Consigned to Death (Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Jane K. Cleland (Author)

Book Description

Series: Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries | Publication Date: April 18, 2006

Josie Prescott's friends thought she was nuts when she left her high-paying New York auction house job and her boyfriend to live on the rugged and beautiful New Hampshire coast. Truth is, Josie wondered a little herself--never mind that her peripheral involvement in a well-publicized price-fixing scandal made the possibility of a new start incredibly enticing.

Things are looking better, though, now that she's got her own auction business up and running and has made something of a success of her new life. That is, until she gets mixed up in murder, and the supremely eligible but emotionally distant local police chief seems to think she's the prime suspect.

Josie has suddenly got a lot to lose and no desire to leave her new life--or the possibility of a little romance--behind. So she sets her mind on identifying the killer and making the best out of her unfortunate circumstances. After all, Josie is grateful for her second chance in life and knows a third is just too much to ask…especially with a vicious killer on the loose.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Cleland's satisfying cozy debut, a New Hampshire antiques dealer, Josie Prescott, formerly employed by a big New York auction house, turns sleuth after a potential client, wealthy recluse Nathaniel Grant, is found stabbed to death in his mansion in Rocky Point, N.H. Cleland, who herself was once an antiques dealer in the Granite State, puts her insider knowledge to admirable use in depicting what is often a cutthroat business, from price setting and haggling to handling difficult clients and competitors. She also proves adept at shifting suspicion from one character to another, including a well-established professional rival of Josie's, his harpy of a wife and the slain man's greedy granddaughter. A few valuable paintings of uncertain provenance that have gone missing and a soupçon of romance for the wary Josie help raise the excitement level. Readers will want to see more of her. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Josie Prescott left a good job at a New York auction house after blowing the whistle on her former employer in a price-fixing scandal. Her new business in a small New Hampshire coastal town is doing well. She is busy setting up an auction when the chief of police shows up to ask questions about a murder. A potential client is dead, and Josie has become a murder suspect. With a great deal to lose and no desire to leave her new life, she must clear her name. Using her knowledge of the art and antique trade, she starts searching for the killer with a bit of help from her lawyer and an enterprising young reporter. The fact that the chief of police is quite attractive--and Josie could use some romance--provides a bit of extra motivation. Josie is a nice addition to the ranks of female sleuths, and the antique-auction milieu provides an interesting background. Barbara Bibel
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (April 18, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312347251
• ISBN-13: 978-0312347253
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #562,238 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jane K. Cleland is the author of the Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries, which have been referred to as an Antiques Roadshow for mystery fans. Her first novel, CONSIGNED TO DEATH, was named a "core title" by Library Journal magazine, and was a finalist for the Agatha, David, and Macavity Awards for Best First Novel. SILENT AUCTION, the fifth in the series, has just been released. [all by Minotaur Books, an imprint of St. Martin's Publishing Group]. Jane used to own a rare book and antiques store in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and now lives in New York City with her husband. www.janecleland.net

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mildly enjoyable read., June 13, 2006

By 

Jennifer Terry (Columbus, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Consigned to Death (Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries) (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this book and did not want to miss the outcome, but I tired of the main character's incessant crying and her abnormal fixation on her 4-years-dead father. Scarcely a page went by without waterworks or WWDD ("what would Daddy do?") musings. The ending was rather anticlimactic, just telling the reader who the culprit was with no exciting showdown or suspenseful wrap-up. The constant hints of romantic tension between the main character and the police chief culminated in nothing but a possible date in the unwritten future. I enjoyed the discussions of the antiques business and the characters that the author gave some development instead of just description were likable. I'd love to see a sequel with a bit more refinement.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good first mystery., September 24, 2006

By 

PJ Coldren (Saint Helen, MI, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Consigned to Death (Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Josie Prescott is a whistle-blower trying to pick up the pieces of her life. She operates an antique auction business in New Hampshire, and is finally feeling comfortable with how the business is doing.

She is offered the chance to sell the considerable and very nice collection of Mr. Nathaniel Grant. Unfortunately, Mr. Grant winds up dead, with Josie's fingerprints on the knife that killed him. The heirs are an unlikely pair: the very refined and deliberate Mrs. Cabot, and her very emotional and probably drug-addicted daughter. They play an important part in what happens to the Grant estate.

The antique business can be very cutthroat, whether one is dealing with small-time dealers or big name firms. Josie has survived the latter, but is unpleasantly surprised by the venom exuded by some local competition.

Then there is Chief Alvarez, who is investigating the murder. There is obvious chemistry between Josie and Chief Alvarez; what a surprise in a mystery with a female amateur sleuth! But Cleland handles the romance very well - it never feels forced or contrived.

While the basic premise of CONSIGNED TO DEATH reminds me of another "antiques" mystery, the plot is original and the writing is very good. Josie is a believable addition to the ranks of amateur sleuths, and her support staff has lots of potential in terms of growth and interaction in the future. CONSIGNED TO DEATH is very enjoyable, a good mystery that will appeal to a wide variety of readers. And there's the added bonus of learning just a little bit more about the antiques business, stolen art, and New Hampshire. A good deal!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful new antiques mystery series, May 30, 2006

By 

Dawn Dowdle "Mystery Lovers Corner reviewer" (Lynchburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Consigned to Death (Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Josie Prescott's antiques auction business is becoming a success when one of her new clients, Mr. Grant, is murdered and Josie is the prime suspect.

In New York, she had blown the whistle on her former employer's price-fixing scam. She doesn't want her new life in New Hampshire to fall apart. She decides to set out to find the real killer.

She soon discovers there were more items that Mr. Grant hadn't mentioned to her. Why? What are they? Where are they? As she delves deeper and deeper to answers these questions, she uncovers many suspects and motives. Who killed nice Mr. Grant and why?

I really enjoyed this book. I am not into antiques, but that didn't matter. A knowledge of them is not needed to read this wonderful book. It kept me guessing who the killer was, along with the motive, and I found the book hard to put down. The story really drew me in.

I loved the New Hampshire setting as well as Josie. She was so real and likeable. We really got to know her since the book was written in first person. I liked that. The auction house employees were well crafted as well. I enjoyed the glimpse we get into each of them. I really look forward to reading the next book in this series and getting to know everyone even better. I highly recommend this book.

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