Customer Reviews

Deadly Appraisal (Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries)

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

 

 

Josie Prescott is a transplanted New Yorker who has moved to a small town in New Hampshire to open her own antiques business. As in the first book of the series, she is quickly pulled into a murder and becomes embroiled in the police investigation that ensues.

The book has good bones, if you will. There is a lot of potential there, but the execution of the book leaves just about everything to be desired. First and foremost, Josie whines, ALL the time. She is constantly crying, or fighting tears, or closing her eyes and breathing deep to get herself together. I think she has a mini breakdown in every chapter. She constantly bemoans her lack of friends, her unsure love life, and the grevious wrongs done to her at her last job. Enough already! I was so disgusted by this constant carrying on that I almost put down the book without finishing it.

Second - Josie re-hashes 'words of wisdom' from her late father ad nauseum. Again, in every chapter, at least once, we have to hear dear ole Pop's nuggets, even though they aren't particularly insightful. Unless the author plans to bring back Dad as a ghost, it is way past time for Josie to stop re-running her father's business advice in her head.

Third - Cleland makes a big deal out of the fact that Josie knows next to nothing about her employees, including the ones she entrusts with her entire busines. Everytime there is a crime, Josie finds reason to question whether or not her employees are the theives or the killers. Inevitably, she discovers they are innocent and then bursts into tears of happiness. Once is understandable, but multiple times in the first two books of the series is way too much. Either investigate these people and trust them, or don't. Conveniently, despite all of these people being investigated by police multiple times, Josie never learns any of the deep, dark secrets that Cleland hints the supporting characters are harboring.

As I said in the title, I really wanted to like both of the books in this series, but I just can't get past the annoying, neurotic main character. Other things can be overlooked or done better in the next book, but unless this character grows up and gets it together, I will not be reading the third installment.

I really do want to enjoy these books....I struggled through the first one and am determined to finish the second. Josie is neurotic and nervous. She doesn't trust herself, her love interest, her employees...really she doesn't trust anyone. How she runs a seemingly successful business while remaining so unfocused is, to me, the big mystery in both of these books. Every new revelation is a big deal, prompting more soul searching and more doubts about those around her. This could be a great series....too much internal debating, too much thinking, not enough action.

Prescott Antiques is beginning to thrive and owner Josie Prescott is truly beginning to build a life for her self in New Hampshire. She is absolutely delighted to be hosting the annual fundraiser for the Portsmouth Women's Guild. The silent auction has gone well, and the fundraiser looks to be a huge success. But, just as he winners are about to be announced, event coordinator Maisy Gaylor dies on stage, the victim of poison.

Josie had been working closely with Maisy to plan the event, and Josie can't think of a quieter, nicer woman. Who could have possibly wanted her dead?

With boyfriend Ty Alvarez, the local chief of police, out of town, Josie finds herself dealing with the gruff and unfriendly Detective Rowcliff. Rowcliff seems to be treating her as a suspect until he makes a startling statement, Josie could have been the intended victim. At first it seems crazy, but then Josie learns that someone from her past in New York is out of jail. Who was supposed to drink the poison? And who is the killer?

This second mystery in the series is fun. It took me a little while to get into the story, mainly because I was reading a few pages here and there. Once I did, I got hooked. I thought I had a clue who the killer was early on, but the constant red herrings kept making me forget about them.

The characters are real, and the supporting cast is entertaining. Josie herself is often an emotional wreck. That's a change from the strong main characters I am used to who rarely show emotion. A couple times it got annoying. However, considering everything the character has been through, I find it much more realistic then the books I normally read.

The book got stronger as it went along, and by the end, I couldn't put it down. This is another enjoyable entry in a fun series.

This book was average to me. It had the potential to be really good. The mystery was laid out and could go in lots of different directions, but it really fizzled out mid way through. Josie whines way too much for my taste. I kept thinking through out the entire book if you want to be treated like an adult, act like one. This is something Josie has yet to learn. I really like her lawyer a lot. He has endless patience with her and he has a sharp wit. The detective was enjoyable to me as well. You could definitely see the struggle he faced of wanting her to just back out, yet really needing her help. I'm not sure what the purpose was of having Ty out of town the entire book with his gravely ill aunt. It seemed as if he was just a mere afterthought. All in all this book is one I am glad that I got from the library rather than buying it, but in the end it was worth the time to read.

I am reading the entire series, but Jane K. Cleland's DEADLY APPRAISAL is weak on plot and long on swishy waterworks. As always the research on antiques & collectibles is first rate, but there is nothing special about this addition to the series.
It may have been because she is always reacting with little provocation to do so. It wasn't difficult to figure out who-done-it, which spoiled the story. I may have missed something, but since there was never any evidence of a phone tap all the meetings with Wes really didn't produce anything.
A director a charity is poisoned at a gala dinner, a Chinese export tureen is stolen, someone tries to run Josie down and Ty is on the West Coast.
Love the series for the antiques. Read this one at your leisure.
Nash Black, author of Indie finalists WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and HAINTS.

