Antiques maul A trash 'n' treasures mystery

In this jumbled sequel to Antiques Roadkill (2006), Allan (the pseudonymous husband-and-wife writing team of Max Allan and Barbara Collins) burdens a simple whodunit with too much sentimental ornament. Recent divorcee Brandy Borne has her hands full with her aging, scatterbrained mother, Vivian, who has just announced her retirement from local theater. To keep Vivian busy and generate some cash, Brandy suggests they open a stall in the new antiques mall in their small Midwestern town of Serenity. Then the two women find a retired schoolteacher dead at the mall, apparently killed by her pit bull. Vivian insists the woman was murdered, but the official investigation comes up empty. Brandy and Vivian also detect a bit, but to little practical effect, eventually stumbling on the solution by chance. Brandy's rambling narration and Vivian's dotty escapades may not hold the attention of hardcore mystery fans, but antiques addicts will enjoy the "trash 'n' treasures" tips. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

A theatrical mother and a clothes-obsessed daughter combine their talents to solve a murder. Recently divorced Brandy Borne (Antiques Roadkill, 2006, etc.) and her blind Shih Tzu have moved back to charming Serenity, on the banks of the Mississippi, leaving her son Jake with her ex. Concerned with her mother Vivian's mental health since she lost her directing job with the local theater group to her former friend Bernice, Brandy suggests they rent a booth at a new antiques mall. At a federal auction, they pick up some bargains for their booth, including a rolltop desk very popular among bidders, to add to the items they have at home, including a cigar-store Indian from Bernice that she begs to buy back. When they're ready to set up their booth, they even get some help from Jake, who's visiting on a school break. The mall is run by Brandy's former teacher Mrs. Norton and her pit bull guard dog, a timid creature named Brad. Brandy and Vivian are shocked when they discover Mrs. Morton apparently mauled to death by Brad. Convinced of Brad's innocence, Brandy sets out to prove it. There's not nearly enough Prozac to keep her out of trouble as she struggles to control her madcap mother's wild ways in their hunt for a killer. A facetious farrago of fluff that tells you more than you really want to know about shopping. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.