Rating

To start this review, this book was a solid 3.4 out of 5 stars. For a debut novel, I really enjoyed the world that C.L. Miller was able to build and set up for future novels. While the book does experience some of the common pitfalls of debut authors, this was still a fun read. I look forward to the continuation of the series. 

Themes

We are introduced into the world of Freya Lockwood. A seemingly middle-aged woman experiencing the hardships of loss through death, divorce, and aging children. While I would not consider this a damsel in distress story, it is a second coming of age for Freya as she works through her past and grasps to take hold of her future. Those who are fans of female protagonists within the mystery genre will enjoy this read. However, the story does not harp on the "girl power" trope, which I appreciated.

This story is a cozy mystery as, ultimately, you are piecing together a greater narrative that solves the immediate mystery and sets up future plot points for the series. So expect an unreliable narrator and convenient events that help push the story along, as with most cozy mysteries. Obviously, there is going to be at least one murder discussed in this book, but do not worry if you are not a fan of graphic depictions or gore; the details are very mild. No one should be losing sleep over this read.

Plot Summary

When we meet her, Freya Lockwood is but a shell of her former self. The woman who was once a highly respected antique hunter, tracking down stolen antiques and returning them to their rightful owners with her former partner Arthur, is now a divorced middle-aged woman dealing with the repercussions of her past as well as the gloomy realizations of her future.

On a pretty somber day, Freya receives a call from her Aunt Carol stating that her best friend and Freya's previous estranged partner, Arthur, had recently passed away. Freya had not spoken to Arthur in years due to an event in Cario, Egypt, and harbored ill will towards Arthur all this time. Despite her animosity, Freya loves her Aunt and needs something to take her mind off of the fact her ex-husband is selling the house she is currently living in out from under her. She joins Aunt Carole to attend Arthurs's funeral and pay their respects. However, Aunt Carole soon reveals to Freya that something regarding his cause of death is not adding up and entices Freya to investigate with her.

Sure enough, things were not as they seemed. Through a variety of clues left by Arthur before his death, Freya and Aunt Carol find themselves in a classic English manor "who dunnit," where they must race against the clock to solve who murdered Arthur as well as uncover details about the partnership ending events that happened in Cario all those years ago.

Thoughts

As I said, this was a solid 3 out of 5 stars for me. As a lover of cozy mysteries, I was excited to see one that involved the antiquing world. It made me think this would be some sort of Indiana Jones-esk adventure with high stakes and betrayal. While there is the antique aspect, which I quite enjoyed, the thrill level in this book is minimal. In fact, it suffers heavily from the pacing issues common in this genre. There were times when I got bored and struggled to keep reading. Too much exposition and not enough revelation.

Speaking of revelation, some of the plot lines in this story go nowhere. I hope they will continue in future stories, but I don't see how that could happen for some of them. The book switches narrators in specific chapters, which is an interesting approach, but I am not sure it really worked here. The characters were not established enough for me to start diving into their inner monologue. It made things too confusing. I felt like I needed a separate notebook to keep track of everything.

Criticisms aside, while I do not think it was a very well-written book, I still enjoyed it. Watching Freya redefine her past and finally get closure on some things that would affect her future was enjoyable to read. I feel that is not a totally common writing trope. It has many classic "who dunnit" aspects, which are always fun. I would encourage anyone who is a cozy mystery fan to try this one.