Antiques Disposal

A Trash 'n' Treasures Mystery #6

by Barbara Allan

A mother-daughter team of antiques dealers finds a body rolled up in a rug in “another amusing mystery” in the popular series (Kirkus Reviews).   Storage wars erupt when Brandy Borne and her suspiciously well-informed mother, Vivian, win an abandoned storage unit’s mystery contents. The good news is a rare vintage cornet. The bad news is the recently stowed body of Big Jim Bob, Vivian's former tipster. Worse, an intruder steals into the Borne home to mete out some ruff justice to Brandy's ferociously fluffy shih tzu, Sushi, while making off with the heirloom horn. When the sleuthing duo finds another stashed victim, the hunt is on for a corpse-hoarding killer trying to blow “Taps” for all concerned…   “This humorous cozy is framed by life in small-town Iowa and teems with quirky characters. It will appeal to readers who enjoy Donna Andrews’ Meg Langslow mysteries.”—Booklist  Includes Brandy Borne's Tips On Antiques!Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash ‘n' Treasures Mystery Series. . . "One of the funniest cozy series going." --Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine "Brandy and her eccentric mother make a hilarious team of snoops." --Joan Hess "Top pick! Thrills, laugh-out-loud moments and amazingly real relationships." --Romantic Times Book Reviews

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Humor, Crime

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 24, 2012

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

[Catsalive · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm! Zany & kooky, I do not like this sort of wackiness in a mystery & it does turn up frequently in cosies, which is probably why I've gone off them lately. Not satisfied with this silliness, the characters break the 5th wall & speak directly to the reader about what they're writing & how they're writing it. It's all a bit twee.

I haven't read any of the previous episodes in this series & I'm unlikely to, but I don't think I missed out on too much. The relationships were all explained with a bit of back story, which seemed sufficient to me. The family dynamics are rather shuddersome, that constant niggling at each other - hard to take when you're living together. Ick!

We end up with quite a bit of skulduggery in this small town in Iowa. Murder, assault, theft & fraud, it's all happening, but is mostly overshone by the interactions between Borne family members.

[Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Trash and Treasures mystery.

Vivian and Brandy decide to go into the Storage Wars auctions to get some inventory. Vivian gets a tip from the owner of the storage area, as he is her former paramour.

With a few tricks, they win the auction, find a great prize...and the owner's body. The girls investigate, in their own inimitable fashion.

[Susan Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books! I am going to hate to get to the last one! The truth about Brandy's 'lineage' has now come out and things are up in air with the family. But family issues do not stop Vivian Borne from getting involved in another murder investigation! The comedy in these books are enough to cover up any slow chapter!

[Roberta · Rating 1 out of 5]

I almost didn't make it past the first page. Characters who narrate the story, talk directly to the reader and are aware that they are characters in a book are annoying. Every single page is full of asides, remarks, quotes, homilies, italics, parenthesis, arguments between the characters about who should write the next chapter, little dialogs between the characters and the editor of the book and everything else you can think of. If all the garbage were edited out, the book would be maybe 10 pages long. I will quote only two that are particularly apt.

Page 27: "Keith Larson was right '(A good writer doesn't overuse parentheses.)'"

Page 122: However -- Brandy insists a sign of a bad writer is if he/she begins a sentence with "however," saying that word belongs in the middle of a sentence, though I could care less (Brandy also insists it's "couldn't care less," which just doesn't sound right) (but I digress) -- "

I know that there are stand-up comics who base their humor on their own illnesses and disabilities but I apparently don't find clinical depression, bipolar disorder, and diabetic retinopathy, as funny as the authors do.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another entertaining book in this series.
I read these books for the ridiculous antics of Brandy and Vivian, not really for the murder/mystery. This mystery in this one was good, but I just don't understand someone "accidentally" murdering 2 people and almost another just to get a coronet. One that just might be valuable. I did suspect Lee, but not until he was dropping off his boss at the auction. I don't know why but his little scene seemed too random to be put in for no reason.
I liked this one because there was a lot of drama in Brandys life that had nothing to do with the murder. I really dislike Peggy Sue a lot and I don't think I'm ever going to like her. She is super self centered, unlike the rest of her family. A good cliff hanger at the end!

[Margret Melissa (ladybug) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I might have liked it more if the "Mother" and "Daughter" hadn't bickered so much. The family dynamics were extremely messed up. Then there is their habit of making light of Mental problems such as depression, bipolar disorders, and diabetic problems.

[Stephanie Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was in the mood for something light and fluffy...Vivian acting as Nero Wolfe was fun!

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is just ok. It's what I like to call a "cute little mystery".

[Kathy Warren · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just could not get into this book. Giving it 1 star was to many. Boring and way to wordy.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Author went overboard trying to be "cute" or clever when the protagonists were writing. The premise was not bad, but I was irritated with all the parenthetical asides.

