Hidden Treasure: A Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery
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- Create Date：2020-12-10 04:14:00
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Jane K. Cleland
- ISBN：9781250242785
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Summary
The discovery of a mysterious antique trunk leads to a disappearance—and murder—in the latest in this beloved cozy series set on the rugged New Hampshire coast， Jane K。 Cleland's Hidden Treasure。
When antiques expert Josie Prescott finds a mysterious trunk， no one thinks it could lead to murder。 Josie， the owner of Prescott’s Antiques&Auctions， and her new husband， Ty， have finally found their dream home， a Victorian beauty on the beach known in the town of Rocky Point as the “Gingerbread House。” It was recently vacated by Maudie Wilson， an aging widow， whose concerned nieces have moved her into a nearby assisted living facility。 Josie befriends Maudie， who seems surprisingly sharp， considering her family’s doubts about her soundness of mind。
As Josie and Ty joyfully begin renovations on the Gingerbread House， the nieces report that Maudie， in her forgetfulness， may have left behind an old trunk， which she’s desperate to get back。 Sure enough， Josie finds the trunk inside a hidden compartment， and within it a jewel-encrusted box holding a sculpture of a cat。 Josie can understand the sense of urgency about getting the objects back—they look valuable， and not just in the sentimental sense。
But when Josie goes to return the box to Maudie， the woman has vanished。 And on the floor of her empty apartment lies a corpse， a woman bludgeoned to death。 Sick with worry for Maudie’s safety， Josie begins to piece together the clues to the murder。 Everyone around her seems to want to pitch in， from Maudie’s family， to the receptionist at the facility， to the young couple helping Josie with her renovations， but with the killer so close to home， Josie has to be on her guard。
Editor Reviews
10/05/2020
In Cleland’s delightful 13th mystery featuring Rocky Point， N。H。， antiques dealer Josie Prescott （after 2018’s Antique Blues）， Josie and her new husband have purchased a Victorian house they plan to renovate。 After the closing， the previous owner， elderly Maudie Wilson， realizes she may have left an old trunk in the house， though she doesn’t know where。 Josie locates the trunk， which contains a jewel box and other artifacts， but when she goes to Mrs。 Wilson’s apartment to return them， the woman is missing。 Josie plans to feature the trunk’s discovery and its contents on the antiques TV show she hosts， until the jewel box and other artifacts， which she’s removed from the trunk， mysteriously disappear。 A murder raises the ante。 Besides the knowledgeable and compassionate protagonist， the cast includes numerous townsfolk who’ll be familiar to series regulars， each a distinct character。 Full of red herrings， the twisty plot builds to a satisfying conclusion， and descriptions of the authentication process are a bonus。 Antiques Roadshow fans will have fun。 Agent: Cristina Concepcion， Don Congdon Assoc。 （Dec。）
Reviews
ElissaP
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This is the 13th book in the Josie Prescott Antiques mystery series and the first one in this series that I've read。 I found the book to be a gentle cozy mystery， perfect to escape the stress of life。 Despite not having read any of the others in the series， I felt that the characters were introduced in such a way that I didn't need to read the previous books （though because of my enjoyment of this one I will be going back to read the others）。 I loved the descriptions of the New Hampshire shore and the details about antiques and the antique business。 I look forward to reading more books in this series。
Cozy Cat Reviews
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This is a charming series that blends antiques and history with fun sleuthing。 Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity。 My review opinion is my own。 This is the 13th book in this series 。 This book can be read as a stand alone。 I highly recommend the entire series。 In this next in series our protagnist Josie has closed on her gingerbread house when she gets a frantic call from the owners niece that the owner misplaced a valuable antique trunk。 Josie finds the trunk and This is a charming series that blends antiques and history with fun sleuthing。 Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity。 My review opinion is my own。 This is the 13th book in this series 。 This book can be read as a stand alone。 I highly recommend the entire series。 In this next in series our protagnist Josie has closed on her gingerbread house when she gets a frantic call from the owners niece that the owner misplaced a valuable antique trunk。 Josie finds the trunk and when she opens it to document the contents she finds a mysterious cat statue that appears to be Egyptian and expensive。 When she returns the statue she is suspicious of the nieces of the owner who are pushing her to return the statue and not kind to their Aunt。 One of the nieces then calls her back to pick up the statue to sell for them。 Josie finds the niece dead and is determined to find out why she was murdered and what connection her murder had to this statue。 This is a well crafted fun mystery that kept me guessing to conclusion。 I like the charcters and the fast paced writing of this series。 The antique information is fun to read about and interesting。 I look forward to the next in series。 。。。more
