Scan barcode
aliceaustin's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Murder, and Gun violence
Moderate: Alcohol
historianvik's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Interesting idea with a consuming plot. However good it was, it only sucked me in for short period of time. I liked how every character had a purpose.
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder
singalana's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This book started promising, but the ending dragged on a bit.
The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder is a cosy crime story set around the world of antiques. It's the debut novel of C. L. Miller, and a decent one at that.
Our main character Freya grudgingly returns to her former home village to support her aunt Carol through the death of her dear friend Arthur. Arthur was an antiques dealer and Freya’s former mentor, who died under mysterious circumstances. Freya is going through struggles of her own, as her ex-husband is selling the house she loves and their daughter is all grown up and living abroad.
The two main characters of this story are older women (as in not twenty-somethings), which is quite refreshing. Carol's character is quite distinct. Freya’s character could have done a bit more work in my opinion, especially since she had so much going on. The other characters felt like stock characters for this type of story.
Like I said, the story started as interesting, but about the third way through, it started to drag a bit for me. I know it's a cosy crime book, but to truly work it needed more danger or more emotion. There was a hint of a romantic subplot that I didn't much care about. This was an ok book, but nothing too interesting.
I listened to this as an audiobook. The narrator, Emily Fox was fine until we got to a character with an American accent. Then it started to sound a bit grating. The cover fits the tone of the book and draws attention.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, and Toxic relationship
mlev97's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
A bit cheesy but a fun read!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Blood, Death, and Gun violence
erinvasut's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Murder
bookbrig's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I liked the title, which is why I checked-out this audiobook. The reader did an excellent job, and it was a quick, fun read. I liked the premise and our leading ladies, even if some of the action felt a bit awkward. It was wonderful to read about women over 40 having mystery adventures. I think I've read so much YA for so long, it's still novel to encounter adult protagonists just... existing. Anyway, a satisfying not quite cozy mystery, and I'd love to read more in the series (the author had an interview included at the end where a second book is mentioned).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Confinement
Minor: Murder
lefthandlou's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Cozy mystery read to fill a sick day. Interesting plot but found the execution somewhat lacking; dialogue was stilted and the characters didn’t have much depth. I liked the emphasis on repatriating stolen antiquities and thought that was a cool angle to include.
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, and Murder
amhud1030's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Grief, and Death
purplepenning's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
A solid debut and an enjoyable read — perfect for fans of The Marlow Murder Club and The Golden Spoon.
The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder is a cozyish mystery uniquely situated in the world of high-stakes antiques dealing and featuring an interesting niece-aunt team of amateur sleuths. Unlike other reviewers, I appreciated the narrator shifts and thought they added to the insight and enjoyment of the reading experience. The found-family vibes, the thoughts on aging, the reflections on past mistakes and course correcting, the plucky courage of the elderly aunt and the reemerging analytical courage of the middle-aged niece — all work to give this a little more depth and intrigue than a typical cozy mystery might have. If this is the beginning of a series, I'd definitely check out the next one.
The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder is a cozyish mystery uniquely situated in the world of high-stakes antiques dealing and featuring an interesting niece-aunt team of amateur sleuths. Unlike other reviewers, I appreciated the narrator shifts and thought they added to the insight and enjoyment of the reading experience. The found-family vibes, the thoughts on aging, the reflections on past mistakes and course correcting, the plucky courage of the elderly aunt and the reemerging analytical courage of the middle-aged niece — all work to give this a little more depth and intrigue than a typical cozy mystery might have. If this is the beginning of a series, I'd definitely check out the next one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, and Murder
Minor: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Confinement, and Fire/Fire injury
btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
What is queued up as a Knives-Out-esque mystery thriller ended up being more of an Eat Pray Love sort of situation.
Freya has been out of the Antique Hunting business for over twenty years after the betrayal of her mentor. However, when that mentor dies, she gets back on the hunt at a turning point in her life. Now forty-something, with her daughter off at school and ex-husband selling their house, she turns her mind to the mystery in front of her - who killed her mentor and why is he posthumously sending her and her aunt to an antique retreat in the country?
The premise enticed me, but the execution was messy. With disjointed sentences and a repetitive inner narrative, I dragged myself through the first half of this book. The turning point wasn't even something I really cared about by the time I got to it because one of the more impactful things hadn't even been mentioned until that moment. There was an air of mystery around it, but the moment didn't hit me in the way I think it was intended to.
The different perspectives really didn't lend much to the progression of the story, and as a result the plot felt stilted, even as the pace picked up in the second half. I'm very curious about the intentions behind adding the other characters' POVs because the value just wasn't there for me.
One thing I do appreciate is the fact that this book really was saying that life doesn't end after XYZ happens. Freya's daughter leaving for college, Freya losing her house; she was so morose over these events at the start of the story, but we see her tackle the mystery with renewed vigor as the story progressed. I don't think enough stories do this, so it was nice to see her getting on with her own life and rediscovering herself. That being said, I did find her own feelings about the events of her life overshadowed any of the mystery's fun and excitement. She was like a wet blanket over her own story, which is what gave it that soul-searching quality that was not quite what I'd signed up for.
At the end of the day, I can't say I was super invested in the mystery or in Freya's life. The writing being messy, repetivie, and disjointed didn't help my reading experience either. My hope is that the final version that sees the light of day is more polished and snappy, but we shall see I guess.
TW: death, murder, gun violence, blood, injury detail, alcohol; mentions fire, fire injury, death of parents; domestic abuse
Plot: 2/5
Characters: 2/5
World Building: 3/5
Writing: 2/5
Pacing: 1/5
Overall: 2/5
eARC gifted via NetGalley by Simon and Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review.
Freya has been out of the Antique Hunting business for over twenty years after the betrayal of her mentor. However, when that mentor dies, she gets back on the hunt at a turning point in her life. Now forty-something, with her daughter off at school and ex-husband selling their house, she turns her mind to the mystery in front of her - who killed her mentor and why is he posthumously sending her and her aunt to an antique retreat in the country?
The premise enticed me, but the execution was messy. With disjointed sentences and a repetitive inner narrative, I dragged myself through the first half of this book. The turning point wasn't even something I really cared about by the time I got to it because one of the more impactful things hadn't even been mentioned until that moment. There was an air of mystery around it, but the moment didn't hit me in the way I think it was intended to.
The different perspectives really didn't lend much to the progression of the story, and as a result the plot felt stilted, even as the pace picked up in the second half. I'm very curious about the intentions behind adding the other characters' POVs because the value just wasn't there for me.
One thing I do appreciate is the fact that this book really was saying that life doesn't end after XYZ happens. Freya's daughter leaving for college, Freya losing her house; she was so morose over these events at the start of the story, but we see her tackle the mystery with renewed vigor as the story progressed. I don't think enough stories do this, so it was nice to see her getting on with her own life and rediscovering herself. That being said, I did find her own feelings about the events of her life overshadowed any of the mystery's fun and excitement. She was like a wet blanket over her own story, which is what gave it that soul-searching quality that was not quite what I'd signed up for.
At the end of the day, I can't say I was super invested in the mystery or in Freya's life. The writing being messy, repetivie, and disjointed didn't help my reading experience either. My hope is that the final version that sees the light of day is more polished and snappy, but we shall see I guess.
TW: death, murder, gun violence, blood, injury detail, alcohol; mentions fire, fire injury, death of parents; domestic abuse
Plot: 2/5
Characters: 2/5
World Building: 3/5
Writing: 2/5
Pacing: 1/5
Overall: 2/5
eARC gifted via NetGalley by Simon and Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Blood, Gun violence, and Alcohol
Minor: Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury