The Cover Made Me Do It!
I’ll admit it—I judged this book by its cover. And honestly? That’s what landed it in my cart. With its vintage mystery palette and moody serif fonts, The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder whispered sweet nothings about secrets and suspense. Turns out, the inside was about as measured as its 3.36 Goodreads rating: solid, if not swoon-worthy. Let’s unpack why this one is appropriately hyped.
Hype Report
Goodreads readers give this a 3.36 and I agree – Appropriately-Hyped.
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Aesthetic
The Cover
I was immediately drawn to The Antique Hunters Guide to Murder‘s cover. It resonates classic mystery with ornate swashes and bold serif typeface. The red, cream, and black palette clearly signals the genre while the delicate illustration underscores the antique collectibles theme hinted at in the title. One flaw, at least in my particular copy, was that the cover seems to be misaligned. The edge is cut off at the left, and the spine elements turn up over the front edge. I didn’t notice the irritating edge until I returned home from the bookstore, and wished that I had been more observant at the time of purchase, so I could have checked other volumes to see if there was a better binding.
Interior
The typesetting of the interior of book is, thankfully, unaffected by the external issues. The body of the story was easy to read with adequate margins. I enjoyed that there were “quotes” from the deceased at the beginning of each chapter that give subtle hints as to his relationship to each character. These were set apart typographically by a slightly larger, bolder font, but nothing too fanciful. Everything about the interior is meant to keep the reader in the story and not cause distraction. My only complaint is the kerning between some of the chapter numbers seems a bit too loose.
Did the design affect whether I bought the book?
Yes, I found The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder attractive based on the cover design. Finding it on a table with like titles the cover design of this book certainly set it apart from the other options.
Summary
In Short
At a crossroads in life, Freya finds the lure of antique hunting and a mysterious death of her former mentor too much to resist as she throws in with her quirky Aunt to uncover the truth about the past, and unlock her future.
From the Publisher
In this “irresistible, immersive, and completely unputdownable” (Ellery Lloyd, New York Times bestselling author) debut novel, a former antique hunter investigates a suspicious death at an isolated English manor, embroiling her in the high-stakes world of tracking stolen artifacts.
What antique would you kill for?
Freya Lockwood is shocked when she learns that Arthur Crockleford, antiques dealer and her estranged mentor, has died under mysterious circumstances. She has spent the last twenty years avoiding her quaint English hometown, but when she receives a letter from Arthur asking her to investigate—sent just days before his death—Freya has no choice but to return to a life she had sworn to leave behind.
Joining forces with her eccentric Aunt Carole, Freya follows clues to an old manor house for an advertised antiques enthusiast’s weekend. But not all is as it seems. It’s clear to Freya that the antiques are all just poor reproductions, and her fellow guests are secretive and menacing. What is going on at this estate and how was Arthur involved? More importantly, can Freya and Carole discover the truth before the killer strikes again?
Character Analysis
Most of the characters in The Antique Hunters Guide to Murder are two dimensional. There is just enough detail to make the point that needs to be made to advance the plot. The main character, Freya, verges on three dimensional, but falls short of connecting emotionally- despite having a pretty emotionally traumatic back story. I wanted to love her, but felt indifferent throughout most of the book. The looney aunt was reliable comic relief and I could easily visualize her, but didn’t really get the emotional undertones I wanted to make the relationships believable.
We can preserve the past while still striving toward our future.
Writing Style
The plot was well-plotted. There were just enough hints and foreshadowing to keep things interesting. The pacing was steady. I felt like there should have been moments that built in intensity to crescendo at the point where the main character has her “aha!” moment and again when the killer is revealed. This didn’t really happen in The Antique Hunters Guide to Murder, which felt a bit disappointing despite the twists and reveals of the plot itself.
Themes
Self-(re)discovery was a major theme. While the heroine was unwinding a mystery she was unlocking the truest parts of herself. There was also a distinct aim to show that you can’t always know what another person is going through or their reasons for doing what they do. Forgiveness. Coming back to your roots.
Sooner or later we all leave this earth. What matters is the story we’ve left behind.
Critical Evaluation
The Antique Hunters Guide to Murder hits all the genre points and is classically well written. Not thrilling nor emotional, but scratches the whodunit itch.
Some time is spent describing antiques, so if you are an aficionado, you’ll get a little something extra out of this book.
Personal Opinion
The Antique Hunters Guide to Murder was good, not great. I didn’t get overly invested in it and was easily able to put it down at any given point, but I did find myself wanting to pick it back up because I wanted to know the secrets it held in store.
Always check your exit route.
Recommendation
If you want a good, well-written murder mystery that is light without being fluffy, The Antique Hunters Guide to Murder is for you. If you are into cozy mysteries with more rom-com aspects, you won’t find that here. Those with a nose for more thrilling or gritty fare – probably a pass for you.
Notes
This book made me think of the Knives Out movie series and the Hercule Poirot series. I could easily visualize this being made into a movie.
This is the first in a series. The next book is The Antique Hunter’s Death on the Red Sea.
May your life be as full as your bookshelf and as long as your TBR list.
Happy Reading!
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