Antiques Flee Market

A Trash 'n' Treasures Mystery #3

by Barbara Allan

As the Christmas season gets into full swing in the Mississippi River town of Serenity, Brandy Borne finds herself in the midst of holiday mayhem when Walter Yeager, an old flame of her mother's, becomes a victim of Yuletide homicide. . .

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Christmas, Fiction, Cozy, Mystery Thriller, Holiday

281 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 30, 2008

About the author

Barbara Allan is a pseudonym used by Barbara Collins and Max Allan Collins

Max Allan Collins is a writer of mystery novels, screenplays, comics and historical fiction. Collins has collaborated on numerous short stories with his wife writer Barbara Collins. Together they also write the successful “Trash ‘n’ Treasures” mysteries – their Antiques Flee Market (2008) won the Romantic Times Best Humorous Mystery Novel award in 2009.

There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and quick but not one of my favourite mysteries. It has a dog in it which is a plus. And a crazy mother which was another plus. But why do the cozy mysteries always have cop love interests? It’s a bit cliche, don’t you think? And the whodunit in this one - out in left field. Never would have guessed and was a bit disappointed.

[Barbara ★ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first I've read in this series and it will be the last. I found Brandy to be incredibly irritating and disrespectful to her mother which usually wouldn't bother me but for some reason it just tripped my trigger this time. I would expect a daughter who is living off her mother's good graces to be more understanding. Honestly Brandy came across as uptight and prone to overreact to the slightest thing.

I expected more mystery than what was to be found in this volume. This was move interpersonal family dynamics between mother and daughter, sister and sister. Definitely not my cup of tea.

[Joy Gerbode · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a difficult one to rate because I really find the characters irritating; I find most of the scenes irritating; and I find the details, the relationships, etc., irritating. The fact that we are dealing with antiques and flea markets adds a spark of interest for me, but all in all, these are not my favorite books at all.

[Genevieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this series and I think Brandy and her mother are amusing. The story line was good but the ending took me by surprise and had kept me guessing till the end. I like the side stories about Brandy and her sister. A good easy read.

[Kyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, I have not read any of the other books in this series, but, like, what the hell is going on here? The mystery is slight at best, and basically unsolvable by the reader (unfair!). But there's plenty of other stuff going on in the book. One might argue WAY TOO MUCH other stuff.

Here's what the main character has going on in her life: she is divorced and has had to move back to her hometown away from her son (not clear how upset she is about this?) to live with her bipolar mother, with whom she runs a stall at an antiques mall (the antiques mall figures NOT AT ALL in the story). She has a blind diabetic dog. She is dating a guy who has to leave her at the end of the book to go take care of his daughter, who has a serious eating disorder. She tries to help out a friend with PTSD from Desert Storm who is hiding out in the woods with guns and cyanide capsules* and he knocks her out and kidnaps her. She agrees to be a surrogate mother for her friend who is being treated for uterine cancer. Oh and it turns out her mother is not her biological mother, her semi-estranged sister is actually her mother. She also suffers from migraines. And the dog goes into insulin shock and has to be revived with corn syrup.

Somewhere in there she and her mother (the bipolar 70-something, not the estranged sister) solve a mystery.

Other "fun" local characters include a "Cockney urchin" who was convicted of poisoning her stepfather with mushrooms (this is mentioned once and NEVER AGAIN), an alcoholic surgeon who has lost his license for operating while drunk, and a vengeful nursing-home resident who has been blackmailing the man who raped her daughter since the end of the second World War.

Rapes and suicide (by hanging and by gunshot!) and serious mental illness interspersed with Danish Kringle recipes and tips for successful flea market shopping? To me, it just feels like too much explicit misery for a "cozy" mystery.


*OK actually the cyanide capsules are not real.