Susan
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Josie and her husband， Ty， are starting a new life project when they purchase their dream house and begin the renovations。 The house is locally known as the Gingerbread House and the previous owner has been moved into an assisted living facility。 Her two nieces insist that their Aunt Maudie has become feeble and that they are in charge of her affairs。 They tell Josie that Aunt Maudie， in her diminished capacity， left behind a family heirloom， a chest and they want it returned。。。。to them， not to Josie and her husband， Ty， are starting a new life project when they purchase their dream house and begin the renovations。 The house is locally known as the Gingerbread House and the previous owner has been moved into an assisted living facility。 Her two nieces insist that their Aunt Maudie has become feeble and that they are in charge of her affairs。 They tell Josie that Aunt Maudie， in her diminished capacity， left behind a family heirloom， a chest and they want it returned。。。。to them， not to Aunt Maudie。 Josie refuses and returns it to Maudie leading to the start of a friendship between them。 Things go sideways when Maudie disappears as does the family treasure and a dead body is found in her apartment。 The two nieces are up to something and Josie is worried about the current status of Maudie。 Things are getting very complicated。 Besides running her business and her tv show and the work on the Gingerbread House， there is a mystery to solve。I have enjoyed this series from the first book， each one presenting me with a well crafted puzzle to solve with fair clues and more than a few red herrings to send me off in the wrong direction。 I'm saving a space on my TBR list for the next book in the series。My thanks to the publisher Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Janet Graham
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Exciting Antique Filled Cozy MysteryThis is the best book I have read in quite some time。 The crime portion is so well done that I was amazed when it was all solved。 The antique portion was exciting。 Our heroine is well-spoken and very knowledgeable about antiques。 I learned so much from just this one book。 This is the first book that I have read in the series and was never lost。 The story has no slow moments。 It goes from one major happening to the next。 It was tough to set it down for any Exciting Antique Filled Cozy MysteryThis is the best book I have read in quite some time。 The crime portion is so well done that I was amazed when it was all solved。 The antique portion was exciting。 Our heroine is well-spoken and very knowledgeable about antiques。 I learned so much from just this one book。 This is the first book that I have read in the series and was never lost。 The story has no slow moments。 It goes from one major happening to the next。 It was tough to set it down for any reason。 I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review。 。。。more
Teri Griffis
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It has been ages since I read a Josie Prescott book but Cleland hasn't changed her one bit; except that she's gotten married and found her dream house which， of course， leads to murder。 This is a good， clean whodunit that every mystery lover will enjoy。 Take a dip with Josie and I'm sure you'll come back for more。I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest， voluntary review。
Anne
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Hidden Treasure by Jane Cleland is a Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery and so， of course， the sleuth is Amy Prescott。 Josie and her husband have just closed on the purchase of their new home， a historic masterpiece， near the ocean。 No sooner than Ty is out of town when the niece of the old owner appears to ask for Josie's help in discovering a trunk that has gone missing in the move。 She assumes it was left in the house， so off they go。 No trunk， but Josie does arrange with Tom， the handyman， to Hidden Treasure by Jane Cleland is a Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery and so， of course， the sleuth is Amy Prescott。 Josie and her husband have just closed on the purchase of their new home， a historic masterpiece， near the ocean。 No sooner than Ty is out of town when the niece of the old owner appears to ask for Josie's help in discovering a trunk that has gone missing in the move。 She assumes it was left in the house， so off they go。 No trunk， but Josie does arrange with Tom， the handyman， to meet her tomorrow to over the house from top to bottom， take measurements and such。 During that walk-through， Josie discovers a non-functioning dumbwaiter， and of course the trunk is inside。 Professionally， as always， Josie calls her staff， removes the trunk， and films as it is being opened。 Several interesting pieces are inside。 Josie then contacts the owner， who has moved to an assisted living facility， for delivery of the trunk。 Then her two nieces get involved and it starts to get messy。 Celia and Stacy do not necessarily appear to have the best interests of their aunt， Maudie Wilson， at heart。 Things get complicated。 There is a murder and Maudie， whom Josie had really liked， disappears。