Customer Reviews

Consigned to Death (Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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!

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.

[...]

Josie Prescott has left New York behind to start a new life in New Hampshire. Everyone thought she was crazy to leave behind her big New York auction house job and her steady boyfriend for a new start in New Hampshire. Things are now beginning to look up for Josie as she has her very own antiques auction business up and running and it's beginning to be a successful venture. She then meets up with the eligible and handsome local police chief unfortunately he pegs her as the prime suspect in the murder of a local resident. Things go from bad to worse when a painting belonging to the victim turns up at Josie's business. Suddenly, Josie finds herself trying to identify a killer who has set their sites on Josie with the intention of trapping her in a web of death and deceit. With everything to lose Josie sets out to prove her innocence.

A delightful addition to the mystery genre with an engaging new heroine. Josie Prescott is a fiercely determined heroine with an appealing personality full of purpose and life. Cleland presents to us the cutthroat world of antiques and auctions. Loaded with insider details of the auction world, Consigned to Death, is a beautifully written mystery, with a deft plot and loveable and detailed characters that pull you into the story and will keep you up into the night until you get to the satisfying finale. I for one am greatly looking forward to another mystery with the charming Josie Prescott.

This mystery debut was at the top of my "to be read" pile, and I was glad I waited until vacation to begin it so that I could savor every page. This finely crafted mystery keeps you turning the pages until the satisfying conclusion.

Not knowing much about antiques, I particularly enjoyed learning more about that rarefied world; but more than that, I appreciated the author's approach to the subject, which is precise but not fussy or pretentious. The New England setting is particularly well done, capturing everything I love about New Hampshire (a place I'd love to retire, if it weren't for the astronomical property taxes). I also enjoyed the story and the somewhat traditional murder mystery, which makes fine use of Ms. Cleland's abundant plotting skills. All that aside, the character of Josie Prescott is enough to make any reader come back for more, especially since it seems clear that sparks will continue to fly between her and the police chief. Read and enjoy!

Josie Prescott is finally starting to get her life back on track. Two years after leaving New York, her new antique auction house in New Hampshire is beginning to do a brisk business.

Things take a turn for the worse when police chief Alverez shows up in her warehouse one day. Nathaniel Grant, an elderly potential client, has been found murdered. Josie had an appointment with him that morning, but he wasn't home. Now, she's a suspect. Things get even worse then her fingerprints are found on the murder weapon.

Josie is not going to prison for something she didn't do. In fact, she thought Mr. Grant was a nice, jolly man. She can't see why anyone would want to kill him.

Poking around a little, she begins to hear rumors of more items he had for sale. Why hadn't Josie heard about them? Where are they now? What does it all mean?

This book jumps right into the story. On page one, Mr. Grant is already dead, so all the reader knows about him is the impressions we get from the other characters. Things move along rapidly with several nice surprises and complications coming at a steady pace. There are several suspects, and the spotlight shifts to all of them at various points. I didn't have things figured out until the very end.

Adding to that are the characters. All of them are well drawn and feel very real. Josie is a strong woman in spite of some emotional things she has been through in the last few years. Her employees at the auction house are fun. I wanted to get to spend more time with them and hope future books focus on them more. And, of course, the love interest is present. There's just a hint of romance in this book, with tantalizing promises of more to come.

All this is enhanced by the strong writing style. The prose flow well, and the first person narration helps us know Josie better.

The problems come in the second half. Antiques are not an area that interests me greatly, and they seemed to be more of the focus later in the book, slowing the story down. The real flaw, however, is the climax. After the wonderful build up, it's a little anti-climatic. Probably realistic, but disappointing.

I like Josie and her friends enough to pay them a return visit. Unfortunately, this debut isn't as strong as the first half promises it will be.

Ms. Cleland's first cozy mystery is a winner. The story line keeps moving from the first few pages all the way till the end.

Josie Prescott has her own antique auction business after moving from New York. However, a prospective client is murdered the morning Josie has an appointment with him. She wondered why he didn't answer his door when she arrived for the appointment which she thought was to close the deal.

Josie seems to be the prime suspect. After all, rumor has it that the client was thinking about giving his million dollar business to a competitor. There are not too many suspects other than Josie and she doesn't want to go to jail for a crime she didn't commit. Sure that the police are not investigating other possibilities enough, Josie decides to launch her own investigation.

Stolen paintings are discovered amongst the estate holdings. Not just any stolen paintings but 3 paintings that were stolen by the Nazi's from Jewish families. These paintings are worth a fortune. It is possible that one of the families the paintings were stolen from discovered who had them and wanted their painting back. The victim's granddaughter who has a severe drug problem wants to sell them quickly for fast cash. Even though Barney Troudeaux, the competitor, has a solid reputation he has problems of his own and desperately needed this business.

The further the investigation gets the murkier it becomes. It keeps your turning pages all the way through to the end when the real culprit is caught in a trap.

I chose this mystery from a limited selection with some hesitation, as I've read other mysteries in the past that turned out to be duds. I was pleasantly surprised by this one. There is intrigue, rivalry, romance, and I learned some interesting bits of information about the antiques business and some good affirmations from the late father of the at times histrionic protagonist.

I picked this book up because I heard about the author and she sounded interesting. I was not disappointed. I'm not typically a "cozy" mystery reader, but I made an exception and I'm so glad I did! Cleland's writing is literary, and fun to ride through the twists and turns. Her characters are real and true to themselves, making it so easy to dive into this story. Cleland, through her character Josie Prescott demonstrates a confident and wide knowledge of antiques and shares her enthusiasm for the subject with the reader. I know nothing about antiques and the antique trade but by the time I was finished, I felt like I'd had a mini course in the subject. Josie is an engaging main character that makes you care about what's happening in her world. I look forward to the next Josie novel from Cleland.

As a frequent visitor to the Portsmouth, N.H. vicinity, the book was a treat. I was able to visit the coastal area and meet realistic native and transplanted characters. The escape was possible from my living room or coffee shop.
The author has a real grasp on investigation and much expertise on estate antique appraisal. I never had the feeling that the events were only possible in fiction.
One area of improvement might be the solution. Although possible, there could have been more clues. On the other hand, the unpredictability of other suspects added to the fun.
Even a reader not familiar with the setting would profit. They would experience the small town coastal flavor and a well written book.