Season of Misdeeds

Antique Shop Mysteries #10

by Kay Marshall Strom

An ornate trunk from the Revolutionary War opens the door to deep trouble for antiques shop owner Maggie Watson.

When Maggie Watson discovers a trunk laden with artifacts from the Revolutionary War at Sedgwick Manor, the item from the past’s very presence immediately stirs up questions from Maggie’s present day. How did the exquisitely carved trunk end up in an abandoned outbuilding on the manor grounds? Who is the rightful owner of the chest and its priceless cargo? And how far would someone go to get it back? The answers could prove illuminating—or deadly.

An unseen villain attempts to thwart Maggie and her daughter, Emily’s investigation. Perhaps it is Jeff Davidson, a man who has spelled trouble for Maggie before. Arrested at the manor when Maggie first moved to Somerset Harbor, Davidson has wriggled his way out of jail just in time to become a thorn in Maggie’s side. He says he represents a client who is interested in obtaining the chest at any cost … but will that amount to murder?

This clever whodunit from Annie’s Antique Shop Mysteries series is a must-read for fans of cozy mysteries, antiques, New England, and female friendships.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

217 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 13, 2025

About the author

Kay Marshall Strom is the author of forty published books. Her writing credits also include numerous magazine articles, short stories, curriculum, stories for children, two prize-winning screenplays, and booklets for writers. Kay speaks at seminars, retreats, and special events throughout the country. She and her husband Dan Kline love to travel, and more and more Kay’s writing and speaking take her around the word.

Reviews

[Lis Sigona]

12/30/25 - 1/2/26
Season of Misdeeds (Antique Shop Mysteries #10) by Kay Marshall Strom
The 19th book in the Antique Shop Mysteries of Maggie, the Somerset Harbor town, her daughter Emily, and Sedgwick Manor. natural this involves the Somerset Historical Society ladies along with a a few other characters from previous books,along with a new wrinkle in the story. Snickers, Maggie’s cat gets away from Emily and winds his way into the thicket of the forest before the Carriage House Antique Shop Maggie owns, where there is an old dilapidated outbuilding that has been boarded up in the wooded area on Maggie’s property. But Snickers has managed to find his way inside through some broken rotted hole and gets inside. Emily cannot pass through, so she has to locate another way to get in. Finally finding on the other side of the building some loosened boards,she manages to get in and through the hole she’s forced open, to find Snickers lying on top of an elaborate antique chest. Emily goes and gets her mom, Maggie and they manage to get the heavy chest out of the outbuilding and up to the garage of the Manor the next day. What secrets and treasures does the chest hold. Emily and Maggie decide to keep this find to themselves until the learn more about it. But the next day an unsavory lawyer approaches Maggie about selling the chest to his client. And Ruth from the historical society,makes a comment about it to Maggie.she’s totally bewildered as she thought Emily wouldn’t say anything to anyone. It seems small towns find out things before anyone has uttered one word.

[Jo Anne]

I've been reading this series called Antique Shop Mysteries, written by various authors. They are fun and well-written and what I would call "Nancy Drew for Grownups. The main character is Maggie, who was left a huge manor house and antique shop by her beloved great-aunt. The action takes place in a small coastal town in Maine and everybody but the bad guys are really nice people. All sarcasm aside, these are charming stories. I just want to point out, that since Maggie's house, car and antique shop are constantly being broken into by crooks, she'd want to keep all the doors locked and get a big monster alarm system and maybe build a moat around her property filled with piranhas. Nah. Where's the fun in that?

[Susan]

Maggie Watson's daughter discovers an antique trunk in a decrepit storage building, and Maggie tries to find the owner of the items in the trunk, despite efforts to buy the trunk from her and attempts to steal the contents. Is there something valuable in the trunk? Why, yes, there is, and it takes Maggie working full time to discover that the attempts to make the town and all its buildings a Civil War tourist attraction by an unscrupulous developer will fail if she can find, and keep, the hidden treasure in the trunk.

[Debra McEathron]

This was a very interesting cozy mystery. It is part of a series even though this says it's number 10 it feels like an earlier one because Emily is just starting to make it seem like home. Her mom Maggie inherited the home and business from her aunt. This mystery involves a deed for the toen.

[Kimberly]

This a book in the Antique Shop Mysteries series. I truly enjoyed it. There are plenty of villains and plenty of heros, Twists and turns, friendship and family and small town vibes which all combine to make this a good heart warming read.

[Debby]

With this being the 250th anniversary of the founding of the US, I thought a cozy mystery with a Revolutionary War theme would be a good read. This is an okay read. Not my favorite book in the series but I enjoy the series in general.

[Charline Romine]

The Trunk

An amazing mystery in a trunk, hidden for at least two and a half centuries. How it takes Maggie and Emily Asking the right questions, Sleuthing and Knocking to benefit a whole town. You will love this puzzler.

[Camisa]

This was an interesting tale with some historical overtones. I love Snickers and found the characters relatable.
An easy read without complications.

[Irene Marston]

still enjoying this series easy reads nice little mystery

[Nicole]

Very interesting mystery around a chest, tunnels, noises in the wall and so on!

Love these little mysteries.

[Mooshka]

Not one of my favorite in the series but it was still a nice cozy mystery!

[Sanderella]

I didn't care for this book as much as I did the previous ones. A few of the characters were a bit too rough for my liking.. But that's just me.

[PottWab Regional Library]

A