This is an interesting story on several levels: one being elder abuse， which is what the nieces are doing to their aunt， making her believe that she is losing her grip and forcing her to make decisions she is not ready to make， all of their own self-serving purposes。 Another is right up Josie's alley as things that come out of old houses are often treasures and sometimes， extremely valuable。 Murder is always a terrible thing， especially when the victim is innocent and leaved a husband and children behind。 The murder is someone unexpected， but the motive is the same: greed。 This was a complicated story， but one that is entertaining and well worth the time。 I recommend it。I was invited to read a free ARC of Hidden Treasure by Netgalley。 All opinions contained herein are solely my own。 #netgalley #hiddentreasure 。。。more
Lesa
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I always look forward to the annual Josie Prescott Antiques mystery by Jane K。 Cleland。 Over the course of the series， weve watched Josie grow from an insecure young woman in a strange community to a confident woman， a successful businesswoman， owner of Prescotts Antiques & Auctions in Rocky Point， New Hampshire， part of a close-knit chosen family。 Hidden Treasure marks one more step in Josies life。Josie and her husband， Ty， have found the perfect home in Rocky Point， a place called the I always look forward to the annual Josie Prescott Antiques mystery by Jane K。 Cleland。 Over the course of the series， we’ve watched Josie grow from an insecure young woman in a strange community to a confident woman， a successful businesswoman， owner of Prescott’s Antiques & Auctions in Rocky Point， New Hampshire， part of a close-knit chosen family。 Hidden Treasure marks one more step in Josie’s life。Josie and her husband， Ty， have found the perfect home in Rocky Point， a place called the Gingerbread House They’ve hired a team to renovate it before they move in。 Before they even start the work， Josie receives a call from Celia， one of the nieces of the previous owner。 She says her Aunt Maudie is getting forgetful， and left a trunk behind in the house， a trunk that contains a valuable family heirloom。 Maudie’s other niece， Stacy， even shows up at Josie’s， insisting the trunk is still there， while insinuating her aunt has dementia。 When Josie finds the trunk hidden in the house， it contains a jewel-encrusted box and the sculpture of a cat。 But， Josie refuses to turn it over to the nieces， insisting she’ll turn it over to the rightful owner， Maudie。Josie doesn’t find a forgetful woman with dementia。 She finds an active senior who subjugated her wishes to others for years。 Now， Maudie is determined to live her own life。 She regrets moving to the retirement home， which she did because her nieces pushed。 She wishes she had traveled and written， gone snorkeling and had adventures。 And， she wants some suggestions for appraisers who will look at her treasures。 Josie likes Maudie， and doesn’t see the qualities her nieces insinuated their aunt had。Once again， Maudie’s nieces push Josie。 Celia needs money because her husband lost his job， and they have four children。 Stacy wants money for her business。 Instead of siding with the nieces， Josie goes to visit Maudie after receiving a phone call from her。 She finds a dead woman in Maudie’s apartment， and her new friend is nowhere to be found。 A 911 call brings the police， including Josie’s friend， Ellis， the police chief。While the mystery， the murder and Maudie’s disappearance， are the central elements to the story， Josie Prescott isn’t a one-trick pony。 She has a personal and business life， and those elements don’t disappear because she’s involved in a mystery。 She still has a business to run， and the reader is reacquainted with Josie’s staff and the day-to-day business， including a hunt for the story behind a chandelier removed from Josie’s new house。 Then， there’s the complicated personal issues as Josie’s best friend， Zoe， faces an empty nest， and fear， when her only daughter enlists in the Marines。 Cleland skillfully incorporates all of these elements in the story。I actually only have one complaint about the TSTL （too stupid to live） scene in the book。 Josie knows better than to enter a place when a door is slightly open and there’s a murderer out there。 She does a little too much sneaking around in this book。 I’d never say an amateur sleuth deserves what happens， but， darn。 She’s been involved in enough mysteries that she should know better。Even with my one minor complaint， Jane K。 Cleland’s Hidden Treasure is another satisfying mystery in a gem of a series。 。。。more
Barbara Tobey
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A good addition to a pleasant cozy mystery series。 Engaging characters。 Loved Maudie。 The antiques business becomes exciting with precious discoveries。 The murder mystery culprit kept me guessing and was a surprise。 Always good！ Other characters added warmth and heart with their issues。 Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley。
Kathleen Gray
