Hidden Treasure

October 1, 2020
Josie Prescott, owner of Prescott's Antiques & Auctions, finds a trunk holding a jeweled presentation box and a cat statue in the dumbwaiter at her new house. Maudie Wilson, the sixtysomething owner of the trunk, is overjoyed to hear the news, as she believed the objects were lost. Josie and Maudie quickly bond, and Josie is stunned when she finds Maudie's niece, Celia Akins, murdered in Maudie's apartment and both Maudie and the valuable artifacts missing. Josie is determined to find Maudie, solve Celia's murder, and locate the missing items. Complicating matters, Josie's best friend, Zoe, is terrified when her 18-year-old daughter enlists in the marines, and Josie must help her deal with the situation. The novel's small-town setting on the New Hampshire coast, the fascinating details on antique appraisal, and the cast of well-drawn characters all provide appeal in this satisfying cozy. Recommend this one to readers who enjoy Barbara Allan's humorous Trash 'n' Treasures mysteries.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

October 5, 2020
In Cleland’s delightful 13th mystery featuring Rocky Point, N.H., antiques dealer Josie Prescott (after 2018’s Antique Blues), Josie and her new husband have purchased a Victorian house they plan to renovate. After the closing, the previous owner, elderly Maudie Wilson, realizes she may have left an old trunk in the house, though she doesn’t know where. Josie locates the trunk, which contains a jewel box and other artifacts, but when she goes to Mrs. Wilson’s apartment to return them, the woman is missing. Josie plans to feature the trunk’s discovery and its contents on the antiques TV show she hosts, until the jewel box and other artifacts, which she’s removed from the trunk, mysteriously disappear. A murder raises the ante. Besides the knowledgeable and compassionate protagonist, the cast includes numerous townsfolk who’ll be familiar to series regulars, each a distinct character. Full of red herrings, the twisty plot builds to a satisfying conclusion, and descriptions of the authentication process are a bonus. Antiques Roadshow fans will have fun. Agent: Cristina Concepcion, Don Congdon Assoc.

October 1, 2020
A New Hampshire antiques dealer buys a house, finds a treasure, and--wait for it--solves a murder. While Josie Prescott's waiting for the lovely home she's bought in Rocky Point to be renovated, she gets a visit at her office from Celia Akins claiming that Maudie Wilson, the house's former owner and Celia's aunt, is sinking into dementia and has misplaced a trunk. Even though Josie's already walked through the entire house, she agrees to bring Celia with her to look for it. Maudie's other niece, Stacy Collins, comes to the house as well, letting herself in the front door with her own key, which puts Josie off. While measuring the rooms with help from handyman Tom Hill and his girlfriend, Julie, Josie finds the trunk hidden away. It contains letters, a Bible, and a box that seems to be made of silver and gold and encrusted with jewels and has a decidedly ugly cat statue inside. Refusing to release the box to either niece, Josie visits Maudie at her assisted living apartment, where she turns out to be mentally sharp and a delightful conversationalist. A few days later, Maudie asks Josie to do an appraisal of the objects, which she's thinking of selling. If they're authentic, the box and the cat could be worth a fortune. Maudie isn't in her apartment when Josie arrives to pick up the items, but Celia's dead body is. Naturally, Josie, who's helped the police several times before, is worried about Maudie's whereabouts. Both the nieces have been in financial trouble, but the chances of a high-stakes payoff distribute suspicion even more generously. Fans of this long-running series will love the latest adventure, replete with plenty of suspects and antique lore.

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