Freya and her wonderful Aunt Carole are once again on the hunt for stolen antiques and following clues from the journals of Arthur Crockleford. This time on a cruise on the Red Sea they are soon reunited with some of the characters from the first novel…dashing FBI agent Phil and the enigmatic Bella. A cosy crime but things take a dangerous and dark turn when there is no where to hide. With many twist and turns I certainly didn’t guess the identity of the Collector until it was revealed. A second in the series which is better than the first and I will certainly be waiting eagerly for the next in the saga. Once again Aunt Carole is larger than life and for me steals the show. A wonderful cast of characters with baddies who are truly unlikeable. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel in return for a honest review

The 2nd book from In the series by C.L Miller is a charming almost cosy mystery set on a cruise ship bound for Petra, Jordan full of antiques.

With characters abound , Freya and Carole most importantly , find themselves upon a cruise ship trying to unravel several mysterious plots , first and foremost the identity of the “the collector “ a renowned antique thief,

As many acts play out, the story whilst intriguing and interesting is somewhat one paced and packed full of characters, some fun, some not so. But saying that it’s extremely knowledgeable writing that’s been combined with very decent mystery Crime…. So other than my feeling it’s 300 page book that reads like 400, it’s a good read and I’ll carry on awaiting more adventures

I just love every single one of these characters and reading this book makes me wish I had an Aunt Carole in my life. I am so invested in the slow burn between Freya and Phil. And the way Bella just keeps turning up every time. She’s incredible. I also wonderful just how much Arthur had planned before he died.

What I love about this book is that Freya and C. L. Miller really takes you along for the ride. It is so fast paced. And everything is so detailed and overlapped. I love this about a book. It really keeps me hooked.

I was so excited to find the second book in this series as I enjoyed the first one so much. Just as satisfying as the first, more please........

I really loved the first book in this series - An Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder - and have been keeping an eye out for its follow-up ever since.

Once again, Miller's background in antiques shines in this book. She writes about them with such passion, in a way that only a true aficionado can.

This has got a very strong Agatha Christie vibe about it; whether that's because it's set on a boat and it's a bit like Death on the Nile, I don't know, but it's a fine comparison.

This one is less about death and more about the antiques, which is a slight deviation from the first one, but I still got enough of what I wanted from it.

Miller has given us fully developed characters - some we met in the first book and others who are new. They're all well developed, great characters, some good and some bad and some in between. They've all got great personalities and there wasn't a bum note amongst them. Freya is again our main character and I really like her, but I did find her a bit too trusting at times which makes her feel slightly naïve, but I felt close to her. Her Aunt Carole is fabulously eccentric and I love her. I wish every book had a Carole in it.

There is the potential that all the details about antiques could become too heavy or too complex and make the reading of it too slow, but maybe because I love an antique, I was fascinated by all the details she has gone into.

I thought the first book was exceptional and it can be hard for the sequel to live up to it, but if I'm honest, I think I liked this one more, because I was familiar with the characters and their quirks and so it felt like returning home to friends.

This one is a little simpler and less busy in terms of its setting. The first book had the characters going here, there, and everywhere. Whereas, apart from the odd scene, this book is set on a cruise boat. Which helps give us that sense of claustrophobia and fear that comes from being confined to one space.

It has so much depth and layers to it - from the characters to their history, to antiques, and death threats. Everything is so entangled with everything else, it's really quite impressive.

I really do hope this will be a long series - in the same vein as Poirot or Miss Marple perhaps - as I absolutely love it.

This was a fun, thrilling story which I thoroughly enjoyed. I like Freya and how she's finally living the life she wanted all those years ago. Carol is also such a lovely, flamboyant character. Freya is following clues left behind by Arthur regarding the antiquities black market. What starts out as a case to find a stolen painting, leads Freya and Carol into the heart of the black market. Some other familiar faces appear from the first book too and they end up making quite a team. The Antique Hunters are on the case! Great story!
Thanks to Netgalley, Pan Macmillan, and CL Miller for the free ARC. All opinions are my own.

Freya and Carole are still reeling from the death of Arthur, owner of the antique store and their much loved friend. The antique store has been left to them and there are continuous clues to more stolen artefacts that need to be returned to rightful owners. Freya is still keen to be part of that hunting world even though her first adventure in book 1 was fraught with danger.

When her appearance on an antique hunters cruise is cancelled, she is disappointed but she ends up on the cruise anyway, armed with ideas, theories and the handsome FBI officer from her first adventure, Phil.

The Collector is rumoured to be retiring and choosing their successor on this cruise but there are too many secrets and potential players for it to be an easy win for Freya and Carole. They really need their wits about them. Delving into this seedy world is against Freya’s moral compass and she will head into situations recklessly but with promising answers and evidence,

When they all descend on Petra, in Jordan, the real truth emerges and Freya can finally see what she is up against.

I love these books and find them exciting and thoroughly thought provoking. Living in Suffolk makes me like them even more as I know the people and the communities, loving how they come together in times of need.

This will fly off the library shelves!