Jane K. Cleland Antiques to Die For

Antiques to Die For

Jane K. Cleland

St. Martin's, Apr 2008, $23.95

ISBN 9780312368272

In New Hampshire, antiques trader Josie Prescott is shocked when she finds out that her friend Rosalie Chaffee drowned near Rocky Point. Josie insures that Rosalie's preadolescent sister Paige is okay as she willingly takes the twelve year old into her home. However, her focus somewhat changes when she learns from her boyfriend Police Chief Ty Alverez that Rosalie's death was murder not an accident as she initially assumed.

Ty investigates adhering to police standard operating procedures to focus on those who knew the victim very well in her personal life or at work. He has three prime suspects: at Heyer's Modular Furniture where she worked he considers Rosalie's boss and his wife while outside the job there is the deceased's boyfriend. Although Ty would prefer Josie to stay out of the investigation, she begins to follow the clues one antique item at a time.

The third cozy Josie Prescott amateur sleuth cozy (see CONSIGNED TO DEATH and DEADLY APPRAISAL) is a delightful New England mystery that interweaves antiquing tidbits into a fine whodunit. Josie is tough on the outside, but soft as mush inside as she cares for Paige while also seeking the culprit. The large ensemble augments the tale with depth into the world of antiques, New Hampshire, or murder.

Harriet Klausner