Jane K. Cleland Books In Order

Publication Order of Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries Books

Publication Order of Josie Prescott Short Stories/Novellas Books

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Cozy Case Files Mystery Sampler Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Jane K. Cleland was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and brought up in Newton, Massachusetts. She is a contemporary American author of mystery fiction. She attended Newton high school and then joined the University of Denver, graduating with a B.A. in English and Theatre. Jane K. Cleland proceeded to Babson College where she obtained her MBA in Marketing and Management. She then attended the Western Connecticut State University where she obtained an M.F.A in Playwriting and Speechwriting. She runs seminars and workshops on business writing and marketing, and the writing of creative non-fiction, memoirs, science fiction, young-adult fiction, and romance.

She has served as a director of the Mystery Writers of America and served a two-year term as president of the group’s New York chapter. Jane K. Cleland was the chairperson of the Literary Awards Committee of the Wolfe Pack, an association of fans of the Nero Wolfe novels by Rex Stout which confers the annual Nero Award, and the Black Orchid Novella Award (BONA) in partnership with Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. She is also a member of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs, the Dramatists Guild of America and Sisters in Crime.

She has been nominated for and has won numerous awards for her writing. She was honored as the Bestseller by the Independent Mystery Bookseller Association for her book the Consigned to Death. Consigned to death was selected by Library Journal as a “core title” for librarians seeking to build a cozy collection. She won the David Award, her books the Deadly Appraisal and Dolled Up for Murder. She has been a Finalist in Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, and David Awards, and has received multiple nominations. She was featured by Barnes & Noble an online book club in spring 2010 as the “Agatha Christie Month” essayist, in September 2010 and as the Rex Stout essayist, on multiple dates. The Western Connecticut State University MFA program awarded her the program’s highest honor for her work Distinguished Thesis, and Women Who Love Men They Hate.

Jane K. Cleland is the author of the Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries series. It is a traditional mystery series set in New Hampshire which features antiques appraiser Josie Prescott. She is also the author of the well known “noir” plays that focus on women and their complicated love relationships with men

Jane K. Cleland is on the faculty of Lehman College, part of the City University of New York

Consigned to death is the first book of the Josie Prescott series. This book was an Independent Mystery Booksellers Association bestseller and was nominated for the Agatha Award, Macavity Award, and David Awards for Best First Novel. It was also a Reader’s Digest Book Club selection. It was selected by the New Hampshire State Library as a Book of the Week. Consigned to death has been translated into Russian and Hungarian. This book has been selected by Library Journal as a “core title” for librarians seeking to build a cozy collection. Josie Prescot is a New Hampshire antiques dealer who was formerly employed by big New York auction house the Big Apple. As a whistle blower she left the New York auction house in bad books, after exposing a price fixing scheme at Frisco’s by her boss. Instead of congratulating her on her conviction and courage, the auction industry condemned her ethics and honesty. Shaken up by thinly veiled threats and the negative reactions, Josie Prescott fled back to her home state of New Hampshire. The fact that her father had just passed away heightens her emotional instability. In Portsmouth, Josie Prescott opens her antique business and her first potential major client is an elderly wealthy loner by the name Nathaniel Grant. Unfortunately for Josie Prescott, Nathaniel Grant is found dead in his nearby Rocky mansion. Both the police chief Ty Alverez and Josie Prescott’s lawyer, Max Bixby, believe her to be the prime suspect as she had the opportunity of being at the scene of crime at approximately the time of death, and to make matters worst for Josie Prescott, her finger prints are on the murder weapon, a knife. As an antique dealer Josie Prescott is used to investigating though her objective is usually an antique. She starts making inquiries to uncover the culprit because she does not trust the police chief Ty Alverez to look beyond her. By working on the premise that someone knew that she and Nathaniel Grant, the murder victim, were working on a business deal, Josie Prescott finds suspects from within the family and within her industry. Josie Prescott suspects that the person who stole the valuable paintings, particularly the Renoir, committed the murder.

Deadly Appraisal is the second book of the Josie Prescott seriesJosie Prescott’s antiques business is thriving and she is settling into her new life in New Hampshire. She is starting to make some close friends. Also her relationship with the local police chief is becoming more interesting. Josie Prescott is doing well for someone whose life had been turned upside down after she left her life as a New York City auction house expert to start a fresh in a small New England town. Soon Josie finds her self worried when murder strikes her seemingly peaceful community. She is sponsoring the Portsmouth Women’s Guild Annual Black and Gold Gala and she is anticipating some appreciation for her work. Instead, Maisy Gaylor, the Guilds representative collapses and dies after she drunk wine laced with cyanide. Rowcliff, an abrasive detective suspects Josie. In detective Rowcliff assessment, Josie is ether the murderer or the intended victim as her wine glass and Maisy’s were side by side. Was the poison meant for Josie? Her former boss, jailed by her testimony, has been released from jail, and Josie is wondering whether she was the intended target or had Maisy been keeping a deadly secret? Josie’s police chief boyfriend is out of town and so she has to turn to her lawyer for help. She is also forced to hire a bodyguard after she is almost killed in hit and run incident. To add to her troubles a valuable tureen sold at the fund raiser and which she had stored at her warehouse is replaced with a cheap replica. Josie is wondering whether someone is out to ruin her business and kill her. Josie keeps investigating Maisy’s life with the help of a young journalist whose sources disclose that Maisy had sizable property in an offshore account, and was about to be divorced by her husband. Josie continues investigating; she wants to get to the bottom of the matter despite the danger to her life.

One Response to “Jane K. Cleland”

1. Diane McClelland: 6 months ago

   I have read everyone of “Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries Books”. I enjoyed each one of the books. I love knowing what Josie was involved in each book. The characters were fascinated in each story. Thank you for the mystery in each book.

   Sincerely,
   Diane McClelland

   Reply