Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
At the start of Allan's madcap 16th Trash 'n' Treasures mystery (after 2021's Antiques Carry On), flamboyant septuagenarian Vivian Borne--honorary deputy sheriff of Serenity, Iowa, antiques dealer, and magnet for murder--awakens her long-suffering 33-year-old daughter, Brandy, at 2 a.m. for a questionable meeting early that same morning with sleazy auctioneer Conrad Norris to purchase dead stock (aka "old unused new merchandise") for their shop. Vivian blithely ignores the dangers of entering a decrepit warehouse once owned by Lyle "the Liquidator" Dayton, who mysteriously disappeared years earlier. Vivian uses some dirt she has on Norris to blackmail him into letting her cherry-pick from the stock before he auctions it. When Norris ends up dead atop an elevator after the auction, Vivian is determined to solve the case. With a reluctant Brandy and her fiancé, Tony Cassato, Serenity's chief of police, Vivian investigates a lengthy list of suspects with reason to kill the double-dealing auctioneer. Can Vivian and Brandy expose the murderer before he permanently liquidates them? Humorous asides and loads of antique lore will please series fans. Allan (the pen name of Barbara Collins and Max Allan Collins) delivers the cozy goods. Agent: Dominick Abel, Dominick Abel Literary. (Oct.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
The mother-daughter pair of Vivian and Brandy Borne may appear to be simple antiques dealers, but there's more to them than meets the eye. When Vivian wakes Brandy at 2 a.m. to get a jump on a warehouse full of things that are going to be auctioned off soon--thanks to some sensitive information Vivian has about Conrad Norris, the auctioneer--Brandy gathers up her dog, Sushi, and they all drive to the warehouse where Norris awaits. They leave with a barrel of pearl buttons that Sushi picks out, two valuable toy arks, and a set of dishes. When the auction itself takes place, Norris is drunk and many people are left unsatisfied. Vivian does buy something, though--she couldn't resist attending the auction, even having picked off some items beforehand--and when she and Brandy return to the warehouse to pick it up, they find Norris dead. Naturally, Chief of Police Tony Cassato--Brandy's fiance--is called in. Vivian fancies herself a sleuth, and she and Brandy have solved quite a few murders together--a fact that does not incline Tony to want their help. Vivian drags Brandy along on her investigations, knowing that Norris was far from beloved by many people. Someone steals the ark Brandy had given to her best friend's daughter, but Brandy is hesitant to finger the two collectors she knows fought fiercely to buy the remaining arks at the auction. Vivian and Brandy may be amateur detectives, but they know a hawk from a handsaw and are determined to track down the killer, especially once a skeleton is found in their button barrel, opening up a long-dead case. Amusing mystery chockablock with antiques lore. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
