The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder set in Dedham Vale

Submitted: 29th January 2024

CL Miller and Dedham Vale

I love spending time in English country houses. One full of antiques and stories to tell. Well, the one in this book has LOTS to say. If only its walls could talk – there’s a murder and it’s up to Freya Lockwood who works in antiques to solve the case.

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BookTrail the locations in The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder

The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder set in Dedham Vale

Boarding Pass Information :

Destination : Dedham Vale, Suffolk

Author guide: C L Miller

Genre: cosy crime

Food and drink to accompany: something old and crusty

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A novel to transport you to a an English manor house

BookTrail the locations in The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder

What antique would you kill for?

Now that is a killer line right there! Freya returns to the village of her youth, the very place she didn’t want to go back to, when she realises that Arthur Crocklewood, her mentor in all things antique – has died in suspicious circumstances.

The setting of the manor house is perfect – deep in the heart of the English countryside, Freya spends time there at a antique enthusiast’s weekend. With the antiques turning out be be as false and fake as the people at the fair, something is amiss. I love the fact that the author lives in Dedham Vale, Suffolk where she sets her books. Does she know something we don’t?

The village is of course fictional but with the descriptions of the nearby houses, shops, churches and the general landscape, you get to explore rural Suffolk and you can definitely see the village in your mind’s eye.

The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder set in Dedham Vale

BookTrail the locations in The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder

The characters are fantastically drawn and unique. Such a quiet sedate village and with a population who love antiques. The contrast between this and murder is just perfect. You don’t see this kind of thing on The Antiques Roadshow! Freya and Arthur used to sell antiques but they fell out years ago. So, drama aplenty when Freya has to step back into her old life.

I knew nothing about the antiques market but this book helps explain and explore that. Turns out the author belongs to the family who created Miller’s Antique Price Guide. Now THAT is insider knowledge with a twist.

Makes the book even more fun and the setting more believable.

A fun read.