Antiques Ho-Ho-Homicides

A Trash 'n' Treasures Mystery #6.5, 8.5, 9.5

by Barbara Allan

Deck the halls with murder . . .

To Brandy Borne and her ditzy diva mother, homicide in small-town Serenity is the gift that keeps on taking. But murder turns merry as Brandy and Vivian gather collectible clues in a wintry workshop, seek the grinch who dimmed a pageant star's twinkle, and bag the humbug helper who snuffed a sidewalk Santa. Aided by Sushi, their elfin shih tzu, our seasonal sleuths crumble a bountiful batch of Christmas crookies. And though suspects may show bad will, and good cheer seems in short supply, this collection of Trash 'n' Treasures holiday homicides sparkles as the Borne girls wrap up three frolicsome felonies.

Includes Brandy Borne's antiques tips and yummy recipes!

Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash 'n' Treasures Mysteries

"A madcap series with non-stop humor."--RT Book Reviews

"Plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor."--Library Journal

"The exploits of the ditzy heroines remain endlessly amusing."
--Kirkus Reviews

"One of the funniest cozy series going."
--Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

Genres: Christmas, Cozy, Cozy Mystery, Mystery

212 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published September 25, 2018

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

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

These three longish short stories feature Allan's signature sleuth, Vivian Bourne, and her narrator-daughter Brandy, and all are Christmas themed. There isn't too much for Brandy to do in the way of sleuthing, nor do her romantic entanglements have much role in the stories, so it's mostly Vivian all the time, in her varied roles as antiques dealer, little theater director (and writer), and femme fatale of the older set.

[Alton Motobu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three novellas with a Christmas theme centered in the eastern Iowa town of Serendipity. Antique shop owners Vivian and Brandy Borne solve murders, and there are a lot of them - at least one per story. First is a homeowner who has been decorating his home every Christmas but decides to quit and is murdered. Second is the diva of local theatre who is poisoned by arsenic fruitcake. Finally a store Santa is murdered when a valuable coin is placed in his collection kettle. Authors assume readers are first timers to the series since they repeat major items about characters and locales in each story. Narrative is told from three angles: Vivian's, Brandy's, and the editor. It is difficult at times to keep track.

[Becky Tatar · Rating 1 out of 5]

If anyone wants to read a first person mystery, there are others that are far better. Trying to keep up between 3 narrators is too much for me. I just wanted to slap the two characters whose names I can't even remember - a ditzy mom and her adult daughter. Not going to be on any reading lists. I couldn't even finish the first short story. First person mystery to try - the Amelia Peabody mysteries by the great Elizabeth Peters. Amelia would just swat these two away.

[Nese · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the last book in this series, Antiques Wanted, so much that I couldn’t wait to find out what has happened after Vivian ran for County Sheriff without realizing this book doesn’t pick up from where the last book left off, instead it has three entertaining Christmas mysteries. Since the stories are short, they are not as complex as the regular books. Three and a half stars.

[Judy Zell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice collection of cozy holiday mysteries. My favorite is the middle one, Antiques Fruitcake, probably because it has nothing to do with antiques and is therefore different from most of the books in this series. In this one, Vivian is putting on a play about a fruitcake factory, and the leading lady is killed with a poisoned fruitcake during the dress rehearsal. The pet shih tzu plays an important role in solving the murder in 2 of these 3 stories.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains three fun Christmas themed novellas starring thirty-something Brandy Borne and her dramatic, eccentric seventy-something mother. Along with their antique business, Trash n' Treasures, they also keep themselves busy as amateur sleuths in the small town of Serenity, Iowa, along the Mississippi River.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the interaction between Brandy and her mother especially when the editor pops in and tells them to stop or the book will not get printed. Also, if you don't follow the antic's of Brandy and her mother they reference the book title that whatever incident occurred in. Totally fun read!

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three short Christmas stories now released in this paperback, includes Antiques Slay-Ride, Antiques Fruitcake, and Antiques St. Nick.

[Cherie Bush · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hilarious! Three Christmas themed short stories.

[Linda "Lilybug's Library"]

Dnf'd

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 cute but probably not a series I’ll start or continue with.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 three short stories for Christmas in July read.
Antiques,murder and the Borne Ladies are involved in junior sleuthing helping the police in Serenity