Silent Auction
Jane K. Cleland
Minotaur, Apr 2010, $24.99
ISBN 9780312586553
Antiques dealer Josie Prescott arrives at the Rocky Point, New Hampshire lighthouse for an appraisal. However, instead of a friendly greeting from Frankie the caretaker, nephew of her dear friend Zoe, she finds him lying dead on the kitchen floor with a blow to his head that left a major indentation on his skull.
Josie realizes that along with the murder there was also a theft. Specifically, someone stole a valuable scrimshaw tooth from the collection. The police investigate while Josie provides antiquing consulting services to help them with their case.
The latest Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery (see Killer Keepsakes) is a terrific cozy in which the heroine is not a more successful than the police amateur sleuth competing against the cops, but instead provides consulting services especially into scrimshaw. The story line is fast-paced from the moment Josie stumbles over the corpse of Frankie (an occupational hazard of the sub-genre). The audience will enjoy Josie’s escapades as the whodunit seems genuine and clearly fun as are the antiques tips and glimpses behind the scenes of a dealer.
Harriet Klausner
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