[Elliott · Rating 2 out of 5]

sometimes I find the antics of the main character and her mother amusing, and sometimes they can be irritating. there were a few minor Christmas elements but that clearly wasn't the focus of the story. I was going to give this 3 stars but then I remembered Vivian's little moment as a rape apologist at the end of the book and felt that alone was enough for a downgrade. plus they repeatedly referred to this girl as "mentally unstable" or something because she committed suicide, and it seemed like there was no empathy at all for idk how trauma affects people. like her actions are presented as less meaningful because she was mentally "unstable" and it's like, isn't that actually more devastating? what's wrong with you people. I mean there was just so much absolutely bizarre drama in this book that I really didn't enjoy, and the authors are writing about all of these people with mental illness but seem to have only a very dodgy, sketchy understanding of mental illness. don't feel I need to read more of this series.

[Ronda · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a lot of things I enjoy about this series--characters like Joe, the humor, the pop culture references, and many of the side stories, such as this one's Shawntea, the battle of the parking meters, and the mininster's flash mob Sunday helping hands services. I still struggle with the fact that sometimes, the main characters aren't very likeable. I guess it is unrealistic to expect to like everything about a character, but sometimes Brandy and Vivian seem incredibly self-centered, manipulative, and even cold. Of course, in the long run, I guess that just makes them seem more human. Am curious to see how things proceed. Lots of new twists and turns possible.

The e-book edition I read had a LOT of typos, which was annoying.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really enjoyable series and continues to be in the 3rd installment. I love the easy, sassy, and sarcastic writing style which just pulls you in right away. The characters are quirky (to say the least) but very lovable and so fun to read about. This story delved deeper into Brady's personal life, especially about her REAL mother and how she was going to handle it which was a great addition to the murder mystery. I will definitely be continuing with this series.

[Cozybooklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun holiday season cozy

This is a terrific book. Brandy is receiving anonymous letters about her "real" mother, her friend Joe is off his meds and then a suspicious death takes place. Her overly dramatic mother Vivian is ready to solve the case!
Join the Borne ladies on another wild adventure.

[Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Christmas time in Iowa, and the Borne girls are shopping for bargains when they see an old man being taken by an unscrupulous dealer.

Of course, things turn to murder, and the investigations start. Some of the suspects hit a little too close to home, and Brandy finds some things out she wishes she didn't.

Very entertaining.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this quick read on a lazy, rainy, windy Sunday. The characters were fun, the story light and no thinking necessary...a small smile now and again.

A very cozy story and mystery.

[Cat Jenkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started this series out of order and I'm glad I did, because if Flee Market had been the first one I'd read, I wouldn't have touched any others and I would have missed out on Antiques Frame, which totally delighted me.

My chief grudge against Flee Market? The part where the little dog is poisoned with too much insulin. If I hadn't already known that the dog appears in later books, I would have hurled Flee Market across the room in rage at yet another cheap attempt to elicit reader sympathy by abusing a hapless animal. I'm so sick of that ploy, as you can see if you read other reviews of mine.

So I picked up all the Barbara Allen Trash 'n' Treasures that were available in my library system (why do libraries NEVER seem to carry the full gamut...but only stock a sporadic few?), and because I have nothing else to read, I'm moving on to the next of what I could find. But it may be that Antique Frame will not be equaled. Alas.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recently divorced thirty-one-year-old Brandy Borne has moved back home to live with her very dramatic mother, Vivian, in small town Serenity, Iowa along the Mississippi River. Brandy and Vivian have a booth at an antique mall, and are on the lookout at a local flea market for items to re-stock their booth for the Christmas season. When Vivian sees an old friend, Walter, being taken advantage of with the pricing of a book, her theatrics go into overdrive, causing quite a scene amongst the other shoppers. Unfortunately, Walter's days are limited, and Vivian immediately comes to the conclusion that foul play was involved with Walter's demise, and Brandy is pulled along in the "investigation" with her mother leading the way.

I love the humor in this series, as well as the sometimes serious life decisions that come into play in Brandy's day to day journey of life, just like the rest of us. Can't wait to read more in the continuing saga of Brandy and Vivian's shenanigans! :-)

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

book 3 in this series.
I really like this writers style and funny descriptions of people and events. This book finds a mother daughter team involved in another murder case.
They are antique dealers with a wide range of friends including a handsome police officer and a sheriff. The mother is eccentric and completely loveable befriending people throughout the town and adding them to her Christmas card list.
The daughter is recently divorced and is finding out family secrets after receiving an anonymous letter. The town people have secrets of their own that someone is willing to murder someone to keep them quiet.
Quick and humorously fun.

