Josie Prescott sits down for a Q&A with dru’s book musings responding to twenty or more questions so that we can learn more about her. So, let’s get to know Josie.

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What is your full name?
Josie Kay Prescott

How old are you?
A lady never tells. . . okay, I’ll tell. . . I’m in my mid-thirties.

What is your profession?
I trained as an art historian, and now I’m an antiques appraiser and business owner. I own Prescott’s Antiques & Auctions based in Rocky Point, New Hampshire.

Do you have a significant other?
Yes, after dating for many years, Ty Alvarez and I married a few years ago.

What is their name and profession?
Ty Alvarez had been the Rocky Point, NH police chief when I first moved to New Hampshire in 2005, then he moved to Homeland Security. He’s in charge of training for the tristate region (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire).

Do you have any children?
No.

Do you have any siblings?
I have a cousin who lives in England, but as the only child of only children, as far as I know, I have no other family.

Are your parents nearby?
I’m sorry to report that my parents are both dead. I miss them both every day.

Who is your best friend?
Zoe Winterelli.

Do you have any pets?
Yes, two cats, Hank and Angela. Hank is a platinum Maine Coon. Angela is a black cat with a small white triangle under her chin—I named her Angela because angels wear white. They both live at Prescott’s.

What town do you live in?
Rocky Point, New Hampshire.

Do you live in a small town or a big city?
Rocky Point is a small town on the rugged coast of New Hampshire. It’s quaint, with a charming central shopping area and a well-maintained village green, the kind of place where folks gather on warm summer nights to hear local bands play familiar tunes.

Type of dwelling and do you own or rent?
For years and years, I lived in a rental house, a free-standing modern era dower house on my best friend Zoe’s property. Shortly after Ty and I got married, we bought a big house on the ocean. In Rocky Point, it’s known as the Gingerbread House. It’s under renovation now.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
One of my favorite ideas is converting the second floor porch off the master bedroom into a three-season room. It overlooks the ocean. I can’t wait to sit up there and listen to the waves roll in.

Favorite meal and dessert?
I have two of each: Prime rib, rare, and Southern fried chicken. Milk chocolate mousse and apple cake.

Do you have any hobbies?
I like to read mysteries. Currently I’m reading Rex Stout’s Murder by the Book. I also like to hike and snorkel.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
Grand Cayman, the Cayman Islands. They have great snorkeling there.

What music do you listen to?
Classical, mostly, although I like some jazz, too.

Do you have a favorite book?
Oh, golly, I don’t know how to narrow my choice to one book. My favorite classics are Rex Stout’s traditional mysteries and Georgette Heyer’s Regency romances. I’ve also been enjoying rereading Adam Hall’s Quiller espionage novels. In terms of women’s fiction, I really enjoy Liane Moriarty’s books.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
Hiking with Ty through the gorgeous New Hampshire back country, followed by lunch at an old inn.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
Thanks for the Second Chance

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
I’m an amateur sleuth, an antiques appraiser who uses my knowledge of antiques to solve crimes.

My staff figures into almost every mystery:

• • Gretchen, who showed up on my doorstep begging for a job, was my first hire, and is now the general manager
  • Sasha, my chief antiques appraiser, who’s scholarly and reserved
  • Fred, my other antiques appraiser, a transplant from New York, who still wears his Italian-made slim fit suits and square framed cool-kid glasses, is an antiques snob
  • Eric, who is painfully shy, started part-time when he was still in high school, joined the team fulltime as soon as he graduated and is now the facilities manager
  • Cara, Prescott’s grandmotherly receptionist, is the best baker in Rocky Point—you should taste her ginger snaps!

I also work with Wes Smith, a reporter for the local paper, the Seacoast Star. He and I have a tit-for-tat relationship—if I want information, I have to give information.

I suppose I should mention Police Chief Ellis Hunter, too. Ellis and I are friends, and while we don’t actually work together, of course, but he often asks for my help when it comes to issues related to antiques and collectibles.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
I’m a morning person, so I typically wake up around six or seven. I like coffee first thing, and I love to go for a walk before breakfast. Since Ty and I moved to the beach, we often walk to Maine, a private joke, since our house is at the north end of Rocky Point Beach, only about a half mile from the state line, marked by a long jetty. Once I’m at work, I focus on my role as the face of Prescott’s. For instance, I have a TV show, Josie’s Antiques, now in its fifth season (yay!), and I write a monthly column for Antiques Insights, an industry publication. I do most of the cooking in our family, although Ty is a heck of a griller. On weekends, Ty and I often go out for brunch, hike through New Hampshire’s beautiful nature trails, read, and just hang out.

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Hidden Treasure is the 13th book in the “Josie Prescott Antiques” cozy mystery series, released December 8, 2020.

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.

Purchase Link

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About the author
Jane K. Cleland writes both fiction and nonfiction, including the long-running and multiple award-winning Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries [St. Martin’s & Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine] and the Agatha Award-winning bestsellers Mastering Suspense, Structure & Plot and Mastering Plot Twists [Writer’s Digest Books], recommended by Dan Brown, Louise Penny, David Baldacci, and Neil Gaiman. Jane is a contributing editor for Writer’s Digest Magazine, and the chair of the Wolfe Pack’s Black Orchid Novella Award (BONA), in partnership with AHMM. She is a frequent workshop leader and guest author at writing conferences and MFA Residencies. Jane is offering free monthly workshops on the craft of writing in the “We’re All in It Together,” series. Details can be found at janecleland.com.

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The publisher has generously offered to give away one print copy of Hidden Treasure. To enter, please leave a comment below. One entry per person and the giveaway is limited to U.S. residents only. Giveaway ends December 11, 2020. Good luck everyone!

All comments are welcomed.