ANTIQUE BLUES

By Jane K. Cleland

Josie Prescott has finally said yes to long-time beau Ty Alverez, the former police chief of the small New Hampshire town of Rocky Point. Both have very demanding jobs—Josie is the owner of a highly successful antiques business, and Ty is Homeland Security’s Regional Director of Training. The pair are finding it’s tough to squeeze wedding planning into their packed schedules, especially when they can’t agree on what kind of wedding they want.

When good friend Mo Shannon asks Josie to appraise a woodblock print she has purchased by Utagawa Hiroshige, one of Japan’s most revered nineteenth century artists, Josie takes on the challenge. At the same time, Mo’s father asks her to appraise his vintage Martin guitar, allegedly once the property of Robert Johnson, the great American blues artist. Wedding planning will have to wait. Then, Mo is murdered.

It doesn’t take long for Josie to zero in on who might be responsible for Mo’s death: Mo’s sister Lydia’s violent boyfriend, Cal. The Shannon family already suspects that Lydia is a domestic violence victim, although she denies it. Plus, Cal is the person who sold Mo the Japanese print, presented a possibly fake bill of sale, and now has conveniently disappeared. Coincidence? Josie thinks otherwise.

In her quest to find Cal, Josie turns to her pals in the antiques network, befriends the owner of her town’s underground high-end casino, and uncovers long hidden affairs. But even Josie is surprised when Cal’s dead body is discovered; another murder victim. So much for Josie’s number one suspect.

I always enjoy a visit to Rocky Point. It’s fun to say hello to Cleland’s characters and find out what they’ve been doing. But this time, the author kept me guessing as to who—and why—Mo was killed. And slimy Cal. I almost (but not quite) felt sorry for him. “Antique Blues” is a great read from its opening chapter to its final page. Highly recommended.