Jane K. Cleland

Josie Prescott of Prescott's Antiques and the TV show Josie's Antiques is in the middle of filming when she is called to the front to meet a lady named Veronica Sutton who introduces herself as "a good friend of your father's" and hands her a wrapped package. She leaves without answering any of Josie's questions and there are many. Who is she? Why hadn't Josie heard of her before? Why did she keep the package until now when Josie's father died when the Twin Towers came down?

Josie is eager show more to learn more especially after she unwraps the package to find a note from her father and two previously unknown letters authored by Jane Austen. The letters, if authentic, would be blockbuster. Josie needs to find Veronica and learn more about how she knew Josie's father and about the provenance of the letters.

But it's back to work first. Josie is filming an episode which pits two experts against one another in authenticating a First Edition and autographed copy of Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Peter Rabbit. The first expert is Oliver Crenshaw is the third generation owner of Crenshaw's Rare Books, Prints and Autographs. Josie has worked with him frequently. He has brought his mother Rory with him to the filming. The second expert is Dr. Gloria Moreau who is famous for her techniques for authenticating signatures. She brought her graduate assistant Ivan Filbert with her.

Filming goes pretty well. Josie is glad to meet Gloria and thinks they could become friends. But the next day, when the participants are supposed to meet again to clear up some problems with the audio recording, Gloria is late. No one can contact her. Josie finds her body when she is checking out the area around the building because of a strange man who was hanging out around the studio the day before.

Now, besides the mystery of Veronica Sutton and the Jane Austen letters, Josie is trying to discover who murdered Gloria and why. Things get even more complicated when Ivan is also murdered and someone takes some shots at Josie.

This story was filled with interwoven mysteries, secrets, and discoveries. I enjoyed the information about antiques especially the way written documents are authenticated. I enjoyed Josie's rapport with the local police and her role in helping to solve the murders using her own expertise.

This is the fourteenth book in a series, but the first one I have read. It stood alone quite well. While there were lots of characters, presumably accrued from earlier stories in the series, they were all introduced sufficiently and I wasn't confused about who fits where. I am eager now to read some of the earlier books in the series and get to learn more about Josie and her friends and business. show less

Hidden Treasure by Jane K. Cleland has Josie Prescott and her husband, Ty purchasing their dream home in Rocky Point. It is a gorgeous Victorian named “Gingerbread House” that needs some work before the couple move in. Josie receives a call from Celia, a niece of the former owner, stating that her aunt has gotten forgetful in her age. Celia claims that her aunt, Maudie Wilson left behind a trunk containing a valuable family heirloom. Josie promises to keep an eye out. Josie is going show more through the house when Maudie’s other niece, Stacy arrives inquiring about the trunk. Stacy wishes to look around the house one more time, but she has no luck even in the far recesses of the attic. When the trunk is finally located, Josie will only turn it over to Maudie who is rightful owner. She finds Maudie to be active, bright woman who regrets letting others push her into doing things such as moving into the retirement facility. If the item in the trunk is as valuable as Josie expects, it will allow Maudie to travel as she has always dreamed (instead of handing it over to her greedy nieces). Josie responds to a phone call to return to Maudie’s apartment where she finds a woman dead and Maudie has disappeared. Josie sets out to solve the crime. I thought Hidden Treasure was well-written with developed, realistic characters. When not sleuthing, Josie is running her antiques business which allows us to get reacquainted with her staff, spending time with friends (Zoe needs her), dealing with the renovations of her new home, and spending time with her husband. I enjoyed solving this entertaining whodunit. There were viable suspects and good clues. I liked the author’s descriptive writing that allowed me to visualize the characters and scenes. The author provided just the right amount of detail (not too much to bog down the book nor too little). I found the information provided on the antiques to be interesting. Hidden Treasure is the 13th A Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery. While this is the 13th book in the series, it can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series, but it will take you a couple of chapters to get acclimated. This was a fast paced and engaging cozy mystery. Hidden Treasure is a charming tale with covetous kin, renovation realties, a cat carving, a lost trunk, an absent aunt, and an anxious antiques authority. show less

I believe this is the first book from this series that I have read. I found it on a library book sale shelf.

I enjoyed learning a bit about how appraisers track down provenance (both for a woodblock print and for a guitar). Josie seems to have expanded her business in various ways: she's an appraiser, I believe she has a salesroom for selling antiques, she has a tag sale space, she arranges an "instant appraisal" booth at various times, she searches out new stock, she tracks down provenances show more and does research. In this book, she is also planning to partner with or buy out the owner of an antique mall and also help him open a second location.

Josie's also facing personal changes to her life--getting married and possibly facing a move related to that.

I did not like that Josie and Ty appear to be living together or at least staying together before their marriage.

I didn't guess who the killer(s) was/were before it was revealed. That's usual for me so your experience may vary. The mystery was complicated and interesting but I don't think I'd seek out other books in the series--though if my path crossed one, I'd definitely read it. show less

Josie Prescott is the employer at Prescott Antiques in Rocky Point, New Hampshire, instead of an employee at someone else’s auction house. Josie needed a new beginning, distancing herself from New York for multiple reasons. However, as Josie’s life becomes more manageable with employees becoming a trusted and cohesive team, she becomes a prime suspect in a murder investigation in the eyes of a local police chief.

I enjoyed this mystery! By the end of the cozy, I had learned a lot about show more the behind-the-scenes business of an auction house as information was seamlessly woven into the storyline, not lecture/teaching sentences, as I call them, in-between forward movements of the storyline. I loved learning of the creative hiding places in antiques, wonders of days gone by, which also added possibilities to solving the investigation clues. As Josie needed a confidence boost, she’d remember her father’s advice, and I liked the format of his counsel in italics. Although I had my suspicion about the arrest, the twists had me second-guessing myself, taking me back to the reminder to stick with your 1st choice in multiple choice questions.

I’m curious about the new developments as Josie continues implementing her business ideas and moves forward, hopefully with more self-esteem and confidence. I look forward to reading more of the series. show less