Silent auction : a Josie Prescott antiques mystery / #5

Agatha finalist Jane K. Cleland brings us an irresistible new blend of coziness, crime, and collectibles... The autumn foliage is in full fiery glory on a beautiful day in the little coastal town of Rocky Point, New Hampshire. Josie Prescott arrives at the town’s renovated lighthouse to conduct an antiques appraisal and is horrified to discover the bludgeoned body of her neighbor Zo?’s beloved nephew, Frankie. The owners of the lighthouse are avid antiques collectors, and Josie soon begins to suspect that a scrimshaw tooth from their collection may be the key to solving the crime that has shaken Rocky Point, and broken her dear friend’s heart. From Publishers Weekly Cleland once again smoothly blends antique lore and a plausible whodunit in her delightful fifth mystery featuring antiques dealer Josie Prescott (after 2009's Killer Keepsakes ). When Josie shows up for an appraisal at the Rocky Point, N.H., lighthouse, she stumbles on the body of someone she knows on the kitchen floor. Frankie, the lighthouse caretaker and her good friend Zo?'s nephew, has a ghastly dent in his skull. The theft of a valuable scrimshaw tooth from the lighthouse owner's vast collection may be connected to the murder, she concludes, as she lends her antiquing expertise in the subsequent police investigation. Series fans will enjoy getting reacquainted with familiar characters and meeting new ones. Everyone will learn a lot about the arcane art of scrimshaw. (Apr.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist Josie Prescott, owner of Prescott’s Antiques and Auctions, goes to the Whitestones’ house to appraise their maritime art and artifacts collection. The plan is to get the house key from the Whitestones’ caretaker, Frankie Winterelli, but on arrival, Josie finds Frankie, the nephew of her neighbor, and a friend, Zoe, murdered. She later discovers that a valuable scrimmed tooth is missing from the house. Because of her close relationship with Zoe, and at the request of Rocky Point, New Hampshire’s new police chief, Ellis Hunter, who values her expertise with antiques, Josie becomes involved in the investigation. The small-town setting and the details about maritime antiques, framed by the running of an antiques appraisal and auction business, add to the story. Those who enjoy mysteries set in the antiques world should also try Sharon Fiffer’s Jane Wheel mysteries. --Sue OBrien

Agatha finalist Jane K. Cleland brings us an irresistible new blend of coziness, crime, and collectibles...

 

The autumn foliage is in full fiery glory on a beautiful day in the little coastal town of Rocky Point, New Hampshire. Josie Prescott arrives at the town’s renovated lighthouse to conduct an antiques appraisal and is horrified to discover the bludgeoned body of her neighbor Zoë’s beloved nephew, Frankie. The owners of the lighthouse are avid antiques collectors, and Josie soon begins to suspect that a scrimshaw tooth from their collection may be the key to solving the crime that has shaken Rocky Point, and broken her dear friend’s heart.

Publishers Weekly

Cleland once again smoothly blends antique lore and a plausible whodunit in her delightful fifth mystery featuring antiques dealer Josie Prescott (after 2009’s Killer Keepsakes). When Josie shows up for an appraisal at the Rocky Point, N.H., lighthouse, she stumbles on the body of someone she knows on the kitchen floor. Frankie, the lighthouse caretaker and her good friend Zoë’s nephew, has “a ghastly dent in his skull.” The theft of a valuable scrimshaw tooth from the lighthouse owner’s vast collection may be connected to the murder, she concludes, as she lends her antiquing expertise in the subsequent police investigation. Series fans will enjoy getting reacquainted with familiar characters and meeting new ones. Everyone will learn a lot about the arcane art of scrimshaw. (Apr.)

Agatha finalist Jane K. Cleland brings us an irresistible new blend of coziness, crime, and collectibles... The autumn foliage is in full fiery glory on a beautiful day in the little coastal town of Rocky Point, New Hampshire. Josie Prescott arrives at the town’s renovated lighthouse to conduct an antiques appraisal and is horrified to discover the bludgeoned body of her neighbor Zoë’s beloved nephew, Frankie. The owners of the lighthouse are avid antiques collectors, and Josie soon begins to suspect that a scrimshaw tooth from their collection may be the key to solving the crime that has shaken Rocky Point, and broken her dear friend’s heart. Josie Prescott arrives at the renovated lighthouse in the llittle New Hampshire coastal town of Rocky Point to conduct an antiques appraisal and is horrified to discover the bludgeoned body of her neighbor Zoë's beloved nephew. The owners of the lighthouse are avid antiques collectors, and Josie soon begins to suspect that a scrimshaw tooth from their collection may be the key to solving the crime that has shaken the town, and broken her friend's heart. After she finds the body of her friend's nephew inside a renovated lighthouse in Rocky Point, New Hampshire, Josie Prescott begins to suspect that a scrimshaw tooth from the lighthouse owners' collection may be the key to solving the crime