[Marty · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series is supposedly written by a woman, Brandy, and her Mother/Grandmother Vivian who run a small antique business. Basically, the two women are writing a series of books about their adventures in a small northern town. Both women have strong personalities, and have tried to solve the murders for the police. Each of the women turn aside from the story line to speak “personally” with the reader giving ideas as to the process and events that are going on when telling what happened. (Note: their viewpoints often differ.) Vivian likes to embellish the story and take more than what “share of writing” is allotted to her. Brandy tries to keep things more realistic, but does go off to justify what she did. In this book, The ladies are tipped off by the owner of a storage unit business that a unit will come up for auction on a certain day and just may have something of value in it. They win the auction but before they really can tell what they have bought, the business owner is murdered, and perhaps several other people as well. –Not only is there the murder happening, but Brandy finds out that the person she believes is her sister is really her mother and her “mother” is really her grandmother ... and other family secrets that have been hidden for years pop up. .............It was all too much for me. I did finish it but will not read another in this series

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overdone but entertaining.
I can certainly enjoy a hilarious heroine, let alone two, but this was just too spacey.
Actually, the third star is simply for the cute quips.
i'm not particularly fond of how they use serious mental and emotional problems so lightly as flippant humor in this book.
Also, I am rather disturbed by the use of the age old parable about a man who "cried because I had no shoes until he met a man with no feet." I first saw this quote in grade school posted above the blackboard. It touched my child's heart even back then. Maybe it was the base upon which my empathy grew. I know it made me a better person.
I'm glad to see it quoted but I am sad to see it used as humor.
There are some things that shouldn't be made "funny".

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brandy Borne and her hilarious mother, Vivian, bid on an abandoned storage unit's contents, based on a tip Vivian received from an old friend. They hope to obtain some antiques at a discount price for their booth at the local antique mall in their scenic little Iowa town along the Mississippi River. Due to Vivian's shenanigans, Brandy and Vivian do indeed become the "lucky" owners of the contents of the abandoned storage unit, which of course leads to their discovery of a dead body and another crazy and fun mystery to solve.

There is never a dull moment with Brandy and Vivien! Their ridiculous antics make me laugh out loud!

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A soap opera of a series by this writing team. The cover has not much overlap with the book, though it does have a dog in it and a passing mention of a piano.
Still a fine and entertaining book whose plot twist is completely overshadowed by the main character's outrageous mother's re-enactment of a scene from Rex Stout's famous Nero Wolfe mysteries.
I am reading Snow Falling on Cedars, which would have made a more pretentious opening book for the year's reviews. But this wacky cozy is I admit more typical of my usual reading material.

[Maureen Hetzel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am sure this series has a great appeal to many but the comedy just doesn’t amuse me. The alternative writing of chapters by mother/daughter and the overall “diva-ness” of the mother just becomes irritating to me. I prefer my mysteries more focused on the mystery and not the antics of those who decided to solve them.

[Lisa Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the humor in this series. The characters are hilarious. However the writing style gets a bit tiresome. There’s a lot of recapping, and references to previous books in the series. The swapping of the storytelling from Vivian to Brandy is awkward. There was a bit too much Vivian in this one, that equals a lot of digression.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 6 in the series of an amateur sleuthing mother daughter sleuthing team who also buy and sell antiques.
They live in a small town in Iowa and their latest adventure involves purchasing the contents of a storage unit that is arrears in rental payments.
This means be lagged a little but in the beginning but the ending was a surprise.

[Karen Holman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cozy mystery book is the sixth in this series. The characters help paint a colorful tale and the clues to the mystery add to the story. The setting in Eastern Iowa helps the reader feel comfortable with the ending as the scene is set for the next book. copy right 2012

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing

I could only rate this book a 3. There is much potential that did not get developed. The author tries too hard to be quirky and cute in her characters. She brings to mind the saying, "less is more."

[Mary Corso · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was fine -


Water more about another avenue in resale of used things ... Unclaimed storage units. Not a real interest of mine. A lot more about the personal back story of Brandy's family. Don't read this one out of order. Too much personal stuff happens in this book.

[Helen Geng · Rating 2 out of 5]

Supposedly kooky & laboriously “witty” small-town cozy w an implausible whodunit.

The “jokes” about bipolar disorder, diabetic conditions & depressive disorders are not funny.

And what’s w the fixation on The Exorcist? There are at least 3 mentions.

Read May 2024

[Linda Gaines · Rating 4 out of 5]

humorous murder with a storage unit plot

[Alise HARRIS · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only reason I don't give this 5 stars is because they keep adding chapters from "Mother's" point of view. I don't like her. Let Brandy write the whole book!

[andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Getting a bit stale...but not stale enuff that I have given up entirely...yet.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do enjoy this series! Good mystery and entertaining characters make for a perfect cozy read!

[Janet Rexroth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to read series when you want something quick and easy.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun adventure with Brandy and Vivian!
Looking forward to the next one!

[Debi Emerson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't like book 1 in series, so didn't read this one, even though I had purchased it.

[Polly Hillier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its bantering style was a bit annoying so I am disappointed that I did not begin with #1 and read chronologically, perhaps I would have appreciated the banter more...

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

This book shows how the women in this family have many different problems with behavior.a grandmother and her daughter write book's together.