Antiques Knock-Off

January 24, 2011
Brandy Borne, seven months pregnant as a surrogate mom, dutifully monitors her own bipolar mother, Vivian, in Allan's quirky fifth Trash 'n' Treasures mystery set in the Midwestern Mississippi River town of Serenity (after 2010's Antiques Bizarre). Despite these obligations, Brandy manages to maintain an innocent romance with Tony Cassato, the Serenity police chief, as well as do a little antiquing and crime solving. When unlikable Connie Grimes, who once worked for Brandy's biological U.S. senator father, turns up dead with a knife in her chest, dotty Vivian confesses to the murder and goes to the slammer, where she meets a jailmate and potential witness to the real killer. And that's just one of the highlights. Throw in a touch of Mafia menace, a New Age hypnotist with a herd of cats, a very tasty recipe, and some smart tips on antique collecting, and you've got yourself a sure-fire winner.

January 15, 2011

Serenity, a Midwestern town on the banks of the Mississippi, is sunk in the doldrums of a blazing-hot summer until yet another murder disturbs the peace.

Brandy Borne is 31 and divorced. She and her blind Shih Tzu Sushi live with her flamboyant, bipolar mother Vivian, with whom she ekes out a living buying and selling antiques. Now, however, Brandy has learned that Vivian isn't her mother after all. Her real mother is social-climbing Peggy Sue, whom she was raised to call her sister; her father is a United States Senator. Off Prozac and seven months pregnant with her best friend's child, Brandy's struggling to cope with Vivian, who's gone off her meds and into a manic phase. The partners' latest find, an Acklin clock, is on its way to be repaired when the latest in a series of poison pen letters arrives. Vivian thinks the writer is Peggy Sue's jealous friend Connie Grimes. When Brandy goes to confront her, she finds Connie with a knife in her chest. Much to the dismay of Brandy's boyfriend, Police Chief Tony Cassato, the dynamic duo go into sleuthing mode and learn a lot more about Peggy Sue's past and her brief fling with the senator. They also discover that there's more than one motive for murdering Connie.

The fifth helping of Trash 'n' Treasures (Antiques Bizarre, 2010, etc.) is an often amusing tale complete with lots of antiques-buying tips and an ending that may surprise you.

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March 1, 2011

When blackmailer Connie Grimes is found stabbed to death, antiques dealer Brandy Borne's mom becomes the primary suspect. Vivian had been spotted arguing with Connie the day before, and then she confesses to the crime. But is Vivian protecting someone else? With her pet shih tzu, Brandy investigates. VERDICT This fifth cozy series entry (after Antiques Bizarre) displays the versatility of husband and wife Max Allan Collins and Barbara Collins (coauthors, Regeneration; Bombshell). Scenes of Midwestern small-town life, informative tidbits about the antiques business, and clever dialog make this essential for those who like unusual amateur sleuths.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.