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Josie and Ty have bought the Gingerbread House！ Yay！ Josie's been busy with her antiques business and her tv series but she's thrilled to be relocating with Ty。 Maudie， who owned it， has moved into assisted living at the request of her nieces Celia and Stacey。 Those same nieces demand that Josie return a trunk Maudie left behind - and when Josie explores it， savvy antique expert that she is， she finds the secret compartment that houses something quite valuable。 All is fine up to here and then Josie and Ty have bought the Gingerbread House！ Yay！ Josie's been busy with her antiques business and her tv series but she's thrilled to be relocating with Ty。 Maudie， who owned it， has moved into assisted living at the request of her nieces Celia and Stacey。 Those same nieces demand that Josie return a trunk Maudie left behind - and when Josie explores it， savvy antique expert that she is， she finds the secret compartment that houses something quite valuable。 All is fine up to here and then Celia is found murdered in Maudie's room and she's missing。 Cozy readers know that Josie is going to investigate， that she's going to bond with some new characters， and that the person you first suspect won't be the one who did it。 I've only read one of this long running series but I was fine with it as a standalone。 Thanks to the publisher for the ARC。 A fast fun read for cozy fans。 。。。more
Joyce Rawlins
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Hidden Treasure by Jane K。 LelandThis was a good book。 We learned a lot about the antique industry。 It also included a murder and a disappearance。 Great， strong chapters。 I recommend this book。Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced readers copy for review。 Hidden Treasure by Jane K。 LelandThis was a good book。 We learned a lot about the antique industry。 It also included a murder and a disappearance。 Great， strong chapters。 I recommend this book。Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for review。 。。。more
Book
，
The very day Josie and Ty close on their purchase of the Gingerbread House， Josie gets a simple call that eventually leads to murder and theft。 A small trunk containing valuables is missing， reports the niece of Maudie Wilson， the original homeowner。Maudies nieces， Celia and Stacy， both want the trunk because they suggest Aunt Maudie is forgetful。 Josie and Celia search the house from basement to attic with no luck locating the old chest。 When Josie meets with the contractor to discuss the The very day Josie and Ty close on their purchase of the Gingerbread House， Josie gets a simple call that eventually leads to murder and theft。 A small trunk containing valuables is missing， reports the niece of Maudie Wilson， the original homeowner。Maudie’s nieces， Celia and Stacy， both want the trunk because they suggest Aunt Maudie is forgetful。 Josie and Celia search the house from basement to attic with no luck locating the old chest。 When Josie meets with the contractor to discuss the extensive renovations， Josie finds the antique trunk tightly wedged into a sealed-off dumbwaiter。 Josie uses her phone to video the process of opening the chest and inventorying the contents: an Egyptian cat statue nestled in a black velvet pillow inside an elaborately designed presentation box。Due to legal issues， Josie returns the trunk to Maudie， observing that her nieces misrepresented her condition。 Later， she gets a call from Celia claiming that Aunt Maudie wants Josie to pick up the cat statue and box to sell。 When Josie arrives at Belle Vista， she finds Celia dead， the trunk open but the cat and box missing。 And where is Maudie？Jane Cleland fabricates a clever mystery with compelling characters。 The story’s pace keeps readers engaged and， most of all， curious。 Well done for the 13th entry in the Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery。 。。。more
Tracy
，
It had been a while since I read a Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery， but I am happy to report that this one is just as good as Glow of Death。 I love the beautiful book covers that have really improved with each book。 These stories offer up some nice details regarding antiques and this one is no different， from the incredible WW II era French chandelier from in Josie's new home to the mysterious box and cat statue belonging to Maudie， Josie's newest acquaintance and possible client。 Josie It had been a while since I read a Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery， but I am happy to report that this one is just as good as Glow of Death。 I love the beautiful book covers that have really improved with each book。 These stories offer up some nice details regarding antiques and this one is no different， from the incredible WW II era French chandelier from in Josie's new home to the mysterious box and cat statue belonging to Maudie， Josie's newest acquaintance and possible client。 Josie instantly takes a liking to Maudie and feels a sort of kinship with the older lady who has decided that it is time to live her life the way she wants to by traveling and writing a blog。 Maudie's nieces， Celia and Stacy， are not hip on the idea and in fact that act as though Maudie should be in a home being taken care of because she is forgetting things， like the fact that she wants to have the box and cat appraised and then sold。 Josie quite literally stumbles upon the victim， who has been killed in Maudie's new apartment and Maudie seems to have disappeared along with the box and statue。 Is this a robbery gone wrong or a bait and switch with a side of double cross？ Plenty of people to suspect and plenty of clues to find。 。。。more
Diana ✨
