Trash 'n' Treasures Mystery Books

Determined to make a new start in her quaint hometown on the banks of the Mississippi, Brandy Borne never dreams she'll become the prime suspect in a murder case. . . Moving back in with her eccentric, larger-than-life mother, Brandy Borne finds small-town Serenity anything but serene. It seems an unscrupulous antiques dealer has swindled Vivian out of the family's heirlooms. But when he is found run over in a country lane, Brandy becomes Murder Suspect Number One--with her mother coming in a very close second. . . The list of other suspects is impressive--the victim's business seems to have been based on bilking seniors out of their possessions. And when the Borne "girls" uncover a few very unsavory Serenity secrets, they become targets for a murderer whose favorite hobby seems to be collecting victims. Don't miss Brandy Borne's tips on antiques! "Cozy mystery fans will love this down-to-earth heroine with the wry sense of humor and a big heart." --Nancy Pickard "With its small-town setting and quirky characters, Antiques Roadkill is fun from start to finish. Dive in and enjoy."--Laurien Berenson

Reprinted Edition "Charming . . . a laugh-out-loud funny mystery." -- Romantic Times (4 stars) Halloween may be a time of treats, but for Brandy Borne, there's nothing trickier than keeping her batty mom out of mischief. Opening a booth at the Serenity antiques mall seems like a frightfully sensible solution--until a corpse turns up between the cornucopia and the candy corn. Local law scares up a suspect in the victim's dog, Brad Pit Bull. But Brandy and Mother see through the killer's clever canine masquerade. Their mission: unmask a murderer--before the witching hour comes, and he mauls again. Don't Miss Brandy Borne's Tips On Antiques–And A New Recipe! Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash 'n' Treasures Mystery Series. . . "A humorous cozy that teems with quirky characters." -- Booklist "A sure-fire winner." -- Publishers Weekly "One of the funniest cozy series going." -- Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine "You'll laugh out loud." -- Mystery Scene

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. . .

Spring has sprung a major leak in far-from-serene Serenity, as the Mississippi River drops in for an extended stay. With homes and businesses flooded, how better to help the town recover than by staging a church bazaar? Brandy Borne knows her mother Vivian's plan, however, is more likely to lean toward bizarre, especially when she hears Mother wheedle a reclusive Russian heiress into donating the last Faberge egg ever created! When the winning bidder turns up mortally scrambled, Brandy and Mother cook up a plan to crack the case of this killer. . .who is one seriously bad egg! Don't Miss Brandy Borne's Tips On Antiques! Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash 'n' Treasures Mystery Series. . . "Top pick! . . .thrills, laugh-out-loud moments and amazingly real relationships." -- Romantic Times Book Reviews "Engaging and utterly believable." --Sara Paretsky "This is surely one of the funniest cozy series going." -- Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

Brandy Borne is pretty sure her "charmingly eccentric" (a.k.a. "off her meds") mother, Vivian, didn't kill that viperous mousy-haired busybody Connie Grimes. But there's the small matter of her guilty plea. . ..While Mother blithely adapts to life behind bars by organizing a jailhouse theater troupe, seven-months-pregnant Brandy and her intrepid shih tzu, Sushi, trundle into a morass of fake antiques and faux collectibles. In the dog days of summer, they'd better not bark up the wrong tree--or a scheming killer just may put the bite on them! Don't Miss Brandy Borne's Tips On Antiques! "If you like laugh-out-loud mysteries, this one will make your day." -- Romantic Times (4.5 stars) Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash ‘n' Treasures Mystery Series. . . "You'll laugh out loud as Brandy and Vivian bumble their way through murder investigations in far-from-serene Serenity, Iowa." -- Mystery Scene "One of the funniest cozy series going." -- Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine "A sure-fire winner." -- Publishers Weekly

"One of the funniest cozy series going." -- Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Brandy Borne and her dramatically ditzy mother, Vivian, are stars of the new reality show, Antiques Sleuths . The season opens in a perfect location--a quaint old house echoing with the unsolved whispers of a 60-year-old axe murder. But when the show's producer meets a similarly grisly end, Brandy and Mother must chop around for clues, axe the right questions, and get the edge on a murderer's mysterious motives. Otherwise our sharp-witted sleuths may face cancellation--on the cutting room floor! Don't miss Brandy Borne's tips on antiques! Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash 'n' Treasures Mystery Series. . . "Thrills, laugh-out-loud moments and amazingly real relationships." -- Romantic Times Book Reviews "The characters shine with brassy humor." -- Publishers Weekly "You'll laugh out loud." -- Mystery Scene

"This series is just pure fun." -- Somebody Dies It happened at Serenity's swap meet, right after Brandy Borne and her ever-more-eccentric mother Vivian finished shooting the pilot for their very own TV show, Antiques Sleuths. Brandy just, well, lost her balance and fell . . . into the helpful arms of an old flame, local tycoon Wesley Sinclair III. But did Brandy's innocent slip lead to the murder of Wesley's wife, Vanessa? Sure, Vanessa was furious that she caught Brandy in Wesley's embrace. And she did storm off threatening dire consequences for her humbled husband. So when Vanessa turns up very dead, the local tongue-wag is that Wesley may have permanently dethroned the queen of his castle. But Brandy--along with her notoriously nosy mother and their sleuthing shih tzu Sushi--is determined to dig for the whole truth. Each new clue points in a different direction. What about this suspicious Club of Eight, a super-secret high-society bridge group that supposedly has very liberal rules about "partners"? When a key witness joins the dead list, Brandy and Vivian know they've got to crack this case before the remorseless killer puts an end to their antiquing days--forever! Don't miss Brandy Borne's tips on swap meets!

With their reality TV series, Antiques Sleuths , Brandy Borne and her quaintly kooky mother, Vivian, have a real hit on their hands. But when the bidding turns deadly, Brandy finds herself ornately framed for murder. Aided only by Sushi, their loyal shih tzu, and police dog Rocky, the wacky mother-and-daughter sleuthing team races to determine how an empty antique frame can hold a deadly portrait, before they become the subjects of another masterpiece of murder. Don’t miss Brandy Borne’s tips on investing in antiques! Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash ‘n’ Treasures Mysteries! “The exploits of the ditzy heroines remain endlessly amusing.” — Kirkus Reviews “If you delight in the absurd and enjoy manic humor, you’ll treasure the Trash ‘n’ Treasure mysteries.” — Mystery Scene “The characters shine with brassy humor.”— Publishers Weekly