Antiques Fire Sale
That local theater diva of a certain age, Vivian Borne—a.k.a. Brandy’s Mother—is the sheriff of Serenity County now but still hot on the trail of precious antiques. On a tour of the historic Wentworth Mansion, the two dedicated dealers are aglow at the treasure trove of priceless objects, never dreaming everything will turn to ashes hours later.
A charred corpse in the ruins is identified as the mansion’s caretaker, a one-time flame of Vivian’s. But Tony Cassato, Brandy’s beau and Serenity’s Chief of Police, throws cold water on Sheriff Vivian’s suspicions of murder. Then Brandy spots a certain familiar item for sale on the Internet, and Mother suspects the fire is just a smokescreen.
When their doggie detective, Sushi, the Shih Tzu, sniffs out a second body in the woods, Mother and Brandy turn up the heat on a homicidal torcher because any killer who takes on the Borne girls is playing with fire.
Series: A Trash ‘N’ Treasures Mystery – Book 14
Author: Barbara Allan
Genre: Antiques/Hobby
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 240
Rating: 
The 14th book in the “A Trash ‘N’ Treasures Mystery” series, Antiques Fire Sale from Barbara, Allan, is available now. Published by Kensington Books, this book is as quirky as the rest of the series. Unlike many cozies, this one has readers laughing.
First off, I have to say that I did not like the narration of this book. It’s a personal issue for me. I do not like the characters to speak to the audience in cozies. It’s somewhat unsettling and does not make the story more interesting. It can have the opposite effect and make me less likely to enjoy the book or even finish it. I also do not like the continued use of calling Vivian “mother” instead of using her name; it feels disrespectful and insulting.
The characters in these cozies are well-developed and, for the most part, likable. They are definitely not average characters. They have personalities that can be irritating and endearing at the same time, just like any real human being. Vivian is my favorite character. She has personality in spades. She is unpredictable and easy to like, and always getting into trouble. I’m not overly crazy about Brandy; she’s too stiff and seems to dislike everything her mother does. It verges on a teenager’s attitude much of the time.
The mystery and murder(s) in this book are exciting, and there are great twists along the journey. Most cozies only have one murder to solve, but in this story, there are several, and none are straightforward. Throughout the novel, readers may get a sense that Vivian already knows who the killer is, and she is just biding her time to find the perfect occasion to unveil the culprit. The story itself is an enjoyable read, filled with Vivian’s antics, plenty of evidence, and enough twists to keep readers entertained. I recommend readers who haven’t read any of this series start from the beginning. But for those who have read this series, I recommend Antiques Fire Sale.
Other hobbies or collector-type cozies readers may enjoy are Sherry Harris’ intriguing cozy mystery series “A Sarah W. Garage Sale Mystery” or perhaps Mary Ellen Hughes’ extremely interesting series “A Keepsake Cove Mystery.”
About the Author:
Barbara Allan is the joint pseudonym of acclaimed short story writer Barbara Collins (Too Many Tomcats) and New York Times bestselling mystery novelist Max Allan Collins (Road to Perdition). Their previous collaborations have included one son, a short story collection, and five novels, including the 2008 winner of the Romantic Times Toby Bromberg Award for Most Humorous Mystery. They live in Iowa in a house filled with trash and treasures.
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