This is the second book in this series, and she has another title coming out soon! These books are well written, tight, exciting mysteries. Cleland researched her background well; bits of information about antiques, the appraisal process and the proving of provenance are interwoven into the stories. Truly good reads.

There is something reminiscent of Miss Marple in the tone and character of this book. The plot isn't near a Christie, but there is the same light airy element.

The plot is not the greatest, but the setting, an auction and appraisal house make up for the plot's short-comings. As the cover noted, any fans of "Antique Roadshow" will love this book. Antiques, research of artwork and antiques and estate buying are portrayed frequently and vividly. There is a little education of the trade thrown in the mix.

The main character, Josie Prescott, owns the business and a murder occurs at an auction she is throwing. It soon seems as if she was the intended victim and she starts her own search for the killer. The supporting cast is a bit muddled - a lawyer who is called in at every turn, a cop who is unnecessarily curt at every stage and a reporter who seems to be able to get an answer for everything.

With characters that are good, but not great, and a plot that is pretty pedestrian, it is the appraisal business that contributes the most to make this book entertaining.

I was attracted to this because of the Portsmouth, NH setting, and while that wasn't played up, the book held my interest - the red herrings, subtly done, in the plot certainly helped. The protagonist is a strong entry in the genre. I am always leary of early 30 somethings with full blown businesses, but perhaps she is believable if one assumes that she inherited the money. (I have not read the first book in the series and if this is addressed there, I apologize). Josie's calling upon her late father's wisdom and even her paranoia re her help gave her credibility.

Jane Cleland used to own a rare book and antiques store in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and now lives in New York City with her husband. Jane is the President of the Mystery Writers of America, New York Chapter. Her witty web site has recipes, appraisal facts and challenges, interviews, and more. This book follows the first in the series, Consigned to Death.

Josie Prescott's business, Prescott's Antiques, Auctions and Appraisals, is doing well. She has attracted a gala fundraising event for the Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Women's Guild. The auction of antiques and the dinner are both going really well, until the organizer, Maisy Gaylor, chokes on her wine and dies. It is poison.

Detective Rowcliff is antagonistic; he is not sure whether Josie is the murderer, or holding back important information, or is the intended victim. Josie's new love, Rocky Point Police Chief Ty Alverez, is out of town caring for a dying aunt in Los Angeles, and can only offer verbal support.

Practically everyone in Josie's life is a potential suspect--her staff, Maisy's dour husband Walter, gala organizers Dora Reynolds and lawyer Britt Epps, and the caterer, Eddie. A missing valuable tureen, and an attack on Josie with a car, confuse the issue. Reporter Wes Smith tries to enlist Josie's help in finding the solution, and he does find some important clues.

Josie is a wonderfully sympathetic, independent, and smart woman who recalls at times of stress adages from her dead father that inspire her and keep her going.

Armchair Interviews says: A beautiful locale, absorbing characters, and unusual details make this mystery a particularly enjoyable read.

Josie Prescott is settling into her new life. She loves her business and has great employees. When she offers to do sponsor a Gala event for the Portsmouth Ladies Guild, she has nothing but great hopes for it. That all falls apart when one of the main members, Maisey dies suddenly on the stage before they can announce the winners of the different items auctioned. Josie is looked at as the prime suspect in the murder so she once again has to battle to clear her name. With her only support being her lawyer, she desperately does her best to hang in there. She has little successes throughout with her business but she wonders if she is just trying to do too much on her own.

I enjoyed the second book in the series by Ms. Cleland. She has a wonderful way of portraying the characters that emotions are felt when you are reading it. I was swept up in this book and didn't want it to end. Boy I hope there is more!

I loved seeing past characters finding their way into the story like Sasha, Gretchen, Eric, and Fred. They are wonderful employees to have and I loved seeing the relationship between them and Josie deepens further. I got really irritated with Detective Rowcliff. I know he was just doing his job. Max put it wonderfully when he said the Detective had a problem of "persistent jerkitis" on page 245. I could not have described it better. Max really came to the top for Josie. He had done so in the last book but I really felt you got a better sense of whom he is. Josie is a sweet person but gets overwhelmed easily but when uncertainty is all around it makes complete sense.

I give this book a 5/5 because it carried the storylines from the previous book very well. I felt like I was coming home and I hope there are more to come. It was wonderfully written and expressed. I loved seeing how things changed and how Josie did get some more confidence. Great series and one I highly recommend but do please read Consigned to Death first.