Consigned to Death

In Cleland's satisfying cozy debut, a New Hampshire antiques dealer, Josie Prescott, formerly employed by a big New York auction house, turns sleuth after a potential client, wealthy recluse Nathaniel Grant, is found stabbed to death in his mansion in Rocky Point, N.H. Cleland, who herself was once an antiques dealer in the Granite State, puts her insider knowledge to admirable use in depicting what is often a cutthroat business, from price setting and haggling to handling difficult clients and competitors. She also proves adept at shifting suspicion from one character to another, including a well-established professional rival of Josie's, his harpy of a wife and the slain man's greedy granddaughter. A few valuable paintings of uncertain provenance that have gone missing and a soupçon of romance for the wary Josie help raise the excitement level. Readers will want to see more of her. (Apr.)