Consigned
to Death
A Josie Prescott
Mystery
Jane K. Cleland
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-312-34725-1 (0312347251)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-34725-3 (9780312347253)
Publication Date: April, 2006
List Price: $23.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Jane Prescott's friends thought she was nuts when she
left her high-paying New York auction house job and her boyfriend to
live on the rugged and beautiful New Hampshire coast. Truth is, Josie
wondered a little herself—never mind that her peripheral
involvement in a well-publicized price-fixing scandal made the
possibility of a new start incredibly enticing.
Things are looking better, though, now that she's got her own antiques
auction business up and running and has made something of a success of
her new life. That is, until she gets mixed up in murder, and the
supremely eligible but emotionally distant local police chief seems to
think she's the prime suspect.
Suddenly, Josie has a lot to lose and no desire to leave her new
life—or the possibility of a little romance—behind.
So she sets her mind on identifying the killer and making the best out
of her unfortunate circumstances. After all, Josie is grateful for her
second chance in life and knows a third is just too much to ask ...
especially with a vicious killer on the loose.
Review:
The hallmark of a successful author is to take a premise that's been
done before, many times before, and make it seem fresh. Jane K. Cleland
has done just that with her debut mystery, Consigned to Death,
featuring antiques dealer Josie Prescott.
Cleland herself was once an antiques dealer, and her expertise in the
field imparts an authentic quality to Consigned to Death.
The descriptions of how items are appraised, valued, and even sold at
auction are fascinating and are well integrated into the plot.
Authors frequently try to accomplish too much with their first novel,
but Cleland strikes just the right balance here. She provides a
background story for Josie, but wisely doesn't dwell on it, allowing
the reader the opportunity to learn more about her in future mysteries
in this series. The adages of Josie's late father provide a moral
compass for her, but with at least one being invoked every chapter, one
wonders how long Cleland can keep using them without getting repetitive.
Consigned to Death
is an absorbing and impressive first mystery, and readers will no doubt
look forward to spending more time with Josie in the future.
Special thanks to BreakThrough Promotions for providing an ARC of Consigned to Death for this review.
Review Copyright © 2006 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.
Mysteries in this series ...
Consigned to Death
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), April 2006
ISBN-10: 0-312-34725-1 (0312347251)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-34725-3 (9780312347253)
Deadly Appraisal
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), April 2007
ISBN-10: 0-312-34366-3 (0312343663)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-34366-8 (9780312343668)
Omnimystery keywords for Consigned to Death
...
Location(s) referenced: New Hampshire.