[Sonia Bellhouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Antique Flee Market by Barbara Allan.
A Trash & Treasure Mystery
Almost a reprise of The Fast and The Furriest although this time the featured animal is Sushi, a Shih Tzu dog. The story is mainly told by Brandy Borne with occasional interjections by her mother Vivian. It’s a madcap mix of fun and danger. Chapters include Flea market tips. Again, part of a series, but I was still able to follow the lot, if not know all the backstory

[Marissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

My local library branch isn't open to regular patrons right now because of covid, but they just started offering a "book bundle" service where they will select 4 books for you to read themselves. I thought I'd try it out, and told them to pick me some "Cozy Mysteries," and included others I've enjoyed in the past.

I picked this one to read first because it was the shortest. Not a series I would continue. On to the next!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think Sushi is the star of this series and that's probably why I tend to circle back every now and again. I had saved this one because it's supposed to be Christmas-y, but it just mentioned it in passing, not really revolving around it. Which is fine, the cover did not mislead me into thinking it would be. It did kind of fizzle out for me at the halfway point, but I can't help relate to both Mother and "daughter", so I'm sure I'll be back at it at some point!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the series, this time Vivian (Brandy's mom?) manages to set the grandstand on fire at the fairgrounds. And Brandy's friend Joe is off his medicine and conks Brandy on the head when she went looking for him. Just thought about the fact most everyone is on some type of medicine, still a very good series.

[Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good.

Lots of typos which make the reader have to try to figure out what the author is saying. Especially when it appears the sentence is starting out one way but then the words change into a completely different statement. The plot and characters were ok. Not unique or interesting. The mother daughter dynamic kept me entertained.

[Alton Motobu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cozy Christmas mystery but filled with silliness, pettiness and eccentric characters that make it unrealistic and unbelievable. Vivian is especially irritating with her disregard for everything proper, conventional, and lawful. Her bravado almost gets her killed in the end although she is clever enough to get out of it.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book scores points for being a Winter Holiday read, and I read it during the Winter Holiday. Can't say I liked this one, though. I'm starting to think the series did improve a bit as it progressed.

[Kayci Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than the first two, but still too many parentheses for four stars. I was also not a fan of breaking the flow of the story for a recipe. The story itself isn't bad. I might read more if the library has them.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice little story. The Borne family is a great next store family to have. I love the tips they give when going to a flea market. Story is a good one. My first Barbara Allan book, I would like to go back and start with #1 in the series "Trash 'n Treasures Mystery".

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series! It gets mixed reviews in the comments I have read, but I love the quirky characters and their sharp repartee! The mysteries are intriguing and keep you hanging on to the end.

[Joyce Himmel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun read. Brandy and her mom Vivian are a hoot! Love the amateur sleuthing and family stories entwined together. Life in a small town certainly has lots of skeletons in the closets. Anytime I see raccoon coat, I will think of these two. Looking forward to reading more in the series.

[Mary Corso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good mystery, fun cast.

Fun cast of characters. Again, don't read books out of order as the personal backstory continues from book to book and a lot happens there. I like the kooky mom.

[Marseydoats · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was the first book in the series and realized it wasn't. it took me awhile to get into it, but parts of it are really funny. I will probably read the first two in the series if I can find them.

[Jinianne Gorg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable “Trash n Treasures” read. This time, I couldn’t help but hear the voice of Vivian as Moira Rose (Schitt’s Creek). Anyone agree?

In any case, a fun mystery with crazy events that somehow work well together.

[Dennis R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious!

This book kept me laughing throughout! The characters are wildly zany and it is a very good mystery they kept me wondering to the very end! First one in the series that I have read and I will be reading more!

[Tracy Mecum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun Read -Always Good Entertainment

Brandy, Vivian, Peggy Sue and let’s not forget Sushi serve up another fun filled mystery full of trash to treasures treats. These books are a great way to have a pleasurable read.