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Thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martins Press for this e-galley。This is my first book in this series， but can be read as a stand alone。 I am use to reading fast-paced thriller novels that have you wanting more but， this book was more calming and slow。 It took some time for me to get past the first half of the book but in the end it was great， This type of mystery book is new to me and I still prefer thrillers but it was a nice read。 Thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for this e-galley。This is my first book in this series， but can be read as a stand alone。 I am use to reading fast-paced thriller novels that have you wanting more but， this book was more calming and slow。 It took some time for me to get past the first half of the book but in the end it was great， This type of mystery book is new to me and I still prefer thrillers but it was a nice read。 。。。more
Anna Fox
，
I had forgotten how much I liked this series so have missed a few。 However， I liked the mystery and never felt lost in who the characters were。 I will have to go back and find the ones I've missed。Thank you to the author， publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review。
Meredith Rankin
，
Ive mentioned before that cozy mysteries arent my favorite subgenre in the suspense/mystery category。 But after reading several in the past year or so， I think theyre growing on me！I had not read any of Jane K。 Clelands Josie Prescott series， but it didnt take long for Josie to win me over。 There are a lot of characters introduced， but Cleland does a good job establishing whos who without unnecessary backstory fluff。Josies profession as an antiques dealer means she observes many complex family I’ve mentioned before that cozy mysteries aren’t my favorite subgenre in the suspense/mystery category。 But after reading several in the past year or so， I think they’re growing on me！I had not read any of Jane K。 Cleland’s Josie Prescott series， but it didn’t take long for Josie to win me over。 There are a lot of characters introduced， but Cleland does a good job establishing who’s who without unnecessary backstory fluff。Josie’s profession as an antiques dealer means she observes many complex family dynamics as relatives deal with possessions， etc。 She has some great insights into why Maudie Wilson’s nieces， Celia and Stacy， are bickering and vying for dominance in the family， and as she mentions to her husband Ty， it’s sad。 The only thing to do， she says， is to stay out of it。 As someone who’s watched this dynamic play out in extended family， her insights ring true to me。But will Josie be able to stay clear of Celia and Stacy and Maud’s drama？ The answer: nope。 We wouldn’t get this charming mystery if she minded her own business！Josie is warm-hearted and immensely likable。 She’s a winning heroine: thorough， professionally knowledgeable， curious， and sympathetic to other people。 While she’s a bit of a busybody， she has a kind heart。 It’s a great combination。The story flows forward， tugging me into its power， but not like a thriller would， with heart stopping moments of action。 But in true cozy fashion， it embraces the reader with a warm tone， interesting details， and keen insights into the human heart。A few of the plot points didn’t quite make sense。 The method （or rather the reasoning behind using this method） that the police use to capture a suspect is illogical。 It also doesn’t make sense that Ellie， the police chief， asks Josie to help question a person of interest， even if she is the expert in an area he wants that person to discuss。 Nor does it make sense for her to share any investigative information with a pesky reporter。As with all cozy mysteries， I have to suspend my disbelief in certain aspects， such as people being willing to talk about a friend to a non-law enforcement stranger。 At least in this book， a few people push back and refuse to talk to Josie。 After all， she is not law enforcement， and as the police chief Ellis reminds her， she has no business investigating。All in all， though， the book is well-written。 I enjoyed wiling away the hours with Josie Prescott。 The ending is a sweet one that scores points for being heart-warming without being sentimental and sappy。 A solid four stars。ONE FAVORITE THING 。 。 。I felt that the author is quite knowledgeable about the antique business。 Though I’m not terribly interested in antiques per se， her descriptions are beautiful。 It’s fascinating to watch Josie and her colleagues assess pieces and what makes one piece valuable and others not-so-valuable。 I felt Josie’s excitement over the old pieces that others might not see as impressive。Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 I was not required to write a positive review。 All opinions are my own。Note #2: This review will appear on my blog on 20 November 2020。 。。。more
Lacey Harrington
