Killer Keepsakes (Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery Series #4)

Antiques and Murder

Josie Prescott hired Gretchen to be the assistant at Prescott's Antiques and Appraisals some time ago. When Gretchen doesn't show up for work one day, Josie becomes concerned. When a dead man is found in Gretchen's house, Gretchen becomes the prime suspect.

Josie is certain Gretchen isn't a killer. But as she begins to investigate, she realizes she doesn't know much about Gretchen and even less about Gretchen's past. She is more determined than ever to find Gretchen and help prove her innocence. Some of the information she turns up does make her begin to question where Gretchen could really be the killer.

I love the characters and settings of these books. Josie and all the people working with her are such a great group. The plots are so well-written. The characters are three-dimensional and I often forget this is fiction.

I am not a big fan of antiques, but I learn a lot from each book in this series. And I love the New Hampshire setting. While Josie often gets herself into some jams, she is a very smart woman and always finds a way to get out of these tight spots.

I highly recommend this series and book.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

readers will enjoy this strong brisk New England cozy.

Portsmouth, New Hampshire antiques dealer Josie Prescott becomes concerned when her always responsible assistant Gretchen Brock fails to come to work two days in a row and does not call. This is so out of character for the reliable Gretchen, an extremely concerned Josie goes to her assistant's apartment to see if she is all right. Instead of finding Gretchen, Josie finds the corpse of an unknown thirty something bloodied male lying on the sofa.

Josie believes Gretchen is innocent of at least the homicide though she wonders about a missing valuable vase no longer in the apartment; but also realizes she knows very little about her assistant who has worked for her for four years. The police consider the vanished woman as the prime suspect in the murder. Adding to the mystery is Josie's two friends deny knowing where she is or much about her past and the missing Meissen vase appears in the shop's safe. Finally reporter Wes Smith claims Gretchen obtained her current Social Security number four years ago. As she traces the vase back to a Denver homicide and robbery, Josie realizes who the victim was, how that person was related to Gretchen, and who her assistant was prior to her hiring her. However, if Gretchen did not commit the homicide who did remains out of Josie's reach.

The latest Josie Prescott Antiques mystery (see ANTIQUES TO DIE FOR and DEADLY APPRAISAL) is a superb amateur sleuth invigorated by who is the focus of the heroine's inquiry. As always readers obtain an interesting look at antiques interwoven into the exciting story line. Josie is at her best as she believes deep in her soul that Gretchen is no killer, but the evidence is damning. As Josie connects the dots between the Meissen murder and the current homicide, readers will enjoy a strong brisk New England cozy.

Harriet Klausner

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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