Series: A Bella Winter Mystery #1
Publication Date: 07th August 2024
Genre: Contemporary Cozy Mystery
3.5 Stars
One Liner: Good but too slow
Bella Winter moved to Hope Eaton after quitting her job in London. She starts an antique store, using her expertise to make a living.
When Bella finds Professor Oliver Barton dead in the ruins of Raven Hall, she doesn’t think it is murder. However, her assistant, John, asks her to look into the matter due to his suspicions. Soon, Bella realizes something is going on. When another historian’s life ends, it’s up to her to solve the case and avoid becoming the next target.
The story comes in Bella’s third-person POV.
My Thoughts:
As the first book in a new series, this one establishes the setting, introduces the characters, and solves a mystery. That means we have many new side characters (some are related) to track along with the suspects who pop up from time to time.
The narration is slow-paced, something I did not expect from this book. It feels as if the plot drags, which doesn’t make the story as appealing as it should be.
The premise is actually good. The case kind of overlaps with the MC’s area of expertise (or is adjacent to it). The writing is good too. I wasn’t bored much since there was some new development or information shared regularly. However, it felt like the % wouldn’t move no matter how much I read.
Having a 40+ single FMC is nice. She does seem to act her age so far. I do love her fashion sense. She loves wearing smart clothes from the bygone eras, and the descriptions are super cool. She’s got a backstory too. We get snippets here and there to get an idea about her arc.
The setting is cozy but with a touch of darkness. Suits the season as well! The antique shop adds to the layers. We see the MC in her stores and listen to her observations of customers and how she gets them right most of the time. (It is nice when the sleuth also follows her original profession in cozy mysteries)
There are more than enough suspects to keep the reader engaged. Each of them seems likely to have a motive. The reveal is logical and brings everything together. Though we get a lengthy explanation, it occurs before the action which leads to a final conclusion.
John could be Bella’s brainy Watson but needs some personality. Right now, their conversations are bland. I think it was supposed to be dry humor but it didn’t come across that way. I’m willing to give it a chance, so let’s see.
To summarize, The Antique Store Detective is not a bad cozy mystery. It is a good book with likable characters and a well-planned plot. However, the too-slow pacing and a long list of characters don’t help. Still, I will read the next book to see how it goes.
This is the author’s genre, so I’m hoping the subsequent books will get better.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for eARC.
#NetGalley #TheAntiqueStoreDetective
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