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Josie Prescott is over the moon excited about her new house。 Her and her husband Ty bought a beautiful house in New Hampshire lovingly named the Gingerbread house。 When the past owners niece comes looking for an antique trunk Josie agrees。 When she finds the aunts trunk and meets her Josie has an instant liking to Maudie。 Her nieces both who needed money wasnt happy she wouldnt sell the antiques without Maudies permission。 When one ends up dead and the antiques gone Josie is on the case。 I Josie Prescott is over the moon excited about her new house。 Her and her husband Ty bought a beautiful house in New Hampshire lovingly named the Gingerbread house。 When the past owners niece comes looking for an antique trunk Josie agrees。 When she finds the aunts trunk and meets her Josie has an instant liking to Maudie。 Her nieces both who needed money wasn’t happy she wouldn’t sell the antiques without Maudie’s permission。 When one ends up dead and the antiques gone Josie is on the case。 I really enjoyed the mystery in this one！ 。。。more
Mary C
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While renovations are being done on Josie and husband Ty's new home， she is contacted by the niece of the former owner regarding a trunk that was accidentally left behind。 When the trunk is opened， a cat statute is enclosed in a box - the question is if it's an antique or a knockoff。 Before it can be determined， there is a murder and the owner of the statue is missing。 Interesting cast of suspects and motives。 Good addition to the series。
PeggySue
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Thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martins Press for this e-galley。This is my first book in this series; although It is pretty far into the series， it was not hard to follow the characters for the most part。 I read a few chapters from this book in The Cozy Sampler #10 and Im very pleased I got this early read。It was fairly easy to tell whodunnit almost from the time the culprit was introduced but that did not detract from my enjoyment of this well written mystery。 It was very atmospheric and I loved Thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for this e-galley。This is my first book in this series; although It is pretty far into the series， it was not hard to follow the characters for the most part。 I read a few chapters from this book in The Cozy Sampler #10 and I’m very pleased I got this early read。It was fairly easy to tell whodunnit almost from the time the culprit was introduced but that did not detract from my enjoyment of this well written mystery。 It was very atmospheric and I loved the descriptions of Josie’s new home， the antiques and antiquities， and the bits about her business and TV show。 It was a little hard to keep track of all her employees because there were so many of them and they did not show up very often。 I even teared up at the ending because it was very touching。Two minor gripes: Wes， the reporter is a pain but I guess there has to be a fly in the ointment。 The other thing is that Maudie is 68， not 88， and it seemed that Josie questioned her mental acuity too easily。I will go back and try some of the earlier books in this pleasant series。 This was the epitome of a cozy。 。。。more
Ann
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This book can be read as a stand alone。 It is part of the Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery series， about book 8 or 9 I think。 This is the first in the series I've read and I enjoyed it 。 Slightly darker than some humorous cozys but still a good mystery。 I enjoyed the information on antiques and finding treasures in unexpected places。 Ty and Josie have purchased a new home and the old owner's family is hounding them about a missing chest full of antiques。 As the story unfolds， murder's happen。 I This book can be read as a stand alone。 It is part of the Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery series， about book 8 or 9 I think。 This is the first in the series I've read and I enjoyed it 。 Slightly darker than some humorous cozys but still a good mystery。 I enjoyed the information on antiques and finding treasures in unexpected places。 Ty and Josie have purchased a new home and the old owner's family is hounding them about a missing chest full of antiques。 As the story unfolds， murder's happen。 I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review。 。。。more
Christine
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While inspecting her new home， Josie Prescott discovers a trunk evidently left behind when the house was cleared。 A widow named Maudie Wilson was the former owner of the house and she now resides in a nearby assisted living facility。 Maudie's nieces believe she is unable to care for herself and have forced her into the facility， but when Josie meets Maudie， she is not so sure the diagnosis is correct。 Maudie seems sharp and upbeat and anxious to have the trunk returned to her。 When Josie opens While inspecting her new home， Josie Prescott discovers a trunk evidently left behind when the house was cleared。 A widow named Maudie Wilson was the former owner of the house and she now resides in a nearby assisted living facility。 Maudie's nieces believe she is unable to care for herself and have forced her into the facility， but when Josie meets Maudie， she is not so sure the diagnosis is correct。 Maudie seems sharp and upbeat and anxious to have the trunk returned to her。 When Josie opens the trunk， she finds a jewel encrusted box holding a sculpture of a cat， Josie thinks she may have something valuable。 She returns to discuss her findings with Maudie only to find her missing and a body on the apartment floor。 As she researches the cat and box， she finds she does indeed have something valuable and possibly from ancient Egypt。 This discovery leads Josie on a merry chase to find Maudie。Another ingenious plot in this excellent series。 。。。more
