Killer Keepsakes (Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Jane K. Cleland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 14, 2009 | Series: Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries

One of the mainstays of Prescott’s Antiques and Appraisals has always been the cheerful and helpful assistant, Gretchen, who turned up unexpectedly just as Josie was setting up shop in New Hampshire. Gretchen has always been so dependable that it seems odd when she doesn’t show up for work one day. Surprise soon turns to alarm when a dead body is found in Gretchen’s house, with Gretchen the prime suspect.

How much does Josie know about Gretchen, anyway? Enough to believe she isn’t capable of murder, so Josie, with a crack team of antiques appraisers at her side, sets out to find the real killer and bring Gretchen home safely, no matter the cost.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the start of Cleland's absorbing fourth mystery to feature New Hampshire antiques dealer Josie Prescott (after 2008's Antiques to Die For), Josie's dependable assistant, Gretchen, fails to show up for a second day and hasn't even called. When a worried Josie checks Gretchen's apartment, she discovers the bloodied body of a strange man in his early 30s on the sofa. A valuable Meissen vase missing from the apartment and a Native American belt buckle on the dead man appear to be the only clues to guide Josie in her amateur sleuthing, though Wes Smith, a local newspaperman, later unearths the suspicious fact that Gretchen's Social Security number was issued only four years earlier, at the time she started working for Josie. Ty Alverez, a Homeland Security officer who's drop-dead gorgeous, lends emotional support. A Web search for the origins of the vase leads to a frightening escape for Josie and an ingenious solution to the mystery. Author tour. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

When Gretchen, Josie's cheerful shop assistant, fails to return from vacation, the antiques dealer (Antiques To Die For) sets out to find her. Then a dead body is found in Gretchen's home, and the police take her disappearance as a sign of guilt. Fans of intelligent traditional mysteries who also also enjoy Antiques Roadshow will appreciate.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (April 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312369441
• ISBN-13: 978-0312369446
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #410,677 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

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unsettling developments in Rocky Point, New Hampshire, April 26, 2009

By 

Corinne H. Smith (Athol, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Killer Keepsakes (Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Gretchen Brock is missing. She was due back to work at Josie Prescott's antiques business in coastal New Hampshire two days ago, after a two-week vacation in Hawaii. Josie is understandably concerned about her employee; and so she gets permission to check Gretchen's condo. Imagine her shock and surprise when instead of finding her friend, she discovers the body of a strange man, shot dead. And that's just the first in a series of disturbing events that take place in this small town outside of Portsmouth.

Josie is not only an antiques expert. She's also an amateur detective who has been successful at conducting a few previous investigations and solving local murders. She is nothing but tenacious when she feels the need to get involved. And she almost *has* to help here, because Gretchen and her well-being are important to her. But as the search gets underway, Josie and her workers realize that they know very little about their co-worker. She showed up four years ago, seemingly out of nowhere, and so impressed Josie with her knowledge of antiques that the woman hired her on the spot. She never dropped any clues about her background, her childhood, or where she came from. Now it looks as if Gretchen re-invented herself seven years ago by getting a new Social Security number and a new identity. Why? Was she on the run from committing a crime? Or was she being pursued by a criminal herself? And what connection does she have with the man found dead in her condo? And where *is* Gretchen, anyway?

While this plot is plausible and reasonably intriguing, I found this particular installment a bit tedious in the unraveling. Josie's diligence in investigation borders on obsession, and I think her behavior is getting a tad far-fetched, even if we keep in mind that she's a fictional character in a cozy mystery series. Her continual questioning and dogging of Gretchen's friends Mandy and Lina left me as exasperated as it left them. And I've never been too terribly comfortable with her working relationship with local reporter Wes Smith, who has so many magical resources that he can track down any tidbit that eludes Josie. Why in the world would she give Wes objects carrying the fingerprints of possible suspects, when a sensible woman would be trotting them off to the police station instead? Even Jessica Fletcher would know better. Detective Claire Brownley gives Josie a brief lecture near the end, telling her that "One of these days you're going to get yourself in a boatload of trouble going off on your own." I think she needs a firmer reprimand than that. She digs too deep for a private citizen. She needs to work more with the local authorities and leave the media alone, in my opinion. The cops may just get so annoyed with her one day that they fail to rescue her from herself.

Still, "Killer Keepsakes" has a satisfying resolution and is an entertaining read for most mystery lovers, even if they know nothing about antiques or about coastal New Hampshire. They'll learn more about both, as the pages turn.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Antiques and Murder, May 14, 2009

By 

Dawn Dowdle "Mystery Lovers Corner reviewer" (Lynchburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Killer Keepsakes (Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Josie Prescott hired Gretchen to be the assistant at Prescott's Antiques and Appraisals some time ago. When Gretchen doesn't show up for work one day, Josie becomes concerned. When a dead man is found in Gretchen's house, Gretchen becomes the prime suspect.

Josie is certain Gretchen isn't a killer. But as she begins to investigate, she realizes she doesn't know much about Gretchen and even less about Gretchen's past. She is more determined than ever to find Gretchen and help prove her innocence. Some of the information she turns up does make her begin to question where Gretchen could really be the killer.

I love the characters and settings of these books. Josie and all the people working with her are such a great group. The plots are so well-written. The characters are three-dimensional and I often forget this is fiction.

I am not a big fan of antiques, but I learn a lot from each book in this series. And I love the New Hampshire setting. While Josie often gets herself into some jams, she is a very smart woman and always finds a way to get out of these tight spots.

I highly recommend this series and book.

4.0 out of 5 stars Read and learn, May 26, 2010

By 

Auntie Annie (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Killer Keepsakes (Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries) (Hardcover)

This book, and the entire series so far, are wonderfully entertaining. The heroine's character is well developed. In addition to a fascinating story, readers learn a bit about antiques and how they are appraised/verified/restored. These are not how to manuals; there is just enough background information on antiques to draw the reader further into the story and allow him to understand the reasoning in the heroine's mind. This series has more substance than most of the 'chick lit' genre. The core of main characters have their own personalities and foibles; they are well fleshed out. We can identify with them.