Freya Lockwood receives a call from her Aunt Carole letting her know that Arthur Crockleford has died and they have been summoned to the solicitor’s office to receive details of his estate. Freya, in her early 40s, is quiet and reserved; Carole, in her early 70s, is more of an extrovert. The deceased was elderly, a close friend of Carole’s, but estranged from Freya.

Arthur was an antique dealer who lived above his shop in the village of Little Meddington in the English county of Suffolk. His lucrative hobby was hunting down and recovering stolen antiques and antiquities. Two decades ago, Freya helped Arthur return items to their rightful owners, collecting whatever reward was being offered by insurance companies, private citizens and, sometimes, countries.

The police do not consider Arthur’s death suspicious. However, when a letter written by him shortly before his death is received by Freya and her aunt, they are convinced he was murdered. They resolve to track down the perpetrator. Danger, stress and excitement build as the two amateur detectives delve into the black market underworld of stolen antiques.

The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder has short, sharp chapters and a breezy style. The plot development, however, is hindered by the tendency to reassess progress too frequently.

Reviewed by Clive Hodges