Viccy
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Josie Prescott is now happily married to Ty and her business is running well。 While inspecting the house she and Ty have bought， she discovers an antique trunk in a hidden dumbwaiter。 When she opens it， she discovers a jewel-encrusted presentation box containing a cat statute that could date back to ancient Egypt。 Josie immediately takes the trunk to its owner， Maudie Wilson， who sold the Gingerbread House and now lives in a care facility。 Maudie's two nieces are anxious about the treasure and Josie Prescott is now happily married to Ty and her business is running well。 While inspecting the house she and Ty have bought， she discovers an antique trunk in a hidden dumbwaiter。 When she opens it， she discovers a jewel-encrusted presentation box containing a cat statute that could date back to ancient Egypt。 Josie immediately takes the trunk to its owner， Maudie Wilson， who sold the Gingerbread House and now lives in a care facility。 Maudie's two nieces are anxious about the treasure and then one of the nieces is murdered and Maudie has disappeared。 Where has she gone？ Where is the treasure？ Who could have murdered Maudie's niece？ Josie is worried sick about Maudie and has to track her down and find the missing treasure。 Another delightful foray into Josie's world。 。。。more
Valerie
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I enjoyed this book。 I really like this series。 It's well-paced without any slow spots; I like the characters especially Josie。 I like how she handles the investigation and the care she puts on box and cat。 The mystery is interesting and has multiple levels to it。 #Hidden Treasure #NetGalley
Ilona
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Josie and her husband Ty have just purchased a new home in Rocky Point， The Gingerbread House。 While checking the house that all is empty before starting renovations， she finds a dumbwaiter and in it a trunk。 It is what is in the trunk that has people tripping over each other。 With a cast of characters: Maud， who they bought the house from， Maud nieces， and Josies friendship with Zoe and her daughter Emma， employees from Prescott Antiques and Auctions makes this a nice paced cozy read。 Josie and her husband Ty have just purchased a new home in Rocky Point， “The Gingerbread House”。 While checking the house that all is empty before starting renovations， she finds a dumbwaiter and in it a trunk。 It is what is in the trunk that has people tripping over each other。 With a cast of characters: Maud， who they bought the house from， Maud nieces， and Josie’s friendship with Zoe and her daughter Emma， employees from Prescott Antiques and Auctions makes this a nice paced cozy read。 。。。more
Sheri
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This is the 13th book in the Josie Prescott antiques mystery series， but the first one that I've read。 I found that the book was a wonderful cozy mystery。 Even though I have not read the prior books， I found that I was able to catch up because the author did an excellent job with her characters and the way that they were introduced。 Josie is definitely a busybody！ I enjoyed this book so much that I plan on going back to the beginning and catching up。I loved the author's descriptions of New This is the 13th book in the Josie Prescott antiques mystery series， but the first one that I've read。 I found that the book was a wonderful cozy mystery。 Even though I have not read the prior books， I found that I was able to catch up because the author did an excellent job with her characters and the way that they were introduced。 Josie is definitely a busybody！ I enjoyed this book so much that I plan on going back to the beginning and catching up。I loved the author's descriptions of New Hampshire shore and the way she detailed antiques and the antiques business。 I've already downloaded book one and look forward to catching up。 I definitely recommend this book for lovers of cozies。I would like to thank Jane K。 Cleland， St。 Martin's Press/Minotaur and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review。 。。。more
Meredith
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I have read several of the Josie Prescott mysteries and realized while reading this one that I must have missed one somewhere。 I am happy to say that I was able to jump right in and enjoy the story。 The mystery was really well written， I was surprised by the ending and the plot elements such as Maudie's disappearance really added to the story。 I love that even after several books this series stays fresh and intriguing。
Susan Willis
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Josie and Nate have purchased their dream house， but the elderly previous owner has misplaced some valuable items and get nieces seem to be too interested in finding them。 A great addition to this series。
Liv Parsons
