end. I loved the partnership of Freya and Carole. Carole should have a spin off book, she was hilarious.
If anyone loves a cosy crime story and antiques then this is the book for you. I recommend it.
Thankyou to NetGallery UK, the publishers and the author for letting me read it in return for an honest review.

A cosy Suffolk setting ✔️
Antiques, antiquities and intrigue ✔️
A strong female main character with a mysterious past ✔️
A murder to investigate ✔️

‘An Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder’ by C.L. Miller checks all the boxes for being an unputdownable and unique cosy mystery! Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC of this wonderful novel which I give a well-deserved four stars.

Freya Lockwood is a divorced mother to Jade, who has moved away for college leaving Freya with not just an empty nest, but soon no nest at all since her ex-husband is now insisting on selling the family home. When we meet Freya, her motivation is low and she barely manages to drag herself to meet with her Aunt Carole who calls with some sad and shocking news… Freya’s one-time mentor from whom she has been estranged for almost two decades, the famed antiques verifier Arthur Crockleford, is dead and all may not be as it seems.

Begrudgingly agreeing to help her aunt investigate the death, Freya is pulled into a hunt which will introduce her to a mysterious cast of characters, bring back painful memories, and maybe reignite a spark within her by reminding her why she loved the antiques game!

I loved the setting of this novel - a Suffolk country house full of foes and follies - and the way that chapters focussing on each character were interspersed between Freya’s narration. I also enjoyed the big reveal about what happened twenty years ago which came mid way through the book. I felt that the pace could have been a little more consistent throughout but overall a tremendous debut novel!

This is an amazing story. Freya used to be an antiques assessor. The job meant looking for stolen or forged antiques. Freya used to work with Arthur before she married and fell out with him. Years later Arthur has just died and Freya and her fascinating aunt follow the clues that Arthur has left for them. These clues lead them to an antiques weekend with a difference. It is set in an amazing country house. They come to realise that the murderer is amongst them. There are two women who are not what they seem to be and the man who wants to inherit the manor house is a dangerous person to cross. Told in the first person by Freya and occasionally by the murderer and by family members of manor house owner, Freya discovers she wants to resume the assessing work again if she can survive the weekend. It is a fast paced story that grips you right from the start. The author is from an antiques background, and really knows the audience that will enjoy this murder mystery.

The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder by C L Miller is a riotous and fun country house murder mystery with real moments of tension. This is a book where nothing as it seems. It’s set in the world of antiques collecting, valuing and faking. Who knew that such a sedate occupation could be a cut-throat business? Dangerous, even. The action purrs along at a satisfying rate, with just the right amount of repetition of the facts to keep the reader on track as the clues are solved and the guilty party (or parties – no spoilers here!) are identified. Needless to say, the murderer isn’t keen to be identified and soon others’ safety is in jeopardy.

The main character is Freya Lockwood, a forty-something housewife and mother. Freya lives in London, but her ex is selling their house, and she has reached a turning point in her life. News reaches her that a family friend and her former mentor, antiques collector Arthur Crockleford, has died in Suffolk, and that she is his executor. Freya travels to her grieving aunt Carole, to offer condolences on the death of her friend and to do her duty. When Carole insists that Arthur was murdered, Freya decides she owes it to her aunt to investigate. Freya is a little unwilling. Together, she and Arthur used to track down lost or stolen antiques, but all that is in the past because she and Arthur fell out twenty years earlier while they were recovering a lost antique. The disagreement ruined her career as an antiques hunter, and she is still resentful. As she awakens long-dormant skills, she begins to feel alive in a way she hasn’t since the tragic events that she and Arthur experienced in Cairo all those years before.

We follow the action mostly from Freya’s point of view, but we’re treated to scenes featuring a cast of other wonderful characters, too. This is managed skilfully and doesn’t get confusing. It allows us to witness things that Freya couldn’t possibly know and to make guesses about the motivation of the characters. There are still enough red herrings to keep the suspense going.

The characters are sufficiently well developed that you can decide whether to like or dislike, trust or distrust them – there will definitely be some you’ll love to hate! Carole is a wonderful, theatrical foil to the more matter-of-fact detective, Freya. My own favourite character was Bella.

Sensitive readers need not be put off by the word ‘murder’ in the title: we’re spared the grittier aspects of the crimes, as is typical of cosy crime novels. The only negative is that it probably doesn’t do to question some aspects of the plot too closely, such as why the police aren’t involved. To be fair, that is something that’s common to the genre and why spoil a good story with such things?

The author C L Miller says that she writes about what she knows. There is no questioning her authority to write about antiques, as she belongs to the family who created Miller’s Antique Price Guide. I love a book that educates me, and I learnt a great deal about the antiques trade and the unsavoury practices that threaten to undermine the conservation of national treasures.

Equally, the author is a resident of Suffolk, which enables her to write confidently about the location in which the book is set. There are some lovely descriptions, beginning with the fictional village in the Dedham Vale area; its cottages, church, antique shop and tea room. It is easy to imagine such a village nestled in picturesque, timeless Constable Country. The settings in Cairo are described more briefly as a flashback. Later, the action moves to Cropthorn Manor, a fictional country house in Suffolk, which is suitably Gothic, with its hidden entrances and opportunities for characters to hide and get up to nefarious deeds.

This is a gem for lovers of Agatha Raisin and Father Brown and while it might not achieve the giddy heights of sophistication that Agatha Christy achieves, it is thoroughly entertaining. I understand that this is the first in a series of books, so there are treats in store.

I enjoyed this one. It was nice to read a book where the main character and the sidekick weren't some supermodel looking 20 year olds for a change. It had a good pacing and interesting story. The twist was a bit weird though, and kind of predictable. I think the issue was that the actual murdered was such a small character in the book it in itself i think meant to make us readers look another way, but for me it just gave it more away. But other than that it was fun :)