Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries Books In Order

Publication Order of Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries Books

An author of contemporary mystery fiction, American writer Jane K. Cleland has built herself a now highly regarded career creating mystery novels that are well known for keeping their many readers guessing right till the very end. Not just focusing on the mysteries themselves though, she is also well known for her richly crafted and finely honed characters that are able to draw her audience into her world with its own set of rules and ambiance, building a sense of familiarity that is relatable as it is engrossing. As a lecturer of creative writing she has also taught her craft as well, travelling extensively and bringing her teachings on writing to a far wider audience, along with producing a number of non-fiction books to back all this up. Not just novels, she has also written a number of plays and short-story collections too, which have helped elaborate on her already idiosyncratic and distinctive voice. One particular series she’s known for though is her Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries series of novels which has recently been gaining a huge amount of traction, as readers and critics alike have been turning their attention towards it.

In the series itself, Josie Prescott is the central protagonist who has undertaken an antiques business to help build back her reputation, but things don’t work out quite as simple as she’s initially hoped and fast finds herself thrown head-first into a number of different adventures. Dealing with a variety of different cases in each installment, it knows its formula well and works with the genre to great effect, as it clearly understands and inverts it. With over ten books in the series so far and counting, there’s a general arc there, but readers now know what to expect as Cleland offers high quality mystery novels filled with suspense and intrigue. The first novel was brought out in 2006 on the 3rd of April and they’ve been coming out to this very day and will continue to do so for many years yet.

Consigned to Death

The first in the series, this was to be the book that not only set-up the premise of the series, but it was also the book that initially introduced Josie Prescott to the public at large. Originally published on the 3rd of April, 2006, this set the tone and the ambiance of the books that were to follow, whilst providing the central protagonist with a clear driving narrative. It also managed to establish the character of Josie Prescott, creating a highly relatable and in-depth personality that draws the reader in, building an overall arc in the process for much of what was to come in due course.

Moving to New Hampshire after a misdirected price fixing scandal destroys her reputation as the proprietor of a high-class New York City auction house, Josie Prescott undertakes a new line as an antiques dealer. Hoping for some simple reflection she finds this isn’t going to be so easy though after a mystery involving a murdered owner of a priceless collection threatens her once reputation once again. She was about to land her biggest account yet with his as well, so it all looks a little suspicious and she must clear her name and restore her reputation before it’s too late. Can she discover the killer in time or will they happen to strike again? Just why was the owner murdered and what exactly does this killer want? Just how does Josie Prescott deal with the situation when she learns that she’s been consigned to death?

Deadly Appraisal

Intended as a direct follow up to the first, this installment sees Josie Prescott continuing to solve her cases and find the truth behind the mystery, all whilst dealing with her antiques business and build a name for herself. With her character already firmly established, it manages to further elaborate upon her backstory and delve deeper into who she is as a person, along with discovering the world about her to an even greater degree. This is all managed through her next mystery, which was published on the 17th of April, 2007, and it saw a killer on the loose once again, one she must stop at all costs.

Settling down into her new life Josie Prescott is finding herself quite at home in her New England home of New Hampshire and is even finding time for the local police chief who she’s becoming well acquainted with. Murder strikes once again though as the Portsmouth Women’s Guild representative is killed, leaving Josie to cast aside her aspirations as sponsor of their Gala and find out who done it as everyone is put under suspicion. All this whilst keeping her now successful business going in the midst of it all and keep her reputation which she has worked so hard to maintain. Just who killed the represantitive Maisy Gaylor and where exactly will they strike again? What was their motive and can Josie Prescott discover the truth before it’s too late, or will her own life be under threat? What will become of them all as they come up against a deadly appraisal?

The Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries Series

With over ten books in the series so far and counting, this is a franchise that doesn’t appear to be finishing anytime soon, as there’s plenty more stories planned on the horizon. Each one has a clear sense of their narrative and the world they’re inhabiting, providing a clear and articulate sense of purpose to the reader. They know what to expect and therein lies the key ingredients of the books as they clearly display a master of her craft building rich, elaborate and finely textured worlds. Winning a multitude of awards for her work, Cleland has produced a quality legacy within this series, along with a fully three-dimensional character in the form of Josie Prescott, who has become much beloved worldwide by readers and critics alike. Growing from strength-to-strength, this is a series that will continue on into the foreseeable future as there’s a lot more to come from this ever popular and successful franchise.