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I was very happy to gain access to an ARC copy of Hidden Treasure by Jane K。 Cleland through NetGalley。 This is the first book of the series following Josie Prescott that I have read and really enjoyed it。Josie has a lot on her plate， from running a successful antiques business， to a new show and moving into a new house， she finds herself caught in the middle of a mystery turned murder-mystery upon the discovery of some potentially priceless antiques left behind from the previous owner， Maudie。 I was very happy to gain access to an ARC copy of Hidden Treasure by Jane K。 Cleland through NetGalley。 This is the first book of the series following Josie Prescott that I have read and really enjoyed it。Josie has a lot on her plate， from running a successful antiques business， to a new show and moving into a new house， she finds herself caught in the middle of a mystery turned murder-mystery upon the discovery of some potentially priceless antiques left behind from the previous owner， Maudie。 The disappearance of the priceless artifacts stirs quite a bit of noise and gossip in town。Cleland and Josie’s shared attention to detail really make this a smooth read。 The book offered a lot of description so that I could easily picture all the happenings in my mind but not so much detail that it ever became overwhelming。 I really liked that I wasn’t lost in the story because I haven’t read any books in the series before and all the characters were well-described with clear relations to each other。While reading this， part of me really kept saying “Josie stay out of it”。 Especially when her involvement begins to rub a few people the wrong way。 I grew to appreciate Josie’s need to find out all that she can as it becomes clear that Josie really is the one driving the murder and theft investigation。 Josie’s kind heart and giving nature make her a loveable character。 If you’re into a cozy mystery and easy read， definitely check this one out！ 。。。more
Elissa
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This is the 13th book in the Josie Prescott Antiques mystery series and the first one in this series that I've read。 I found the book to be a gentle cozy mystery， perfect to escape the stress of life。 Despite not having read any of the others in the series， I felt that the characters were introduced in such a way that I didn't need to read the previous books （though because of my enjoyment of this one I will be going back to read the others）。 I loved the descriptions of the New Hampshire shore This is the 13th book in the Josie Prescott Antiques mystery series and the first one in this series that I've read。 I found the book to be a gentle cozy mystery， perfect to escape the stress of life。 Despite not having read any of the others in the series， I felt that the characters were introduced in such a way that I didn't need to read the previous books （though because of my enjoyment of this one I will be going back to read the others）。 I loved the descriptions of the New Hampshire shore and the details about antiques and the antique business。 I look forward to reading more books in this series。 。。。more
Leslie
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I read this book courtesy of NetGalley。 This long series continues to follow the never-aging Josie Prescott， now married， as she deals in antiques， hosts a TV show， assists friends， does good deeds， renovates her new home and solves mysteries。 Her best friend Zoe is upset because her daughter Emma has joined the Marines and Josie works to reassure， redirect， and reward them both。 A new friend， Maudie， is the focus of much of Josie's interest， not only as the owner of a possibly ancient cat and I read this book courtesy of NetGalley。 This long series continues to follow the never-aging Josie Prescott， now married， as she deals in antiques， hosts a TV show， assists friends， does good deeds， renovates her new home and solves mysteries。 Her best friend Zoe is upset because her daughter Emma has joined the Marines and Josie works to reassure， redirect， and reward them both。 A new friend， Maudie， is the focus of much of Josie's interest， not only as the owner of a possibly ancient cat and presentation box， but also because of a murder。 Through the book Josie gets attacked， but bounces back and still manages to accomplish everything she set out to do。 Fans of the series will enjoy the book and the antiques lessons。 。。。more
Jennifer Georges
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This book was the first book I read in the series。 I think reading previous installments would have clarified a lot for me while reading。 I enjoy mysteries and could not help but feel like Josie was just a busy body but after doing research on the series I realized that she did this frequently。 I did not personally connect with any of the characters in this book but it was a good read。 There were points that were very descriptive and it helped me to paint a better picture of the scene the author This book was the first book I read in the series。 I think reading previous installments would have clarified a lot for me while reading。 I enjoy mysteries and could not help but feel like Josie was just a busy body but after doing research on the series I realized that she did this frequently。 I did not personally connect with any of the characters in this book but it was a good read。 There were points that were very descriptive and it helped me to paint a better picture of the scene the author was trying to convey。 I would read another installment of the series。 I would most likely start from the beginning to help frame the following novels。 。。。more
Gail
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