Review: The Antique Hunter's Death on the Red Sea

3/5 stars

The Antique Hunter's Death on the Red Sea, by C.L. Miller (2025)

Not quite as fun the first book, An Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder, but still a great read. You probably don't have to read the first one, but it would definitely help, as there are a lot of recurring characters, even though the plotlines are mostly new.

Freya Lockwood and her Aunt Carol have taken over Arthur's antiques shop and his role as a stolen art investigator, though they have yet to get a case. So when they get a call from the curator of a small museum about a stolen painting - in conjunction with a dead body out back - they're eager to be on the hunt again. And it's not just any stolen painting; This is a painting that Arthur himself donated to the museum, and when Freya and Carol get a look at a picture of it, they realize there are clues painted in that will help lead them to the thief and murderer.

The clues lead them to join an antiques cruise traveling to Egypt and Jordan, where Freya is booked as an expert speaker. The other passengers are all antiques enthusiasts, some of whom are also involved in an infamous trafficking ring run by "The Collector," a legendary individual that has evaded authorities for decades. They quickly discover that the on-ship gallery is filled with stolen artworks, and that every one of them is listed in one of the notebooks Arthur left behind for Freya.

Making an appearance again are Phil, the FBI agent and friend/collaborator of Arthur's, and Bella, a shrewd thief whose work sometimes falls on the right side of the law. I wasn't hugely invested in either of these characters in the first book, but this one brought Bella to life in a fun way. Phil, on the other hand, still just strikes me as a stick-in-the-mud. He's supposed to be the incredibly handsome love interest for Freya, and yes, the two of them clearly like each other... I just don't know why, because he's so boring. I also got very tired of him constantly telling Freya to stay put while he did the investigating. I get it, she's an amateur, and he's a professional. But treating her like she's clueless - when she's the one uncovering most of the actual clues - and like she needs to be saved all the time (ok, yes, sometimes she does) got old.

The story was a bit draggy, and the ending was too-hastily wrapped up, but I still enjoyed the mystery. And they've clearly left it wide open for more "Freya-and-Carol, Antique Hunter Heroines!" adventures.

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UP NEXT: The Shadow Key, by Susan Stokes-Chapman